Christmas– that unique season when households come together sharing old-time preferred dishes and awkward youth stories. Was this your Christmas? For me, the holiday is normally invested in this conventional style. Nevertheless, this year was anything however common. So why refrain from doing something insane like take a Christmas roadtrip?

Now, eventually, we would be investing the time with household, however this time we were the ones to make the drive. And if you’re going to take the drive why not make it remarkable?

Our journey was basic, in such a way. We would be driving on significant interstates from one state to another till we reached our last location. Our path included numerous states, 4 of which we would be remaining in, while the others would simply be driven through. And yes, there was preparation– a great deal of preparation. We would be changing hotel spaces numerous times with 2 animals in tow plus all the normal baggage. The GPS on my phone was utilized every day and even then it was simple to get a little reversed.

Texas

Our journey started with leaving the state of Oklahoma behind (* smell *) rapidly making our method down into the state (nation) of Texas. Thinking about that we had actually just recently invested a whole holiday there, we felt little requirement to explore it. Particularly considering that we would be investing the night in Santa Fe, New Mexico– 9 hours away! The drive through Texas was uneventful, to state the least. The sky was overcast and the surface wasn’t much to take a look at. Nevertheless, once we had actually driven for a couple of hours which state line got more detailed, things got more fascinating.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Pulling over that state line seemed like an achievement. We had actually made it past the middle for that day’s journey and we still had a couple of hours in front of us, however we had actually likewise made it into brand-new area. While I have actually been through the state of New Mexico in the past, it was primarily at night and we didn’t remain enough time to see anything. This time around, nevertheless, I had the ability to take pleasure in the mesas and plateaus that are so renowned of the location. And the sundowns alone deserve the go to.

After a long day of driving, we were tired and all set to unwind at our hotel. With the sun setting on our very first day, we had actually made it to New Mexico. The next day, our experience would really start.

Now, if you’ve never ever been to New Mexico, you might be envisioning large desert, cacti, and vultures. While this might be precise for some parts of the state and/or throughout specific parts of the year, this does not absolutely specify New Mexico. Contrary to popular follower, the landscape is differed, including both flat plains and rugged hills/small mountains. Plateaus are likewise a typical sight depending upon where you are at. And it is gorgeous. Our base lay in Santa Fe and the city is remarkable! While it is a smaller sized city, it is stylish and elegant. The downtown district shows a really southwest look with its Spanish shops and lighting. If you’re trying to find any regional stores this is the location to be. You can discover clothes, fashion jewelry, and dining establishments situated within this location. And if you check out throughout the Christmas season, you will likewise get to see the city in lights.

If you’re wanting to avoid the crowds, simply head north towards the Colorado border and you’ll discover trees and snow! Yes, snow.

Carson National Forest. I had actually never ever seen New Mexico in snow prior to and it was spectacular. We took a broad loop up from Santa Fe striking up beautiful locations along the method, the majority of which were snow-covered.

Angel Firewhich is a ski location. So if you’re into that sort of thing you might not need to take a trip to Colorado for it. This frozen lake, while not straight in Angel Fire, is nearby simply to the south.

Rio Grande Gorge bridgeTaos(another close-by ski resort).

B3and you ought to too. The hamburgers are fantastic and worth the drive. Since the only thing much better than a scrumptious hamburger or melt-in-your-mouth barbeque is melt-in-your-mouth barbeque on a tasty hamburger.

As much as I wished to remain in New Mexico for another day, our journey just permitted one complete day in this surprise gem of a state. Our journey needed to move us forward into our next location: Colorado.

Colorado Springs/Estes Park, Colorado

The majority of people view Colorado to be absolutely nothing however the Rocky Mountains and snow. And if you struck up the state throughout December, you’re partly right. It does not take long prior to the mountains emerge and snow appears on the ground. Starting around October, Colorado’s very first snow will typically fall and will continue to do so till March/possibly later on. Nevertheless, driving into the state through the southern border was intriguing due to the fact that you got to see a lot of Colorado and see its variety.

Colorado SpringsSalsa BravaGarden of the Gods.

If you do not understand what this beautiful landmark is, it’s essentially some truly cool– and actually big– rock developments that you can drive through. And climb! With the addition of tracks it’s a fantastic location to get a little workout and delight in the views.

The day we visited it was all of 10 degrees outside so we weren’t able to remain long. However it was well worth it.

Pike’s Peak. It’s not too far from the Garden of the Gods and the views are amazing. Throughout the winter season the roadway to the peak will be closed as will much of the other roadways leading into mountains. Keep this in mind if you’re preparing for a winter season trip.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings.And they were fantastic!

For simply a little admission cost, you can check out Native American history. And not just can you take a look at these pieces of history, you can stroll through them also. And if you have your pet with you, do not hesitate to let him inspect them out too. Remarkably, pet dogs are permitted within.

Estes Park. By the time we reached Denver and headed towards Boulder, the snow was accumulating and the mountains were getting that much closer. Mind you, we were never ever able to increase into the mountains. Even in Estes Park we remained more around the foothills. Keep in mind: if you wish to do any more checking out of the Rockies, you’ll require to prepare a spring or summer season journey.

