–By Chelsey Stone–
This the primary installment of a two-part cross-country highway journey collection.
Keep tuned for the second installment, coming March 31!
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My husband, Patrick, is within the navy, so shifting throughout the nation is an everyday a part of our lives. Our most up-to-date transfer was from San Diego, California, to Washington, D.C. from July 10 to July 21, 2024. Our expertise is exclusive in comparison with most different vacationers, in that we don’t must plan a return journey.
When planning forward for our newest cross- nation highway journey, we determined to see as many nationwide parks as we may — ideally stopping to camp. Our plan’s greatest impediment was the timing, hitting the highway proper in the midst of summer time. We needed to scour to see when the Nationwide Parks Service launched any last-minute campsites, requesting a notification when campsites grew to become accessible. As we found at Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park, tenting exempts you from timed-entry restrictions. After we did keep in inns, we used factors Patrick had earned from work journey.
Just a few different distinctive factors of our journey: We’re each runners, so we jogged three to 10 miles on the paths we visited. As a result of Patrick is near retirement, we made it a degree to go to cities we’d get pleasure from residing in — a win-win, with every spot already on the itinerary however doubling as a trial for what the long run may maintain.
It was fairly the journey, so let’s soar proper into our 10-day, coast-to-coast cross-country highway journey:
Day One
Begin: San Diego, California
Finish: Prescott, Arizona
Drive time: 7 hours
Keep: Potato Patch Campground
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San Diego, California
Earlier than setting out, I counsel fueling up on the Higher Buzz drive-thru. I ordered a Acutely aware Chocolate smoothie however requested to substitute banana with avocado. We discovered my request had prompted fairly a stir inside.
It’s about seven hours from San Diego to Potato Patch Campground in Prescott, Arizona. Aware of the drive by Arizona, we made few stops that day (a rest room break and one final break to snag some In-N-Out burger). With an hour of remaining daylight after we arrived on the campground, we found one in all our REI Half Dome tent poles was damaged whereas organising.
Tip: If you happen to’re tenting for a number of days, put your tent collectively earlier than you allow to examine for points like this one.
Day Two
Begin: Prescott, Arizona
Finish: Flagstaff, Arizona
Drive time: 7 hours
Stops: Jerome and Sedona, Arizona
Keep: Bonito Campground
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Potato Patch Campground
Within the morning, we ran Woodchute Path (right here’s our route on Strava). Path #531 was accessible proper from our campsite, which we adopted for about 0.9 miles till we obtained to Woodchute Path #102. After 4 miles, we reached a meadow at 7,600 ft of elevation and loved a spectacular view of Jerome, Arizona, one in all our many locations that day.
Tip: For lengthy tenting journeys the place showers aren’t all the time an choice, I extremely advocate bringing alongside physique wipes. We tried Klean Freak however appreciated Hustle Clear from REI greatest. It was exceptional how clear we felt after our runs—even after a number of sunscreen purposes.
Prescott, Arizona
We met with associates who dwell within the space for breakfast at The Porch in Prescott and had espresso, a breakfast sandwich, and the quiche of the day. The café is big, mild, and ethereal inside. A big fan within the again nook was blowing the already sunbaked morning air.
Tip: Make the most of stops like these to cost your gadgets and use the Wi-Fi when you have the entry.
From The Porch, we drove to Whiskey Row — it’s solely 0.2 miles down the highway should you’d reasonably stretch your legs, however you may also stroll round Courthouse Plaza — and thru downtown earlier than stopping on the Frontier Village Middle REI. We couldn’t change our tent pole, however our associates recommended we strive an out of doors gear consignment retailer in Flagstaff, our closing vacation spot for the day.
Prescott to Flagstaff is a couple of 90 minute drive, however we determined to cease by Jerome and Sedona earlier than retiring at Bonito Campground for the night time.
A pit cease at The Porch in Prescott, Arizona
Jerome, Arizona
From Prescott, we backtracked over Mingus Mountain to Jerome. Patrick deftly parallel parked the automotive on a slope simply previous Jerome’s principal avenue, and we walked again towards the city.
