Road Trip Vacations - Roadtrip Route From Coast To Coast
66Our Mini Cooper S Road Trip - 7/2/10 to 8/11/10
This summer, I took some time off before starting a new job and went on a cross-country road trip with my boyfriend, Kurt. We visited 35 states in 41 days and saw tons of amazing stuff, and learned a lot about life on the road. I wanted to share the route we took, in case anyone out there is planning their own road trip and might find our information (or at least parts of it) useful in the process. Our itinerary is below, and at the end of the hub is a series of maps with pins showing our various destinations along the way.
Day 1: We left Philadelphia around 5:30 a.m. and drove to Marblehead, MA, to visit Kurt's family over July 4th weekend. Route: I-95N, to US-1N, to NJ-29N, to I-195N, to the NJ Turnpike (I-95N) through New York City and New Haven, to I-91N, to I-84E, which merged with I-90E, to MA-1A, to MA-129 into Marblehead. States visited: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts.
Day 2: Marblehead, MA. Lunch at the Barnacle on Marblehead Harbor.
Day 3: Marblehead, MA. Horribles Parade, Abbott Hall, Marblehead Harbor Illumination and Fireworks.
Day 4: Marblehead, MA. Last-minute shopping for camping gear at the North Shore Mall in Peabody, MA.
Day 5: We had breakfast at the Driftwood in Marblehead, then left driving southwest to Lehighton, PA, to stay with my parents for a night. Route: MA-129S, to MA-1A, to I-90W, to I-84W, to PA-739S (Dingmans Turnpike), to US-209S. No new states visited.
Day 6: After breakfast, we left Lehighton and headed for Kitty Hawk, NC. Route: PA Turnpike (I-476S), to I-95S, to DE-1S, to MD-90W, to US-113S, to US-13S, to US-60E, to I-264W, to I-64W, to MD-168E, to NC-168E, to US-158E. Lunch in Fenwick Island, DE at Harpoon Hanna's; dinner in Kill Devil Hills, NC at Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar. Hotel: Days Inn Oceanfront in Kill Devil Hills, NC. New states visited: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina.
Essential Road Trip Guide
 | This book is an amazing road trip resource. It was our guide for several legs of our trip, and will help us plan future trips too. Amazon Price: $21.69 List Price: $29.95 |
Day 7: After a visit to the Wright Brothers National Memorial, we left Kitty Hawk and headed west for Tennessee. Route: US-158S, to US-64W, to I-440W, to I-40W. Dinner in Chapel Hill, NC at Elaine's on Franklin. Drove all night (route continues below), crossing into TN in the Smoky Mountains around midnight. New states visited: Tennessee.
Day 8: Continued driving through Tennessee to Memphis. Route: I-40W. Breakfast, dinner and drinks in Memphis at Cafe Eclectic, Rendezvous Ribs, and BB King's, respectively. Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites on Beale Street. No new states visited.
Day 9: Memphis. Graceland, National Civil Rights Museum, and dinner at Huey's. New states visited (on the long route back from Graceland): Mississippi, Arkansas.
Day 10: After breakfast, we left Memphis and headed for St. Louis, MO. Route: US-51N, to TN-78W, to KY-94E, to KY-239N, to KY-123N, to US-51N, to I-57S, to I-55N. Lunch in Cairo, IL at the Nu Diner, dinner in St. Louis at the Red Kitchen & Bar. Hotel: Millennium Hotel with a view of the Gateway Arch. New states visited: Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri.
Day 11: We left St. Louis and headed southwest to Oklahoma City, stopping to tour Meramec Caverns along the way. Route: I-44W, to MO-66W (old Route 66), to KS-26S, to US-166S, to I-44W, to I-40W. Dinner in Oklahoma City at TapWerks Ale House after visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial. Hotel: Bricktown Hotel & Convention Center. New states visited: Kansas, Oklahoma.
Day 12: We left Oklahoma City after breakfast and headed to Santa Fe, NM, stopping to visit Cadillac Ranch along the way. Route: I-40W (and I-40W-business through McLean, TX and Tucumcari, NM), to US-84W. Lunch in Amarillo, TX at Big Texan Steak Ranch; dinner in Santa Fe at Cowgirl BBQ. Hotel: Garrett's Desert Inn. New states visited: Texas, New Mexico.
