Coast to (Almost) Coast on U.S. Highway 50

Longing for a slow 3,019 mile drive across the continental U.S. but don’t know where to start? Having dreamt of and planned my first epic road trip for nearly a decade, I’ve got you covered with at least the basics. Keep reading for my stops along Highway 50, and be on the lookout for a future post that covers how I returned home.

Highway 50 starting point in Ocean City, Maryland.

Day 1: Ocean City,MD to Chilicothe, OH

After a short-ish drive from camping on Assateague Island with a herd of wild horses, start your classic Highway 50 trip in Ocean City, Maryland. Did I get a perfectly aesthetically pleasing photo at beginning of my journey? Absolutely not. But, I did manage a snapshot of proof that I was, in fact, for real about to do this.

From Ocean City, meander through the rest of sleepy Maryland until arriving at the first major stop: our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. (I made a stop at a Wawa gas station in Cambridge, MD before crossing the state line. My little southern self needed to see what all the fuss was about according to numerous internet listicles. It was fine. I was more delighted to come across a Harriet Tubman Memorial Garden not even a 5-minute walk down the road.)

Harriet Tubman Memorial in Cambridge, Maryland.

With the entire country left to travel, and considering I’d visited D.C. before, I opted not to make a stop. Highway 50 runs past the Mall and you can still get some good views of a few memorials, so all is not completely lost if you also decide to keep driving.

From D.C., Highway 50 continues into beautiful Virginia. Plenty of historic buildings, homes, and farms dot the quieter chosen highway; making for a peaceful drive with a (hopefully) killer playlist you curated for weeks in preparation for your soon-to-be favorite cross-country roadtrip. I did a lickity split through Virginia and West Virginia (some seriously underrated views) before stopping for the night somewhere in Ohio. There are several camping options along Highway 50 in Ohio, but after being disappointed in the potential company of the place I’d reserved near Chilicothe, I opted for the first hotel stay along the way.

I heavily suggest planning where you will be sleeping before hitting the road whether it’s camping, hotels, or a mix. The night in Ohio was the only night I needed a backup plan, and the further along I got the happier I was that I’d made plans + reservations for every evening.

Day 2: Chilicothe, OH to St. Louis, MO

After packing up from the first hotel stay, I hit the road again for a fun day of pitstops, perfectly picked music, and cornfields. So, so many cornfields.

A quick drive-by of southern Cincinnati was all I needed since I knew what I had planned ahead: a Stonehenge reimagining and the longest navigable underground river in the U.S.

Around an hour west of Cincinnati lies the small town of Versailles, IN. About five minutes west of Versailles stands Paulhenge: one of many Stonehenge replicas dotting our strange nation, this one built by Paul Morris. Check out this little video for a short description. Definitely a worthwhile stop for the ‘gram.

Paulhenge in Versailles, Indiana.

Jump back in your car and settle in for just a little over an hour-and-a-half before your next stop at Bluespring Caverns in Bedford, IN: the longest underground navigable river in North America. I am not exactly a fan of caves, but I have somehow found myself touring a handful. I was very happy that I chose to live with a handful of anxiety for that hour long boat ride along a sometimes narrow path—because it’s just a cool thing to say you’ve been on the LONGEST. UNDERGROUND. NAVIGABLE. RIVER. IN. NORTH. AMERICA.

Bluespring Caverns in Bedford, Indiana.

Though there are plenty of cornfields to gaze at in amazement throughout the rest of Indiana and across all of southern Illinois, I opted not to stop and trudged on to St. Louis for the night.

I’d booked a room at the downtown Holiday Inn, thinking I’d be coming off a couple nights of camping and ready for a shower instead of one night of camping plus one night in a roadside motel. Nothing beats Holiday Inn bedding in the world of accommodations as far as I am concerned, so I was zero percent disgruntled. A short 7-minute walk around the corner to Sugarfire Smokehouse for some dinner, and back to the room I went. Fourteen hours of driving plus a couple fun stops, combined with an early wake-up call the next day was enough to send me to bed as early as possible.

Day 3: St. Louis, MO to Dodge City, KS

With a good night’s rest under my belt and the length of nearly two states ahead, I jumped in my little car ready to roll for the third day.

There was nothing spectacular added to this day. I drove about 10 hours with a couple stops to stretch my legs, take some quiet photos, and eat a little apple sauce. It was quiet, and it was lovely.

Somewhere in Missouri, probably.

Also somewhere in Missouri or possibly Kansas.

Stopping at the Dodge City KOA for the night, I set up my one-person tent and then went into town to see a few of the small downtown sites (including Boot Hill) that I’d heard of in western movies as a kid. I managed to miss all the re-enactments and knew I would be driving again in the morning before they started the next day, but I’m sure that would be fun family stop for some.

Dodge City, Kansas.

After a KOA public shower, I ate some tuna fish straight outta the can while watching a beautiful plains sunset—surrounded by a familiar childhood smell of cow manure. The day was simple and finished.

After all, my one true purpose in making sure I stayed in Dodge City for a night was so that I could wake up, leave, and truthfully say that I “got the he** out of Dodge.”

Day 4: Dodge City, KS to Salida, CO

Things started to get nice and interesting on Day 4 for a girl who’d never been further west than Dallas, TX.

