Spending three months together exploring the various sites and treasures of the U.S. was a really fantastic five year wedding anniversary present to each other. We are very fortunate to have this time together to travel and to plan for our future. Our road trip adventure was a wonderful experience and we are looking forward to what the next five years (and beyond) of our marriage will bring.

We have been asked numerous times, “What’s next?” and “Where are you off to now?” … well, the answers to those questions will be answered at our new blog: ForeignDetours.com. The name kind of gives away a bit of a hint, but oh well.

We hope that you follow along as there are more adventures to come!
Thanks for reading and Take Care,
Brett & Kate

Highlight 1: New York With all that New York City is and offers – it is easy to neglect the rest of the Empire State; however, we don’t recommend it. You would miss Ithaca’s gorges, vegetarian food, ice cream sundaes, Cornell University and a wonderful walkable downtown. Every baseball fan should have the opportunity to visit Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum which is even surprisingly enjoyable for spouses of baseball fans as well. A visit to New York is not complete without a visit to the Big Apple including the new pedestrian friendly Times Square, Central Park, Battery Park, a fun ride on the Staten Island ferry and an evening game at the new Yankee Stadium. However, a surprise for both of us, was Long Island. It is cute with a small town feel, and yet close to a super Metropolitan city – there are even beaches!

Highlight 2: Acadia National Park Lighthouses, harbors, sailing, whale watching, hiking, bike carriage paths, delicious popovers, fresh seafood and shopping are only a few items that Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine have going for them. There is gorgeous scenery, great weather and so much more! It only could have been better, had we seen a moose.

Indiana - Ohio - Kentucky - Ohio – Pennsylvania – New York – New Jersey – New York – Connecticut – Rhode Island – Connecticut – Massachusetts – New Hampshire – Maine – New Hampshire – Vermont – New York – Pennsylvania – Ohio – Indiana

Travel:
Number of Days: 21 – June 24 to July 14
Number of Miles: 3,676

Sleeping:
Nights in the car: 1
Nights in the tent: 8
Nights with friends/family: 12

Our trip was categorized into different travel legs, with five legs in total. This is a flashback about Leg #5.

This is one of several wrap up posts where I talk about highlights from our trip.

Below I’m going to list out some of my favorite memories from the trip. There are lots and lots of memories, many of them fantastic, but this list below is the cream of the crop.

• Frisbee on the beach of Lake Michigan in South Haven, Michigan
• Route 66 Drive-In movie theater in Carthage, Missouri
• Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo, Texas
• Hail and lightning storm near Trujillo, New Mexico
• Petrified Forest National Park, our first national park
• Exploring the city of Flagstaff, Arizona
• Full moon at the Grand Canyon
• Driving through the tunnel in Zion National Park
• Walking around Hoover Dam on the Nevada/Arizona border
• Camping at San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California
• Muir Woods just north of San Francisco, California
• Redwood National and state parks, California
• Running back to the car to escape the rain in Oregon
• Oregon Lighthouses
• Olympic National Park, Washington
• Pike’s Market in Seattle, Washington
• Getting close (enough) to a bear in Grand Tetons National Park
• Going to the rodeo in Casper, Wyoming
• The day spent at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York
• Riding the Staten Island Ferry in New York, New York
• A trip to the new Yankee Stadium to see a baseball game – rain delay and all
• Cannoli from Mike’s Pastry in Boston with camp friends
• Fourth of July cookout with camp friends
• Fourth of July picnic of seafood and Del’s Lemonade with Carey
• Spending time with my parents in central Massachusetts
• Getting to visit with my grandparents and seeing a play at a local theater
• Afternoon tea service at the Jordan Pond House restaurant in Acadia National Park
• Lobster dinner in Bar Harbor, Maine with the sunset
• Driving the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire
• Spending time with the soon-to-be-married Craig and Maggie in Burlington, Vermont
• The longest driving day of them all – the last day of the trip where we drove nearly 700 miles in one day

Highlight 1: Grand Teton National Park I thought that our big ‘wow’ would be would be Yellowstone National Park but it was Grand Teton National Park that took our breath away. The mountains, the lakes, the wildlife – they were all outstanding. Brett was thrilled when we saw a bear and I was excited to be in the mountains. It was mid-June but there was still plenty of snow around, too. We loved it, absolutely loved it.

