Eighteen states. 5,000 miles – on the dot. Eleven days.
That is the journey that my husband and I just completed, and boy, was it a whirlwind of adventure, wonder, gas station bathroom breaks, sightseeing, incredible food and even more phenomenal views and time with family and friends that’s left me so incredibly fulfilled.
It was a long, great trip, one that I wanted to memorialize in a way other than just a handful of posts on Twitter and Instagram or a photo album on Facebook. So here we are – for part I, which covers the first four days of vacation.
Day One: Buffalo, NY ⮞ Richmond, IN
We set off from Buffalo in the early morning. Our first stop was a Sheetz in Erie, PA for a quick breakfast on the road. (There’s just something about a waffle sandwich that hits right.) From there, we made our way to Pittsburgh, PA for our friends’ wedding anniversary get-together at a local park. Boy, was it a hot one – at one point, the temperature was 92 degrees and felt like 97! This made for the perfect excuse to pop into Sarris Candies in Canonsburg, PA for a quick, cool ice cream treat (and to stock up on some of their chocolate!)
After a brief trek through West Virginia, we made our way into Ohio and through to Columbus, where our next stop was the chilly (and refreshing) refuge of a hockey camp at the OhioHealth Chiller North. After visiting with some friends there, we enjoyed dinner at Bojangles just outside of Columbus. We don’t have Bojangles (or Sheetz, for that matter) in Buffalo.
Our resting spot for the evening was an adorable AirBnB in Richmond, IN. Justice Gästehaus is a great little spot, its own wonderful space in the basement of a home just over the state line. The owners are incredibly friendly, and their outdoor cat (Fancy Pants) is adorable. We were only there a night but it was a perfect place for the two of us. I personally loved that we arrived after dusk and could see so many fireflies in the backyard – enchanting in its own way. They also own several chickens!
Day 1: 536.8 miles / 5 states
Day Two: Richmond, IN ⮞ St. Louis, MO
After checking out of our AirBnB, our first stop was the Southern Lights — Waffle House, that is. Quick, cheap, good food – perfect on a road trip and a great way to kick off the day. We then drove from Richmond, IN to St. Louis, MO, crossing through Illinois along the route.
Our first stop in St. Louis was, of course, the Gateway Arch. What an experience! It’s incredible to see this architectural feat in person, after seeing it in pictures and movies and TV shows my entire life. The official site tells you to expect that it may take 30 minutes to get through security; our experience was much shorter (about 7 minutes) but I can see how it would take longer if people don’t pay close attention to the details of what you can bring in, how to approach the security station, etc.
We did not take the tram to the top of the Arch, but elected to stay on ground level and made our way through the Museum instead. An NPS park ranger provided an educational lecture on the history and building of the Arch which was wonderful, and the Museum is a great look at the history of the land and area that now makes up St. Louis. The Museum is completely free and also includes a gift shop and concession stands ($) which made the biggest pretzel I’ve ever seen. I had hoped to eventually hop on the nearby Riverboat Cruise, but it was just too hot out to even think about spending that much time outside.
Dinner was at The Fountain on Locust, a fantastic little place located in an old auto showroom. Ryan had a delicious reuben, and my BBQ chicken mac & cheese was yummy. We also both enjoyed some sweet treats – St. Louis’ best ice cream! I also highly recommend trying one of their homemade phosphate sodas. Street parking all around, FYI.
Our AirBnB in St. Louis was in close proximity to downtown, which was fantastically convenient. We did pay extra for garage access here, but I’m glad – it meant we didn’t have to worry about street parking. It is a second-floor condo with some pretty steep stairs, but a beautiful place with pretty much everything you could ask for & I’d stay there again.
Day 2: 336.4 miles / 3 states
Day Three: St. Louis, MO
Our full day in the St. Louis area was one for exploring! We began with a delicious breakfast at Rooster on South Grand, featuring arguably the largest & fluffiest chocolate chip pancakes I’ve ever seen. I really liked the vibe of this place; very open, very chill, friendly staff and great food.
From there, we ventured out to Centene Community Ice Center, home of Lindenwood hockey and the St. Louis Blues’ practice facility. Very neat place with some cool, quirky features I wish we could emulate here in Buffalo! We ended up stopping by a Rally House in Chesterfield to pick up some merch, then met up with a friend at Big A’s in St. Charles, a great spot on riverfront for lunch.
There, we got to try the infamous toasted ravioli (good stuff!) and enjoy even better company before continuing on to drive by Enterprise Center and pop into the St. Louis Public Library. What can I say? I love visiting libraries on vacations. Each one is unique, and I love seeing how they do things. This was really beautiful inside, a mix of vintage and modern, classic and innovative.
It was an early night for us, as we acclimated to Central Time and prepped for the longest driving day of our trip.
Day 3: 100.6 miles / 2 states
Day Four: St. Louis, MO ⮞ Denver, CO
A long day of driving was absolutely worth it, as we continued our journey west from St. Louis, MO to Denver, CO. We hit the road earlier than any human should probably be awake and stopped for breakfast at Denver Biscuit Company‘s Kansas City, MO location after about four hours on the road. Absolutely delicious food and great service.
Back on the road and through Kansas, including a quick stop for lunch and crossing over into Mountain Time, then onward to Colorado. The drive overall was over 13 hours, not including stops. Kansas seemed to drag on, if we’re being honest, and yes, we saw Wheat Jesus. But that moment when we got closer to Denver and caught our first glimpse of the Rockies? That made it all worth it.
We finally made it to our friends’ house in Denver, and ended up going to dinner with them to Smok at The Source Hotel. Some great, fast-casual BBQ and another place with great vibes! It’s essentially in a food hall, with a few different vendors inside, plus some additional seating. There is also a rooftop bar, The Woods, which we visited for post-dinner drinks. The view was incredible. Was it breathtaking? Yes. Was it also the highest elevation I’ve ever been at and over 85 degrees? Also yes.
Day 4: 851.4 miles / 3 states
… more to come!
thoughts of Melissa 