Here I go again, setting off to visit the last 15 states I still have left to discover (except for New Mexico, since I live there now). To me, they are the most beautiful and interesting ones, as they are all located on the West Coast.
I still have to visit : Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, les Dakotas du Sud et du Nord, Nebraska, Iowa, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Louisiane, Alaska, et Hawaï.
I've already planned almost everything, and by the time I return to France, I will have visited all 50 states !
October Washington/Oregon
I went on a road trip through two beautiful states to meet up with a friend who, like me, had changed host families. Living in Seattle, she met me in Portland, Oregon, where we went on a "Twilight Saga Tour." After that, we headed to Mount Rainier National Park to admire a stunning sunset, an absolutely magical moment! The next day, we explored Seattle before I flew back home.
October : 3 days in road Trip : Dakota du Nord-Dakota du Sud-Nebraska-Wyoming-Colorado
We went on a road trip through five states, covering 1,200 kilometers in just three days. There were four of us in the group.
Our trip started with a flight to Denver, where we arrived on Thursday evening, as it was the cheapest option. As soon as we landed, we hit the road for Theodore Roosevelt National Park — a 9-hour drive that we did overnight. We explored the park early Friday morning and were pleasantly surprised by its beauty. I absolutely don’t regret visiting it. After that, we made a stop in Medora, a small, typical town of the region. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best season to visit, as the town was very quiet. Still, we enjoyed a delicious meal at a local restaurant, where we had the chance to try bison meat.
We then hit the road again toward Rapid City. That same evening, we went to see Mount Rushmore at night. Even though it was less impressive than in pictures, it’s still an experience you should live at least once in your life.
The next day, we witnessed a magical sunrise in Badlands National Park — a truly breathtaking place! We then visited Wind Cave National Park, where we were lucky enough to spot bison and adorable prairie dogs.
On our way back to Denver, we made a stop in Nebraska to enjoy the golden sunset light and take some photos. We then had dinner in Cheyenne, Wyoming, before heading to our hotel in Colorado, near Rocky Mountain National Park.
On Sunday morning, we went on a beautiful hike around Bear Lake, which led us to discover four stunning lakes: Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake.
It was an intense and unforgettable adventure, filled with discoveries and incredible landscapes!
Theodore Roosvelt National park
Medora
Mount Rushmore
Badlands National park
Bison
Prairie dog
Nebraska
Wyoming
Rocky Mountain National park
Dream Lake
Hiking Bear Lake
Emerald Lake
November : Road trip Utah
For one weekend, I went on a road trip through Utah with friends, exploring its main iconic sites.
Our adventure started in Las Vegas, Nevada, where we hit the road as soon as we arrived in the evening. Our first stop was Zion National Park, followed by the impressive Bryce Canyon National Park. Then, we continued our journey by visiting Capitol Reef National Park and Arches National Park, both spectacular places with unique landscapes.
We also made a stop at the Great Salt Lake before arriving in Salt Lake City. There, we discovered some iconic filming locations from High School Musical, including the high school and the houses of Troy and Gabriella.
The weekend was short but incredibly rich in discoveries and unforgettable memories under a beautiful blue sky!
Las Vegas
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon NP
Capitol Reef NP
Arches NP
Arches NP
Great Salt Lake
High School Musical
High School Musical
Troy's house
Gabriella's house
Utah capitol
December : Road trip New Mexico
My friend, who lives in Denver, and I decided to go on a road trip to New Mexico, as two national parks in the south are must-visits! She arrived on Friday evening, and we hit the road straight away to White Sands National Park, about 4 hours away. Once we arrived, we slept in the car before visiting the park in the morning. This place is incredibly beautiful, with its immaculate white sand dunes!
After this first stop, we hit the road again toward the second national park: Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It’s a massive cave with impressive rock formations. I really enjoyed this visit!
Quick tip for Carlsbad Caverns:
There are two ways to enter and exit the cave. The first, the easiest, is the elevator, which only takes 5 minutes. The second is the natural entrance, located outside, which offers a spectacular view. If you want to do both, I recommend entering through the natural entrance and exiting via the elevator. We did the opposite, and the exit through the natural entrance was very challenging, as it's a constant uphill climb. Don't make the same mistake!
After this visit/hike, we stopped in Roswell, the famous town known for its UFO stories. I loved the McDonald's shaped like a flying saucer, such a unique touch!
Finally, we returned to Albuquerque before heading to Santa Fe the next day to show my friend this beautiful city. This road trip was a great adventure, filled with breathtaking landscapes and quirky discoveries! 🚗✨
December : Alaska
I finally went to Alaska in the middle of winter and fulfilled my dream of seeing the Northern Lights! 🌌✨
I participated in a class weekend in Alaska to validate my au pair credits. It was an incredible experience, but also very expensive. The weekend costs $1,395, not including flights, lunches, and dinners. Out of my own pocket, I had to pay around $1,400, as my hosts cover $500, but the rest is at your own expense. Fortunately, I had known since last year that I absolutely wanted to do this, so I saved up for the trip, and I don't regret it!