Highlight 2: Montana Brett and I had seen the license plate slogan ‘Big Sky Country‘ before we arrived in Montana and were perplexed by it. However, upon arrival and during our entire time in the state, we understood it. It is not possible to explain but amazing to experience. Montana definitely make’s the Top 10 list.

British Columbia - Washington - Idaho - Montana – Wyoming – South Dakota – Nebraska – Iowa – Illinois – Indiana

Travel:
Number of Days: 13 – June 11 to June 23
Number of Miles: 3,096

Sleeping:
Nights in the car: 8
Nights in the tent: 2
Nights with friends/family: 3

Our trip was categorized into different travel legs, with five legs in total. This is a flashback about Leg #4.

I am a photographer and really enjoy having my trusty Pentax with me at all times to capture and document my life and travels. I was thrilled to have discovered that over the course of our 91 day road trip Kate and I took more than 8,000 photographs. That’s an average of about 90 photographs per day. Below is a slideshow of fifty of my favorite photographs from our journey across North America. I had a hard time narrowing it down to just fifty photos, but thought that fifty was a decent sample size to get a feel for how many different places we were able to see during our trek. If there are any that you particularly enjoy you can click on the photo and order a print.

Highlight 1: The Redwoods! After experiencing the majestic giant redwoods in Northern California, I welcome being referred to as a tree hugger. These trees are beyond anything I could have imagined – their width, their height, their presence – they are downright awe-inspiring. All measures should be taken to insure that the remaining portions of these unbelievable forests are protected for future generations to inspire the dreamers of future.

Highlight 2: Washington State I know that I am somewhat taking a shortcut by picking a state – but trying to decided between the beauty of Puget Sound, the awesome city of Seattle and the wonders of Olympic National Park – the lakes, the mountains, the rain forest, the seashore, I don’t know that it can be done. I loved Washington! The driftwood beaches of the Olympic Peninsula were beyond my dreams. I had no idea temperate rain forests covered in mosses and ferns were possible in Washington state. And I didn’t have any idea how ‘at home’ I would feel in Puget Sound’s numerous islands and in Seattle.

California - Oregon - Washington - British Columbia

Travel:
Number of Days: 29 – May 13 to June 10
Number of Miles: 3,079

Sleeping:
Nights in the car: 21
Nights in the tent: 1
Nights with friends/family: 7

Our trip was categorized into different travel legs, with five legs in total. This is a flashback about Leg #3.

Avenue of the Giants, Redwood State Park, California

This is one of several wrap up posts where I talk about highlights from our trip.

As this was a road trip, we did a fair amount of driving. This wonderful country of ours is quite large and quite diverse, with large mountains, beautiful coastline, rolling hills, and plains that stretch as far as one can see. That old cliché about ‘It’s not the destination but the journey…’ is very apropos here. Driving more than 15,000 miles allowed us to see a good number of roads and breath-taking scenic vistas along the way. Below is a list of my favorite stretches of road with a brief explanation of why and a link to a more in-depth post about the drive.

Southern Missouri in the Mark Twain National Forest. We left the heart of Missouri behind and headed south toward Arkansas. We drove on a very hilly dirt road that was pretty close to a roller coaster. Kate captured some great video of that particular stretch of road.

Route 66 in Illinois was quite memorable, if only for the filling stations, old Route 66 signage and of course, the world’s largest ketchup bottle. The stretch of road from Litchfield to Mount Olive, Illinois was the most fun to drive.

Las Vegas, New Mexico to Taos, New Mexico. The drive through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains was phenomenal. Steep and twisty, tight and narrow in spots, it was a true delight to drive. Signs warning to look out for snow (we didn’t see any). 

Seligman to Toprock, Arizona along Route 66 is a fabulous drive. The Mother Road winds through the hills and mountains of western Arizona, taking you up and over the famous Sitgreaves Pass. It’s very tight and windy, I can’t imagine attempting to get over that pass with dirt roads and and old car.

The road that winds through Zion National Park in southern Utah. We especially enjoyed the 1.1 mile long tunnel that was carved out of the sandstone cliffs. A great drive through the heart of the park and essential when traveling east to west through the park.

Route 101 from Cardiff-by-the-Sea to Oceanside, California. This stretch of road is pretty remarkable, and hugs the Pacific Ocean very closely. There are countless beaches along this stretch of road and loads and loads of surfers waiting for the perfect swell.