Day 13: After spending the morning exploring Santa Fe, we headed to Durango, CO, taking the scenic route through Taos and Rio Grande National Forest by accident. Route: US-285N, to NM-68E, to US-64W, to US-285N, to CO-17S, to NM-17S, to US-84W, to to US-160W. Breakfast in Santa Fe at the French Pastry Shop, and dinner in Durango at Cyprus Cafe. Hotel: Abbey Inn. New states visited: Colorado.
Day 14: After spending the day sight-seeing in Durango, we headed just west of Durango to the Lightner Creek Campgrounds. Route: US-160W, to Lightner Creek Road. Breakfast in Durango at the Brickhouse Cafe, dinner at our campsite courtesy of Subway. No new states visited.
Road Trippers Need Good Cameras
 | The camera we got to use on the trip, which was awesome. One tip -- if you plan on photographing small things that are far away (e.g., a bear at Yellowstone), get a better lens with more zoom than the standard issue lens. Amazon Price: Too low to display |
Day 15: After packing up the tent, we left the Durango area and headed to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, stopping at Four Corners and Monument Valley along the way. Route: US-160W, to US-191N, to US-163S, to US-160W, to AZ-98W, to US-89S, to US-89altN, to AZ-67S. Hotel: Jacob Lake Inn. New states visited: Arizona, Utah.
Day 16: After breakfast at the hotel, we left the Grand Canyon and headed west to Las Vegas, stopping in Zion National Park along the way. Route: US-89N, to UT-9S, to I-15S. Dinner at the Chart House in the Golden Nugget in Vegas. Hotel: Golden Nugget on Fremont Street. New states visited: Nevada.
Day 17: Vegas. After I got a pedicure at the Golden Nugget, we drove down the Strip, moved to the Venetian, and visited Caesar's and the Bellagio. Lunch at Canaletto in the Venetian, dinner at Postrio in the Venetian. Hotel: the Venetian.
Day 18: Vegas. Massages at Canyon Ranch Spa. Breakfast from Bouchon Bakery by the pool, lunch at Grand Lux Cafe in the Venetian, gambling at Treasure Island.
Day 19: Vegas. Brunch at Bouchon in the Venetian, mid-day at the pool, dinner at Canaletto again.
Day 20: Vegas. Lunch at the Rialto Deli in the Venetian, dinner at Bouchon in the Venetian.
Day 21: We packed up and left Las Vegas, heading to Yosemite National Park, stopping at Mono Lake along the way. Route: US-95N, to NV-266W, to CA-266W, to NV-264-W, to US-6W, to CA-120W. Camped at Horseshoe Bend Recreation Area near Lake McClure, west of Yosemite, off CA-132. New states visited: California.
Day 22: We left Horseshoe Bend and headed toward Monterey, stopping in San Luis Obispo and Big Sur along the way. Route: CA-132W, to CA-99S, to CA-41S, to CA-46W, to US-101S, to CA-1N (Pacific Coast Highway). Breakfast in Modesto at the Velvet Grill & Creamery; dinner in San Luis Obispo at the Corner View Inn. Hotel: El Dorado Inn. No new states visited.
Day 23: We left Monterey and headed back down the coast along Big Sur, stopping in Carmel along the way, and ending up at a campsite in Los Padres National Forest. Route: CA-1S, to Nacimiento Road. Breakfast in Carmel at the Belle. Camped at Nacimiento Campgrounds on Nacimiento Creek. No new states visited.
Don't Camp Without A Pillow
 | After 2 nights sleeping on rolled up sweatshirts, we got these pillows at a Sports Authority in San Luis Obispo and they dramatically improved our camping experiences thereafter. Amazon Price: $20.76 List Price: $25.95 |
Day 24: We left the campgrounds and headed to San Francisco, stopping in Carmel, Monterey and Santa Cruz along the way. Route: Nacimiento Road, to CA-1N, to I-280N. Lunch in Big Sur at Nepenthe, dinner in San Francisco at Piazza Pellegrini. Hotel: Washington Square Inn. No new states visited.
Day 25: San Francisco. Lombard Street, cable car to Union Square, lunch at Burger Bar, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, dinner at Iluna Basque.
Day 26: San Francisco. Coit Tower, lunch at Boudin Bakery on Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square.
Day 27: San Francisco. Golden Gate Park, California Academy of Sciences. Lunch at Caffe Puccini, dinner at Piazza Pellegrini. Move to Hotel Boheme.
