Our first trip of 2016 took us to two states, three national parks, two national monuments and even a brief lunch stop in Mexico. Here’s how it all breaks down by the numbers. Click the image for larger view.
Images from our trip to Texas and New Mexico, April 13-24, 2016.
Click to enlarge, read captions and view slideshow.
We’re making our way to Texas and our first national park of the trip. Here’s a brief introduction to the states we’re visiting.
Our spring break trip to Texas and New Mexico begins in just one week! Here’s a preview of the five major National Park Service sites we’ll be visiting, three National Parks and two National Monuments. Click the image for a larger view.
Last August, we got a jump start on planning our upcoming spring break trip. The first thing we booked was our return flight from Albuquerque to Chicago using air miles. Unfortunately in the months since August, the airline changed its flight schedule, making us take off three hours earlier than planned. This would have reduced our final day of vacation into to a “wake up and head to the airport” day. We tried to have our flight rebooked to Sunday, but that was not an option when paying with reward miles so we came up with an alternative plan … Amtrak.
We’ve always been interested in Amtrak service, but the timing and price has never worked out. Since we have an extra day to spare, we’ve booked tickets on the Saturday overnight Southwest Chief train from Santa Fe (Lamy Station) to Chicago Union Station, arriving on Sunday afternoon. This will give us another adventure to look forward to, rather than simply returning home quickly by air. A big part of the appeal is that the route follows the historic Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe tracks that made large areas of the southwest accessible in the second half of the 19th century. The line was extended piece by piece until it eventually connected Chicago and Los Angeles. The route is loaded with history. Vintage stations still stand by the tracks in many towns, and the Santa Fe Super Chief of the 1930s is remembered fondly for elegant and luxurious travel.
The Fred Harvey Company is strongly associated with the Chief as well. It was a pioneer in the hospitality industry, operating cafes and hotels along the route for the increasing numbers of rail riders. They practically invented the chain restaurant with their Harvey House line of dining establishments and the company played a big part of the tourism boom at the Grand Canyon. Historic hotels like El Tovar at the Grand Canyon and La Fonda in Santa Fe, New Mexico still serve guests in grand Fred Harvey style. The book “Appetite for America” is a great read describing this time period, while the 1946 film “The Harvey Girls” offers a fun but inaccurate musical representation starring Judy Garland.
We booked a private “roomette” on board one of the first-class Superliner sleeper cars, which will provide us with two facing seats, a giant picture window and turn-down service that converts the cabin into bunked sleeping quarters at night. All meals are included with the cost of a roomette, and we’ll be able to reserve at our choice of three seating times in the dining car. We’ll definitely be making use of the observation and cafe/bar cars as well. Over the course of our 1,265 mile journey we’ll climb to more than 7,800 feet in elevation over Raton Pass at the New Mexico/Colorado state line and cross both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers – there will be plenty to see.
We’re looking forward to our first Amtrak experience!
Each spring the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation declare one week National Park Week to celebrate our national heritage. As part of the celebration, Entrance fees will be waived at all 410 sites under NPS management from April 16-24, 2016. This includes all National Parks, Monuments, Memorials, Historic Sites, Battlefields, etc. It’s also extra special this year because all of 2016 is a continuing celebration of the centennial of the National Park Service.
This year we’ll be on our spring break trip during this very week. Our America The Beautiful pass from last year is still valid, so we won’t be benefitting extra from the free entrance, but hopefully there will be some special events going on in the NPS sites we plan to visit: Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands and Bandelier. If this is also your spring break or if you’re just looking for a weekend getaway, be sure to check out NPS sites near you to Find Your Park and see what’s happening in your area.
Check out these links for more information:
National Park Foundation: http://www.nationalparks.org/national-park-week
National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/national-park-week.htm
Here’s a map detailing travel books we’ve read. We’ll add to this as we add to our bookshelves. Click for larger view.
There are many classic books dedicated to the American road trip (or river or trail as the case may be). It’s a genre that never gets old to us. Each author sets out with a different goal, whether it’s exploring new lands, recreating a historic journey, getting away from personal matters, finding the perfect hash browns or simply sightseeing. It’s fun to compare our experiences to those who traveled before us.
The following books are mapped above:
Mapping where they went points out what corridors are common and where everyone diverges on their own. There is no one answer for where to road trip. Lewis and Clark took all water routes (since there were obviously no highways or major trails back then), but their Pacific camp, Fort Clatsop, has become a major attraction for the modern authors. American Road details the convoy that made an arduous 1919 promotional crossing of the mostly-dirt Lincoln Highway. When John Steinbeck made his highway journey in 1960, the first Interstates were a novelty, but just 18 years later William Least Heat-Moon made his entire trip about avoiding them, using exclusively two lane back roads for nostalgic purposes.