California Route 1 from Santa Cruz to Half Moon Bay, California. Another great stretch of windy road that hugs the wonderful California coastline. The boardwalk and lighthouse in Santa Cruz are worth checking out as well.

Avenue of the Giants in the Redwood State and National Parks of northern California. The drive on this road is incredible. Humbling. The giant redwood trees tower over you and you’ll find yourself pulling over often to marvel at their beauty.

Route 101 from Florence to Newport, Oregon. A great stretch of road in Oregon that hugs the coast and has a few lighthouses to stop at. Newport has a great aquarium and two lighthouses along with some great clam chowder.

Route 101 around Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park, Washington. Lake Crescent is in itself a beautiful attraction with its cold glacial water and rocky shores. But the drive through this part of Olympic National Park is very scenic and has several great places to stop and soak in the scenery.

Route 3 from Hope, British Columbia to Princeton, British Columbia. The Canadian Rockies are massive, beautiful and intimidating all at the same time. This stretch of road cuts through a few small towns and vineyards, but mostly it just winds up and down the Rocky Mountains. 

Route 287 from Ennis to West Yellowstone, Montana. Big Sky Country is not just something you see on Montana license plates. If you drive this road in Montana you will know what Big Sky Country is all about. Not to be missed.

Route 16A from Custer State Park to Keystone, South Dakota. The wildlife in Custer State Park is first class, but the drive along Route 16A out of the park and into Keystone, South Dakota is a tight and windy road with one lane tunnels, narrow bridges and a great scenic view of Mount Rushmore.

Route 302 from Bridgton, Maine to Conway, New Hampshire. This part of New England is a real treat, especially for a native New Englander. A small windy road that travels through small towns and passes around lakes and ends in the great Conway, New Hampshire in the foothills of the White Mountains.

Kancamagus Highway from Conway to Lincoln, New Hampshire. This is a popular drive, and with very good reason. The Swift River, covered bridges, great scenic views, the thick White Mountain National Forest and the chance of seeing a moose up close and personal are all great reasons to complete this great drive.

Highlight 1: Zion National Park Utah’s gem of a national park is located in the far southwestern corner of the state and offers amazing rock formations, breathtaking vistas and a really long tunnel. We had such a great time during our visit. We didn’t do any of the long hikes, just a few short walks admiring the beauty but I will not forget the views anytime soon. It was such a contrast to visit this park on the heels of the Grand Canyon as we did not going down into the canyon there and spent our time looking down into the vastness that is the Grand Canyon – whereas in Zion, you are in the canyon and you spend your time looking up at the canyon walls and viewing the world from the canyon’s bottom.

Highlight 2: Arizona By picking the state of Arizona, I selected Sedona’s red rock formations and outstanding beauty, Flagstaff’s relaxed and welcoming atmosphere as well as the Grand Canyon‘s natural beauty all in one. We absolutely loved Arizona – it has so much to offer. We weren’t there in the heat of the summer and yes, I have heard that it is a ‘dry’ heat; however, I still don’t know if it is something that I would enjoy. I was not as happy with the desert around Lake Havasu City as I was with the mountain air around Flagstaff; but the state was a delightful surprise and made it onto the ‘Places We Would Like to Live’ list.

Arizona - Utah - Nevada -  California

Travel:
Number of Days: 10 – May 3 to May 12
Number of Miles: 1,651

Sleeping:
Nights in the car: 4
Nights in the tent: 6
Nights with friends/family: 0

Our trip was categorized into different travel legs, with five legs in total. This is a flashback about Leg #2.

This is one of several wrap up posts where I talk about highlights from our trip.

One of the best things about travel, for me at least, is the food. On this trip we really went out of our way to try food from local establishments – especially regional specialties when available. Below are some of my favorites and a brief explanation of each.

Frozen custard from Ted Drewe’s Frozen Custard in St. Louis, Missouri. Our first food post on the road. Located right along historic Route 66 on the way out of St. Louis. The building has ‘icicles’ hanging off of it.

Freshly popped movie popcorn at the Route 66 drive-in theater in Carthage, Missouri. Difficult to locate, but very much worth the experience. Good popcorn and old-fashioned intermission film.

Soda and sandwiches at POPS Diner on Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma. A modern Route 66 diner experience. Thousands of soda bottles lining the walls. Good sandwiches, good location. There were tornadoes coming through the area so we continued west.

Chocolate milk shake at the Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tasty milk shake and great Route 66 kitschy atmosphere. Lots of collectibles and knick-knacks. Juke box, the whole nine yards.

