During the summer of 2022, our family [Peters] took an epic 17 day road trip across the U.S. The trip was one we planned for a long time and I wanted to share a summary of our trip and some of the benefits of spending time as a family doing adventures like this!
We started our trip by packing up the car and driving to our first destination - the Badlands of South Dakota. This area of the U.S. was completely new for our family. The geography was amazing and so unique! We spent a few days around the Rapid City area exploring - hiking, gold mining, and obviously visiting Mt. Rushmore.
One thing we did was gold panning in the hills, which was an absolute blast! I would highly recommend doing that - we went with Rattle Snake Randy
After South Dakota, we headed to Yellowstone National Park where we stayed for a few days. This part of the trip was all about taking in the scenery. Yellowstone is such an iconic place (and vast!)... The joy of kids as they are seeing massive mountain ranges for the first time is special. One of the many benefits of going on a long road trip is the quantity of time you get with your kiddos (or spouse if you are solo). There are so many opportunities for experiencing new, exciting things together!
From Yellowstone, we made the brief drive south to Jackson Hole, WY. WHOA! I cannot recommend the drive around that area of Montana-Wyoming enough... It is full of majestic mountains and beauty. Our time in Jackson Hole was similar to Yellowstone and we spent most the time enjoying the beauty of the land. There are incredible hikes and places to explore throughout the Grand Teton National Park. I can't recommend this destination enough.
We finished our trip in Estes Park, CO. The pace of Colorado is so enjoyable. We spent a few days exploring the area around Estes Park - fishing, hiking, horseback riding... And then finished our trip hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Overall, we had an incredible time last year on our road trip. We got to see so many amazing places and spend quality time together as a family. I would highly recommend doing something like this if you have the opportunity - it's definitely worth it!
If you have the chance to go on a road trip with your family this summer, I would highly recommend it! You will get to see some cool places and spend quality time together that you'll never forget. (contact us if you want more recos!)