Meanwhile in the desert, Canadians Marilyn and Wayne couldn’t seem to find their way out of New Mexico and everyone wanders around in beautiful southern Utah. Many paths converge on historic Selma, Alabama and all writers get reflective of the troubling chapter of American history it represents. John Steinbeck was going strong until he reached this area of the south, then had a minor meltdown and made a beeline back toward New York City. Weirdly, we’ve read about three routes that pass through Delaware, but nobody makes it into Florida, Arkansas or Oklahoma.
Emotional chords are struck from coast to coast. Steinbeck practically writes a marriage proposal to Wisconsin, while Bryson starts out ridiculing his native country but comes around to loving it by the end. Will Heat-Moon achieve inner peace? Will Wayne and Marilyn ever find Canada again? Put these on your reading list.
By the way: William Least Heat-Moon takes the gold medal for longest trip, at around 13,000 miles, and Bill Bryson put nearly 10,000 on his Chevy Chevette. Sort of makes our 4,572-mile record seem short.
Fort McHenry high kick, National Aquarium and Inner Harbor, jellyfish exhibit, replica of the Star Spangled Banner flying high over the fort.
Last summer we made our first visit to Baltimore, Maryland. It’s often overshadowed by Washington, DC, which is just 40 miles away, but it definitely has the history and attractions to warrant it’s own look. Baltimore contains more public monuments than any other American city and the Inner Harbor is among best downtown waterfronts.
Our favorites:
See: National Aquarium – Widely known as one of the top aquariums in the U.S., the National Aquarium contains 2.2 million gallons of water and 17,000 animals representing more than 750 species. Prepare to spend most of a day there.
See: Fort McHenry – Standing guard over the entrance to Baltimore Harbor, this historic fort is the location where the famous “Star Spangled Banner” flew while Francis Scott Key watched from a ship and wrote the poem that would later become our national anthem.
Eat: Woodberry Kitchen – This trendy farm-to-table restaurant is located in a recently restored mill building. Great drinks and local food.
Do: Tubing on the Big Gunpowder River – Take a relaxing float on a warm summer day just a half hour drive from central Baltimore.
Some cities have an automatic slot on any must-visit list, others are hidden gems. Finding those that exceed expectations is one of the best parts of traveling. Here are five cities that won us over with combinations of history, culture and charm.
Though often overlooked due to its enormous neighbor to the south, Milwaukee is a big city in its own right, with a population of 600,000 and a metropolitan total of 1.5 million. Milwaukeeans roll their eyes at the description, but it does resemble a mini Chicago, with its river winding through downtown, distinctive neighborhoods and lakefront parks.
Our favorite hoods are the historic Third Ward, eclectic Brady Street, creative Bay View and up-and-coming Walker’s Point. Each offers a different experience and it’s own local flavor. The Milwaukee Art Museum offers world-class culture and its Calatrava-designed movable winged roof is worth a visit alone. The Milwaukee County Zoo is one of the best we’ve visited as well.
Any discussion of Milwaukee must include beer. Lots of local breweries like Brenner, Lakefront, Milwaukee Brewing and Miller offer tours and tastings and the under-restoration Pabst complex gives a peek at the heyday of big industrial brewing. On the cocktail front, Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Walker’s Point stands as one of our all-time favorite bars.
The walkable downtown, strong neighborhoods and laid back attitude make Milwaukee worth visit after visit.
Fun fact: When completed in 1895, Milwaukee city hall was the tallest habitable building in the United States (only the Washington Monument was taller).
Columbus turned out to be full of surprises on our brief stop there in spring 2014. The Ohio state capital’s 835,000 residents makes it larger than the other two big Ohio C towns combined (though Cleveland and Cincinnati’s metropolitan area populations are higher) and ranks Columbus the 15th largest city nationally.
Columbus doesn’t have a reputation as an especially historic place, so we definitely weren’t expecting to find one of the largest restored old neighborhoods in the United States in the German Village. This area, located just south of downtown, is full of narrow brick-paved streets, quaint houses and great restaurants and bars. Those looking for a wilder time might like the Short North neighborhood on the opposite side of downtown that gets its energy from the enormous student population at nearby Ohio State University. Both neighborhoods offered great dining, drinking, strolling and people-watching opportunities. A recent project re-purposing the Scioto Riverfront into a major downtown park along with its well-known zoo/aquarium and varied cultural amenities will ensure reasons for future Columbus visits.
Fun Fact: Half the population of the United States is within 500 miles of Columbus.
Pennsylvania’s second city has been on the rebound for quite some time now, but many still associate it with giant steel factories and pollution. In reality, that has been left in the past and the Pittsburgh of today has many redeeming qualities. Chief among them is the city’s beautiful natural setting where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to become the Ohio. Tall bluffs climbed by funicular elevators line the waterways, affording sweeping views from above and green backdrops from below. Bridges of all designs cross the rivers everywhere you look. It has been said that Pittsburgh has more bridges than any other city in the world, beating even Venice. The city’s history as an industrial and business giant has left it with an impressive collection of museums, universities, medical centers, parks and cultural destinations.