We stopped into Miner’s Choose Rock Store, and as quickly as we expressed the slightest curiosity in regards to the assortment, the workers particular person informed us all in regards to the completely different minerals and gem stones. She was a self-proclaimed second era rock hound (a time period I’d by no means heard earlier than). Her father appreciated Jerome a lot after visiting that he relocated his household to the city from Atlantic Metropolis (although he would return to New Jersey to work and convey again cash). As she recounted the story, she mentioned her father’s ardour rubbed off on her and her sister.
Close by is Nellie Bly Kaleidoscopes, full of all forms of kaleidoscopes. I couldn’t imagine the range and complexity of a few of the shifting colours inside.
On our drive out, we stopped at an overlook throughout from Jerome to soak up the city. Interpretive signage defined how, at its peak, there have been 15,000 folks residing within the city, however now there are simply 500.
Tip: There was a lot extra historical past to discover in Jerome for these inquisitive about previous Western mining cities. Ghost fanatics and lovers of the supernatural ought to go to the Jerome Grand Resort, a former hospital mentioned to be haunted.
Sedona, Arizona
As we obtained nearer to Sedona, large pink rock formations got here into view and served because the backdrop all through our go to (the aptly named Purple Rock State Park is true off the drive from Jerome).
Our first cease was the Chapel of the Holy Cross. From the uppermost parking areas, we made our means up the winding walkway to a tall, slender church constructed into pink rock buttes in 1956. Throughout the church is a sculpture of Christ crucified on the Tree of Life and work in frames containing railroad spikes that appeared to be organized like Roman numerals (possibly a biblical reference I didn’t know), all of which we admired from the again pew. There’s additionally a cramped however plentiful present store downstairs.
We made our means downtown and parked simply off the primary avenue in a free public car parking zone. Touchstone Gallery lured us in with a neon signal that mentioned “Actual Dino Fossils.” It was like a high-end model of the gem retailer in Jerome. There have been certainly fossils, in addition to very giant — and really costly — minerals and gems, some carved into dishes or tables. We then picked up a number of postcards at Cactus Carlos (the 270 N State Rte. location).
From Sedona, we continued our drive on a windy, tree-lined highway by pink rocks.
The view from Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona
In Flagstaff, Snow Mountain River had a used deluxe mannequin of our tent, very moderately priced.
Tip: If you end up in want of tenting gear, I extremely advocate stopping right here. The used gear was in nice form, and the workers had been useful and educated.
Earlier than going to our campsite, we stopped at Walmart to choose up sandwich provides (together with free mini packs of mayo and mustard from the deli counter).
Our dwelling for the night time was 18 miles northeast of Flagstaff at Bonito Campground, simply exterior Sundown Crater Nationwide Monument and Wupatki Nationwide Monument. Our snazzy new tent erected, we ate sandwiches inside to keep away from the bugs. Practically all our fellow campers had been in RVs, so we had the lavatory subsequent to our campsite to ourselves.
Day Three
Begin: Flagstaff, Arizona
Finish: Durango, Colorado
Drive time: 5 hours
Stops: Petrified Forest Nationwide Park, Arizona
Keep: Fairfield Inn & Suites Durango
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Bonito Campground
Patrick knew of close by Mount Elden Trailhead from his curiosity in extremely operating. We “ran” practically three miles up Elden Lookout Path and gained 2,205 ft of elevation alongside the best way (Elden Mountain Strava route). The primary mile or so wasn’t too difficult, however the second mile had us climbing 1,014 ft. We had been rewarded with an expansive view above Flagstaff on the 2,300-foot summit.
The lookout constructing on the prime will not be open to the general public, so far as we may inform. We handed by a number of landscapes on our means up: pinyon-juniper woodland, ponderosa pine forest, and blended conifers. The 5.6 mile journey took us two hours; as a warning, this route is not for the faint of coronary heart.
Again on the automotive, we wiped off. At this level, we’d gone two days and not using a bathe, accomplished two path runs, and utilized tons of sunscreen. But, we felt fairly clear as we set off to downtown Flagstaff.
I wanted to submit some work to a shopper, so I used the Wi-Fi at Firecreek Espresso Firm (the Flagstaff location) whereas we loved some espresso and scones. There was a comfortable house on the entrance of the café, however tucked away previous the loos, I noticed what regarded like a music venue with a wide-open space and stage. We sat again at some tall tables with sales space seating for a number of hours as I labored earlier than heading to Petrified Forest Nationwide Park.
