Welcome back to the second part of my trip across the US. If you missed it, Part I was posted last week. We are about 20 days in and just getting to the west which is all new territory for me. Let’s get right into it.
Zion/Bryce
Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well when we were here so I didn’t get the full experience and beauty of the hikes. I did see enough, though, to appreciate the landscape and incredible views. It was hot and the Sunset Point trail was somewhat difficult (for a beginner like me) but it was so worth suffering a migraine through all of that. We camped out for two nights in Zion where I saw the biggest bugs and slept with one eye open.
Grand Canyon
You can’t travel out west and NOT see the Grand Canyon. It’s like going to the beach and not touching the sand. It truly is grand and a little bit scary to stand so close to the edge. Okay… a lot scary! Overlooking the Grand Canyon is amazing because all you see are its ridges for miles and miles in every direction.
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona was a great town to walk around. There were a lot of shops that sold leather items and Native American type goods. Remember the feather hair extensions trend that came and went within a few weeks? This was the place to get them!
We also went on Pink Jeep Tours where a guide drove a pink Jeep over the rocky terrain. We were literally vertical at some points. A little scary, but a really cool experience.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Woo hoo! How exciting! You would think this would’ve been the most fun part of our trip but remember, we were with a bunch of teenagers so the casinos, bars, clubs, etc. were off limits. We stayed at the Monte Carlo and had dinner at fun restaurants but unfortunately did not get the true adult experience of Las Vegas. I guess that is my excuse to go back…
Los Angeles, California
There is so much to do in LA of course! We stayed in the UCLA dorms which was pretty cool. I mentioned in the last post that I liked seeing other college campuses. We had a fun night at a comedy club, walked the Hollywood Star Walk, shopped on Rodeo Drive (okay, window shopped), saw Mario Lopez filming Extra and spent a day in Disneyland. Oh wait… that’s not all. We also went to Universal Studios where we toured the back lot to see movie and TV sets and watched a Dodgers baseball game. This was all in three days my friends. It was fun and exhausting all on a time crunch.
San Diego, California
San Diego is definitely one of the destinations that I want to travel back to one day. I love the overall feel of taking your time, relaxing and going with the flow which is what San Diego has to offer. We went to the San Diego zoo which is enormous and learned how to surf in the Pacific. Surfing was a lot of fun but the water was cold! I would love to try it again and take more lessons.
Lake Tahoe, California
Next, we traveled up the west coast to Lake Tahoe. We spent an entire day just traveling on the bus. This part of our trip was a lot of adventure and outdoor activities (the kind I like). We worked through a ropes course where we got to jump off a high swing in the end (oh, the adrenaline!) and I climbed a 100 foot tree which was pretty scary when you look back down.
We spent the next day at Lake Tahoe where we went tubing. I… LOVE… TUBING!! I told you, I love being in the water and at the beach. Tubing is something I grew up doing either at our family beach house or at summer camp. I could have spent the entire day just doing that.
San Francisco, California
The last destination was San Francisco. Like LA, San Francisco had lots to offer and see in a short period of time. We went to Six Flags, walked around Fisherman’s Wharf, and explored Sausalito. We took the ferry over to Alcatraz where I may have gotten myself into some trouble…
You can’t visit San Francisco without taking a cable car ride to Lombard Street, the “crookedest street in the world”, and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge.
Day 40 – We flew back home to the east coast. Traveling across the US was an incredible experience. I can’t even say it was a once in a lifetime experience because I want to do it again with loved ones and not 40 teenagers. One day, Shane and I will get that RV and take the kids across the country.
If you are planning to do this trip I highly recommend most of the destinations. I say most because some were just stopover towns or travel days. I liked seeing the major sites like Mt. Rushmore, Grand Canyon, and the Golden Gate Bridge, but could have done without the amusement parks since I could always go to one at home.
A Trip Across the United States – Part I – click here.
A Trip Across the United States – Part II – you are here!