This particular morning took me on a quickly-planned rabbit trail to Holcomb, KS before passing into colorful Colorado. Since around the age of 18, I’ve been only slightly consumed (literarily speaking) with Truman Capote. His penning of In Cold Blood had me hankering for a quick drive-by of the old Clutter House, just to see it.

I saw it, and I kept driving.

OKAY. FINALLY. I made it to Colorado. And, I finally got the hype. What a beautiful place. I’m pretty sure I cried a little when I got my first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains—not joking. I grew up vacationing with family in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of east Tennessee, and I hold to the fact that the Smokies are one of the most peaceful places on earth. However, I just was not ready for the grandeur of the Rockies.

Near about smack dab in the middle of Colorado, I set up camp at Monarch Spur RV Park and Campground. I loved this place. I dream of the day that I can stay in the exact site again. I reserved Site 6, was pretty much surrounded by the river, and still get butterflies in my heart when I think about my first (and, for now, only) time camping in the Rocky Mountains. It was beautiful. It was perfect.

I think I read a book until sunset, ate some more canned tuna with a side of saltines, wrapped the tin up really nice and hid it deep within the car out of respect for hungry-bear culture, and crawled into my sleeping bag for an early sleep—lulled by the sound of the sweet river just two feet away.

My favorite place I've ever solo-camped.

*If you decide that you, also, would like to see the Clutter house, please be respectful of the fact that it is on private property and don’t leave the main public road. This is currently someone’s home. Don’t be a turd.

Day 5: Salida, CO to Grand Junction, CO

Waking up with the sun, I was starting to understand the appeal of being in touch with your circadian rhythm. The smile on my face would not stop out of anticipation of the natural beauty I was about to spend my day visiting.

Listen, there are MANY amazing things you should see in this area of Colorado. Knowing I couldn’t experience everything during this trip, I chose two beautiful stops between Salida and Grand Junction.

First up: Colorado National Monument. Breathtaking. No notes.

Somewhere at Colorado National Monument.

Second stop: Grand Mesa National Forest. It was pretty cool to see two different landscapes in the span of a day.

Grand Mesa.

I went from bright, warm temps in the National Monument to what felt like November instead of August at the Grand Mesa. With so much in the area to see, make a list and just start working your way through it. I have yet to go back, but I fully plan on spending more time in the area as the good Lord wills.

Tip: WEAR LAYERS. It was August and I found myself needing a sweater as well as wanting nothing more than a t-shirt just an hour later.

Somewhere in Gunnison County.

It was also somewhere along the drive through Gunnison County that I decided at some point in my lifetime I would be perfectly fine with marrying up and having a ranch out there. What a spectacular piece of earth. 10/10 would recommend.

I pulled into my second KOA of the journey in Grand Junction, got that public shower, and settled down in the wind for the evening.

Day 6: Grand Junction, CO to Ely, NV

With a plan to drive the full length of Utah and see one of the coolest national parks on Day 6, I got up early and treated myself to a biscuit from some national chain before hitting the road.

Almost a week in, and I still had some of the most incredible views ahead.

The adventure for the day: Arches National Park.

At Crescent Junction, Utah, jump on Highway 191 for a little less than half an hour to reach Arches.

Arches National Park and that picture I took that one person didn't believe I took and instead told me it was one of the stock photos included on their computer as a desktop background pic.

Pic of me in Arches taken by some strangers who told me I looked super cute.

After exploring Arches, I hopped back up to the Loneliest Road in America and continued on my way to Ely, Nevada for the evening where all my Psycho motel dreams came true at the Dese-rest Motel.

Do it for the 'gram, folks. And for the A-OK cheeseburger at Hunter's Drive-thru just around the corner.

I checked the drawer for a few thousand dollars wrapped tightly in yesterday's newspaper. No luck.

Day 7: Ely, NV to Carson City, NV

Gonna be honest, Day 7 was very likely my least favorite day of the entire drive. There were definitely some cool things to see like the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park and the Fairview Peak Earthquake Faults (the latter really wasn’t made for a Ford Fusion, but I didn’t realize it until it was a tad too late to turn around so onward I went, terrified I’d have to call my father who was states away and unable to do anything—I made it, just consider this your fair warning). I was just getting a little, what’s that, lonesome on the loneliest road in America.

Still, I pushed to the western side of the state with the promise of seeing Lake Tahoe the next day.

Ward Charcoal Ovens State Park.

There she is, folks: The Loneliest Road in America.

Fairview Peak Earthquake Faults: not my smartest off-road decision, but, hey I did it!

Day 8: Carson City, NV to Sacramento, CA

After dusting off myself from a pretty crumby hotel in Carson City, I took exactly one picture of the road trip on this final day of Highway 50. Being my first time to see Lake Tahoe (after so many other first times of seeing so many things), I really wanted to sit aaaaaaall day and just stare at it. Alas, I trudged on the last two-and-a-half-ish hours to the end of this journey (sort of) in Sacramento.

Lake Tahoe.

Did I get a picture to commemorate the end? Nope. I couldn’t quite tell where 50 ended as it converged with a few other roads, and I was not in the mood to cause a wreck for the sake of a photo. So, please, trust me when I say that I drove every single mile of Highway 50 from Ocean City, MD to Sacramento, CA.

My journey did not end there, but that’s a ridiculously long blog post for another day.

This trip, plus the trip back to the eastern U.S., is one of my favorite trips to date. It’s a wonderful thing to see the sleepier side of your country, and it’s a wonderful thing to just keep driving.