The Pacific Coast of the United States has it all- big cities, warm beaches, and dense forests. From the urban sprawl of
Los Angeles to the peaks of the Cascade Range, the end of our road trip was bittersweet. We cruised the roads of the contiguous states, then snagged a
cheap flight to our newest additions.
The summer may be winding down, but the grandeur of the
United States can be celebrated at any time of the year! Our trip showed us the beauty and diversity of America all while enjoying the different cultures that every state has to offer. If you haven't gotten out and experienced you surroundings, now is the time! No matter where you are, there is beauty all around you.
California
Our first stop on the last leg of our journey,
The Golden State, proved just as much fun as the state is big. Cruising down the
Pacific Coast Highway, from
San Diego to
San Francisco, miles and miles of beaches greeted us. We headed inland to check out the beautiful
national parks, including
Yosemite- an IgoUgo member favorite.
Photo by lavenderdays Photo by Jolantka
Oregon
The infamous Oregon trail led early settlers to
The Beaver State and now we now why people wanted to settle here. The pristine forests, the rocky beaches, Oregon is a beauty in the Northwest.
Portland charmed us with its hip ambiance, and the Oregon wilderness left us breathless as we wound our way north.
Photo by Côte Photo by Vanilla Sugar
Washington
The Evergreen State completed our driving tour of the US (we hopped a plane for the next two destinations) and the scenery was majestic. Gazing at
Mt. Rainier from the top of the
Space Needle was a picture-perfect moment, and
Olympic National Park provided much needed awe-inspiration.
Photo by cindylou11157 Photo by creekland
Alaska
Our second to last stop on our summer journey was
The Last Frontier as we jetted over Canada to the biggest state in America. We didn't have time to get to every national park (all 5) as they were spread out over the massive land, but we needed to check an item off our bucket list- seeing
Mount McKinley.
Photo by MilwVon Photo by Wildcat Dianne
Hawaii
We ended our summer road trip with a margarita in hand lounging on the
beautiful beaches of
The Aloha State. We couldn't think of a better way to spend the dog days of summer than trying our hand at surfing and remarking on the magnificent sunsets of the Hawaiian isles.
Photo by David Pillinger Photo by amillionmilestogo
Previously on Road Trip:
The SouthwestPosted by jhartmann13 (JJ Hartmann)