–By Chelsey Stone–
This is the second installment of a two-part cross-country road trip series.
Before you dive in, catch up on the journey so far with part one!
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We might be halfway through the journey in terms of time, but nestled in Colorado on the morning of the sixth day, Patrick and I still had a lengthy trek to make it to our final destination in Washington, D.C.
The first part of this cross-country road trip concluded with our arrival at Rocky Mountain National Park. After setting up camp and perusing the Colorado River Trailhead, we made our way back to home base before the sun fully set
Day Six
Start: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
End: Burlington, Colorado
Drive time: 5 hours
Stops: Boulder, Colorado
Stay: Fairfield Inn & Suites Burlington
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Chelsey at Nymph Lake
Rocky Mountain National Park
We got going early and stopped at the Continental Divide on our way to the Alpine Visitor Center. From the visitor center, the top of the Alpine Ridge Trail (Strava route) takes you to the highest point in the park (at least if you’re not backcountry hiking). It’s only a 0.6-mile round trip, but we were met with cold and wind as we ascended the exposed path.
It was packed back down at the visitor center, but we managed to read some tidbits about the flora and fauna — several of which we had just seen on our walk.
We arrived at the road for Bear Lake around 10:30 a.m. and realized they were enforcing timed entry. Fortunately, we were allowed to enter the road after flashing our camping permit. After nabbing one of the last parking spots, we headed for what was mostly a brisk walk with occasional jogging to zip past more crowded areas.
Only a half mile in from Bear Lake trailhead, Nymph Lake was quite crowded — and it’s no wonder. Featuring a lily pond with floating circular leaves and yellow flowers bobbing on the surface, this place was magical. This hike is great for kids, as it’s not too far (little over a mile round trip) and the payoff is spectacular.
We pressed on and, within another half mile, arrived at Dream Lake. This one was much larger, and we spied some fish swimming along the water’s edge. We continued toward Emerald Lake, where the trail ends. It felt like an invitation to pause, with many people sitting on the rocks around the lake enjoying the view and scooting down to dip their toes in (the water was freezing!). There is a waterfall cascading down Flattop Mountain into the lake far on the opposite side of the trail’s end (Strava route).
Just as we left Emerald Lake, a very large male elk eating voraciously from a bush just a few feet from the trail stopped us in our tracks. After taking a moment to admire him, we skirted up and around.
We exited the park onto Fall River Road in Estes Park and continued to Boulder.
Boulder, Colorado
We walked around the downtown area in Boulder just to get a feel for it.
We found free parking near Boulder’s main public library branch, crossing Boulder Creek and walking a few blocks to Pearl Street Mall. It had begun to drizzle, so we ducked into Boulder Bookstore and PosterScene to browse and stay dry. From Boulder we drove to our hotel in Burlington, Colorado.
Chelsey and Patrick pose at the Alpine Ridge Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park
Day Seven
Start: Burlington, Colorado
End: Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Drive time: 14 hours
Stops: Wilson, Lindsborg, Newton, and Neodesha, Kansas
Stay: TownePlace Suites Hot Springs
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After leaving Burlington, we were ready to set off on one of the lengthier stretches of our cross-country road trip and drive straight through the middle of the country. Despite the mileage ahead of us, we decided to make as many stops to enjoy as many random attractions as possible.
We soon discovered: There’s much to see in Kansas.
World’s Largest Czech Egg
The small town of Wilson, Kansas, boasts the largest Czech egg in the world.
A few miles off I-70 E, we arrived at the 20-foot-tall egg. From the signage, we learned that Wilson had commissioned the egg to honor its heritage. We walked a bit of the town, coming upon the Czech opera house that burnt down several years prior (though they’re raising money to restore it), a shop with painted eggs (it was closed, but a sign said potential customers could call and they’d open it), a veteran’s memorial, the restored Midland Hotel, and a mini Statue of Liberty to honor the town’s immigrants.
