As I turned 18 I realized that I (“The US City Traveler!”) had only visited two cities west of the Mississippi – Las Vegas and Anaheim. So when I got the opportunity to travel for three straight weeks with a good friend, I decided to go for it. It really seems like a once in a life time opportunity, especially as I start taking summer courses next summer and heading into the workforce – when I may be lucky to get one week off. These are the highlights of the trip – here’s how our schedule went:

St. Louis -2 nights- The Gateway Arch is a true American landmark. It’s height is equivalent to a building of over 50 stories, making it the tallest structure in town. We got to ride a pod (which seats five) up to the top for just $10. At the top you can look out over the city and river with a panoramic view. The City Museum is a must for parents bringing young kids.

Chicago -2 nights- The windy city is a must see for any traveler. I nearly felt like I was in New York City with and tall buildings, high end shopping and millions of busy people. Chicago’s Magnificent Mile features shopping dining, hotels, and attractions such as the John Hancock Center where you can head to the 94th floor to look out over the city. But the tallest building in town is actually the 110 story Willis Tower (formerly called the Sears Tower). Be sure to see the Field Museum and the adjacent Shedd Aquarium.

Minneapolis/St Paul -1 night- While the twin cities are decently sized, they really don’t have many true must see attractions. Although the Mall of America was very cool (it’s located about 20 minutes outside of either city), being one of the largest malls in the world and being home to the world’s only all Nickelodeon themed theme park, it’s one of the nations only indoor theme parks. The three story mall is structured in a square layout that wraps around the indoor theme park. Department stores include Bloomingdales, Sears, Nordstrom, and Macys. They have a number of fabulous dining option, my favorite is the CRAVE Restaurant, which I first discovered in Orlando and  finally got the chance to eat there again five years later at a different location.

Mount Rushmore -1 night- Located in Keystone, South Dakota, this national park is truly one of a kind and unlike any thing I’ve ever seen before. Every American should visit it at least once, as it is one of our most famous landmarks. While here be sure to visit the nearby Crazy Horse Monument, which is still under construction but open to the public.

Yellowstone National Park -1 night- Located out in “timbuktu” Wyoming, this national park was definitely a highlight of the trip and is well worth going out of your way to see. The multicolored guessers were definitely the highlight of the trip. Not to mention seeing a few wild buffalos hold up traffic in the roads of Yellowstone and having two very close encounters with them, on the freeway. Drive carefully and slowly when you are in this part of the country to avoid these or other large, wild creatures that are not afraid to run right out in front of you when you are driving 80 MPH!

Seattle -2 nights- While the “rainy city” was our only stop that was consistently flooded with rain, we still loved it! Anyone visiting this city must ride the elevator up to the top of the Space Needle to get a panoramic view of the city skyline. Seattle is also the place where Starbucks Coffee was founded (try Seattle’s Best Coffee and tell me whose coffee is really the best!) so be sure to get some coffee while here. You can’t come to Seattle without visiting the world renowned Public Market Center, which is surprisingly just like your local market – with produce, and handmade and homemade items that the whole family will enjoy.

Denver -1 night- We stopped here to see a relative and take in the scenery. While here, you should consider visiting the Denver Zoo, Children’s Museum of Denver, Elitch Gardens amusement park (one of the only amusement parks in the nation that is located inside a large city), Denver Art Museum, the Downtown Aquarium, Denver Botanic Gardens, or one of the Colorado State Parks.

Memphis -1 night- We had just enough time to visit the marching ducks at the Peabody Hotel and stop by Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Graceland allows you to actually tour the home where Elvis once lived, see the planes Elvis once owned, cars he once drove, and you can even pay your respects to the king himself at his graveside.

This was the best trip I have ever been on and I look forward to sharing more about it here on the Urban Blog. If you haven’t already, be sure to watch my video of the highlights of the entire 3 week trip:

Thanks for reading and let me know what your ideal road trip was, or what you would like it to be. Happy travels!

-Taylor