“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”

– Jack Kerouac

DAY 5:

With the rise of a new day came our inevitable departure from yet another city. We loved Glenwood Springs immensely. Every store, site, and person in that town was so unique. We grabbed breakfast at yet another gas station, Kum & Go to be exact, we left Glenwood Springs, CO for what we thought would be our final stop of the day, Kayenta, AZ. Boy, were we wrong.

We stopped for gas in Grand Junction, CO, then crossed the border into Utah 45 minutes later. It was our first time visiting that state, and we instantly fell in love. Gone went the snow and out came the sun. We had a lunch break at some cute yet seedy little spot in Thompson Springs. I sat on a log and shared my meal with Holly and Tru while Geoffrey walked up and down the road, taking in our mountainous backdrop. It turned out to be my favourite picnic of the entire trip, as odd as it was.

The rest of the day went south from there, and not just because we were headed in that direction. We drove through Moab, UT (which later became our favourite hidden gem of a city) and unfortunately couldn’t stop. We passed Hole ‘N the Rock, and were making our way through Monticello when suddenly, we got hit with what I considered a whiteout. When we did finally take a break, Geoff received a voice message where he was given awful and confusing news about his schooling. I wanted to turn around and go back to Glenwood Springs, CO, but Geoff said that we should continue on. For the next hour he drove while I repeatedly tried calling the individual who left the message. The weather let up, and we were back in the desert. Suddenly, out of thin air, we came upon Bluff/Twin Rocks, UT and the person in question answered her phone. I yelled, “pull over!” and Geoffrey drove into the little town and stopped in the parking lot of Twin Rocks Trading Post. We almost ran over a bride who was photographing her groom with the picturesque background. The dogs and I left the vehicle and went for a walk, while Geoffrey stayed on the phone. A few minutes later, everything was sorted out and with positive results! Bluff became our good luck charm, and so we bought souvenirs to commemorate the occasion.

We left Bluff and headed toward the Four Corners Monument in New Mexico. To accomplish this, we had to head east back into Colorado, and southwest to the Arizona and New Mexico border. Once again our expectations were high, since the was the furthest south that we were planning on being during our entire 9 day trip. When we got to the monument, we had to wade through mud to see it. Traveler’s photos had made it seem like it was a dog-friendly location, hence us going, but it turns out that dogs are not allowed there. However, the fact that we were literally in four states at once, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, was worth it. I’m glad that we went, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it again.

By the time we were done at the site, it was 4 pm. We had a hotel booked in Kayenta, AZ, but tired of driving through harsh-looking land, getting stressful news that day, and not feeling up to taking a chance at a new town in a strange state, we headed north instead of west to the state that always felt like our second home, Colorado. Our sites were set on a town called Cortez, and on the way Geoffrey frantically cancelled our hotel in Arizona and booked one for us in our newly picked city. When we arrived, it was pretty much a reflection of our day; rough.

Day 5 remained our most difficult and unpredictable day of the entire trip. It is also the most memorable, and for that, I love it.

DAY 6:

Day 6 was the first day that we had to begin making our way back to Canada. We left Cortez, CO after our usual morning that consisted of a walk, grabbing food, and getting gas, all before 8:30 am. Our goal for the day was to make it to Salt Lake City, UT. I was so looking forward to staying in a big metropolitan city, where, although obviously different from any other big city, it was guaranteed to have many amenities, a younger population, and a relatively maneuverable downtown area. 

Our only planned stop along the way was Moab, UT, a mere 2 hours from our current location. Prior to coming to America, we hadn’t even heard of Moab. If it wasn’t for the day before, we would never have given the city a second thought. Now, we couldn’t wait for the opportunity to explore it and it’s breathtaking surroundings. It’s hard to explain, but Moab is just so unique, in the best way possible. I felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and adventure when we drove through the first time, and I knew instantly that it would be a memorable city to spend time in. We weren’t wrong. We left Colorado, entered Utah, and drove like manics through the mountains and red, red earth back to Moab. Upon returning, the first thing that we set out to do was to take the dogs for a walk. We parked at Lions Park, and then spent the next little while exploring the amazing land. I collected a few rocks, and after driving around of a bit, we decided to press on. Whoever is lucky enough to live or have a vacation home there, is one of the luckiest people on earth. Have any of you ever been to Moab? If not, then I suggest going! 