Laura’s. Both the taffy and fudge are addicting!)

Oh, and the stores are truly dog-friendly. So if you take place to have your pooch taking a trip with you, he can go inside the majority of the stores. Some locations will need you to bring your pet dog if he is with you, however others do not mind walk-ins.

And, obviously, Estes Park is far from being the city-life. So if you’re attempting to avoid all of it you’ll have no problem with that here. Estes Park is, in numerous methods, the renowned Christmas town. Not to point out, you have a truly great chance of having a white Christmas.

Cheyenne, Wyoming

After taking pleasure in a couple of days in Colorful Colorado, our journey continued further north into the freezing area of Wyoming. If you’ve never ever experienced a Wyoming winter season you require to. The wind blows someplace around 30 to 50 miles per hour the majority of the time, although it does relax periodically. In addition to snowy/ icy conditions and temperature levels listed below freezing, Wyoming provides tourists the real white Christmas experience.

While there are lots of wintry activities to enjoy in the state, I truthfully invested the majority of my time revealing the other half around my old stomping premises letting him take in the state’s capitol.

CheyenneSnowy RangeTetonsSnowiesKurt Gowdy State Parkare excellent for fishing.

CentennialOld Corralhotel/restaurant.

Lincoln Highway(I-80) east of Laramie, make certain to state hi to the previous President. This statue is substantial and produces an intriguing landmark. The Lincoln statue dominates the highway as a testimony to one extraordinary accomplishment. Integrated in the early 1900s, the highway was produced to cover roughly 3400 miles, reaching from New York to San Francisco. What a drive that would be!

arboretums. While it is neither big nor extremely excellent, it is enjoyable to drop in and see what’s on display screen. I handled to discover a couple of intriguing specimens, such as the Shrimp Plant. See the similarity?

Wyoming’s Rib & & Chop House. They dish out scrumptious steaks and the costs are affordable. With a relaxing fireplace and the rustic environment, it’s the ideal location for a date night.

Paramount Cafe. Found in the heart of Cheyenne, this regional cafe lives within an old theater. And if that’s not cool enough, they boast utilizing their own in your area roasted coffee. With live music and scrumptious drinks, it’s a terrific location to loosen up. Naturally, if you’re in the state of mind for more than simply coffee have a look at their other beverages like tea, cider, and boba (bubble tea)!

And easily, another day, another state, was over. It was time to take a drive– an actually, truly long drive– to our last state.

, Kansas

Can I simply be truthful for a minute? Driving into Kansas I believed we had actually left all the magic behind. If you’ve ever driven through this state, you will understand 2 things. One: it’s an actually long flight. Kansas is a remarkably huge state. 2: there is absolutely nothing, I duplicate, absolutely nothing to take a look at.

Plateaus? No.

Mountains? Nope.

Civilization? Double nope.

Do not get me incorrect, the experience is still there, in such a way. However when you’ve been driving for 9 to 10 hours and you have not seen a lot, things get a little dull. Specifically when the sun has actually set and you actually have absolutely nothing to take a look at.

After what seemed like an eternity, we pulled into Wichita and settled in our hotel space for some well-deserved sleep.

Come the next early morning, we were surprised. The magic had not remained behind in our trip. It had actually followed us to Kansas!

Wichitais a wonderful city. The downtown location is lovely with elegant stores and beautiful stores and coffee shops. And if you’re in the state of mind for shopping there are a lot of huge box shops for that too.

Botanica.

Since throughout the holiday, the arboretums in Wichita places on the very best light program display screen I have actually ever experienced. Get your loved ones, purchase some hot chocolate, and take a walk through this wonderland of lights.

The night we chose to go, the weather condition was extremely cold, however the experience was still incredible. The display screens appear to go on permanently and there is plenty to see. Believe me, it is well worth the little admission charge to get in.

Museum of World Treasures. I understand what you’re believing– due to the fact that I believed the very same thing initially: why would you go to a museum on your trip? Since this specific museum differs from anything you’ve ever seen prior to.

Yes, this is a genuine sarcophagus. The simple existence of Egyptian artifacts surprised me thinking about that this is not something typically experienced at a lot of museums. Nevertheless, the variety of artifacts they have is much more amazing. They even have mummies! And they looked quite scary. I chose not to take images of them, however if you check out Wichita you’ll need to go have a look.

Obviously, this museum provides far more than simply Egyptian artifacts. Anything from dinosaurs to the War for Independence can be discovered here.

Unique displays highlighting particular cultures from nations like India, Africa, and Mexico are likewise on screen. Nevertheless, among my other preferred display screens was the geologic exhibitions.

There appeared to be something for everybody to take pleasure in and it can quickly take you a couple of hours to soak everything in. It’s an enjoyable location for individuals of any ages to take pleasure in so make certain you bring the household.

Oklahoma aka Home Sweet Home

Well, after 10 days and 6 states, we lastly made it house. While it was a remarkable trip, it was likewise a relief to dump the truck and kick back in to our regular here in Oklahoma. I hope you’ve enjoyed my trip of these extraordinary states. Let me understand if you have actually ever checked out these locations and where your preferred locations are.

Thanks for checking out!

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