Downtown Pittsburgh’s maze of narrow streets, public plazas and tall and varied architecture give it the character of a much larger city than it is, feeling in places like a mini Manhattan. The South Side neighborhood across the Monongahela has the longest intact Victorian-era street in the country and is filled with restaurants and shops. We found a cocktail hot spot in Butcher and the Rye downtown and enjoyed the upscale but low-key Shadyside neighborhood on the east end of town.
Fun Fact: In 2015, Pittsburgh was named one of the 11 most livable cities in the world.
Smack in the middle of the country, at the confluence of the Kansas River and the Missouri River lies Kansas City, the largest city in the state of… Missouri. No wonder the geographically challenged get confused. This border-straddling metro area boomed during the country’s westward expansion years, becoming a major launching point for trails leading to western territories. The opening of the first railroad bridge over the Missouri River solidified KC as the dominant city in the region.
Kansas City was home to a strong “city beautiful” urban design movement from the 1890s to the 1910s, placing fountains and carving winding, grassy boulevards all over town. Today there are more than 135 miles of boulevards and parkways and more than 200 fountains, earning the city the nickname “City of Fountains.” Another great cultural attraction is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, which houses an impressive collection of fine art as well as an expansive sculpture garden on the lawn.
There are many great neighborhoods to explore, with the best-known ones being the Spanish-inspired shopping district, Country Club Plaza and the restaurant and nightlife-filled Westport. Closer to downtown, the Crossroads Arts District contains galleries and creative industry offices in converted warehouses. Also nearby is Boulevard Brewing’s plant. We always know where to find the booze. When hunger strikes, Kansas City’s well-known barbecue scene is not to be missed.
Fun Fact: Kansas City is the closest major city to the geographic center of the Lower 48.
According to the news, it would seem the entirety of Detroit is a desolate wasteland. While parts of it are quite bleak, we found way more character and spirit than in many “popular” cities, and had some of the best food and drink of 2015 there. Downtown Detroit is full of beautiful architecture, public art and freshly revamped public spaces like Campus Martius Park. They’re even installing a streetcar line to connect downtown with Midtown, things are looking up.
Founded in 1701, Detroit is old by American standards, giving the cityscape a close-knit feeling, with radiating French-style roads combining with a newer American grid system. The age also means there are lots of well-established cultural organizations and the beautiful Belle Isle Park.
The auto industry sparked the massive economic expansion of the city and has left its mark in “Motown” everywhere. GM’s headquarters in the glassy Renaissance Center towers over downtown and each January the North American International Auto Show brings the industry together to show off their new products. A short drive from downtown we found Ford’s Piquette Avenue plant, the birthplace of the Model T and now home to an informative museum. The nearby suburb of Dearborn holds Ford’s current headquarters, research & development facilities and the huge Henry Ford Museum complex. You might even see a disguised prototype car cruising the area (we saw you, 2017 Fusion). We toured the Ford River Rouge plant, getting a live look at the process of building a modern vehicle.
Detroit’s historic assets, cultural institutions and culinary scene give it great potential for the coming rebound, but check it out in the meantime as well.
Fun Fact: Crossing the border to Canada from Detroit requires traveling south.
American Horse, Frederik Meijer Sculpture Garden, Grand Rapids. October 2015.
This past October we were looking for a quick getaway for the Columbus Day weekend. We needed someplace not too far away but with enough highlights to keep us busy for a couple days. Having been recently voted “Best Beer Town” by USA Today, we set our sights on Grand Rapids and its smaller neighbor Holland. The city of around 200,000 currently contains 15 breweries, with many more in the surrounding region. Grand Rapids also has a lively arts scene (our visit coincided with the final weekend of ArtPrize), so there’s plenty to do besides booze.
Our favorites:
Do: Visit the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. This 158 acre park has an impressive botanical garden and an extensive collection of sculptures, including the famous “American Horse” (pictured above).
See: Meyer May House – Tour “Michigan’s Prairie Masterpiece,” designed for a prominent local clothier. Considered one of the best-preserved Frank Lloyd Wright homes.
Eat (brunch): Terra – Handcrafted, seasonal, local cuisine. Delicious Brunch.
Eat (dinner): Grove – “Earth to Table” concept. Listed by OpenTable as one of the “Top 100 Best Restaurants for Foodies in America.”
Drink: Elk Brewing – Modern craft brewery in a residential neighborhood just east of downtown. Perfect for a drink while waiting for a tour of the Meyer May House.
Drink: Brewery Vivant – Fantastic beer and a pub housed in a former funeral chapel, so cool.
Drink/Do: New Holland brewery tour – The nearby town of Holland is home to one of Michigan’s best-known breweries. Enjoy samples while learning about the processes they use to create their unique brews.
New Holland bottles and kegs, Meijer Botanic Garden, Meyer May House, Elk Brewing flight.
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