Chelsey and Patrick on the Mount Elden trailhead
Petrified Forest Nationwide Park
We entered the park on the south entrance through US-180 E. The park’s principal points of interest are the petrified items of wooden from 200-million-year-old bushes with the Painted Desert panorama as a backdrop. Throughout the center of a sizzling weekday, there weren’t many individuals on the highway or on the stops we made. Actually, we had the Blue Mesa path to ourselves for nearly the complete stroll.
The Rainbow Forest Museum was not removed from the doorway and had quite a few shows describing the historical past of the park, like the way it had as soon as been close to the equator earlier than being moved by tectonic forces. Behind the customer’s heart, you possibly can take a self-guided tour of the Big Logs 0.4-mile loop.
There was a plaque commemorating Stephen Tyng Mather, the primary director of the Nationwide Park Service, and variously sized petrified logs, together with the large Previous Trustworthy (which was glued collectively after being struck by lightning in 1962). If you happen to’re fortunate, an newbie photographer would possibly try to hurry up your inept selfie taking (to allow them to get on with their picture shoot) and provide to take your picture. We skipped strolling into the separate Rainbow Forest Reward Store as a result of we’d already purchased souvenirs within the museum.
We traveled down Major Park Highway to Agate Bridge — a 100-foot, partially uncovered petrified log over a gully now supported by a concrete beam beneath. We then drove the Blue Mesa Scenic path to the one-mile Blue Mesa loop (brief sufficient for youths to get pleasure from!), which was one in all our favourite hikes of the complete journey. We descended a winding asphalt path to stroll amongst superbly coloured mesas and fossilized wooden. Even with taking our time, it solely took us 24 minutes to stroll the loop (Blue Mesa Strava route).
Our final cease earlier than exiting the park through the north entrance off I-40 was Newspaper Rock. Standing excessive above it, you may get a more in-depth have a look at its 650 petroglyphs left by Puebloans utilizing viewing scopes.
That night time, we stayed on the Fairfield Inn & Suites Durango, getting in late as a result of we crossed into Mountain Daylight Time.
The favourite hike of the journey: Blue Mesa Loop at Petrified Forest Nationwide Park, Arizona
Day 4
Begin: Durango, Colorado
Finish: Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park, Colorado
Drive time: 3 hours
Stops: Silverton and Ouray, Colorado
Keep: South Rim Campground
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My husband is inquisitive about Colorado as a doable dwelling, so this was a day to discover cities he is aware of of from extremely operating as choices to dwell sooner or later.
Durango, Colorado
With a milder local weather than its neighboring mining cities, coal for smelting, and a superb provide of water from the Animas River, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad was established in Eighties Durango to assist mining in close by Silverton. The Durango & Silverton Slim Gauge Railroad nonetheless operates at the moment, solely now its cargo consists of vacationers.
We parked alongside the Animas River and walked a little bit of the river earlier than crossing into the downtown space, watching kayakers navigate the waters alongside the best way. We wandered down Major Avenue till we got here to Second Story Books. There are some nice areas to discover as you stroll in, with sections targeted on native historical past in Durango and Colorado as an entire, mining and ghost city lore, and Previous West historical past. Upstairs includes a small native authors’ part, alongside rooms with cabinets upon cabinets of books of all genres and subjects.
We stopped for lunch at 11th Road Station, which was a really energetic meals truck park. So energetic that we skilled fairly the watch for our meals, however we had been distracted from our starvation by the dwell music close by. The zucchini, filet mignon, and bacon cheeseburger sliders from Backcountry Gourmand had been properly definitely worth the wait.
Silverton, Colorado
Prospectors found gold and silver in 1860 within the San Juan Mountains, however it wasn’t till 1874 that miners arrived en masse and Silverton was established. Because the inhabitants grew, Inexperienced Road served as an imaginary border between the households that arrived and the burgeoning vice district. Mining operations didn’t cease till the early Nineties (although gold and silver deposits stay), however now the city has embraced its pure magnificence, which hundreds of annual guests come to understand as properly.
Desperate to admire its magnificence ourselves, we traveled from Durango to Silverton on Route US US 550 S. Exiting the freeway, we drove down huge Inexperienced Road into Silverton, the place multicolored, old-timey buildings boasted espresso or antiques. On the finish of this principal highway, we parked in a cul-de-sac of museums and civic buildings subsequent to Cement Creek. We occurred to cease in in the course of the Hardrock Hundred path race, so we took benefit and headed to the end line to talk with fellow spectators.
