Cross-Country Move, RFT Style

Nikki & Spencer
Aug 30
3 min read

Ten states. Two love birds. One grand adventure.

This summer we moved from Arizona to Maryland. A nice long road trip is a sweet and scenic way to explore the world. Here are a few highlights.

Standin' on the Corner

Exiting Arizona was a beautiful experience. After passing through mountains and climbing in elevation, we made our way to Route 66. Specifically, we ventured to the famous spot from the famous Eagles song. We stood there and took it all in, trying to heed the words of wisdom from Glenn Frey.

Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy

Lighten up while you still can

Don't even try to understand

Just find a place to make your stand

The historic La Posada Resort is a gem from another time. There is an art gallery on site by the owner. There is a nice cocktail bar and restaurant as well. Peaceful, interesting, artistic, truly a Southwestern experience.

Durango

Colorado is famously scenic. We had not spent much time outside of Denver, so it was nice to stop in Durango. There is a quaint downtown, but we stayed slightly north. We spent an afternoon in the Durango Hot Springs. After packing up an entire house, what a spot to relax with a beer and take in nature!

We spent the night at a Bed & Breakfast. The Apple Orchard Inn is charming and picturesque, housed within an actual apple orchard and surrounded by mountains. Our cabin was romantic, complete with a fireplace and a private hot tub on the back deck. We loved sampling compote and pie made with the apples from the orchard. This was quite the escape from the real world on our journey.

Roadside Attractions

A good road trip is not complete without roadside attractions. Kansas seemed to extend forever, however we were able to find the World's Largest Easel! Just a quick excursion off I-70, this large replica of van Gogh's Sunflowers is well worth a visit.

We also found an odd town in Indiana called Santa Claus. As advertised, it is all about Christmas, regardless of the time of year. There is an old amusement park there called Holiday World. We attended an extensive Christmas store and couldn't resist purchasing an ornament.

The Cheshire

Looking for a unique hotel in St. Louis, we discovered The Cheshire. This hotel has a lot of history. For us, the intrigue stemmed from our love of reading. Each room has an old British author featured. We stayed in the Anthony Trollope room.

We dined in the hotel's Italian restaurant - Basso - and had drinks in their lounge - Fox and Hounds. All part of a memorable, romantic night in the Midwest.

History Buffs

We are always ready to go to a museum or visit a historic landmark. So we were extra pleased finding two presidential libraries just a couple hours apart, both along the same highway.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum & Boyhood Home in Abilene, KS, was lovely. A quiet place to learn, think and reflect, about such important parts of American and world history. Dwight D. Eisenhower came from a humble background, his path through the world was astounding. Next up we learned about Harry S Truman at the Truman Presidential Library & Museum in Independence. We preferred the Eisenhower museum, but they are both worth a visit. This will forever be known as the place we finally procured a Presidential Library Passport! We may have to revisit a few to collect those stamps.

No stop in St. Louis is complete without visiting the Gateway Ach National Park. It is an amazing sight to see from the outside. The underground museum is also very interesting and informative.