Next, we drove through more mountains and slowly made our way to Salt Lake City. The drive was once again spectacular. Colorado-spectacular.

I had no idea as to what to expect in regards to SLC. If I did have any expectations, they would have been blown out of the water. The heat! The mountains! The spotlessness! The architecture! What an incredibly gorgeous-looking city! Once we arrived at our posh hotel and handed over our vehicle to valet, we took the dogs and explored the downtown area. Everyone was dressed so formally, it was such a refreshing change from the rest of our trip. However, the dogs soon became scared of the loud noises, and we had to return back to our hotel room, where we spent the rest of the night eating out, working out, playing with Holly and Truman, and watching a bit of TV. Honestly, the splendour of SLC is unlike any that I have ever come across before. What an astonishing place. 

DAY 7:

On day 7, the distance between our starting location of Salt Lake City, UT, and ending at Idaho Falls, ID, was only 3 hours. You’re probably wondering why we didn’t drive further. It turns out that we had also planned on visiting Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve that day as well. That added on an additional 4 hours. Was it worth it? Mayyyybbeee not when there’s snow on the ground!

I had no idea what to expect when driving through Idaho. This was our first time visiting the state. It was very nice, but after have been spoiled by mountains and desert, it almost couldn’t match the versatility of some other states. I would love to take another trip back to Idaho, if only to explore it further and see what it really has to offer! Regardless, it’s still way more exciting looking that ole’ Saskatchewan, Canada. :-)))

Craters of the Moon is definitely a place that everyone who visits the area should stop at. The only other time I had seen similar terrain was in Australia. The visitor’s centre was extremely informative as well. However, if you’re going to visit, make sure to go during the summer months. The snow, although beautiful, doesn’t do any wonders for the site itself.

After leaving the national preserve, we made our way to Idaho Falls, or what we considered, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Holy, goodness, does it ever look like the city that we live in. I told my Instagram followers that if they were never planning on taking a trip to Saskatoon, then just go to Idaho Falls and it’s like being in our city. Given that our hotel was amazing, I felt at home there. Only two more days remaining.

DAY 8:

Day 8 was our last full day in America. Our sites were set on northern Montana, but our hearts were torn. A part of me was a little excited to return home, restore some stability for my dogs, and get started on the many orders that had accumulated in my store. The other part of me was sad to be leaving our trip since it was going exceptionally well. Sooner or later though, all vacations must end. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be called vacations. They’d be called something else. Retirement, maybe.

A few hours into our drive, we stopped in Butte, MT to go antiquing. I scouted out at least 5 stores in a 3 block radius before we came to Butte, but like most other antique stores in the US, they were closed when we pulled up to their doors. That was fine by me, since the further that we drove into Butte  the more we were mesmerized by its old-timey feel. We both felt as if we had stepped back into the Gold Rush era, with the brown and red stone buildings and layout of the streets. I also did manage to find one great vintage shop that spanned two storeys. But, like my ring shopping, I had to rush while Geoffrey waited with the dogs. Oh well!

The remainder of the drive was as beautiful as ever. While I will always be a prairie girl, I will miss seeing hills and mountains once we return home.

By the time we got to Havre, MT, we were thoroughly tired. If you guys were ever wanting to stop in this town, I beg of you, keep driving. Discussing our adventures in the mere 15 hours that we were there could fill an entire book. However, I wouldn’t want to offend any Havrians who might find their way over to Hello, Scarlett Blog. Short of going into gruesome detail, let’s all just stay away. (Or perhaps I should make an entirely separate post about the town?)