Then, we drove to Hillside Cemetery. It was solely 0.7 miles from the place we’d parked, however we nonetheless managed to make a number of unsuitable turns earlier than arriving at a single lane, gravel highway. We walked up the hillside to have a look at some very previous tombstones earlier than we hit the highway once more.
Silverton, Colorado
Ouray, Colorado
About 45 minutes additional down on Route 550, our subsequent cease was Ouray. Within the 1870s, miners discovered gold in Ouray as properly. Just like the others, this was no ghost city however reasonably a thriving neighborhood, because of rebranding because the “Outside Recreation Capital of Colorado.”
We descended into the city and parked on yet one more Major Road between 6th and seventh Streets. We regarded round Ouray Books (perused one other well-stocked native historical past part), in addition to the Columbine Mineral Store. There was an exquisite sandstone sculpture we had been inquisitive about, however after we tried to haggle, the shopkeeper held agency.
Tip: Metropolis Corridor and Walsh Library, on the Nationwide Registry of Historic Locations, had been closed, however we may nonetheless enter the constructing to make use of public restrooms.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park: South Rim Campground and Rim Rock Path
Montrose was our final cease for fuel and sandwich fixings earlier than arriving at South Rim Campground round 5:30 p.m. We arrange camp and walked 1 / 4 mile to Rim Rock Path (Strava route).
The canyon views had been unimaginable; we saved stopping to look as a result of each quarter mile the view modified, from trying farther into the canyon to catching a glimpse of the river under. We chatted with somebody passing by the park, stretching her legs on the path, who mentioned this was essentially the most underrated park—and I couldn’t agree extra.
It additionally has the benefit of being a a lot much less frequented park: Aspherical a half-million folks go to Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park annually, versus the 5 to six million who go to the Grand Canyon yearly. I discovered the views as beautiful because the Grand Canyon, simply differently. We rotated on the customer’s heart (one other nice lookout level) about one mile out.
At 8:30 p.m., we gathered on the campground’s amphitheater with dozens of fellow campers to study in regards to the park’s wildlife’s night-time diversifications. The ranger, splendidly participating, in contrast the night time imaginative and prescient of owls, mountain lions, and bats — which simply so occurred to be zig-zagging overhead. The youngsters within the viewers listened with rapt consideration and had been desperate to reply the questions the ranger posed.
Tip: Regardless of frequenting Nationwide Parks, this was our first ranger discuss. If you happen to haven’t gone to at least one earlier than, I like to recommend it.
Day 5
Begin: Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park, Colorado
Finish: Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park, Colorado
Drive time: 5 hours
Keep: Timber Creek Campground
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park
We first drove to Painted Wall Overlook. Up so far, we weren’t sure we’d seen the enduring canyon wall picture on all of the posters: a black canyon. From the overlook parking, we couldn’t but see the canyon, blocked by some shrubs (which smelled great), however we lastly got here to some extent the place the trail cleared and caught sight of it. It was unimaginable. The canyon wall was certainly a darkish black, in stark distinction to the remainder of the canyon.
On the best way to the customer heart, we stopped at Satan’s Lookout (sure, only for the title) and Cross Fissures Overlook. Proper exterior the customer heart (which has ample details about the rock formations for anybody trying to study extra), we caught the 1.5-mile Flat Oak Loop (Strava route), stopping often to admire the views as we’d accomplished the night time earlier than.
We wiped off again on the automotive and obtained on the highway for our five-hour drive to Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nationwide Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park: Timber Creek Campground and Colorado River Trailhead
After we arrange camp at Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park Timber Creek Campground, we discovered a path to discover: the Colorado River Trailhead (Strava route). Happily, there weren’t many vehicles on the highway as a result of we needed to run on the slender shoulder for the primary two miles. Virtually instantly after setting out, we noticed an enormous feminine elk within the valley subsequent to the highway. We additionally noticed quite a few herds earlier than we arrived on the path.
This wooded path was stunning and never too muddy regardless of latest rain, every little thing glistening within the final of the night solar. We obtained to the Colorado River after which headed again to beat the darkish.
The cross-country highway journey is half over, however there’s a lot extra in retailer.
Keep tuned for the second leg of the journey, on-line March 31!
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