Too often, we have to be reminded just how lucky and blessed we are to live in a country like the United States. While it’s not a perfect place, there’s a myriad of reasons why it’s the most emigrated-to country on the planet. Apart from opportunity and unique liberties, the United States has a geographic corner on the world tourism market that makes it truly one-of-a-kind.
Deserts, boreal forests, tropical paradises, mountains, plains, lakes, oceans, and even the Arctic, the United States is home to the most diverse sets of landscapes in the world.
And with a rich history, diverse cultures, and regional touchstones that can change just by crossing a county line, each one of the fifty states is different from the last.
Unfortunately, too many people enjoy writing off Middle America and some of the smaller, more obscure regions in favor of the more highly-trafficked locales. Those states might be highly-trafficked for a reason, but it does not disqualify the others from “hidden gem” status.
And from my personal travels, I would say not by a long shot.
During the last week of June, I was approached by a family member – my favorite cousin, no less – who moved to California last year with an interesting proposition: to assist her and her friend in a cross-country trek to Lake Tahoe.
The cross-country trip is an epitome of American travel culture, with some saying you can’t live in the United States without having done it at least once.
For years, I have been set on making the drive, but the correct timing and context had not lined up, and at first, I was certain they would not align this year. By exploring career opportunities, working a part-time job for a family business, and contributing more for your favorite local newspaper, I was fairly certain that I could not just drop everything and drive to California.
It turns out, I can, and without much impact to my typical responsibilities.
My cousin, however, presented a catch: that I employ the persona of a high-class chauffeur, going back to a joke dating back to my designated-driver days of college. Being a helpless people-pleaser, I got my finest suit pressed and dug out my old hat and aviators.
And with that, we set out on June 25 for one of the best trips I’ve been on. With only six days to make it to California, we needed to make every minute count.
Pennsylvania is fairly nondescript, especially since I’ve been there dozens of times. An overnight stay in the cute town of Bloomsburg allowed us to spend the first full day on the road crossing the Ohio border. After a quick stop at Waffle House outside Youngstown, we hiked up to Cleveland, just to say that we’ve been there.
With Ohio being just as nondescript as, if not more than, Pennsylvania, we made it to Indiana. I had never visited the Hoosier State before, and while the northern stretch of I-80 isn’t exactly the most scenic route, we did get to stop off in Elkhart for the must-visit Cracker Barrel.
No city personifies the collapse of the Rust Belt better than Gary, Indiana. Once a vibrant Chicago suburb built on steel, the city is now a hollowed-out shell of its former self. This was definitely one of the lower parts of the country I have personally seen.
After a quick stop in Gary, we had crossed the border into Illinois with great views of the Windy City on our way into Wicker Park. A few hours in Chicago required a stop at Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizza. Not wanting to stay in the city too late, we drove an hour out to the quieter, safer suburb of Naperville for our second hotel stop.
Our third day was initially estimated to be one of the more uneventful ones, but turned out to be one of our favorites of the trip. Northern Illinois was not only flat, but somewhat obscured from Canadian wildfire smoke. While comparatively bland, it was not ugly or worthless like many coastal residents assert.
Crossing the Mississippi River meant crossing the border into Iowa, one of the states I’ve been the least keen on visiting. We had lunch in the riverside town of Le Clair and stopped in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale a few hours later. Driving through the southern-central part of the state was a great way to see just how adorable Iowa is. Rolling, green hills as far as the eye can see, with wide open skies and wind turbines dotting the landscape is what you’ll notice if you ever take the drive.
The cute town of Casey sat on the state’s western end. A quiet, unassuming stop off the interstate, it is truly the epitome of small-town America.
Overall, we were completely surprised at how pretty Iowa is. While certainly not a top-tourist destination, it was absolutely not wasted time in the slightest. I would prefer a drive through Iowa over a drive through Maryland any day.
Crossing the Missouri River led us to our favorite and most surprising part of the trip: Nebraska. I had never imagined Nebraska would even be worth a serious visit, but it is easily in my top-five favorite states I have visited so far.
Omaha is a clean, safe, and entertaining city. We hit up the Nite Owl, a bar in the business district. (I had to have a drink in my chauffeur uniform as a joke on the bartender and patrons). Lincoln, Grand Island, and North Platte are fine towns as well, with a charming Middle-America feel that still retains their classical frontier-like personalities from decades passed.
Nebraska turned out to be the biggest surprise of the trip, with cheap goods and some of the nicest people in the country. We’re glad we were routed north of tornado warnings in Kansas. If you’re interested in doing the cross-country drive yourself, definitely do not sleep on Nebraska.
Fantastic lightning storms greeted us as we entered Colorado, for our third stopover. We spent two days in the art district of Denver before heading to our second-favorite location: Breckenridge. A mountain town with chalet-themed buildings, great homemade products, and fantastic food, Breckenridge and the surrounding towns of Silver Plume, Eagle, Vail, and Wolcott are some of the most picture-perfect locales I’ve ever seen in the United States.
An overnight drive into Utah landed us in Spanish Fork, about an hour south of Salt Lake City. With just a day left of driving, we decided to soldier on towards our destination.
We stopped in Provo, Tooele, and the Bonneville Salt Flats before taking the scenic I-80 route through northern Nevada. Sparse, flat valleys surrounded by mountains, this was probably one of my favorite sections of I-80. We were treated to views in Wells and Winnemucca and a beautiful sunset in Fernley.
We reached Reno by sundown and made it to Truckee, California, by dark.
The next day was spent relaxing and recovering before I had to race to the airport to make it home in time for the Fourth of July. A quick stop at In-N-Out Burger and a breeze through security at Reno airport put me on the next red-eye to JFK.
All in all, this is my favorite trip I’ve been on so far. A solid week on the open road with great company and a simple mission is the best remedy for a stressed mind and a crowded plate. There’s also no better way to truly understand and connect with your country than to explore as much of it as you can.
And with the parts of the country we saw, we definitely took the road less traveled.
If you have any questions or want information and tips regarding travel in the United States, please feel free to contact me at matthewmeduri@aol.com
