We Drove Across the Country!

Yes, it’s true. Pat and I drove across the country and moved from NYC to CA. To get all the dirty details about why we moved, check out my IGTV!

Not only is moving across the country a major decision but deciding how to get there is a whole other issue in itself. There are 3 major roads you can take to drive across the country. Rte 20 goes through the northern states (South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho), I-40 takes you through the top of the southern states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas), and I-70 takes you right through the middle (Kansas, Colorado, Utah).

We weighed our options and felt I-40 was best for us. I-40 alone is cool but if you really want to experience the culture of every state you need to explore off the main path from time to time so this road trip has a good amount of that.

Our road trip was a bit different than usual because at the time, part of the country was experiencing major flooding from the Arkansas River and both Arkansas and Oklahoma were in a state of emergency, but honestly it didn’t effect our trip too much.

We left at 3am from NJ and the drive was pretty boring/uneventful until we hit Virginia. My expectations were low because #auntgail and I drove through Virginia on our way to Florida earlier this year and it was zzz.

Virginia

Surprisingly this time around, I was blown away by the Virginia’s beauty. I really underestimated the “Old Dominion”. Who knew?!

The hills are lush, rolling, and historical. You can feel the history in the state. I would have liked to explored Harrisonburg a little more but we quickly passed through to get to…

Tennessee

By quickly I mean it took us 16 hours to get there which was Rough, capital R.

What we did: We stopped in Kingston for gas and some backroad driving. It was pretty rural and desolate (which I loved) so if you’re into that kinda thing I highly recommend stopping there.

Our main goal in Tennessee was Nashville of course but we spent far too long at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Don’t get me wrong the resort is super cool and definitely worth a gander, but maybe like a 30-minute gander instead of the 3-hour gander that we took.

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I wish we spent more time downtown on Broadway. Broadway is bananas! Everywhere you turn there is a live band with obnoxiously loud country music and wannabe cowgirls prancing around and I loved every minute of it and I don’t even like country! It is wild. Broadway is basically like a tourist trap with back to back bars and whiskey shots.

After 16 hours of driving we were exhausted which is exactly why I wanted to take a shot of Bourbon at Nudie’s Honky Tonk because… when in Rome.

Where we ate: Edley’s Bar-B-Que. Honestly I was expecting something a little more homemade and southern but it was decent for what it was. If you’re looking for true southern food I would maybe look elsewhere.

Arkansas

Arkansas is super chill and carefree.

What we did: First we got lost in Walnut Valley, Little Rock which I was all about because that’s half the fun of a road trip. We also got lost in Ozark, Altus, and Wiederkehr Village where the population was 46! The off the grid-ness of the Central U.S. is so cool but I also wonder how one survives living in a town with a population of 46…

One thing I was not prepared for were the black fire ants. They hurt and they’re everywhere so just stay off the grass.

Our goal in Arkansas was to go to the Ozark Mountains, which we did. We ended up at the Mulberry River which was beautiful. Apparently you can kayak and go tubing there in the summer but since we were there during record breaking flooding, the river was completely off limits.

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In fact, it was so muddy I feel like we didn’t get to experience the true essence of it which was a shame. On our way out of the mountains we took the Pig Trail Scenic Byway which was scenic especially with no cell service.

Where we ate: We stopped for cornbread at Bobby’s Country Cookin’ and it was DELISH. We got 4 muffins for $2 which I thought was a steal!

Oklahoma

Because of this road trip, Oklahoma is now one of my favorite states. I loved the landscape, the people, the culture. It’s just such a peaceful and happy state. No one seemed to have a care in the world and they’re all just happy to help.

What we did: Gore was our first stop which is pretty close to the AR/OK border. What a beautiful city.

We then headed to Oklahoma City but didn’t get there until midnight which I don’t recommend because we were both falling asleep at the wheel but we had to push through because of the Arkansas River flooding. Sadly we didn’t spend much time in Oklahoma City due to time constraints which is another one of my regrets.

One thing you have to realize on road trips is you aren’t able to do everything and there are some things you have to let go, like not exploring Oklahoma City.

Anyway we did get to spent a lot of time in Cogar, which was something out of a movie, literally. It’s not touristy and there’s not much to do but it took my breath away.

Cogar reminds me of Where the Heart Is or Twister or something – so low key and country. Cogar is actually the town where a portion of Rain Man was filmed so I wanted to stop by to take pictures.

During my little photoshoot we actually had a man drive by, back up, and pull over to ask if Pat and I wanted our picture taken together! My first thought was ‘ok, this guy’s either going to murder us or steal my phone’ but I was SO wrong.

