Road Trip Update: From the Texas Flats to the Grand Canyon!

Last time we checked in, we were waking up in Abilene, Texas. Fast forward to right now: we are already in California! (Honestly, we've probably been here for a couple of days now, but time loses all meaning on the open road).

To catch you up on the massive stretch of highway we covered between then and now, here is how we made our way across the Southwest.

The Texas-New Mexico Stretch

Waking up in Abilene, we traveled through the rest of the Texas panhandle and crossed into New Mexico. The main highlights from that stretch of highway were just watching the endless rows of windmills and the small oil drills working away along the roadside.

Once we hit New Mexico, the landscape shifted dramatically. It was wild seeing how the mountains just pop up out of absolutely nowhere—miles and miles of flat ground, and then suddenly a massive peak right next to it.

While in New Mexico, we had to deploy a secret travel technique. It’s called: The Parking Lot Dinner + Hacky Method.

How to Simulate Being Broke in Your 20s on a Road Trip:

1. Find a random parking lot.

2. Whip out whatever food you have—the actual menu doesn't matter, it’s entirely about the atmosphere it creates.

3. Post-dinner, immediately break out the hacky sack to add the cherry on top.

After our five-star parking lot experience, we kept driving into the night and ended up at Coconino National Forest in Arizona. Being that far away from civilization paid off big time—I witnessed some of the clearest, most incredible stargazing I have seen in a very long time.

Next Stop: The Grand Canyon... Via Route 66

We were making a straight shot for the Grand Canyon when Harper caught a glimpse of a road sign and made us pull over immediately in Winslow, Arizona.

Naturally, we had to do it: “I’m standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see...”

While we were ducking into a local tourist shop, the cashier started giving us all kinds of routing advice to help us make the most of the drive. Following their tip, we took the South Rim's desert entrance into the park.

The drive in was epic. We passed all the Navajo artisan stands, caught glimpses of a few "lesser" canyons, and drove through a whole lot of stunning red sandstone.

Upon entering the national park, we found a seriously sick overlook right above the Colorado River.

After a short hike to soak in the scale of the place, we packed it up and retired to the Tusayan National Forest for the night.

Catch you guys when we pick up on the next leg: Phoenix → California!

— Peyton