On the program:
- Anchorage
- Anchorage Museum (visite libre)
- Chena Hot Springs (eau à 40 °C / 104 °F, alors qu’il faisait -23 °C / -9 °F à l’extérieur !)
- Matanuska Glacier
- Reindeer Farm à Palmer
- Fairbanks
- Dog sledding 🐾
- Northern Lights Observation 🌌
- Moose Antler Arch
- Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center
- Museum of the North
- North Pole - Santa Claus House 🎅
This class weekend was amazing! If you have the means and the opportunity to join, go for it! However, you need to be ready to face the intense cold: in Fairbanks, it was -24°C. But despite the cold, it was one of my best road trips, and I would gladly return to Alaska. 🏔️❄️
January : New Orleans
My friends and I decided to spend a weekend in New Orleans, as the carnival runs from January until Mardi Gras in March. However, we went on a weekend when there were no parades. Despite that, it was a fantastic weekend: the atmosphere was amazing, and it’s one of my favorite cities!
On the program :
- Bourbon Street
- French Quarter
- Eat beignets at Café du Monde
- Eat créole and try to eat alligator
- French Market
- Jackson Square + Cathédrale Saint-Louis
- Carousel Bar
- City Park
Febuary : Road trip around Las Vegas
Antoine and I went on a road trip through Nevada, California, and Utah in one weekend. Here are the highlights of our adventure:
- 7 Magic Mountains (Nevada)
- Joshua Tree National Park (Californie)
- Death Valley National Park (Californie)
- Passage devant la zone 51 ! (Nevada)
- Las Vegas (Nevada)
- Valley of Fire (Nevada)
- Zion National Park (Utah)
March : Road trip Utah - Arizona with Anaïs
For her last road trip, Anaïs had planned to leave Albuquerque to reach Utah and part of Arizona up to Page.
We visited:
- Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Lake Powell (Arizona)
- Horseshoe Bend (Arizona)
- Upper Antelope Canyon (Arizona) : We chose this one because it’s said to be the best to visit, and we went when the lighting was perfect, between 11 AM and 2 PM. The sunlit spots were stunning, and the photos turned out even more beautiful. We paid about $100 for a 1.5-hour tour!
- Monument Valley (Utah et Arizona). We also decided to go on a one-hour horseback ride in Monument Valley to watch the sunset, and it was absolutely breathtaking. I believe we paid around $120 for this experience.
March : 1 week in Hawaï on Big Island with my hosts.
My hosts decided to go on vacation during the kids' spring break, and we went to Hawaii for a week. It was amazing! The four grandparents also came with us, so it was truly a family vacation, and it was so much fun! I did some activities on my own, but I also spent time with my hosts. I was lucky enough to swim with manta rays at night, and it was impressive and incredible! I paid $139 for 1.5 hours of swimming. I also took an island tour with a company to visit all the key spots on the island. It lasted all day (12 hours), and I paid $254, including lunch. It wasn’t expensive, as gas is pricey there, and I would’ve had to rent a car since I’m under 25, which probably would have cost me $254 just for the car, not including gas and other fees. The tour was fantastic!
Then, with my hosts, we went on a full-day boat excursion for snorkeling and to see the turtles and fish. In the afternoon, we went whale watching! We saw a few whales, but not fully. It was still a really cool experience!
I absolutely loved the local wildlife and plant life! However, the weather is very humid and heavy. It gets really hot as soon as the sun comes out, and if you’re not great with the heat, it’s better to stay in the water or indoors with air conditioning!
April : 1 week on vacation with my family from France
My parents and my brother came to visit me for 10 days in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and we took the opportunity to go on a small road trip through Arizona. They arrived on Sunday evening, and on Monday evening, they met my host family and my host kids. We all had dinner together. Then, on Tuesday morning, we hit the road towards Phoenix.
That evening in Phoenix, my brother and I went to a basketball game, a gift he gave me for Christmas and my birthday. It was a game between the Suns (Arizona) and the Golden State Warriors (San Francisco). I was thrilled to see Stephen Curry, the basketball superstar, and Devin Booker, the Arizona star. The Golden State Warriors won easily! The next day, we explored Phoenix and visited the Desert Botanical Garden to see the giant cacti (about $35 per person). We also got to try out the self-driving cars, which was an amazing experience!
After that, we drove towards the Grand Canyon, stopping in Sedona to visit the famous church built into the mountain. It was absolutely beautiful, although there were a lot of people and very few parking spaces!
The next day, we spent the entire day exploring the Grand Canyon, mainly on the South Rim, and took the shuttles to follow the "Hermits Rest Route."
On April 12, we headed to Monument Valley, stopping along the way in Page to visit Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell. My family really loved Horseshoe Bend, it's even more impressive in person!
The next day, we took a guided tour of Monument Valley, which was super cool and very interesting!
On April 15, we grabbed dinner on the road, since we were driving along the iconic Route 66! We arrived in Santa Fe in the evening. The next morning, we quickly visited the downtown area because it was extremely cold and windy! After that, we headed back to Albuquerque.
Travel of my second year