There were loudspeakers playing music throughout the town, which surely helped keep it from feeling like a ghost town. It was clear that Wilson residents take pride in their town.
The World’s Largest Czech Egg in Wilson, Kansas
Little Sweden USA
Only a few hours later as we scoured for coffee, we stopped in Lindsborg, Kansas — thanks to the freeway signs that informed us it was up ahead.
While driving the five miles toward the town, I found Blacksmith Coffee Shop online. We sat on a leather couch and enjoyed the honey rosemary coffee while we read about the history of the café’s building. We then walked Main Street, lined with large and uniquely painted Dala horses. We saw many touches of Swedish culture like this one as we walked around. Led by Pastor Olof Olsson, Swedish immigrants settled here in 1869 to establish a community of shared religion, farming, and heritage.
There was a small visitor booth for brochures; we visited the library and its section of Swedish folktales and children’s books; and we stopped to chat with the owner of Sister Bojangles Boutique, a store selling modern cowboy clothing and home goods.
Otherwise, most of the shops were closed on this Tuesday afternoon.
Blue Sky Sculpture
Only 35 minutes later, we stopped in Newton, Kansas, to see the Blue Sky sculpture. The large, curved landscape features a cloudy blue sky, and the arched shape, stoneware figures, and reflective elements are meant to blend with our natural sky. We noticed a path leading up to it from a few miles down the road, perfect for stretching our legs.
Norman No. 1 Replica Oil Well
The last stop of the day was at an old oil well in Neodesha, Kansas. In 1852, this town kicked off America’s biggest oil boom, producing 12 barrels of oil a day at its peak. More than a century later, the oil well fell into disuse by 1961 and this replica was erected that same year (though it apparently moved from its original site due to flooding). Driving down the main road to the site, there were a lot of closed storefronts, giving the appearance of a town that had fallen on hard times.
We had originally intended to hike at Hot Springs National Park, but it was so hot and humid that evening, we opted to stay at a nearby hotel.
Day Eight
Start: Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
End: Mammoth Caves National Park, Kentucky
Drive time: 7.5 hours
Stay: Mammoth Caves Campground
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Entering Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs National Park
After parking on Fountain Street near the Happy Hollow Jug Fountain, we ran six miles from Hot Springs Mountain Trail to Gulpha Gorge Trail, to Goat Rock Trail and finally to Upper Dogwood Trail (Strava route). We got caught in heavy rains that soaked us before easing to a drizzle. When we finished, we tried the spring water from the fountain (I didn’t like the taste).
Once we showered at the hotel, we drove back down to walk Bathhouse Row. While there was a surrounding park with trails, this was this National Park’s main attraction. We never got over how bizarre it seemed that a National Park should be dedicated to eight or nine old bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923. But there was a time when these thermal waters were all the rage for their healing and therapeutic properties, and there was much to learn about their history.
As nice as it would have been to book a spa day, we opted to tour the Fordyce Bathhouse instead. This gave us a closer look at the exercise rooms, a chance to learn about who took care of the bathhouse guests, and we even sat (whether we were allowed to or not) in one of the old private tubs.
Tip: Learn more about the intriguing history surrounding the bathhouses in David Hill’s novel, The Vapors.
We indulged in ice cream from Mamoo’s Creamery, trying to eat it before it melted as we walked the Grand Promenade above and behind the bathhouses.
From here, we pressed on and ensured the 7.5-hour drive to Mammoth Caves Campground.
Inside the Fordyce Bathhouse at Hot Springs National Park
Day Nine
Start: Mammoth Caves National Park, Kentucky
End: Fairfield Inn & Suites Knoxville/East, Kentucky
Drive time: 7.5 hours
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Mammoth Caves National Park
Our 4.8-mile morning run from the campsite included the Old Guide’s Cemetery, caves and sinkholes, the Green River and the River Styx (Strava route).
We previously booked mid-morning tickets for the Domes and Dripstones tour. When we arrived at the visitor center, it felt a little like a union station as tour times were announced overhead, complete with monitors displaying the various tour times and what shelter your tour departed from.
