A road trip through my unchartered map
A couple months ago, I decided that the way I’d make the move from Columbus, OH to Seattle, WA would be by car. I had never gone on a road trip growing up — and looking back, it’s not hard to understand why — but doing a road trip has been on my bucket list for a while and I am so glad I got the experience. What I knew of my country before this trip consisted of places my family and extended family live and top touristy spots to see (like New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Orlando). But the United States has such a vast diversity of people, terrain, food, culture, weather, and places, and so there was a large amount of the country that was just an “unknown” in my mind.
Driving out to the West Coast exposed me of so much of that “unknown”, as there are so many granular details of the diversity across the states that you get to breathe in and drive through when you are actually on the surface rather than in a plane, where details are blurred in the far, aerial view from above.
The trajectory we made was from Columbus, OH to Chicago, IL; Chicago, IL to Kansas City, MO; Kansas City, MO to Denver, CO; Denver, CO to Salt Lake City, UT; Salt Lake City, UT to Boise, ID; and finally Boise, ID to Seattle, WA and the trip lasted a total of nine days. This allowed for a couple nights at nearly all stops, with an evening on one day, the next full day, and then a morning before hitting the road again.
One thing I really enjoyed was trying a local coffeeshop or bakery in each of the mornings before a long drive. Ordering coffee and pastry didn’t take away from the long drive ahead, and it allowed for supporting a local business and savoring a delicacy that happens to be easy to enjoy in the car. I’d say Chicago won for best pastry and drink. I absolutely adored The Baglers’ bourbon vanilla chai latte in Chicago. It inspired me to recreate the drink at my new home in Seattle, and although my version isn’t as good as the Baglers’, it has now become a weekly favorite at home. For the most delectable pastry, it was Spoke and Bird’s unique almond bostock for me.
Another highlight of Chicago was enjoying drinks and empanadas at the Arbella, a hidden nook with a rustic, cozy vibe I’d love to experience again. There didn’t seem to be more than 15 people in the building, but the distressed brick walls, funky lights, incredible service seemed to welcome conversations of any length. I happen to have lots of family and friends at Chicago, so it really didn’t feel like I was moving until we took off for Kansas City, since Chicago was filled with so many reunions that made it feel like home. Kansas City is a somewhat confusing place, as I didn’t realize there is a Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS. At the brief stop in Kansas City, MO, there is a National WWI Museum and Memorial with a large expanse of a lawn, a station, fountains, and a great view of the city. Apparently they are most known for their barbecue, so we made sure to try it for dinner.
Driving from Kansas City to Denver was the first of a couple long drives in the trip, and this is when the audiobook Eat a Peach, chili-roasted pistachios, and tunes by Quinn XCII came in handy — especially since the driving from Kansas City, MO to Denver meant driving through the mundane fields of Kansas, which you can get to know fairly well from the first hour or two. But, the dinner experience in Denver and walking through walls of art afterward made up for the non-interesting stretch of the road to get there. The restaurant was called Barcelona, and it was so popular that we felt lucky to snag a seat at the bar. Since cooking at home is a passion of mine, I really cherish eating out when I get to try dishes that involve eclectic ingredients that are definitely not in my pantry. We tried pear sangria; paella with prawns, mussels, calamari, and clams; chorizo with sweet and sour figs; and roasted zucchini with red chimichurri. Neither the flavors we tasted nor the critiques we shared with each other verbally in the fleeting moment are things I can recollect here in words — it’ll just boil down to a restaurant I’d highly recommend trying.
The following day, I tried white water rafting for the first time in Clear Creek. I didn’t really know what to expect, but when I absorbed rules like “if you fall out of the raft, don’t stand up straight because your foot might get wedged between a rock and/or you might fall over painfully onto the rocks — try to find the raft to grab onto instead” that only heightened any nervousness I was feeling. It seemed like a lot of rules and responsibilities, and no pad of paper to write things down. But rafting was a blast, both exhilarating and awakening of instincts. I’d totally go again, when the waters are a little more boisterous.
