US Road Trips: 2011

My wife and I have done quite a few road trips in the USA over the last decade or so and I thought you might be interested in seeing the routes we followed and some of the places we visited. Most of the trips covered about 3,000 miles and we rented a wide range of cars, usually from Alamo, including a Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac Sunfire, Pontiac G6 and Ford Mustang. We even rented a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic for a few days and rode from San Diego to Palm Springs and back, via a superb winding road through the San Jacinto Mountains.

The vastness and variety of terrain, combined with an excellent road system and affordable motels, make the USA the ultimate destination for a road trip. Another advantage is the price of gas, which is still a lot cheaper than here in the UK - less than £2 rather than £5.70 per gallon.

The routes we planned were mainly circular, beginning and ending at one major city, such as Dallas, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Las Vegas or San Francisco. This was because of the high drop-off charge incurred when leaving the rental car in another state. It would be really nice to drive across country from New York City to Los Angeles but the drop-off charge after such a trip would be prohibitive. A better idea might be to buy a cheap but reliable car and sell it at journey's end. In fact, finding and driving an old 'muscle car' would make this extended trip even more memorable, especially on the Route 66 section through the South-West.

We plan each trip carefully until we have a mileage which is feasible for the time available. Being a geography graduate who specialised in North America helps, too, in my deciding which routes have the most places of interest along the way. National Parks and National Monuments always feature significantly on our trips, as do cities with many diverse attractions.

Our last road trip took place last February, when we flew into a snowbound JFK, rented a Dodge Caliber and drove south along the New Jersey shore. We took the ferry from North Cape May to Lewes Beach in Delaware and then drove inland, past Baltimore, to reach Gettysburg in Pennsylvania before heading back to New York City. This was a short trip of less than 2,000 miles in 7 days, while our longest ever trip of more than 4,000 miles began in Denver and went through the states of Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico before returning to Denver about three weeks later. Serendipity often plays a part in our travels, as we stumble on parades and festivals where none were expected.

Las Vegas to Phoenix 1998

San Francisco to San Francisco 1999

Denver to Denver 1999

2nd September

We flew from Newcastle upon Tyne to Denver via Brussels and Atlanta, arriving at Denver International Airport at 6.15pm local time. The airport lies amid the High Plains and has a dramatic white roof made up of giant fibreglass peaks that are meant to represent the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. Once again, our suitcases had gone missing. After reporting this fact to Delta Airlines, we took a shuttle to a Ramada hotel, which we had pre-booked back in the UK.

3rd September

Our suitcases were eventually found and delivered to our hotel at 6.00am the next morning, much to our relief.

After breakfast we took the free shuttle from the Ramada to 16th Street Mall, which stretches for 16 blocks in the heart of downtown Denver and includes a wide variety of department stores, shops and restaurants. High quality public art is everywhere and a bronze statue of a baseball player in white uniform called 'Put Me In, Coach' is particularly striking. Nearby is another open-air mall, Denver Pavillions, with more shops and restaurants, including a Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

With the temperature hitting 89 degrees Fahrenheit we walked on to the impressive state capitol building, complete with 24 karat gold-plated dome that commemorates the Colorado Gold-Rush in the early 1860s. Near the mile-high site of the capitol we came upon a festival in full swing called 'A Taste Of Colorado', with country music singers on different stages taking turns to entertain people as they wandered about booths displaying all kinds of foodstuffs and handicrafts. Great atmosphere. Using vouchers, we tried all kinds of food, including pretzels, chilli dogs and strawberries & cream. Apparently, the festival is held annually here in Civic Center Park on Labor Day Weekend and lasts about four days.

Back at the hotel we found the tickets we had ordered in the UK for the Broncos-49ers pre-season game at Mile High Stadium had been delivered to reception. However, the free shuttle from the hotel had been overbooked and we couldn't get on it. Fortunately, a couple from Colorado Springs also couldn't get on the shuttle and gave us and a girl from Chicago a ride to the game in their car. We all shared the car parking charge of $20. The huge stadium, lit up against the night sky, was a fantastic sight. It can hold 76,000 people and late-comers were still pouring in. I heard a roar from the crowd inside and knew I had missed a touchdown or field goal. It turned out to be a field goal, the only points San Francisco would win throughout the game. Our seats were on the topmost level, high up in the stadium, and gave us a bird's eye view of the action on the field.

