Mark and I spent most of August on the road, driving across the United States. We love road trips and believe the best way to experience the country is by car. There’s just so much to see and do in the states. This was our third cross-country trip, and along the way we discovered some incredible new places.
New River Gorge National Park
Our first stop was New River Gorge National Park, the newest addition to the U.S. national park system, designated in 2020. Both Mark and I agree that West Virginia is one of the most underrated states. Unfortunately, many people seem to have preconceived notions about the state, but our experience there was nothing short of amazing. It’s a beautiful state!
While at New River Gorge, we took a historical tour of the town of Thurmond. Once a thriving rail town in the early 1900s, Thurmond was a hub where massive amounts of coal passed through and as many as 15 passenger trains stopped each day.
The town was bustling with banks, hotels, shops, restaurants, and even a casino. But as the coal mines closed, people moved away, leaving Thurmond to fade into history. Today, only four residents remain, and the town has been largely untouched since its heyday. Exploring Thurmond was fascinating and ended up being one of the highlights of our time in New River Gorge National Park.
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Our next stop was Bowling Green, Kentucky, a town well-known for its abundance of caves. While there, we visited Lost River Cave and took a guided boat tour through its underground passages. Along the way, we learned fascinating history about the cave and the area. If you aren’t a big hiker, this is a great option, as you experience the cave on the water! Tickets for the boat tour are $25 and can be purchased directly from the Lost River Cave website.
Mammoth Cave National Park
The main reason for stopping in Kentucky was to visit Mammoth Cave National Park. I’ve wanted to visit this park for years after watching several YouTube videos about it. We chose the Historic Tour, which is the most popular option for first-time visitors. Lasting about 90 minutes, it led us through massive chambers as well as some narrow, winding passages. It was a lot of fun, though not something I’d recommend if you’re claustrophobic. Tickets are required and can be purchased through Recreation.gov. We booked ours a few weeks in advance. Tickets cost $25 per adult.
Gateway Arch National Park
After leaving Kentucky, we had a long driving day to our next stop in Kansas City, Missouri. Along the way, we made a quick detour in St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch, checking another National Park off our list. We hadn’t even realized it was designated as a National Park until we arrived, which made the visit an unexpected bonus. Designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965, the Arch commemorates President Jefferson’s vision of a continental nation and the westward expansion beyond the Mississippi River.
For this visit, we decided not to take the elevator ride to the top and instead enjoyed lunch in the park below. If you do want to experience the ride, tickets are available at the visitor center or online through the Gateway Arch website. The cost varies depending on when you visit, but is between $15 – $19 for adults.
Kansas City, MO
Our stop in Kansas City, Missouri, was a quick one. It was chosen as a halfway point between Kentucky and our next big destination, Colorado. Since the city is famous for its barbecue, we made sure to try some, and it definitely hit the spot after a long day of driving. Beyond that, though, we didn’t explore much. We stayed downtown and the area felt surprisingly quiet, with very few people out and about. We left a bit underwhelmed, but it may just be that we didn’t know the right places to go. With some local insight, we’d probably have a better experience next time.
Kansas State Capital, Topeka
The morning we headed to Denver, we ended up waking up much earlier than planned. Since we had some time to spare before checking into our Airbnb, we made a quick stop in Topeka, the capital of Kansas. One of our travel goals is to visit every state capitol building, so this was the perfect opportunity. We arrived too early for the building to be open, but we were able to walk the grounds and take in the view from the outside. It looked beautiful. I’m glad we made the stop, and honestly, Topeka seemed like such a pleasant city that I almost wish we had stayed there instead of underwhelming Kansas City. If we find ourselves on another road trip going through Kansas, I think we will make the stop here to see the inside of the capitol building.
Denver, Colorado
Our next stop was Denver, Colorado, where my sister joined us, flying in from Florida to spend part of the trip together. Denver is one of our favorite cities, with endless things to do and stunning mountain scenery all around.