This time, the long stretch from Colorado to Salt Lake City had a gem along the drive. When a family friend recommended stopping at a place just off the highway called Palisade, I nodded my head not knowing if we’d actually stop along the route just for peaches. But, sure enough, we pulled up next to a local shack along the way that was filled with the freshest, juiciest peaches; divine soft serve made from those peaches; and a collection of butters, jams, and other items made from their fruit. I left the shack with a huge smile on my face, a couple peaches, a cup of soft serve, and a jar of cherry butter. They all hit the spot.
Driving from Denver to Salt Lake City was when I really noticed that the terrain was beginning to change, as the land began to develop some character and mountains throughout Colorado. At Salt Lake City, I took in the gorgeous streaked sunsets and walked through the majestic Capitol building. Since I’m not a huge history buff, I really loved walking around the Capitol and taking in all the mountain views. We strolled through the main street of Park City which seemed to be filled with overpriced boutiques and fancy three-course meals that we didn’t have time for at the time, and then found ourselves eating some simpler Thai cuisine for dinner at a friendly patio with lights.
The highlight of Salt Lake City for me was going to the Great Salt Lake, and it was an adventure getting there. We parked at what was supposed to be near the lake, but upon taking in the panorama of what was basically dunes of sand, we quickly understood that there was no lake in sight. The Great Salt Lake has been drying up, and receded far beyond where the car was — we had to walk through I’d say about half a mile to get to the lake, squinting to prevent gusts of sand filling our eyes and uprooting each foot from deep in the sand with each step. The lake was serene with few people in sight, probably because of the high barrier to entry. But it was worth it; it’s tough to think of when I have seen a more beautiful body of water. I repeated the strange, exhilarating experience of floating on water only a foot deep — something that was possible because of the high salt concentration, which I painfully verified as I accidentally took a gulp of the water. Pictures didn’t do the view justice; I took in as much as I could with my eyes before a thunderstorm snuck up on the lake, urging us to embark the long, strenuous walk back to the car. When I went for a haircut in Seattle, my hair stylist happened to be from Salt Lake and told me I was lucky to be able to see it, as there is a sad possibility that the lake might likely dry up in our lifetime.
After Salt Lake City, we really began to hoist ourselves up to the northern part of the States with the drive to Boise — which was way shorter of a drive than I had expected. Boise stood out to me as another hidden gem — I don’t usually hear of anyone going there for leisure, but it’s a place that shouldn’t go ignored. The choice of stay at this stop was a tiny house, which was an experience to remember, not only because of the minimalism — as this was good training for living minimally when waiting for my moving truck to arrive — but also because of it’s composting toilet — which I guess was a good but extreme warm up for moving to a place where I regularly compost food waste? Downtown Boise, with its twinkling string lights and bountiful pergolas lined outside the restaurants, seemed to have a vibe that somewhat reappears with that of the upbeat Ballard here in Seattle. There also seemed to be disparate hills around the town; climb one, and you’ll be surprised to find a beautiful view of the town and sunshine. Boise is a place filled with lots of activities — local boutiques and shopping, delicious restaurants, and the Boise River which has a lot of activities to feel refreshed amidst the scorching heat. Since I felt a little under the weather this time, I read by the rocks overlooking the river and people practicing hitting the waves at a manmade dam, but I’d like to go back to Boise and bike along the Greenbelt someday.
After Boise, I found myself in Seattle in no time. Like all trips, this one just flew by. The trip really opened my eyes to this “unknown” which has many areas I can now fill in as much more “learned” than before. It showed me places I’d love to go back to, like Colorado and Boise. Thinking about where else in the States that I’d consider to be a part of my “unknown” and thus places I’d love to get to know better… Maine, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, and Louisiana come to my mind, and of course, Hawaii and Alaska.
What is your “unknown” in the country you live in? I highly recommend bringing a buddy to share the drive and hitting the road to explore it if it’s possible. If you’ve done a road trip, I’d love to hear any unique ideas you’ve tried along the way. Happy driving!