Day 28: After breakfast at Stella Pastry & Cafe, we left San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and headed to Sonoma and Napa. Route: US-101N, to CA-37N, to CA-121N, to CA-12W, to Calistoga Road, to Petrified Forest Road, to CA-29S. Lunch in Sonoma at the Red Grape, dinner in Calistoga at All Seasons. Hotel: the Lodge at Calistoga. No new states visited.
Day 29: Calistoga. Mud baths at Golden Haven Hot Springs, wine tastings and tours at Sterling Vineyards and Castello di Amorosa. Brunch at Sarafornia Cafe, dinner at Hydro Grill.
Day 30: After lunch at V. Sattui in St. Helena, we headed out of the Napa Valley to Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Route: CA-29N, to CA-128W, to US-101N, to Avenue of the Giants. Camped at Burlington Campgrounds in the park. No new states visited.
Day 31: After driving south on US-101 to the Chandelier Tree in Leggett, we headed north to Oregon. Route: Avenue of the Giants, to US-101N, to CA-299E, to US-395N, to US-20E, to CA-201N, to I-84E. Lunch in Garberville, CA at Calico's Deli; dinner in Alturas, CA at the Wagon Wheel Cafe. Drove all night (route continues below). New states visited: Oregon, Idaho.
Day 32: We continued our all-night drive to Idaho Falls, ID. Route: I-84E, to I-86E, to I-15N. Breakfast in Idaho Falls at Villa Coffeehouse, dinner in Idaho Falls at Ole Toro. Hotel: Sleep Inn. No new states visited.
Day 33: We left Idaho headed for West Yellowstone, MT, with a stop in Jackson, WY and a drive through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Route: US-26E, to ID-31N, to ID-33S, to WY-22E, to US-26E, to US-89N, to US-20W. Lunch in Jackson at Pearl Street Bagel. Camped at the West Yellowstone KOA. New states visited: Wyoming, Montana.
Day 34: Yellowstone. Tower Falls and Lamar Valley.
Day 35: Yellowstone. Old Faithful and Firehole Canyon. Breakfast at Ernie's in West Yellowstone.
Day 36: We packed up and left Yellowstone, headed to Rapid City, SD. Route: US-20E, to US-14E, to I-90E. Breakfast in West Yellowstone at Ernie's. Dinner in Rapid City at Godfather Pizza. Camped at the Rapid City KOA. New states visited: South Dakota.
Day 37: We left Rapid City and headed to Omaha, NE, with stops along the way at Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Mountain, and Wall Drug. Route: US-16W, to US-16alt, to SD-244W, to US-16W, to Avenue of the Chiefs, to US-16E, to I-90E, to I-29S, to US-6W. Dinner in Omaha at Upstream Brewing Co. Hotel: Omaha Hilton. New states visited: Iowa, Nebraska.
Day 38: We left Omaha and headed to Chicago, IL. Route: US-6E, to I-29S, to I-80E, to I-55N, to I-94W. Dinner in Chicago at Bandera on the Magnificent Mile. Hotel: Hotel Conrad. New states visited: Illinois.
Day 39: Chicago. Lunch at Volare, Chicago Architecture Foundation boat tour, Millennium Park, Wrigley Field, dinner at Giordano's.
Day 40: Chicago. Lunch at Park Grill, Art Institute of Chicago, dinner at Cafe Spiaggia, drinks at the Signature Lounge in the John Hancock Building.
Day 41: After breakfast at the Hotel Conrad, we left Chicago and headed home to Philadelphia. Route: I-90E, to I-80E, to US-131N (to detour into MI), to US-131S, to I-80E, to I-76E. New states visited: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio.
The routes we took included a good mix of scenic byways, major interstates, and off-the-beaten-path detours. Our iPhones and the standard mapping apps on them were invaluable tools as we navigated our way across the country -- we didn't make a detailed itinerary in advance; rather, we had a rough idea of where we'd like to go and in what order, but we added to it, subtracted from it, and nailed down routes from the road. That method isn't for everyone, but overall it worked out well for us.
Our Road Trip Map (Part 1)
Philly - Our current "home sweet home," the City of Brotherly Love. We left at 5:30 am on 7/2/10 and didn't return until 10 pm on 8/11/10.
Marblehead - Kurt's home town, where we spent the 4th of July weekend before heading south. We arrived there on 7/2/10 and left on 7/6/10.