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He told us all about the history of the building and area in general. Apparently the store is owned by the mailman (singular because the town only has one mailman) who lives next door and someone wanted to buy it from him to turn it into a BBQ but he turned down the offer. The man also told us of Salyer Lake where cowboys would go to escape the heat back in the 1800’s. They actually carved their names on some rocks there. (Look closely in the pic. below!)

After a quick detour to the lake, we took 37 (scenic and backroad-y) out to get us back onto I-40 to head to Texas.

Where we ate:Soda Steve’s in Gore, OK. You get a lot of bang for your buck but I was a little surprised with how pricey it was for being in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma.

Texas

What we did: The only stop we made in Texas was in Amarillo because I-40 takes you through the panhandle which is only a few hours long so there’s really not much to do.

I would have loved to have gone to Arrington Ranch (where Castaway was filmed) Dallas, Austin, and Houston but they were just too far. Arrington Ranch is the only place that would have been doable because it’s an hour or so away from Amarillo but like I said earlier we were kind of tight on time.

Anyway while in Amarillo we saw the Big Texan which is a cool little steakhouse and gift shop (tourist attraction but not too crowded).

We also stopped by the Cadillac Ranch for a little photo shoot which I definitely suggest to everyone but especially bloggers. There’s a real opportunity to get creative there.

Apparently Texas had gotten an abnormal amount of rain before we visited so the entire “ranch” was muddy and you couldn’t get near the cars. It was also super windy, hence the hair…

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Where we ate: We actually didn’t eat anywhere because we were fueled up with snacks from the hotel the night before BUT you can eat at the Big Texan in Amarillo.

New Mexico

I want to start off by saying I don’t think I quite understand New Mexico. I’d love to go back and get a better feel for the state. It is enchanting (as stated on the welcome sign) and mysterious at the same time.

I’ve never felt an energy as strong as I did in New Mexico. It’s like there’s tension or unfinished business there. It’s very strange but also captivating which made me fall in love with it.

What we did: We got to Albuquerque around 7pm, had dinner, and stayed the night. The next day we got up super early because New Mexico gets pretty toasty in the summer so we “hiked” the Petroglyph National Monument.

Hiked is in quotations because it’s not really a hike, you’re kind of just walking on a sandy flat trail which is partly why I’m smiling so hard in the photo above. TBH you could get a little winded because of the heat and resistance from the sand so bring water.

We specifically went to the Piedras Marcadas Canyon trail because it had the most petroglyphs and I love Native American culture so I really wanted to get the most out of the hike.

There is SO much Native American history in New Mexico and so many cool things to see like the White Sands National Monument, Georgia O’Keefe Museum, and Aztec Ruins Monument so I definitely want to venture back.

Where we ate: We randomly stumbled upon this ADORABLE restaurant, Farm & Table which I was substantially underdressed for but that’s road trip life I guess. They even grow their own food right out back!

Right next door is this cute little shop called La Parada filled with very New Mexican knick knacks.

Arizona

Since we covered so much ground in Arizona I decided to dedicate an entire blog post to our time there because every detail is worth mentioning! #spoileralert we went to the Canyon de Chelly, The Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Phoenix so stay tuned for more details about that.

California

I plan on making blog posts for every city we travel to while we’re living here. For now you can check out my LA blog post and Newport Beach blog post. I’ll continue to update this section as I roll out new California travel guides!

Travel tips

+ Bring snacks! Snacks, snacks, snacks because you never know when your next meal will be or what it will be.

+ Keep your phone fully charged, especially driving at night in case you run into car issues.

+ Have an atlas/road map because you won’t always have service or be able to rely on GPS.

+ Take pics but not too many pics. I’m now sorting through 5,000 road trip photos with at least 3,000 duplicates.

+ Try to stay at a hotel with free breakfast so you can stock up on snacks for later. This will also free up your time so you’re not stopping to eat 3x a day. We would take extra bread to make sandwiches for lunch, fruit for snacks, and anything else that would travel well.

+ Bring a cooler and freezer pack so your food stays cold while you’re on the road.

+ Wear comfy clothes. I looked homeless for most of the trip but I didn’t care because we were in the car for 14 hours every day.

+ Make sure the areas or neighborhoods you’re visiting are safe. Every state, major cities especially, has some sketchy spots.

+ Always check your hotel bed for bedbugs! You can spot them in the corners of the mattress and in couch/chair cushions.

Have you visited any of these states? What was your experience like? Tell me in the comments below!

xx