Bestie Road Trip: San Diego to Kansas City!
Say hello to my best friend, Sara! We spent five days together this past week, and it was a long-overdue reunion! I flew out from Dallas to San Diego to spend time with her family and then road trip to Kansas City with her incredible dog, Bernie. Sara and I have been best friends since we were 16 years old, over half our lives ago (soo crazy). We were neighbors in High School, lived together in our early twenties right after she rescued Bernie when he was just a pup, and have stayed as close as family the entire time.
We decided to drive out to Kansas City together to see some of her family there and spend some quality time with just us and the pup. Bernie is a rockstar on the road, even at 11 years young, and it took us three days along the scenic route to make it there. I had never been to half the states we drove through, and it was a blast making fun stops along the way.
Day 1 of our adventure started with us running 90 minutes late (we both have issues with punctuality, so we’re perfect travel partners), hitting crazy traffic that took eight hours to reach Las Vegas when it should have taken us four, and ending up in the middle of nowhere Utah. Our second day on the road started in 100-degree weather, and we had to change clothes that same day when we made it to Vail, Colorado, where it was 36-degrees and snowing in some parts. We drove through Nebraska, somehow passed through Iowa for a bit without realizing it, and finally ended up in Kansas City, Missouri, where it was rainy and humid but absolutely delightful! We wish we had more days to see more of each state, but the entire journey was a blast, and maybe we’ll do it again in reverse!
Utah
SPOTTED WOLF CANYON view area - green river, ut
We had no idea what Spotted Wolf Canyon was when we saw the sign off the freeway, but we were SO GLAD to have stumbled across it. It was exactly what we were hoping to find, and it was a perfect overlook to stop at, stretch, take in the view, and snap some photos. I squeezed my tripod into my suitcase for an opportunity just like this! This rest area provided a fantastic view, but also some interesting history about how the road was built and the millions it cost to build it in the ’70s!
Green River Coffee Co. - Green River, UT
We stopped for a late breakfast at Green River Coffee Co., and it was the perfect little cafe to grab some coffee and a bite to eat. All of the inside seating areas were closed due to COVID, which was a huge bummer since the inside was incredibly cool and unique and eclectic…but, they at least had some tables and chairs outside. I wish I would have made an effort to take more photos of this adorable cafe, but we got distracted making a new friend who was traveling in the opposite direction. The seating area was filled with other travelers, and it was fun to chat with friendly faces and see where the road was taking everyone. The food was great, the random blue toilets outside were awesome, and we spent over an hour here just enjoying the morning and conversations. So worth the stop!
Colorado
No Name Rest Area - Glenwood Springs, CO
What started as a stop to use the facilities turned into a SUPER SCENIC little adventure! This rest area has a gorgeous hiking path next to the river, an RV resort, a zipline, and other cool amenities. It has a beautiful seating area, super clean restrooms, and picnic tables are strewn throughout. It was fun to take Bernie on a little walk and see all the people making their way down the river in rafts!
Vail Pass Rest Area - Vail, CO
Can you see the absolute happiness on Bernie’s face in the photo below?! The moment we entered Vail and rolled down the windows, this sweet old man turned into a puppy again! He tolerated the heat in Nevada and Utah, but he turned into a completely different dog in the 36-degree snowy gorgeousness that was Vail! Honestly, I felt the same as he did - I loveeee the cooler weather, and it felt like a second wind to breathe in the fresh air and feel the chill on my face. Bernie started to prance around in joy, and we were all so happy to wander around and take in the amazing view of the snowy mountains. Now I want to come back to Vail and rent a cabin and maybeeeee learn how to ski.
Most of the trip was spent in the car, chatting so much that I lost my voice, and listening to our favorite songs from the good ol’ days. It was so nice to bring Bernie with us because we love him so much, and it reminded us of the days when we all lived together and traveled together. He might be an old man now, but he is still a spry little love bug who still loves adventures! Our pass through Nebraska was filled with rain, and that prevented us from stopping in Lincoln as we had planned to originally, but at least we got to spend a couple more hours in Kansas City with Sara’s family and enjoy quality time with them!
Our five days together passed way too quickly, but it’s inspired us to make more plans for future adventures together! We can’t wait to hit the road again in the future!
You can see more from our adventure on my Instagram Stories Highlights! instagram.com/karina_discovers