The Journey Is The Goal: Part 1 of My Road Trip Across America
We made new memories while talking about old ones.
The first leg of my road trip across America went swimmingly well. I left Georgia Friday morning and arrived in Utah Monday afternoon. My 2001 Lexus LS 430 was the MVP of the trip. I drove more than 2,100 miles and averaged 25 miles to the gallon—mind you, that’s with a 4.3L V8 and a loaded car.
I was looking forward to this trip for months because it meant I’d get uninterrupted time with my oldest brother. Life rarely meets our expectations but this trip exceeded mine. I took an alternate route through Northeast Georgia to avoid morning traffic in Atlanta. Once we connected to I-75, it was smooth driving through Nashville and onto St. Louis, Missouri.
We stayed in Fairview Heights, which is a nice suburb of St. Louis on the Illinois side. We got up early on Saturday morning to drive to Nauvoo, Illinois. We stopped at Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park on our way out of town to see the Gateway Arch. This scenic overlook is a great way to see the arch because it’s never busy and the view is exceptional.
On our way to Nauvoo, we visited Carthage Jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred on June 27, 1844. What happened at this jail sparked the expansion west of the Mormon Pioneers. We made it to Nauvoo around noon with plenty of time to visit the top sites. A visit to the old section of Nauvoo is like going back in time. People are dressed in period-correct clothing from the 1840s. Most of the buildings have been demolished but several houses and structures are still standing from 179 years ago.
I enjoyed taking the horse-drawn wagon tour, which gives you an overview of the key locations and events in Nauvoo. For me, the Johnathan Browning Home and Gunsmith Shop, and Webb Blacksmith Shop were the highlights of the trip. At each location, you can get a tour and demonstration of what happened and what was built at each location.
We ended our day in Fort Madison, Iowa with a delicious pizza at Slater’s Pizza. Upon arriving at the location, my brother suggested we go somewhere else due to the location looking closed. I figured we’d go inside to see what it was like. The place was a total dive but the pizzas looked amazing. We spoke with the business’s proprietor who shared with us why she started making pizza. Her passion for her craft came through in the finished product. I was glad that we decided to try it over a run-of-the-mill chain restaurant.
Sunday was our longest travel day of the trip. We left Fort Madison, Iowa at 7 a.m. and didn’t arrive in Cheyenne, Wyoming until around 7 p.m. The drive through the backroads of Iowa proved to be worth the hassle. Several horses and buggies were out on the roads that morning. The drive was mostly uneventful, which was alright with me. I’ve done the drive across Nebraska several times and it never seems to get shorter. The wind and semi-trucks keep you alert and attentive. Naturally, I listened to Bruce Springsteen’s album Nebraska on this leg of the journey.
I enjoy the expansive horizon of Nebraska and Wyoming. The immensity of the landscape gives me perspective on my place on Earth and the universe. Time almost ceases to exist while you’re driving through thousands of acres of corn fields and brush.
After staying in boring, chain hotels the previous two nights, I figured it would be fun to stay somewhere with character. I found a deal on a room at the Historic Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming. As soon as I entered the building, I could tell this hotel was unique. The decorations were what you’d expect for a Wyoming hotel with lots of cowboy and Native American artifacts strewn about.
I didn’t realize when I booked the hotel that it’s a hotspot for ghost hunters and paranormal enthusiasts—all of which appealed to my brother. The waiter at dinner even told us “That hotel is haunted as f***, especially the basement and fifth floor!”
Well, guess who was staying on the fifth floor? Us. I don’t think I saw my brother get as excited about anything on our trip as he did with the prospect of sleeping in a haunted hotel. Luckily we didn’t encounter anything paranormal but the hotel had “Shining” vibes.
Our final day on the road was spent battling the Wyoming wind and paying higher prices for premium gas. I enjoyed the drive because the Wasatch Mountains take shape the closer you get to Utah. We were also excited to have a shorter day thanks to our midwest dash from the previous day.
That all ended when we heard from our wives that they couldn’t board their plane in Atlanta due to the airline messing up the gate location. The mixup caused them to miss their flight, which meant they wouldn’t make it to Utah until Wednesday. My wife and sister-in-law were stuck at the Atlanta airport with three young children and no car seats. They didn’t make their flight but the car seats did. This meant that my brother and I would have to go to Salt Lake City to pick up the car seats and his wife’s car.
Please understand that I’m not complaining. I was happy to drive the extra 150 miles to pick up the car seats if it meant my wife would stress just a little less. Flying with small children isn’t for the faint of heart. You need patience, humility, and lots of snacks. To be denied access to your flight due to the airline’s mistake is unacceptable—especially for a mother with small kids. But I guess this is what happens when you don’t fly Delta and buy cheap seats on Frontier. Spend the extra money so you don’t have to do business with such an awful airline!
Outside of the flight debacle my wife and kids had to endure, the first leg of my road trip was a resounding success. My old Lexus lived up to its reputation. The car was so good it was almost boring. Granted, I discovered that it probably needs new rear struts and an alignment, but that’s not the car’s fault.
I enjoyed 30+ hours of one-on-one time with my brother who I rarely see. We made new memories while talking about old ones. And as the German saying goes “Der Weg ist das Ziel", the journey is the goal.
As always, thank you for your attention.
Beautiful photos—really capture the spirit of the place.
Of course you listed to Nebraska in Nebraska! Sounds like a helluva trip.