The Route
We start in Boston on July 6th and roll into Denver on November 23rd. Between those dates: 141 days, 140 nights logged, and 14 national parks.
The launch. Loading the rig at the harbor before turning north.
First night on the road, lake water still warm from July sun.
The Northeast's highest peak — and its meanest weather.
Salt-stained granite and the first sunrise in the country from Cadillac Mountain.
Family weekend before the big westward push.
Crossing the Erie Canal corridor on the way to the falls.
A day visit — mist, thunder, and the border crossing.
Four days of urban concrete, lakefront breezes, and Kensington markets.
Re-entering the States and the long flat haul through the Midwest.
Speedway tour and barbecue on Mass Ave.
Bourbon trail samplers and a ballgame at Slugger Field.
Hot chicken, high-tuned guitars, and the neon pulse of Broadway at midnight.
Sun Studio, Beale Street, and ribs that linger for days.
The Gateway Arch — symbolic as we turn westward in earnest.
Old riverfront, Over-the-Rhine, and a long weekend with friends.
Quick re-pass on the way to Purdue.
A campus stop — boilermakers and old engineering halls.
Twelve days in the Second City: deep dish, deco towers, the lakefront, and a slow exhale before the West.
Lakefront breweries and a day trip up to Door County.
A pass-through coffee stop on the long road west.
Five quiet days on the high plains and the battlefield monument.
Last hot shower and resupply before Yellowstone.
Sulfur, steam, and the wolf packs of Lamar Valley. The first dusting of snow on the high peaks.
Jagged peaks reflected in glassy lakes. The Tetons earn the postcards.
Cowboy bars and antler arches.
Greenbelt run and a quick stop in the basque district.
A day visit — Powell's Books and a coffee crawl.
Pike Place oysters before disappearing into the peninsula fog.
Three rainforests, one coastline, and the loudest silence on the trip.
Day visit and a ferry across the inlet.
Turquoise glacial lakes and the kind of mountains that humble you.
Resupply and a steak dinner on the prairie edge.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, alpine larches just starting to turn gold.
Pass-through south.
Antelope Island sunset and a long-overdue laundry day.
Fog-drenched giants. Fern Canyon. The world quiets down.
Ten days in the city — the Mission, Golden Gate at dawn, and old friends.
Half Dome, El Capitan, and the valley floor going amber for autumn.
Standing under the General Sherman tree feels like time travel.
Salt flats, dunes, and the kind of dark sky you can read by.
A week in the sprawl — Griffith, Echo Park tacos, Highway 1 down to Malibu.
Surf in the morning, fish tacos by noon. Easiest week of the trip.
A day across the border for the southernmost stamp on this trip.
Twisted silhouettes against a Halloween moon.
Saguaros, Camelback at sunrise, and a spring-training ballpark visit.
A respectful overnight — Monument Valley silhouettes at dusk.
Four days on the South Rim. The scale doesn't compress with photographs.
A concrete cathedral and a quick photo stop.
Two nights of neon overstimulation before retreating to the canyons.
Red walls glowing at sunset. Angel's Landing if the legs hold up.
Hoodoos at first light, frost in the shadows.
Delicate Arch — and the long quiet drive down 191.
A friend's cabin in the high country. First proper snow.
The arrival. Mile-high welcome home.