People talk about road trips all the time. They discuss when they want to take one, whom with, and where to.
Usually these road trips are small, like driving up the coast or to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon. I've actually been on both of these.
However, this summer of 2018, I took a long road trip.
When people asked how I was getting to college for my sophomore year, I told them my mom and I were driving. Every person stood in amazement and shock.
The verbal response from everyone was, "Well, how long is that drive?"
"23 hours," I would say, and their jaws would drop lower.
Yep from California to Kansas it is about a 22 to 23-hour drive.
My mom and I decided to travel the route that took us through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. Why we took this specific route is a whole different story.
We hit the road in the early morning around 5 a.m. with pure confidence. We somehow drove 12 hours that day.
Of course, we made a few pit stops along the way.
In Flagstaff, Arizona, we got lunch at the Toasted Owl (which I highly recommend if you are ever there) and took a scenic stop for Meteor Crater in Winslow, Arizona.
Our goal that day was to make it to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
We were about an hour out of the city when it started pouring rain.
Lightning cracked across the sky. It was terrifyingly beautiful.
Cars were going 20 mph on the highway and driving with their hazards since the visibility was so impaired.
We made it safe and sound and prepared for our next day of traveling.
Our original plan was that we would take three days to get to Kansas. We made it in two.
The next 12 hours felt longer than ever, which was probably there was nothing but corn and cows to look at.
Fast forward to around 9 p.m., we were in Lawrence, Kansas.
Finally.
We ordered some room service, turned on the T.V. and relaxed, knowing the journey across half of the country was over.
This, in my opinion, was one of the most fun but tiring trips I have ever been on. Driving up the coast of California is one thing since you have the beautiful ocean to look at.
When driving through the center of the U.S., you see some fields and a lot of cows. When I say a lot, I mean we saw probably over 1,000 cows.
If anyone is ever thinking about taking this trip though, I would highly recommend it. It was great to spend all that time with my mom, listening to music and singing our hearts out. Especially when in every new state I played, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver.
I am so glad I had the opportunity for this road trip experience and cannot wait to do it again.