Most of the fans around us supported the home team but there was no trace of animosity between them and the Niners faithful. In fact, everyone joined in the 'Mexican Wave', with thousands of feet stomping rhythmically among the peanut shells, accompanied by thousands of fans raising and lowering their arms in unison, section by section, to create a 'ripple' effect around the stadium. I've followed American Football for many years and love the spectacle and the excitement, watching wide receivers and running backs making seemingly impossible catches of balls thrown long by quarterbacks under pressure. Sadly, the only time I can talk to kindred spirits about NFL teams, players and coaches is when I'm in the US.

The Broncos scored quite a few touchdowns. At first, each one was celebrated by the sudden appearance of a white stallion being ridden around the whole field, its cowboy rider holding a massive flag displaying the Broncos logo. As the difference in scores widened, however, the horse was restricted to trotting to the sideline and back, probably to avoid rubbing in defeat. Final score was Broncos 34, Niners 3.

Fans of both teams began leaving well before the end of the game to beat the traffic and we, too, made our back to the car park, where our three companions were already waiting for us. The crowd was friendly and very well behaved, with none of the aggressive 'tribalism' displayed by soccer fans in the UK. We drove off and arrived back at the hotel by 11.00pm.

4th September

After breakfast in our hotel room we took the shuttle bus to Denver Zoo. All the animal species usually found in a zoo were present, but there was also a more interesting local wildlife section where bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, cougar and black bear could be seen in simulated outdoor habitats that gave them greater freedom of movement. The interpretation panels here were superb. An image on one panel showed a cougar peering from the underbrush behind several people posing for a photograph. The photographer only realized the cougar had been there when he saw the developed frames, which goes to show how difficult it can be to see this reclusive big cat in the wild.

The cougar (also known as mountain lion or catamount) has been persecuted in North America for centuries and the creature is now found almost exclusively in the western states, including Colorado, except for a small number in Florida. Recent sightings of the animal in midwestern states may indicate an attempt at recolonisation there, if allowed. Many of the countries in South America have prohibited cougar-hunting but in North America only California and the Yukon protect the cat. Most Native Americans revered the cougar for its power and grace, and some even considered it a 'prey god', but today this shy predator is often considered a threat to livestock and humans that needs to be controlled. The animal is usually hunted with the aid of a pack of hounds that 'tree' the cat, at which time it gets shot at close range. This activity, regarded as sport by the perpetrators, is now thought by many hunters to be unethical.

In the afternoon we took the free hotel shuttle to Cherry Creek Mall for more retail therapy and a meal. Among the shops there is the 'Tattered Cover', one of the largest independent bookstores in the country, which includes a coffee bar, complete with sofas, where you can sit and read in quiet surroundings.

5th September

Leaving Elaine at the hotel to check us out, I took the shuttle to Denver International Airport to pick up a pre-booked rental car from Alamo - a bright red Chrysler Cavalier with Colorado plates. A computer glitch at Alamo delayed my return to the hotel, and I got back about noon.

With the temperature again in the high 80s Fahrenheit we loaded up the car and headed north out of the city towards Cheyenne, Wyoming, 100 miles away on Highway 25. At last, we were on the open road and free to roam.

In Cheyenne we made for the Downtown District and parked our car near the Union Pacific Railroad Depot, built in 1889 as the new rail link with the East led to increased prosperity for the town. Thousands of migrants were drawn to Cheyenne during this time and many stayed on when the railroad was extended further west. Cowboys, who drove herds of cattle to the railhead for shipment to eastern markets, mingled with gamblers, gunfighters, saloon owners, prostitutes, miners, railroad workers, saddle tramps and soldiers from the nearby fort. Not surprisingly, the boomtown soon became a wild and lawless place, where disputes between individuals were often settled with six-shooters.

The six-shot revolver, designed by gunsmith Samuel Colt in collaboration with Texas Ranger Sam Walker and produced in Patterson, New Jersey, became a symbol of the American frontier. The .44 Walker Colt gave the Texas Rangers a distinct advantage in their skirmishes with Comanches, allowing them to fend off a number of attackers without having to reload. Other models of the revolver followed, including the famous .45 'Peacemaker' that features in many a Hollywood western.

We walked around the quiet downtown streets, past the famous Plains Hotel, and eventually came upon The Wrangler, a huge westernwear store on the corner of Capitol Avenue. This I just had to explore. Inside, right next to the entrance, was an animatronic 'old timer', seated in a rocking chair, whose grizzled head turned this way and that, as if he was looking around the store. Elaine stood beside this character while I aimed the camcorder and the old guy looked right up at her. Uncanny!

I bought a black felt cowboy hat here and was shown how to shape both the crown and brim using a steamer. Adjustments made, I placed the hat firmly on my head and we set off to roam the rest of downtown.

Seattle to Seattle 2000