Lehighton - My hometown, where we visited my parents and swam in their pool before heading out for the real meat of our trip. Arrived 7/6/10, left 7/7/10.
Fenwick Island - We stopped for lunch here, at Harpoon Hanna's, on our way to North Carolina on 7/7/10.
Kitty Hawk - Our first "real" destination, in the Outer Banks, home of the Wright Brothers Memorial. Arrived 7/7/10, left 7/8/10.
Chapel Hill - We stopped for dinner here, at Elaine's on Franklin, on our way to Memphis on 7/8/10.
Memphis - We drove all night on 7/8/10 to arrive here on 7/9/10. We stayed 2 nights, leaving on 7/11/10.
Cairo - We had lunch here, at the Nu Diner, in the middle of a torrential downpour on 7/11/10.
St. Louis - We arrived here and went to the top of the Arch on 7/11/10, spent the night, and left on 7/12/10.
Oklahoma City - We arrived here to see the Oklahoma City bombing memorial on 7/12/10, spent the night in Bricktown, and left on 7/13/10.
Our Road Trip Map (Part 2)
Amarillo - We stopped for lunch here, at Big Texan Steak Ranch, then bought some spray paint at a WalMart and added some graffiti to Cadillac Ranch on 7/13/10.
Santa Fe - We arrived here on 7/13/10, had dinner at Cowgirl BBQ, stayed at Garrett's Desert Inn, then checked out the town square and left on 7/14/10.
Durango - We arrived here on 7/14/10, had dinner at Cyprus Cafe, stayed at Abbey Inn one night, then camped at Lightner Creek Campgrounds and left on 7/16/10.
Monument Valley - We stopped here on our way to the Grand Canyon on 7/16/10.
Grand Canyon - North Rim - We saw the sunset here on 7/16/10, then stayed at Jacobs Lake Inn about 30 minutes north of the park's entrance.
Zion National Park - We drove through here on 7/17/10 on our way to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas - We arrived here at the Golden Nugget on 7/17/10, then moved to the Venetian on 7/18/10 and pampered ourselves until we left on 7/22/10.
Yosemite National Park - We drove through here on 7/22/10 and camped near Lake McClure, just west of the park, that night.
San Luis Obispo - We had dinner here on 7/23/10, at the Corner View Inn, after visiting the Mission.
Big Sur - We drove through Big Sur on 7/23 (going north), 7/24 (going south), camped there on 7/24, and drove back north (with lunch at Nepenthe) on 7/25/10.
Our Road Trip Map (Part 3)
Carmel - We stopped here for breakfast and to visit the beach on 7/24, then for some more sight-seeing on 7/25/10.
Monterey - We spent the night here at the El Dorado Inn on 7/23, then came back on 7/25/10 to visit Fisherman's Wharf.
Santa Cruz - We stopped here to visit the boardwalk and ride the carousel on our way to San Francisco on 7/25/10.
San Francisco - We arrived here on 7/25/10, spent 3 nights at the Washington Square Inn, then one night at Hotel Boheme. We finally left on 7/29/10.
Sonoma - We stopped here on 7/29 to do 3 tastings and have lunch on our way to the Napa Valley.
Calistoga - We spent two nights here, arriving on 7/29, getting mudbaths and visiting 2 vineyards on 7/30, and leaving on 7/31/10.
Humboldt Redwoods - We camped for one night here, arriving 7/31/10 after driving up the Avenue of the Giants, and leaving on 8/1/10.
Idaho Falls - We drove all night on 8/1 to arrive here on 8/2, and we rested up before heading on to Yellowstone on 8/3/10.
Jackson - We spent the day here on 8/3/10 before driving through Grand Teton and Yellowstone to our West Yellowstone campsite.
West Yellowstone - We camped here for 3 nights, arriving on 8/3, spending a few days touring in Yellowstone, and leaving on 8/6/10.
Our Road Trip Map (Part 4)
Rapid City - We camped here at a KOA on 8/6/10 before seeing Mount Rushmore on 8/7.
Keystone - On 8/7 we drove through the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Mountain.
Wall - We stopped at Wall Drug for lunch on 8/7/10 on our way to Omaha.
Chicago - We arrived here on 8/8/10 and spent 3 nights at the Hotel Conrad, leaving on 8/11/10.
Philadelphia - We arrived back home after a 13 hour drive from Chicago on 8/11/10.