S’mores over the Jetboil, cooked on our portable camping stove in New Mexico. Not the most efficient way to make s’mores, but it’s certainly better than not having any s’mores at all.

French toast for breakfast in Oakland, California. Crashing with friends certainly has some great benefits! Blake was kind enough to whip up this awesome breakfast – includes a recipe for French toast.

Wine tasting in San Francisco, California. One of Kate’s old camp friends, Mitch, allowed us to stay for a few days and he took us to many of San Francisco’s fantastic eateries, including two wine tastings.

Clam chowder at the Newport Chowder Bowl in Newport, Oregon. Delicious and creamy clam chowder in the Nye Beach area of Newport, Oregon. Did I mention that it was creamy? Quite tasty.

Ice cream and cheese in Oregon’s cheese country. Tillamook County, Oregon is known for cows that produce great cheese and ice cream. We visited two cheese companies, and one of them makes cheese and ice cream. Mmm… samples.

Organic, fresh and local pizza at Hot Lips Pizza in Portland, Oregon. The weather was not great during our time in Portland, Oregon – but the pizza was fantastic! Very crunchy pizza and atmosphere.

Mini doughnuts from the Daily Dozen Doughnut Company at Pike’s Market in Seattle, Washington. Hot from the fryer and thrown into a brown paper bag for easy on-the-go snacking, these were a real treat.

Veggie dogs from a street vendor in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After a long morning of exploring Vancouver this veggie was looking for a satisfying lunch when I practically walked into this street vendor. Fantastic!

A proper ice cream sundae in the (alleged) home of the ice cream sundae – Ithaca, New York. Warm brownie covered in ice cream, smothered in whipped cream and a cherry garnish… delicious.

The vegetarian mecca that is Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York. Amazing vegetarian food and cookbooks. Tofajitas (tofu + burrito = tofajita) for dinner with great bread and a cookbook to go.

A tofu noodle bowl at the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The new home of the New York Yankees serves great veggie-friendly fare! Yes, it’s true, there are advantages to rain delays.

One of my all time favorite desserts – the cannoli – from Mike’s Pastry in Boston’s North End. Hand-made on the premises, these cannolis are the best I’ve ever laid my hands on.

A Fourth of July barbeque with camp friends includes great portabello mushroom burgers in Rhode Island. Found this recipe in the Moosewood Celebrates cookbook. Even the non-veggies were jealous! Recipe included.

Great Rhode Island seafood at Iggy’s Doughboys in Warwick, Rhode Island. Authentic Rhode Island clam cakes and stuffed quahogs provide for a fantastic summer picnic. The doughboys make a great dessert.

Another Rhode Island tradition, the crushed ice drinks from Del’s Lemonade. We found a Del’s Lemonade truck at the beach in Warwick, Rhode Island and procured some Del’s to help keep cool.

The Downeast Lobster Experience at Stewman’s Lobster Pound in Bar Harbor, Maine. Sitting on the patio looking out over Bar Harbor as the sun sets while digging into a fresh Maine lobster is a very memorable experience.

A trip to the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury, Vermont. We learn about how the great Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is made and even ‘test’ a few samples. Walk the flavor graveyard and read about the flavors that were retired.

Highlight 1: The nostalgia! We stopped at two fantastic Route 66 diners, a great custard stand and numerous old filling stations. The first of our two diners (Pops) was in Oklahoma and the second (the Route 66 Diner) was in New Mexico. They both offered delicious food and were filled with Route 66 memorabilia. The custard was in St. Louis – Ted Drewes was so very yummy. And the filling stations were found in just about every state along the way.

Highlight 2: The end! While in Arizona, we learned of a Route 66 Road Rally taking place further down the Mother Road in a few days time and opted to hurry along and take part. The rally was taking place on the longest stretch of intact Route 66. There were period cars and tons of enthusiasts. It was so fun to participate in and a great way to end our Route 66 Adventure.

Indiana - Michigan - Illinois - Missouri - Arkansas – Kansas – Oklahoma – Texas – New Mexico – Arizona

Travel:
Number of Days: 18 – April 15 to May 2
Number of Miles: 3,656

Sleeping:
Nights in the car: 14
Nights in the tent: 1
Nights with friends/family: 3

Our trip was categorized into different travel legs, with five legs in total. This is a flashback about Leg #1.