The grand Road Trip USA 2012 came to the end!
This trip started because of TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange, travel blogger conference) in Colorado. Stephen and I left Virginia on 9th of June, and came back 17th of July. The grand Road Trip USA 2011 during my first visit to the US was in New England, and it was mainly in Southwest region. Two summers in a row, we traveled the same country but almost none of the experiences were same. The scenery, the food, the people, the history and the driving distances… everything was different.
I had such an amazing time, seeing nature’s wonders, meeting people, learning new cultures, and taking photography of the amazing scenery. It’s not always easy to travel, especially do a road trip, but it was no doubt- worth it. Amazing night camping, drinking beer with friends, hanging out with their pets, and experiencing domestic lifestyle, all good. For a change, this time I thought a lot about finding and having a home. That’s what made me to write this article: Why people are going back to their hometown.
Overall, it was a successful trip! A lot of mixture of different aspects of America. I loved it.
Visited: 13 States
Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, New Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama
I’ve been to total 24 states. Only 26 more to go!
Milege data
6,141 miles (9,883 kilometers)
This is the same distance that I can travel from Seoul to Busan 15 times.
Total days
39 days
Gas price
The most expensive: $3.76/ Gallon in Lamar, Colorado (14 June, 2012)
The cheapest: $2.95/ Gallon in Vicksburg, Mississippi (14 July, 2012)
Miles/ Gallon: 36.22
Average price/ Gallon: $3.22
Where did we sleep
Camping 8 days (3 free/ 5 paid)
Hotel (including Press Trips) 18 days
Friends & family’s place 12 days
Rest Area 1 day
Needless to say, sleeping at the rest area of Texas was the highlight.
Top 3 Favourite moments
Days with Polar and Rory
Very comfortable camping night in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I slept really-really-really well.
Top 3 Favourite places
The Great Sand Dunes National Park
Buffalo River in Arkansas
Oskar Blues original pup: Lyons, CO
Top 3 Great outdoor places
Guadalupe Mountains in Texas
The Great Sand Dunes in Colorado
San Marcos River in Texas
Top 3 New Food
Breakfast Tacos in New Mexico & Texas
Indian Taco in Washington with Kalispel Indian Tribe
Fried okra
Top 3 New Knowledge Learned
Why Arkansas is ‘Arkansau’ and Kansas is ‘Kansas’ (Did you know this?)
There are sand dunes in Colorado
Smudges and all the natural herbs from Albert
Top 3 Picturesque Places
Gio Grande Gorge in New Mexico
Acoma & Taos Pueblo in New Mexico
Buffalo River in Arkansas
Top 3 Odd Moments
Slept in the car at the rest area in Texas.
There was no restaurant open 10pm at night and no public toilets open, on the last day of road trip. So we had to buy a cup of frozen yogurt to deal our hunger and go to the toilet.
When we found out there was the same exact address exist in Vicksburg, Mississipi. I-20 Frontage Road. How are we supposed to find the right place?
Special thanks to…
My road trip partner and my favourite travel companion, Stephen, who had to drive much more than what he was supposed to due to my international driver’s license is expired.
Friends and family who were generously let us stay at your beautiful place: Jimmy and Kathy, John, Kara, Rory and Polar, Ben and Apollo,Phil, Mr & Mrs Thomason.
Friends and fellow blogger friends we met on the road: fellow bloggers at TBEX – our roommate Diana and Dave, Billie and Steve, Erica and Shaun.
Car seems like it’s the best way to get around the USA – alas, I can’t drive, so it’s the MegaBus for me next year! Loved following your roadtrip in the USA, Juno – this is a great recap, too 🙂
Try and take on the remaining 26 states next year – although Alaska and Hawaii could be a bit tricky when it comes to the whole roadtrip thing!
p.s. please bring me Polar the dog here to me in Korea. Thanks 😉
I took Blot Bus! It’s a good way to travel as well. USA is particularly good with the car though, I think it’s meant to be.
I agree; Alaska and Hawaii would be hard to achieve but I’d love to! 🙂
Sounds like an awesome adventure, Juno! Wow, you’ve seen many places I haven’t gotten to yet, and I live in this country! 🙂 And actually, I do not know why Arkansas and Kansas are pronounced differently.
It should be a whole another post, about Arkansas and Kansas! Social network solved the question for me. 😉
Where are you off to next? I’m so excited you had fried okra and are seeing so much of the world.
That Stephen is a keeper…
Fried okra was amazing!
Now I just need you to come back to Austin and live here so I can keep you around all the time.
Austin was amazing. 🙂 I would love to go back someday soon!
I enjoyed reading about your monthlong road trip adventure. I will have to visit the Buffalo River!
I want to go back to Buffalo River as well. Such a peaceful place.
People seem to forget that the US has some of the most preserved landscapes on Earth. First thing I’m going to do is take a road trip too.
And yeah, why is Arkansas pronounced that way? My theory is the “twang” in the locals’ accents.
The scenery is just amazing. By that fact; America is underrated in some way. I really enjoyed all the nature around the country. Love visiting national parks. I’ll make a blog post about Arkansas and Kansas. 🙂 Amazingly, it’s not about the accent!