At shelter B5, a ranger began her pre-tour spiel to the hundred or so of us who gathered around. She gave numerous warnings to be prepared for small spaces and stairs before we boarded one of two buses. Another safety spiel off the bus, and then we entered the caves.
Though there are indeed many stairs, the pace is slow because everyone is taking in the views. We gathered first at Grand Central Station, named for its many intersecting tunnels connecting various parts of the caves, and the ranger explained more of the cave’s history. We stopped two other times: The neatest was when she turned off the lights and we stood in the dark. However, Frozen Niagara at the end was the best part with the park’s densest collection of stalactites and stalagmites.
We’d read reviews on the website that said you wouldn’t hear anything if you weren’t right up front of the group, but the tour featured designated areas within the caves where the ranger stopped, waited for everyone to arrive, and then gave her informative talk — so it wasn’t an issue for us.
We resurfaced to land, took the first bus back, and returned to the visitor center to walk through the museum. Next up, we hit the road once more to relax for the night at Fairfield Inn & Suites Knoxville/East, only three hours away and our final resting spot before reaching the finish line of our cross-country road trip the following day.
Mammoth Caves National Park
Day Ten
Start: Fairfield Inn & Suites Knoxville/East
End: Washington, D.C.
Stops: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Drive time: 7 hours
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Our hotel was about an hour from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The day before, we looked up different hikes before deciding on the Ramsey Cascades (Strava route). We entered a road off US 321 N and made our way into the park.
Tip: Rather than taking the few official entrances to national parks, there seemed to be many side roads one could use instead to enter Great Smoky. There was no entry fee, but you still have to pay for and display a parking tag. There was a kiosk not too far down the road, and it was only $5 to park all day.
The trailhead wasn’t well labeled, but we managed to find the very limited parking for it.
We started our run along the Middle Prong Little Prong River, always able to see or hear it until the last mile of our climb to the cascades. It was slippery over roots and rocks; everything was so lush and verdant. We passed four or five pairs and trios of hikers on our way up and only one right toward the end of our climb, so we knew we were the first to get to the waterfall that morning (another indication was how many spiderwebs we ran into on the trail after we’d passed the last couple).
We also had goose bumps from the cool mist of the waterfall while taking a break to admire it.
Back in the car, we tried getting to the main visitor center through the park, but the road was closed a few miles in (unclear if that’s normal), so we backtracked and made our way to Sugarlands Visitor Center.
The Ramsey Cascades at Great Smoky National Park
As we got closer, it became apparent Gatlinburg, the town right outside the park, was a bustling tourist trap (Margaritaville, Ripley’s Mountain Coaster, etc.). The traffic was terrible as we hit every light and missed a few more because people continued crossing the street past their turn.
Tip: It looks like there’s a Parkway Bypass to avoid Gatlinburg.
Mid-morning now, the visitor center parking lot was nearly full. Inside we walked around the small museum before heading back to the hotel. We had just enough time before our late checkout to pack up and start the seven-hour drive to Washington, D.C., arriving at our new home around midnight ready to sleep.
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This statement may be obvious, but we had an incredible cross-country road trip. We explored so many diverse ecosystems through the six national parks and various local parks we visited: from ponderosa pine forests, prairie grassland, alpine, back to prairie grassland, spruce-fir forests, and finally the seventh largest city in the U.S.
I hope you can get out to these parks (or any parks!) this summer and explore the country in this way at some point — maybe recreate some of our trip and make your own long-lasting memories with your family. Of course, the possibilities are endless, but you won’t regret taking the leap with your own cross-country road trip!
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About the Author: Chelsey Stone is a freelance travel and health & fitness writer who’s written for National Geographic, Runner’s World, and Bicycling. She lives in the D.C. area and loves to use books and running as a means to explore the city and anywhere she travels to.
You can find her at chelseygrassfield.com or on Instagram @chelseygrassfield.
