Road Tripping Through the West


The great American road trip — otherwise known as my summer vacation driving from Colorado to California and back — is over. After the first trip over, I had some thoughts on road tripping. Now that I'm back, I have some more. Time for sharing!

1. The Grand Canyon is immense. That seems like a bit of a "duh" statement, but it is just incredible in person. At first, it doesn't even seem real. It's so big and so incredible it seems like some sort of digital projection. Then you get close to the edge and, especially if you're scared of heights like me, it becomes very real.

2. The Four Corners Monument sounds more impressive than it is. I was glad we went. We got some cool pictures, I'm sure, and it was nice to see it. Walking through four states in one stop was kind of fun too. But that being said, I thought it would be more grand.

3. Road Construction is the worst. And California is the worst for it. Having spent a good deal of time traveling through California from east to west then west to east, I can say that road work is the bane of a driver's existence. It cuts down on speed, increases travel time and frustration. And many of the stops on the road in California are under whelming, either because of the ridiculous price of gas or the disgusting conditions of the rest rooms. Sometimes both.

4. Truck Stops are awesome. During most trips previous to this I sought to stop in small towns at gas stations. They are a mixed bag, or sometimes a disgusting bag. This trip we stopped as a few truck stops in Arizona, and they were incredible. It has changed my view of travel.

5. Two lane highways are rough. Heading from the Grand Canyon back home, we traveled about 600 miles on a two lane highway. It was not pleasant. The speed restrictions are greater, passing is difficult, and they run right through every small town in the region — often dropping to 25 miles per hour during that portion of the trip. It makes the trip feel really long. I greatly prefer the Interstates, especially outside California where the speed limit is 75 miles per hour.

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