After Chad and I went on an adventurous vacation last winter, we vowed that our next big trip was going to be to a beach. False. I got a master plan to rent an RV and drive 3,000 miles in 9 days. The thought of endless landscapes, mountains, canyons and lakes, was calling my name. So, naturally, I convinced Chad that it was a brilliant idea that would allow us to see more of this country than we could ever imagine.
Fast forward six months later and we were loaded up in a 25 foot RV with our dog and cat, lots of winter weather clothes, and of course wine. The next 9 days took us through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. We went to 4 National Parks, Petrified Forest National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park. We saw multiple “scenic views” that were National Park worthy. We reached elevations over 17,000 feet in an RV, which made me clinch my door until my hand lost circulation, but luckily I have a Northerner for a boyfriend. We saw so much. My eyes couldn’t comprehend a lot of what they saw and pictures don’t do all of the beautiful places justice, but here was my attempt at documenting it all.
Our first stop was Santa Fe and then we went through the Petrified Forest National Park and the Grand Canyon. Our second morning at the Grand Canyon, we woke up to a few inches of snow and everything was instantly more beautiful. Next stop, Utah!
We ended our trip with a stop through stunning, snow covered, Colorado, which posed a few logistical issues, but it was well worth breathing in that crisp cold air.
So, a few pointers if you ever consider taking an RV road trip:
- Take your time. Or limit your stops. It’s a little exhausting trying to cram so much into such a short period of time.
- Only go with someone you can stand to be with in very close quarters for long periods of time <3
- Soak up every single last second, because it’s the opportunity of a lifetime to see so much beauty.