Casa Bonita
Since we’re all big South Park fans, we couldn’t resist making a reservation at Casa Bonita. If you’ve seen the famous Casa Bonita episode, you’ll know exactly why this spot is such a cult favorite. If not—just imagine one of the strangest, most unique restaurant/theme park experiences you can have. A few years ago, Casa Bonita was on the brink of closing, but South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone stepped in, bought the property, and saved this childhood landmark of theirs from disappearing.
Meow Wolf Convergence Station
One of the highlights of our time in Denver was visiting Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station. Having previously explored the Meow Wolf locations in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, we were excited to see what this one had to offer. It did not disappoint! In fact, Convergence Station quickly became our favorite. The exhibit is massive and endlessly fascinating, with so much to explore that you could easily spend several hours discovering every detail. We highly recommend a visit if you’re in Denver. You can purchase tickets for Meow Wolf here. Tickets start at $38.
Lakeside Amusement Park
Just five minutes from our Airbnb was Lakeside Amusement Park. At first glance, we thought it might be abandoned, but it’s still very much operational. Stepping inside felt like a blast from the past, with vintage rides and classic signage straight out of the 1960s. We didn’t go on any rides, but for just $5, you can enter the park, stroll around, and snap photos. It would be an amazing spot for a photoshoot! We loved exploring this nostalgic gem and are glad that places like this still exist.
Their website didn’t provide a ton of information and honestly needs a redo (hey, call us!) but one of the attendants said they open are open from around 6pm – 11pm every weekday except Tuesday and on weekends, they open at 1pm. It’s $5 if you just want to walk around and not go on any rides. If you want to do rides, you purchase ride tickets. The cost varies depending on what you want to ride, but overall, the park seemed fairly affordable.
Steamboat and Vail, Colorado
The halfway point of our road trip was Steamboat, Colorado, where we met up with my parents, who drove in from Nevada. It was wonderful to have the whole family together. These trips get trickier to plan as we get older. We spent five amazing days exploring Steamboat and nearby Vail. While these towns are best known as winter ski destinations, they have plenty to offer in the summer as well. Hiking, biking, kayaking, summer farmers’ markets, and relaxing in hot springs! There’s so much to do that it’s definitely worth visiting outside of ski season. This part of the trip was truly a highlight and we’re already talking about when we can come back.
Chicago
Our final major stop on the road trip was Chicago. After an incredible five days in Colorado, we hit the road early and made the long drive east. We broke up the trip with a quick overnight stay in Omaha, Nebraska (such a charming city!), then pushed through another eight hours to reach the Windy City.
This was our first time in Chicago, and we absolutely loved it. We checked off many of the city’s classics: a river architecture tour, Millennium Park, exploring Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, and, of course, the food! We sampled Chicago deep dish (New York pizza is better, sorry not sorry), a Chicago-style hot dog, Italian beef, and even Portillo’s famous chocolate cake shake. Thankfully, we walked 22,000 steps in one day to balance it all out!
A standout experience was visiting Russian Tea Time, a cozy tea house near The Art Institute of Chicago. A friend, Brittany, recommended it, and I’m so glad she did. We’d never had Russian cuisine before, and the chance to try such a variety of dishes made it truly memorable. It was an experience unlike anything else on the trip and one that we decided to do kind of last minute. Often, those last minute, spontaneous decisions turn out to be the things you remember the most!
Overall, our cross-country road trip was nothing short of spectacular! Along the way, we explored three new National Parks, visited a new state capitol, and added three brand-new states to our list. Time and time again, we were reminded of just how much beauty and adventure the United States has to offer.
It’s surprising how many people don’t take advantage of the incredible places in their own backyard. And that’s a shame. We know not everyone can take nearly a month off to travel the country (we’re extremely grateful for the lifestyle we’ve built that makes this possible), but even a simple day trip can open your eyes to amazing experiences close to home. Get out there, explore, and see what you might be missing. This country has so much to give.