Good night, America!

DAY 9:

It took us about 5 hours to return home, and we did so fairly easily and with little to report. All in all, it was such an amazing trip. I was initially going to post our video on Monday, but you guys will have to wait just a few days longer. I failed to realize that St. Patrick’s Day falls next week, and I have a couple of posts on the festive holiday!

Have a wonderful Friday 13th! I absolutely love these days. What better way to enjoy it than to have another road trip for the entire weekend, which is exactly what we’re doing. See y’all on Monday.

Overall

Places we could live and work:

Denver, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Douglas, WY

Places we would like a vacation home:

Glenwood Springs, CO
Moab, UT
Cheyenne, WY

<3

Emory

Hello, Followers:
Blog // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter

“But why think about that when all the golden lands ahead of you and all kinds of unforseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you’re alive to see?”

– Jack Kerouac

I’m not going to lie. The deadline for me to discuss our entire trip, including edited photographs, less than one week after we returned home, was a very daunting one. However, as writers we have to continually push ourselves to discuss key events in our lives in great detail soon after they occur, whether we are ready to or not. That’s when the memories are the freshest. Being kept on our toes can only help us learn from and improve our passion.

I kept a travel journal during our American adventures, but translating it from diary format to a public platform will not and is not going to be easy. I will try to do my best at deciphering what is relevant versus what is not. Hopefully, you will be able to relate to at least some of the sites that we took in. If so, then please share your own experiences in the comment section!

We covered over 5000 km (3100 mi) on our trip, averaging 600 km (373 mi) each day. It was the perfect amount given that we would usually begin our day in one state, end it in another, all while stopping to see at least one major monument and explore smaller towns throughout the day. Our days were usually around 9 hours long. We survived on gas station edibles (which turns out is actually pretty convenient and more delicious than Canadian gas station food), and would order an amazing feast in the evening once we were settled in. We quickly fell into this pattern, and embraced it. It was perfect for us and our dogs.

DAY 1:

After picking Geoffrey up from work, we drove through the evening and southern Saskatchewan to my hometown. It’s only a few hours north of the Canadian/American border, and we were excited to get a head start on our grand road trip. 

DAY 2:

We left the hotel by 8 am. We got gas, our last good coffee (à la Tim Horton’s), and made a stop at the first house that I had ever lived in. Then we headed south to the United States.

On the way, we stopped at a little town called Val Marie, SK. It was very prairie, and really picturesque. After taking a few photographs, we continued for another 30 minutes until we hit the border. Just before crossing, I asked Geoffrey if he had signed his passport this time. Geoff received his new passport only a few weeks ago. The last time we drove to the States, he had forgotten to and the border agents almost didn’t let us through. It was unnerving, but it’s something that we still joke about. Sure enough, when I opened it this time, it wasn’t signed. It never fails. Geoffrey is incredibly forgetful. So with the border crossing clearly in our line of vision, he veers off the road, quickly signs it, and drives the remaining feet toward the towering structure. I thought that we would certainly get questioned as to our erratic driving, but thankfully, everything went off without a hitch. We’re in America!

Our first stop was at a tiny town named Loring, MT. We let the dogs out, took a few photos, and jumped back into our vehicle. Our final destination for the day was Billings, MT.

On the way to Billings, we stopped at what became our favourite spot on day 2; the C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. It was beautiful. We walked around for quite awhile, and took a ton of photographs. With the steep hills, greenery, and mountains in the distance, to me, this was the epitome of Montana.

Roughly four hours later, we were in Billings for the night.

DAY 3:

Our third day’s destination was Douglas, WY. That morning, we went to our hotel’s bakery, drove around downtown taking pictures of antique stores and trading posts, then to Moss Mansion. Billings is very beautiful, and seems like a great city to live in.

