Take the Scenic Way Home: An Epic Guide to the Cross-Country Road Trip
Lessons learned, sights seen, and memories made along Interstate 40.
The very vehicle that got us across the country.
Car Stats: 0 speeding tickets. 0 parking tickets. 1 lightly grazed pole.
If you’re thinking about embarking on a road trip across the USA, it is absolutely worth it to take your time — you may never do it again! Our journey began in Villanova, PA and ended in Lake Tahoe, NV (very niche start & end points), BUT a majority of the journey was along the transcontinental Interstate 40. Even if you don’t follow our route, there’s plenty of wisdom to share from our two weeks on the road. Let’s go!
📍 Washington D.C.
The Drive: Villanova, PA to Washington D.C. ~ 3 hours
The Stay: With a family member — free!
Highlights:
Time efficient local guide to the monuments and their history
Tex-Mex happy hour at Republic Cantina
Gaming & bevving at Players Club — foosball, pool, board games, you name it!
Of Note:
There will be lots of traffic rolling into the city, so plan accordingly.
The best way to explore the monuments is on wheels — by car or scooter.
D.C. is not in the desert, but there are still cactus. Stay aware.
📍 Charlotte, NC
The Drive: Washington D.C. to Charlotte, NC ~ 6 hours
The Stay: With a family member — free!
Highlights:
Trying real Carolina BBQ from Mac’s Speed Shop
Getting around by Lime scooters
Checking out the brewery scene at Sycamore Brewing
Of Note:
The South End is where most of the trendy food spots, breweries, and happenings are
📍 Nashville, TN
The Drive: Charlotte, NC to Nashville, TN ~ 5 hours
The Stay: Nash Haus Hotel
Highlights:
Trying Nashville hot chicken from the famous Hattie B’s (skip the line, order ahead)
Listening to live music on rooftops!
Of Note:
No need to venture too far from Broadway St. — this is where it’s all happening!
Nashville will be INSANE any holiday weekend or weekend with a popular performer. We were hit with the double whammy of MDW & Noah Kahan concert.
No cover in any bar. Live music in every bar.
Invest in a cheap pair of cowboy boots to look the part
📍 Tulsa, OK
The Drive: Nashville, TN to Tulsa, OK ~ 9 hours
The Stay: With a friend — free!
Highlights:
Exploring Gathering Place — voted best city park in America this year for good reason!
Hopping around the local breweries and sitting outside at Fassler Hall beer garden
Standing beneath the Golden Driller — the 6th-tallest statue in the U.S.
Of Note:
Skip out on stopping at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas on the way (lol)
Okies are very kind people — southern hospitality is REAL.
📍 Amarillo, TX
The Drive: Tulsa, OK to Amarillo, TX ~ 5 hours
The Stay: Big Texan RV Ranch — yeehaw!
Highlights:
Spray painting the cars at Cadillac Ranch (BYO, but there are cans left behind if you’re lucky)
Eating at the Big Texan Steak Ranch — bonus points if you enter the 72 oz steak challenge
Staying the night in a covered wagon — when else will you again?
Of Note:
Don’t plan your next vacation to Amarillo, BUT it is an incredibly unique and fun place to stay the night along the historic Route 66
Everything IS bigger in Texas
Hail storms can happen at any time, even a summer night when it’s 85º F
📍 Santa Fe, NM
The Drive: Amarillo, TX to Santa Fe, NM ~ 4 hours
The Stay: El Rey Court
Highlights:
Window shopping in the Santa Fe Plaza & checking out the art district on Canyon Road
Hiking the St. John’s Trail for great views
Mexican food & margaritas, naturally
Of Note:
There is a margarita trail through downtown featuring the 54 best margaritas in town (yes, fifty-four)!!
Santa Fe is known for their art & glass-blowing so make sure to pop into a shop with the colorful glass
📍 Sedona, AZ
West Fork Trail
Hiking the West Fork Trail — 9 miles alongside & through a creek (wear shoes you can get wet!)
Swimming & slipping down the natural slides at Slide Rock State Park
Chomping with a view of the red rocks at Canyon Breeze Restaurant
Watching the sunset with 360º views of Sedona from the summit of Sugar Loaf Loop
Day tripping to the Grand Canyon & walking along the rim
Of Note:
Sedona will be your favorite stop on the roadtrip hands down — spend the most time here (we did 3 days)!
Stargazing in Sedona is top notch — escape the light pollution & stare up at the constellations
“Sedona” by Houndmouth does hit different when you’re actually in Sedona
If your shoes are dirty from a day of hiking, and you have no access to laundry, put them in the dishwasher
📍 Santa Barbara, CA
The Drive: Sedona, AZ to Santa Barbara, CA ~ 9 hours
The Stay: With a friend — free!
Highlights:
Finally reaching the Pacific Ocean — beach day at East Beach
Toodling around the shops on State Street with a scoop of McConnell’s ice cream
Watching the sunset from the bluffs in Isla Vista
Of Note:
Quality of life is guaranteed to increase tenfold when you’re having your bagel & coffee on the beach in IV
Beware of tar on the beaches — it WILL stain your towels & feet
📍 Lake Tahoe, NV
The Drive: Santa Barbara, CA to Lake Tahoe, NV ~ 10 hours
The Stay: 🏠
Highlights:
Walking along the crystal clear water on the East Shore Trail in the morning
Drinking a “Wet Woody” (or two) from Gar Woods
Sunbathing on the beach at Sand Harbor
Of Note:
Break up the drive by staying overnight in the SF Bay Area
Bring your goggles (!!) — you won’t want to miss out on swimming in the lake
The Best Protein Ball Recipe>>>
A breakfast & snack staple. Trust me when I say you’ll need these to hold you over on the road.
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup flax seeds (whole or ground)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 T chia seeds
1 t vanilla extract
Heck, throw in some coconut flakes if you have them!
Instructions:
Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1.5-inch thick balls (add more pb or honey to bind if needed). Keep refrigerated & enjoy on the road.
*Key Takeaways*
Choose your road trip co-pilot WISELY — you will be clocking a lot of hours in the car together! I recommend a Mary Kate Oldham (someone easy-going, up for anything, and loves to yap!). If you’re lucky, they will wipe down your buggy windshield while you fill the gas tank.
Stay with friends every chance you get — great way to save $ on a night’s stay and have a local tour guide to show you around!
Fill up on gas first thing each day — full tank or BUST!
Download HotelTonight — cheap deals on last-minute accommodations. Great flexibility for road trippers who don’t know where they’ll end up stopping for the night.
Hit the road early in the am — you’ll want to get on the road early so that you have time to explore the next stop you’re heading to. If you arrive after dark and leave the next morning, you don’t really get to see all of the cool things that the stop has to offer.
Plan your lunch pitstops strategically — we got to check out a bunch of cities that we wouldn’t spend the night in, but still wanted to see by having lunch there along the way. We chomped in Knoxville, TN; Hot Springs, AK; Palm Springs, CA; Big Sur, CA; etc!
Find a good podcast to pass the time — we recommend Something Was Wrong, shoutout Maggie for putting us on!
Do NOT tempt fate with the gas tank — there are some stretches where there are no gas stations for miles (ex: Arkansas and Joshua Tree, from experience), so don’t wait until the very last second to refill. Play it safe.
Hot Springs, Arkansas does NOT have hot springs that you can swim in!!!