Honeymoon Road Trip
A dear friend of ours is getting married next September and we really want to be at his wedding in Kansas City, Missouri. Since we never were able to take a honeymoon after our own wedding we've been considering a big trip in 2011. However, since we really don't feel like facing the choice between naked x-rays or groping it means that right now a return trip to the Big Island is not possible.
Today we hit upon an idea to take a fairly epic road trip this September. We'll leave the day before our first anniversary and make our way to Kansas City and then back to Portland via a different route. We're looking at hitting several National Parks along the way and splitting up time between hotels and camping. We'll have a lot of logistics to sort out, especially friends to house sit for us while we're gone (perhaps several friends splitting up all that time), but we've got a while to plan.
Our idea so far:
- Portland, Oregon to Boise, Idaho (hotel night)
- Boise, Idaho to Yellowstone National Park via Grand Teton (camping night)
- Full day at Yellowstone (camping night)
- Yellowstone to the Hill City, South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore/Crazy Horse Memorial) (camping night)
- Hill City, South Dakota to Interior, South Dakota (Badlands National Park) (camping night)
- Interior, South Dakota to Omaha, Nebraska (hotel night)
- Omaha, Nebraska to Kansas City, Missouri - Time in Missouri to help the happy couple get ready for the wedding (hotel night)
- Wedding in Missouri! (hotel night)
- Kansas City, Missouri to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (hotel night)
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Albuquerque, New Mexico (hotel night, most likely)
- Day to explore Albuquerque (hotel night, most likely)
- Albuquerque, New Mexico to Grand Canyon National Park (camping night)
- Day to explore Grand Canyon (camping night)
- Grand Canyon National Park to Death Valley National Park (camping night)
- Death Valley National Park to Sacramento, California via Inyo National Forest (staying w/family)
- Day in Sacramento (if both of us can take a couple of extra days from work) (staying w/family)
- Sacramento, California back to Portland, Oregon
All told that's four National Parks, a wedding, a few new cities, and a visit with CK's family!
We need advice!!! If you have thoughts about places to see, vegan restaurants to hit up, short hikes to take (especially in Death Valley), and other suggestions either leave them in the comments or email them to one of us. We're checking out some travel guides, so if you have favorites let us know those too.
Check out the map!
View September Road Trip in a larger map
December 5th, 2010 - 20:43
This is awesome! And we’ll be using our honeymoon to visit Portland in May. This is truly the best thing ever.
December 5th, 2010 - 20:50
Hah! I love that the first comment comes from the friend who is getting married! We’ll be relying upon you for suggestions for our time in Missouri 🙂
December 8th, 2010 - 14:07
this looks great, sher! one thing you & christie might consider, in coming back from the grand canyon, since you’re visiting such great american scenic places as that and yellowstone nat’l. park, stopping in at yosemite on the way up to sacramento. it’s on the way, and ansel adams certainly loved it. ;o)
December 24th, 2010 - 18:54
Wow, this is an amazing idea! Just two days ago I was thinking of doing the same sort of thing on the other side of the country. I live in Boston and am heading down to Manchester, TN this summer. I’d like to do the eastern coast on the way there, then way up to Chicago and Detroit on the way back. I would like to hit up some parks as well but I didn’t even think of the idea of camping + road tripping! Thanks for the inspiration and good luck with your trip! I hope you have a ton of fun. 🙂
-K
December 25th, 2010 - 08:47
Your trip also sounds like an amazing one! I’ve done very little travel on the east coast and a road trip would be such a good way to see it!
Thanks for the good wishes! I’m sure we’ll be blogging along the way 🙂