Days spent in grandeur and good company make some of the most unforgettable memories.

Many people often comment on how a road trip through the Western United States is a dream they hope to live out, yet most let the question marks keep them from hitting the road. This kind of trip is more than tangible and well worth any hypothetical kinks. So, to help with the plans and the questions, here is what my nine friends and I did with ten days west.

To premise, everyone's starting point and overnight stops can and will look different depending on varying factors. It is important to have a general route planned out, but what I will emphasize here are the main stops and what we did or would do at each.

Day One:

It is best to start the first day as early as you can in order to drive as far as possible. For us, we started in Auburn, AL and drove about 11 hours and 30 minutes to Fort Worth, TX.

Day Two:

This should also be an early start and a relative “long-haul” to the next overnight location. We drove about 9 hours to sleep in Albuquerque, NM. We got to our sleeping location near dinner and chose to rest and then eat somewhere locally.

Day Three:

We started our 7 ½ hour drive to Zion National Park early enough to get there with hours to spare before sundown. Once we arrived, we checked into the campsite, set up tent, and cooked ourselves dinner while taking in all the views.

Day Four:

If we could do day four differently, we would have either spent the morning hiking the Narrows or venturing through some of the hikes outside of the main valley. We hiked the Watchman Trail; it was beautiful with some good elevation gain. In the afternoon we made our way to Angels Landing. For both the Narrows and Angels Landing permits are required to do specific parts of the trail. If you plan your trip far enough in advance, you can register for the initial permits, but otherwise, the weekly raffle is worth banking on. If you don’t happen to obtain a permit, most of the trails on both of these hikes can still be done.

Angels Landing is an incredible hike. It is beautiful and fun from start to finish. Be aware that there are countless switchbacks and ensure you are properly hydrated, but we highly recommend it.

We ate dinner that night at a local tavern (hungry is an understatement after these kinds of hikes).

Day Five:

We spent the morning making breakfast and then packing up. Leaving Zion, we made our way to Bryce Canyon National Park for an afternoon hike. The drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon was only an hour and a half. Starting from the overlook, we hiked our way down into the canyon.

Note: The Grand Canyon is only 3 ½ hours from Zion and is worth a sunset or sunrise. Spending time in the Grand Canyon requires permits and there are no short hikes, but it is worth seeing.

From Bryce, we drove a couple of hours to where we would spend the night.

Day Six:

Day six is where our trip took a major turn as we pivoted in accordance with weather patterns. High wind speeds, snowstorms, and dust storms pushed us back towards Texas.

*This is where I will say that as you travel to each stop, it is important to be aware of changing weather as it can be dangerous.

We were on our way to camp in Alamogordo, NM at a KOA (Kampgrounds of America). This would have been a 7 ½ hour drive and is a campground near White Sands National Park. While we were unable to visit, we have many friends who highly recommend it. They comment that it feels like you are on another planet while there.

Day Seven:

Spend the day in White Sands National Park. Some things to do while there is sand surf, dig holes (I was told this is fun), and watch the sunset.

Tip: have your map downloaded on your phone because it is easy to get lost.

Day Eight:

This is where we started to head home. We drove about 11 hours to Houston, TX. We had friends in Houston, but otherwise we would have spent the night in Austin, TX because it is a shorter drive. But for us, a big part of the trip was getting to see some friends along the way!

Day Nine:

Spend the day in whatever city you end up in! We hung out in Houston with our friends. We got to try some great foods and explore the area.

Day Ten:

This is the homestretch! We drove the final 11 hours back to Auburn and got home in time for dinner.

The long stretches in the car can seem intimidating, and flying out west is an option, but I recommend road tripping. What made it all the more fun was each random stop we took along the way, and the time we got to spend together. The scenery changes before your eyes, and many of the most beautiful views we saw were the ones we chose to stop and see along our drive.

Be Well, Auburn