On the way to Wyoming, we had two major stops planned. The first was Little Bighorn Battlefield in Montana. Although this was supposed to be a short visit to a site that I knew nothing about, it turned out to be my most cherished activity of day 3. Driving to the battlefield was quite nice, until we hit the more rundown areas along the interstate. At the last minute, we nearly changed our minds about visiting it because the turn off was so intimidating. Thank goodness we did go! Once we got out of that area and drove up to the monument, it was all worth it. From the cleanliness, to the gift shop, to the beautiful drive around the grounds (which includes scenic views and wild horses), to the importance of the site itself, Little Bighorn Battlefield is an understated must-see.

After finally leaving the battlefield, we drove 3.5 hours to Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY. If anyone has ever visited this monument, you may understand what I mean when I say that the drive from Moorcroft, WY to Devil’s Tower is not spectacular, by any means. It actually felt like a bit of a let down since I had high expectations for the actual site. Yet, Devil’s Tower itself was such an awe-inspiring experience. I found it quite unbelievable to be there, with the way that the tower loomed over its panoramic surroundings and commanded your attention from miles away to mere feet. It was quite stunning, and I am so glad that we went!

Following the tower was our final 3 hour drive to Douglas, WY. It quickly turned to prairie, and I instantly felt at home. Tired from the day we just had, Geoffrey and I became increasingly restless and giddy. By the time we made it into Douglas, it was dark. Yet, the beauty of the city was not lost on us. What a pleasant surprise! It instantly reminded me of Colorado, and given that our hotel was top-notch, I couldn’t wait to get settled, and begin the next day. I think my husband and our dogs felt the same. So far, day 3 was our favourite, albeit the most exhausting.

DAY 4:

We woke up in Wyoming completely refreshed. We began the day with a long walk together with Holly and Truman, ate, packed up our belongings, and hit the road. Day 4’s destination was Glenwood Springs, CO. Colorado has always been our favourite state, so we were peeing our little britches in anticipation. The sky was also overcast that morning (our best kind of day). 

We drove past Cheyenne, WY which I love. However, after a quick discussion, we decided that we wouldn’t be stopping. The day was already going to be too long. C’est la vie! Onward and upward.

We ended up stopping at the visitor centre just after the state border in Fort Collins, CO. This is where we stopped four years ago, and took pictures with the painted horse. I went inside to buy souvenirs while Geoffrey walked the dogs, and was immediately asked where I was from because “I talked funny.” Thanks, USA. 

Leaving the visitor centre, we then drove to our all-time favourite city, Denver, CO! We headed straight to the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, given that I was in need of a Tiffany’s store. Forsaking GPS we initially relied purely on memory and maps. Then we got lost. Then we took some photos of impressive stately homes and Geoffrey was in heaven. Then we caved, turned on GPS, and made our way over to the mall. We were surprised at how much snow the city had! However, we were used to driving in it. Once we made it to the center, I got out, ran inside, went to Tiffany’s, and told them I wanted to pick out a new wedding ring for our forthcoming 5th wedding anniversary. I only had about 20 minutes. Honestly, this could easily be a blog post in itself, and I think that I will turn it into one.

Finding what I wanted, I ran back out of the mall, and after a few more stops, we left Denver. We were heading westward on I-70. Our first stop was, no word of a lie, a gorgeous little gas station in the picturesque town of Genesee, CO. I felt like they could’ve filmed movies there. We picked up some more souvenirs, and got more gas and some food. Then we began what should’ve been a 2.5 hour drive to Glenwood Springs, but felt much longer. Although our most stunning drive of the trip, it was also the most frightening. How do you guys do it?! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

We finally arrived at our destination. I didn’t want to leave, and we almost considered staying for a few extra days. In hindsight, we probably should have. Lovely, lovely, Glenwood Springs, CO.

Days 5-9:

Coming tomorrow.

<3

Emory

Hello, Followers:
Blog // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter