Cross-Country 2026 | FindPenguins

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Trip start
June 2, 2026
Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Getting Started
June 1 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
With Thomas going on his 8th grade class's trip to Washington, DC, and New York, we decided that we'd drive out to fetch him at the end, then drive back home. His one request was that we make Cedar Point, in Sandusky, OH, a stopping point. So the only parameters were that we'd get back to NYC quickly, go via Sandusky, and then come home. We wanted to make a good chunk of the drive through Canada. This was partly to see some of that country that would be new to us, and partly to get out of the US for a while.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
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Moab
June 2 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
Thomas had to be at Rancho at 4:30 AM for the bus to the airport, so we had an early start. Having done all the prep work the previous day (and night!), we just all needed to get up and out the door. Liz wasn't feeling well -- the whole extended family had gone to Canter's the night before and a number of folks were subsequently ill. Cause and effect? Maybe, but at minimum she wasn't doing well and as the day went on I didn't feel great either.

We got to Rancho in plenty of time and bade Thomas farewell. I swung by 7-11 for some coffee and we were on our way. It was stunning to me how many people were already on the freeway before 5:00, especially on the 15.

We got to Vegas for breakfast and ate at a little place called Bespoke Kitchen. Their specialty is a "craffle (sp?)," which is a hybrid croissant/waffle. DJ and I each tried one; they were good!

As the day wore on I felt increasingly poor, and the drive was very long: over 700 miles. In general I figure 500 miles is a good max for a driving day, but we only had 4 days to get to New York so we had to really push. We made it to Moab around 6:00 and I just crashed out. Liz and DJ grabbed a pizza, but I didn't feel like dinner. It was a long, long day, and was really the lowlight of the trip, but we got a good start.Read more
Two to Travel ❤️
6/29/26Reply
Two to TravelIt’s no fun when you’re on the road and feeling poorly. Hope you felt better the next day after a good nights rest.
6/29/26Reply
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Colby
June 3 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
After a good night's rest at the Wingate by Wyndham in Moab, we were all feeling better. A quick aside on the hotel -- it was fine and largely fit the profile we established for the trip: clean, well-located, and reasonably priced. This one was clean and well-priced, but was pretty far out in Moab. We hadn't been to Moab in many years, and like most places it's grown in the meantime. If you're coming from the north you pass by Arches NP on your way into town. The best locations are further north, near Arches. The Wingate was pretty far down, near the far side of town. There was really nowhere to walk to from it, so you're going to drive, which was kind of a negative.

Back to our day...the plan was to get to Colby, Kansas, for our next stop, but along the way we wanted to pop into Arches to show DJ some of the sights. It was another pretty long day of driving, so we didn't have much time. It was a beautiful morning and we were up early enough to beat the crowds into the park. We leveraged our brand-new senior lifetime pass for the park (age has some benefits!) and drove in. We decided to just drive out to Delicate Arch, which is probably the most iconic sight in the park. It's kind of on the other side from the Moab entrance, but that was OK as it gave us a chance to do some sightseeing from the car. We got out there and did the short hike to the Delicate Arch viewpoint. It was a nice walk and we got good views. Also picked up some desert birds like Sage Thrasher.

With time ticking, we headed out of Arches and struck out for Kansas. It was I-70 all the way, which is a pretty drive through Colorado. We stopped at the "Trail Through Time" to see dinosaur footprints along the way. Had we had more time we could have done more of the trail, but we did get to see a bit of it. Further along we climbed up and over the Vail Pass, which takes you up to nearly 11,000 feet. We hit the rest stop at the top and got a quick blast of very cool air and some good views of the snow (what there was of it this year, anyway).

We stopped in Denver for "linner" -- we wound up doing two meals a day on many of our driving days. Breakfast and then a late lunch/early dinner, or "linner." This worked out well. In Denver we went to Oblio's, a pizza place in the Park Hill neighborhood. We sat outside and enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon with some excellent pizza and a very good salad.

After "linner" we headed out on to the plains. We spotted some pronghorn (fastest land animal in the Americas!) along the way. It was getting late by the time we crossed into Kansas, but before dark we had to make time to swing by the world's largest easel in Goodland, KS. Stopping for goofy roadside attractions is something we enjoy and it helps add some interest to long days of driving. Devin and Liz conspired to get a perfect picture of him touching up the painting on the easel.

We arrived at the Sleep Inn & Suites in Colby a little after 9:00. This hotel was pretty bad...it seemed pretty new, but almost like it hadn't been finished. The "ice and vending" area on the 2nd floor, for example, had neither ice nor vending, just a crib sitting there. The receptionist greeted us not with a "good evening" or "how can I help you?" but with a monotone "you have a reservation?" The next morning the reception desk was vacant. I saw a couple guests hunting around for someone to help them. My bar for roadside hotel in small town off the interstate is pretty low, but this one didn't clear it. But we got a decent night's sleep anyway and were off to our next stop.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Columbia
June 4 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Our next leg was from Colby, KS, to Columbia, MO. A shorter drive, but still nearly 500 miles. But we'd have time for a stop in Kansas City for a couple of things.

One of the cool things about a road trip is that not only do you see the obvious sights, but you also experience local stuff like roadside attractions, rest stops, and gas stations, which vary from state to state. When we filled up in Kansas, for example, I was confronted with a gas pump with four different options, and that didn't even include diesel. Lots of different flavors with varying quantities of ethanol. It was actually a really nice gas station, and I liked the little "you are beautiful" sign on the mirror in the bathroom (I don't generally take photos in bathrooms, but there was nobody else in there).

Our first stop was at the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene. This wound up being a really nice visit. I've always had respect for Eisenhower, and seeing the museum and reading his letters and thoughts deepened that. Nice to remember someone who put service and country before self. I also started getting some eastern birds in the grounds, including Northern Cardinal and Eastern Warbling Vireo.

Our route took us through Topeka, where we stopped at the Brown v Board of Education National Historical Park. This is centered on the old Monroe Elementary School, one of the segregated schools that was integrated as a result of the Brown v Board of Education decision. It was good for DJ to see how life was for some people in the very recent past.

In Kansas City our first stop was for some truly excellent sandwiches at Bay Boy Specialty Sandwiches. Really unique and tasty. It was a bit too far to walk to the Nelson-Atkins Museum from where we were, so we drove over and parked there. We didn't get a whole lot out of our tour of the interior, but we love the installations on the outside, especially the Oldenburg shuttlecocks. We got some decent walking in and then it was time to carry on to Columbia.

We got to the Drury Inn in Columbia just before 7:00, a notable time as that's when they stop serving their evening buffet. I was still full from my Bay Boy sandwich, but DJ wanted something to eat so he hustled over while we checked in. We love Drury hotels as they are always clean and provide a pretty bountiful free food selection for both breakfast and dinner. The Columbia hotel was no exception and we had a good night's stay.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Wheeling
June 5 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
Our next day was another long one, from Columbia to Wheeling, WV. Wheeling would put us a reasonable distance from New York City; the plan being that we'd have a bit of time to get out and see some things there on our arrival day.

We did want to make a stop in St Louis to see the Gateway Arch, though, so we bugged out early and made our way down I-70 to St Louis. DJ had never seen the arch and was suitably impressed. We did not go up it, as we really did not have time, but we did walk around the base and got some good photos.

After that it was off through southern Illinois and into Indiana, where we stopped at a very cool rest stop with a race car theme honoring the Indianapolis 500. We then hit up "What's the Scoop?" for ice cream. This was weirdly located inside a gun store/shooting range, which we did not love. But the people were nice and the ice cream was excellent.

We stopped for another "linner" at Pierogi Mountain in Columbus, OH. The pierogis were good, if not great. It was fun to go to a local place and sample some upper Midwest food.

We rolled into Wheeling as it was getting dark after 686 miles of driving. We didn't have time to explore the town, but the setting looked very pretty. It was a good American rivers day as we crossed the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
New York City
June 6 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F
Our route into NYC took us across Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey, then into the city via the Lincoln Tunnel. The whole genesis of this trip was the idea of rendezvousing with Thomas at the end of his school trip. By a nearly miraculous stroke of luck, the hotel we selected, the Manhattan Club, was literally around the corner from where Thomas and his group would be staying. We had no idea where they would be when we booked our hotel, so the odds of that working out so well were microscopic. Sometimes things just work out!

I'd never driven in Manhattan before, so getting into the city was an experience. The tunnel was predictably jammed up, and when we got through we were met with the expected chaos of closed lanes, double-parked cars, and people turning left or right from whatever lane they happened to be in. But we made it without incident and happily turned the car over to the valet. The Manhattan Club turned out to be a fantastic place to stay. While not cheap, it was very much in line with standard Manhattan hotel prices. And for that price you got what was much more like a large apartment than a hotel room. A closed off bedroom with a king bed, plus a queen pullout in the other room. TWO bathrooms, plus a kitchenette. And valet parking for $35/day. No complaints at all!

We'd been to New York with the boys before, but we'd stayed way downtown, near Chinatown. This time we were midtown, so there were new things to see. Liz, DJ, and I went out to see what we could see. We walked down 5th Avenue in the direction of Grand Central Station. We popped into St Patrick's, where a wedding was wrapping up (it's kinda weird that weddings happen while the church is still open to tourists...but this bride seemed to be thoroughly enjoying being the center of attention).

We walked through Rockefeller Center, thoroughly rainbowed out for Pride Month, and grabbed a bite to eat at a couple of the eateries in Grand Central. We then walked through Bryant Park and through Times Square. It was a Saturday night and we got the full Times Square pedestrian experience: very shoulder-to-shoulder! A quick sweet for DJ at Max Brenner and then we hustled back to the hotel to beat a developing thunderstorm. Racing back as the wind blew all the usual NYC detritus around was a kick for DJ :)Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
NYC Day 2 and Bethlehem
June 7 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Sunday was the day that we would rendezvous with Thomas, which is how this whole thing started in the first place. But that wouldn't happen until the afternoon, as the group was off staying busy through midday. In the meantime we had a plan to see Central Park, a part of New York that would be new to DJ.

Liz and I let DJ sleep in a bit and took a short walk to Broad Nosh Bagels. I don't know how this place stacks up in terms of New York bagels, but for us it was tremendous. The bagels were huge and came with just the right amount of cream cheese (cucumber for Liz; sun-dried tomato for me). Absolutely fantastic. We also picked up a chocolate babka that we wound up nibbling at for days to come.

We took a bagel for DJ back to the hotel. After he'd eaten we headed out to take the subway up to the north end of Central Park. From there we zig-zagged our way all the way back down to Columbus Circle. It was a beautiful morning and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the park. We worked up an appetite so we had some pizza for lunch (you can never have too much pizza in NYC can you?).

At this point it was time to fetch Thomas and head out on our next leg. Our next "real" stop was Sandusky, OH, for Cedar Point. Rather than spend the night in New York and leave first thing Monday, meaning an expensive hotel and Monday morning traffic, we decided that we'd head out Sunday afternoon and get a head start on the drive to Ohio. We got Thomas and his friend Edison who would travel with us to Ohio to meet up with his family there, and headed out of Manhattan. There was some traffic getting back out through the tunnel. but nothing compared to coming into the city.

Our overnight was in Bethlehem, PA. We got there in time to have dinner and walk around downtown a bit before calling it a day.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Cedar Point
June 8 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
It's over 400 miles from Bethlehem, PA, to Sandusky, OH, but we were up early and got after it. We were joined on this leg by Thomas's friend Edison, who would meet up with his mom and sister in Sandusky. The original plan had been for everyone to go to the amusement park on the next day, but we got to Sandusky early enough for some of us to go that afternoon. This would up working out really well as neither DJ nor I are much for roller coasters. We got to see the park for a few hours without spending an entire day there. And Thomas and Edison got a few extra rides in. It was just the four of us on this first afternoon; Liz volunteered to stay back at the hotel and do some laundry.

The hotel was the South Shore Inn, an independent hotel near Cedar Point. There's a hotel right outside the park, but the reviews were pretty bad, noting that it's rather rundown and dirty. We were happy with our choice of hotel, and both Edison's family and our friends Michael and Sarah from the world cruise stayed there as well (more on that tomorrow!).

DJ and I rode a couple of rides, which mainly served to confirm our lack of enthusiasm for thrill rides. We walked around the park, which is huge, and saw a bunch of the famous coasters. And of course ate :) The park is in a cool location, sticking right out into Lake Erie.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Cedar Point and South Bass Island
June 9 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F
This was the full Cedar Point day, and Thomas, Edison, Evelyn, Liz, and Erin were over there at opening time. DJ and I hooked up with Michael and Sarah to go to South Bass Island. Michael and Sarah are working through every National Park Service site, and South Bass Island has an installation covering the battle of Lake Erie that occurred during the war of 1812. Our plan was to drive out to the ferry, head over to the island, then rent bikes to get around.

This all went very well. The ferry was right on time and the ride was short -- maybe 20 minutes. There was a bike rental place right next to the dock, and we got ourselves some bikes and took off. The Battle of Lake Erie site was on the other side of the island, but it's not a big island and it was a perfect destination to bike to. We got there in short order, checked it out, watched the movie, and Michael and Sarah stamped their NPS passport books. We then rode out to the extreme end of the island, checked out a little wildlife preserve area (that featured many Purple Martins), and then rode back to complete our circumnavigation of the island.

At that point we wanted lunch, which was back the other way, but that was fine; a bit more pedaling would let us earn our lunch. We had a pretty good lunch at a place in "Put-In Bay," which apparently is quite the party spot during high season.

After lunch we rode back to the rental place against a decent breeze, returned our bikes, and ferried back to the mainland. A bit later we grabbed dinner with Michael and Sarah at a Mexican restaurant in Sandusky. I'm always wary of Mexican food when we travel as what we have in SoCal is so good, but this was close and DJ wanted to give it a shot. It was fine...DJ had a "cheese burrito," which was not something I'd encountered before. Basically a rolled up quesadilla.

When the Cedar Point gang returned we hung out for a while, sad knowing that we'd go our separate ways in the morning. It was a real treat to get some time with Erin, Evelyn, Edison, Michael, and Sarah!Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Sault Ste Marie
June 10 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
After our stopover in Sandusky for Cedar Point we were back on the road. Target: Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, to start the Canada portion of the trip. We said goodbye to Edison, Evelyn, Erin, Michael, and Sarah, and got going. Our route would take us up through Michigan for most of the day, with the destination being just over the border.

Speaking of the border, we had a minor panic just before leaving on the trip. When we got the boys' passports, we saw that they had expired earlier this year. We freaked out a bit before reading up and learning that minors can enter Canada from the US with a birth certificate. So we made sure to bring birth certificates.

The drive up through Michigan was uneventful. We stopped in Mackinaw City for our "linner." Liz had identified a Jamaican food place that sounded interesting. We all found vegetarian options and ordered. But despite asking for "mild," the food was still very spicy. Liz's was fine, but the rest of us were sniffling and sweating! After lunch we walked around the town a bit to stretch our legs. It was very picturesque, but there was a plague of what I assume were mayflies: thousands of small, black, flying bugs that were everywhere.

We drove over the Mackinac Bridge and across a bit of the Upper Peninsula before crossing the border into Canada. We had no trouble with the passports or birth certificates. I'm sure the fact that both parents were present made it easier.

We stayed at a Quality Inn & Suites in Sault Ste Marie, which we found to be rather drab and depressing. As a matter of fact, we found the whole town to be something of a downer. I'm not sure if it's always been this way or if the economy has shifted, but it was not exactly bustling.

I thought a Soo Greyhounds jersey would be a cool souvenir, but apparently the only place to buy them is the team store at the arena, and that was closed by the time we got into town. C'est la vie.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Thunder Bay
June 11 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F
Breakfast at the hotel in Sault Ste Marie was as drab as everything else, so we were more than happy to be on our way. The target for the day was Thunder Bay, Ontario. Distances in Canada are vast, meaning we'd be driving all day and would still be in Ontario. This despite starting about halfway between the east and west borders of the province!

We drove along the north shore of Lake Superior, which is beautiful country. We had to deal with some rather thick fog along the way, which slowed us down some. We made a stop at Wawa to see the Magpie High Falls and also the world's largest goose statue. It was a good stretch-your-legs and walk a bit stop.

We then drove on to Terrace Bay, where we had "linner" at the Drifters. This turned out to be quite good! We wanted to check out Aguasabon Falls, which is just outside the town and provided us with some good hiking and gorgeous views.

Then it was on to Thunder Bay, where we would spend two nights. Our accommodation was the Courthouse Hotel, which, as the name would imply, is an old courthouse converted to a hotel. More on that in tomorrow's footprint.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Thunder Bay Day 2
June 12 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
We spent two nights in Thunder Bay not so much because we felt we had to spend more time in town, but more because we wanted a day off from driving. Our plan for the day was first to get out to Kakabeka Falls to see the falls and hike a bit. In preparation for that we walked over to the Maltese Grocery, a short walk from the hotel. We'd read that they did made-to-order sandwiches at their deli and we wanted to get some to take to the falls.

The market was great: very friendly staffed and stocked with a bunch of interesting stuff. We got our sandwiches, some chips, and a soup mix to take home. Then back to the hotel to fetch the car for the drive out to the falls. It was still early-ish when we arrived, so we beat some of the crowds (such as they are in Thunder Bay in June). We checked out the falls from one side then walked across the bridge to the other side where we had a decent hike through the woods. I got a bunch of birds on the walk, mostly eastern warblers that we don't get in California. That was nice!

After the hike we broke out our sandwiches and had lunch at a picnic table outside the visitor center. Then it was back to the hotel to chill for a bit.

We didn't have much of a plan for the afternoon, but we read up on a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker that is now a museum ship in the harbor and figured we'd check that out. We walked down there, which turned out to be a longer walk than we'd imagined, largely due to construction happening along the waterfront. We did make it, and checked in at the very basic admissions desk. We waited a few minutes for our guide, then took the tour of the ship. It was just us on the tour, and the guide was the person primarily in charge of restoring the ship and making it a proper museum. He was full of all kinds of interesting information, and we really enjoyed the tour. Our weather karma held out as a brief rainstorm passed over as we were inside the ship. Had we been on our walk to or from the ship we would have gotten a good drenching.

After the tour we hoofed it back to the hotel and considered dinner options. We'd read about how Finnish pancakes are a Thing in Thunder Bay, so we looked for a place that served them all day. Our first target turned out to be closed, apparently for good. So we tried another place that was connected to a sauna (the Finnish theme there, I suppose). While the sauna was open, the restaurant had closed at 3:00 PM. So we were out of luck. We searched the map and found an Italian place not far away. It turned out to be a bit nicer than we were dressed for, but they were nice about it. The food was excellent!

After that it was back to the hotel, where a wedding was getting underway. This is where a hotel in a building that was not designed as a hotel can work not so well. In "normal" hotels, the guest rooms and the event spaces are separated, usually on different floors. Well here the event space was the old courtroom and our room was directly across the hall. And not well insulated. So we were treated to all the noise of an active wedding until after midnight. I thought this was pretty poor, but we just adopted a grin and bear it attitude and did our best.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Winnipeg
June 13 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F
After a less-than-restful sleep thanks to the wedding, we had breakfast at the Courthouse. They had a lot of good stuff to put in the oatmeal, which I always appreciate. Then we packed up and set course for Winnipeg. We'd finally be out of Ontario! Not that we had anything against Ontario; it was beautiful. But it is BIG (if it were a state it would be smaller than only Alaska, and about 1.5 times the size of Texas).

Before leaving arboreal forest country and hitting the plains, we made a stop at Quetico Provincial Park. It was chilly here, with a crisp breeze. We checked in at the visitor's center to see what was what, then took a walk along the river that leads into French Lake. We'd hoped to spot a moose, but no such luck. Plenty of birds, though, and gorgeous scenery. We made it down to the lake, then returned to the car.

The stop at the park had led us further south, so we took a road back up to the trans-Canada highway. I think we saw literally one other car while we were on this road. We saw plenty of beaver lodges, though, and I finally stopped to grab a picture of one.

"Linner" was in Dryden, near the Manitoba border and hometown of hocky hall-of-famer Chris Pronger. Then it was on to Winnipeg, where we arrived without incident and made our way to the Fort Garrey Hotel. This immediately reminded us of other Canadian "railway hotels" such as the Château Frontenac in Quebec City. The staff were very friendly and the lobby was gorgeous. The room itself was small, but sufficient. It had been a long day of driving, so we just sacked out for the evening. Next day we'd check out the city and meet up with Mary from our around-the-world cruise!Read more
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Winnipeg Day 2
June 14 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
We were staying two nights in Winnipeg so we had a full day to explore the city. We were meeting our friend Mary from the ATW cruise at noon for brunch, but we had the morning free. We walked from our hotel to the nearby Forks Market to check it out. It's a very cool place. Located where the Red and Assiniboine rivers come together, it's a place that has been a trading post and market for hundreds of years. Apparently native Americans would come up to this junction from as far away as Texas to trade, using the rivers as highways. Now the Forks Market is a collection of shops and eateries, and we had a light breakfast here.

After eating we set out on foot along the Red River. The river was very high, so we could not walk on what would normally be the riverfront walkway, but we were close by. The grassy areas were populated with prairie dogs, which the boys found fascinating. We crossed over the river on a footbridge and came back down the other side. Along the way we encountered a family of Canada geese with young who were pretty clearly looking for a handout. We kept on our way and crossed the Assiniboine on the same bridge we entered the city on.

It was a beautiful morning and people were out in force to enjoy the fine weather. We really took a liking to Winnipeg.

We headed back to the hotel to meet up with Mary, who was already there when we returned. I was worried about being a bit underdressed for the restaurant, but I don't think it was a problem. We all thoroughly enjoyed our food and loved catching up with Mary.

After brunch we walked in the other direction to see more of downtown Winnipeg. Given that it was a Sunday afternoon, there wasn't a whole lot going on, but we enjoyed checking out the architecture. Later on we returned to the Forks for a light snack. It was far more crowded as people were out enjoying the long days. We walked back over to watch the prairie dogs and the people some more. By the time we got back to the hotel we'd logged a lot of steps and really fallen for Winnipeg.Read more
Two to TravelThis brought back some great memories. We enjoyed several lovely days in Winnipeg before heading up to Churchill for a polar bear adventure.
3wReply
TravelerWe really enjoyed the city. It felt very livable...although we have not experienced a winter there 😊
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Swift Current
June 15 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
After a great stop in Winnipeg we were off to Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Swift Current would be our westernmost and final stop in Canada as we'd be dropping down south into Montana on our way to Yellowstone.

Leaving Winnipeg we were quickly in true prairie country. It was not totally flat, but it was wide open and actually pretty. I had feared that this part of the drive would be really boring, but it wasn't. Neither was Kansas, for that matter. Now Northern Nevad, that's different...but that comes later.

On our way out of town we stopped at Stacked Pancake & Breakfast House for an excellent breakfast. Then it was back to the trans-Canada highway. The agenda was pretty much just "drive to Swift Current," but we did make a stop in Portage la Prairie to see the "world's largest can of coke." This is really just a tower painted to look like a Coke can, but given our theme of stopping for "world's largest" roadside attractions we had to check it out.

"Linner" was at Qu'Appelle Bar & Grill in Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. This was a fascinating place, serving everything from palak paneer to pizza. It was certainly memorable.

Before arriving in Swift Current we naturally had to stop at the world's largest moose statue in Moose Jaw. DJ expressed his disappointment here, complaining that the moose wasn't big enough. But he got out and posed anyway.

We arrived at the Home Inn & Suites in Swift Current in time for the boys to check out the pool, which had an amazing water slide. This was a hit, and provided a great opportunity for some exercise after a long day of driving.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Great Falls
June 16 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 64 °F
We had a wonderful time driving through Canada for six days. The vibe was cool, the spaces wide and vast, the people friendly, and the hockey rinks plentiful. But if we wanted to get to Yellowstone we needed to head south. From Swift Current it was pretty much a straight shot south to Montana. This was down an almost completely untraveled road through farm country. There was certainly no wait at the border, where I got the feeling that a car crossing was a pleasant break in the monotony for the border patrol agents there.

Our route took us past the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, so we stopped there to check it out. There was a small visitor center (with nice bathrooms), but the walk along the river was rather underwhelming. The view was nice, but the trail was very short.

Liz had found a Mexican restaurant called Xochitl in Great Falls, so we headed there for "linner." This turned out to be an excellent stop. Kind of new-age Mexican, and very good. We did have to get quarters to feed the parking meter, which felt rather retro.

We then proceeded to our hotel, the Crystal Inn & Suites. We had time to get some laundry done, which was nice (more quarters!). And that was about it for the day.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Cody
June 17 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
Our next stop after Great Falls was Cody, Wyoming, which would put us on the doorstep of Yellowstone NP. The drive was a little over 300 miles and was uneventful, with not much to stop at along the way. Our hotel in Cody was the Legacy Inn & Suites, an odd, old-school hotel that had clearly originated as a standard roadside motel. Our room was basic but adequate.

We got into town early enough to go check out "Old Trail Town." This is a recreation of a 19th century old west town, which sounded rather cheesy and touristy, but turned out to be pretty interesting. The buildings were actual period buildings, most of which had been relocated from other sites, and the artifacts were genuine. It was interesting to see how people lived back then in conditions as severe as a Wyoming winter.

Rather than going to another restaurant, we hit up a market and bought food for dinner that we enjoyed in our room. It was a nice change of pace.Read more
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Yellowstone
June 18 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 39 °F
One of the drivers for this trip was to take the boys to Yellowstone. It's our favorite national park and one of the most spectacular places in the world. We got up early in Cody and hit the road to the East entrance of the park. After about an hour of driving we arrived at the entrance to find it completely unstaffed. That struck us as odd for a summer morning, but perhaps this was evidence of the cutbacks to NPS staffing. We have our national parks pass, so we didn't need to pay in any event, but a map and guide would have been nice.

We continued our drive, stopping at various points to take in the view. Sylvan Lake was still as a mirror, reflecting the mountains and steaming a bit in the cool morning. As the road started to hug Yellowstone Lake we got out again for views and bird spotting. After a bit we reached the Fishing Bridge visitor center, where we did get a map (although not the cool trail guide we remember from previous visits; not sure what happened to those). Leaving the visitor center we spotted a mother elk with her calf.

We took the loop road up to Mud Volcano where we got out and walked the trail. Moving on up the loop road we spotted our first bison of the trip. Then it was on to upper and lower falls. There we again parked and walked the trails for various viewpoints of the falls. They absolutely delivered with stunning scenery on a picture-perfect morning.

We were getting hungry, so we found a picnic spot near Mt Washburn to eat our lunch. We'd brought things for simple sandwiches and enjoyed a nice picnic. It was still chilly in the shade! Another picnicker told us they had seen a bear further up the road, so as we left we were on the alert. And sure enough, pretty soon we encountered the classic Yellowstone wildlife traffic jam and it was due to a black bear nearby. We pulled off the road and joined the folks looking at the bear. It was a pretty perfect setup as the bear was engaged with feeding on plants in a meadow, providing excellent views without being too close. We watched for quite a while, until the bear got tired and sacked out in the shade of a tree. DJ was super excited to see a bear in the wild!

Our next stop was Tower Falls, where we again got out and walked the short trail for a view. By this time it was warming up, so we bought some overpriced refreshments in the store there.

Next stop was Mammoth Hot Springs. As it was now midday, the crowds were in full force and parking was at a premium. We did eventually find a spot, wedged in next to an RV. From there we took a long walk all the way up to the top of the springs. It was interesting to see how different it was from our last visit, which was in 2010. It's a constantly-changing environment, of course, and new trails had been added since we'd been there.

We then drove down to Grant Village, taking in the views and making a couple stops along the way. Our accommodation was there, in what were new-to-us "cabins." These are quite a bit nicer than the very rustic cabins we'd staying in on previous visits to Yellowstone.

Dinner turned out to be a bit of a challenge. We went over to the Grant Village Dining Room, where we were asked if we had a reservation. No, we did not, as I was really expecting more of the traditional national park cafeteria style dining. Without a reservation we were told it would be a 45-minute wait. So we said OK and sat down. Not really wanting to wait that long, I went over to the General Store, which also has a small restaurant inside. But I was told upon entering that they were closing in 15 minutes (the restaurant was already closed). I quickly grabbed some random stuff for the next day's breakfast and returned to the dining room. We waited a while and observed other groups coming in and being told they'd have to wait until after 8:00 for a table (this was around 6:15). After at least 45 minutes had passed I asked the receptionist about our table and it turned out they'd forgotten about us. But there was a table and we were seated.

Dinner itself was good and the service was nice. But the dining room was maybe a third full, which seemed odd given the wait times. I can only surmise that there was again reduced staffing that prohibited a full room.

After dinner we were treated to some elk wandering around near our room. Then it was time to rest up after a long day.Read more
Two to TravelYellowstone is a favorite of ours. We’ve visited during every season, staying in West Yellowstone in the winter; Lake Yellowstone Hotel in the spring; the Lodge at Old Faithful in the fall; and Jackson Hole in the summer. I’d go back in a heartbeat when we return to the USA … as long as it’s not in the summer.
2wReply
TravelerSummer definitely brings the crowds. Early mornings are great, but eventually it's midday and there are lots of people. But with school-age kids we don't have a lot of flexibility.
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
3
Yellowstone + Grand Teton
June 19 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
We were up early as we wanted to get to Old Faithful and the geyser basin before it all got too crowded. We were on our way around 7:00 (which counts as early for the boys). We certainly were not alone when we arrived at Old Faithful, but there were lots of empty parking spots (and I mean lots...the parking lot is enormous). I wanted some coffee, but the line at the coffee bar in the Old Faithful Lodge was long and there was one single overworked person there, so I skipped it. We checked on the predicted time for the next eruption and seeing that we had some time took a walk around.

We checked out some of the nearby features then took a seat to await "the show." The geyser was pretty much on time and did not disappoint. Old Faithful is one of those super-famous sites that is famous for a reason.

After watching the eruption, we took the walk through the geyser basin back to Morning Glory Pool. We checked out all the geysers and pools along the way, and spotted a couple of marmots nearby. After completing the loop out to Morning Glory we had a little picnic near the Old Faithful Lodge, where we were supervised by a very tame raven.

Since we'd seen a lot the previous day, we decided to head out of Yellowstone and go look for a quick hike in Grand Tetons. We've often passed by the Tetons but we'd never actually been into the park.

After a quick stop at Lewis Falls we continued down the road to Grand Teton. Teton is kind of a weird park...we drove in and there was no actual park entrance or place to pay for entry (I know that Yellowstone entry covers Grand Teton as well, but what if you are only going to GT?). At any rate, we turned off and made our way to Colter Bay. It was lunch time, so we made some basic sandwiches from provisions we'd brought along and just ate on a bench looking out at Jackson Lake. It was a pretty spectacular spot.

After eating we took a little walk along the shore where we found a good stone skipping beach. We didn't really have time to do a proper hike, but it was nice to walk around and get different views of the lake and the mountains. One day we'll do a real visit to Grand Teton and get a better feel for it.

But this time we were off to our next stop in Swan Valley, Idaho. Shortly after leaving Grand Teton NP we encountered a bison-induced traffic stop. This gave us a chance for a few last bison pictures. The route takes you up over the Teton Pass, which is around 8,400 feet. The road had some very steep grades and sharp switchbacks and while the views were impressive I was happy to be through it.

Our accommodation in Swan Valley was at the Sleepy J Cabins. We were a little unsure of this spot, but it turned out to be pretty nice. You got a cabin with a bedroom and pullout couch and a nice kitchen. Given the kitchen, we decided to do a little shopping and make our own dinner. We made soup from the mix we'd purchased in Thunder Bay. This was tasty, but the stove took forever to get water boiling, so it took longer than we'd anticipated.Read more
Two to Travel OMG! We’ve always had plenty of company at Old Faithful during summer visits, but nothing like this!
2wReply
TravelerPeople seem to have "discovered" our national parks during Covid. Since then they've been much more crowded. Add an administration that cuts NPS budgets and isn't interested in supporting things like reservation systems or shuttles and you get crowds and traffic. But the parks are still worth the effort and I bet there were a lot more people at Old Faithful later in the day!
2wReply
Two to TravelAgreed that they are worth it … let’s just hope we are not loving our parks to death.
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Twin Falls
June 20 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 79 °F
We had a shortish (a little over 200 miles) drive from Swan Valley to Twin Falls, Idaho. Given that, we were in no particular hurry to leave the Sleepy J cabins and made some breakfast for ourselves before departing. Our initial target was Twin Falls Park, where we planned to picnic and hike along the Snake River. We stopped in Twin Falls to gas up and get some food for our picnic, then made our way to the park.

Once there we had to hunt around for parking. It was a Saturday and the weather was pleasant, so the park was full up. I eventually found a spot that I wasn't 100% sure was legal, but we'd paid to get in and I was going to park the car somewhere. We then had a nice picnic on the park grounds, after which I did move the car to a better spot as some had opened up.

We then walked over to the viewpoint and looked for the promised trail along the river. This was all rather underwhelming to be honest. The falls were not all that to look at -- the associated hydroelectric plant doubtless contributing to the lack of natural splendor. And the trail petered out after a short walk. It appeared that it may have once gone farther but had been damaged by landslides, but that's just a guess. It certainly was not the hike, nor the view, that we'd been hoping for.

Somewhat disappointed, we headed to our hotel to check in. We did nothing for a while, then headed out to the 2nd South Street Market, a food hall in the old part of town. We figured we'd get something to eat and then check out the old town. The food hall was fine, but downtown was largely deserted and was not terribly appealing for a walk. We then thought maybe we could get a game and have a game night back at the hotel. We looked for a game store and found Black Dragon Games. This turned out to be a fantastic game store! We looked around for a while and finally picked up "We're Doomed!", a somewhat offbeat game that we enjoyed playing through a couple of times back at the hotel.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Lake Tahoe
June 21 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
After a few days of fairly minimal driving we had a long one ahead to get us from Twin Falls to Lake Tahoe. If you ever want to know what nothing looks like, take I80 across Northern Nevada. There is nothing, and I mean nothing. We cruised through to Reno, where we stopped to eat at Tahoe Natural Cafe. Then on to South Lake Tahoe and our accommodation at the Americana Village. And that was about it.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Lake Tahoe day 2
June 22 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
We had a full day in Lake Tahoe and wanted to get out on the water. We reserved some kayaks and made our way over to the lakeshore. There were dire warnings about lack of parking, but we were there early enough to easily grab a spot. The folks at South Tahoe Kayak and Paddleboard were very friendly and helpful and got us out on the lake in a pair of double kayaks.

We paddled around and took in the views for an hour, which was all the time we had rented the kayaks for. It was enough, honestly, as paddling back was something of a workout.

DJ was feeling a little beat, so he and I kicked back by the lake while Liz and Thomas took a walk. After a bit Liz texted saying they'd found a nice lunch place. So we walked down and joined them at Elements Eatery and Bar. There I had mole chilaquiles, which was a first for me. I love chilaquiles and I love mole, but I'd never had mole on chilaquiles before. It was good!

We wanted a bit of a hike, so we found a trail just over the state line on the Nevada side that led from the highway down to the lake. The trail was just the right length to work off our lunch without getting too hot in the warming day.

We took an afternoon break at the hotel, then walked back downtown for dinner. We ate outside at Azul Latin Cafe. This was nice until there was a sewer line break that chased everyone inside, or at least away from the leakage.

After dinner we drove out to Emerald Bay for the views. However we got there a bit late and the sun had already dipped below the mountains, so the bay was pretty dark. Still pretty, though.Read more
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Cross-Country 2026 Traveler
Homeward Bound
June 23 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
After Lake Tahoe it was just about getting home. We drove 395 along the easter Sierras, which has some pretty spots, but is familiar to us. We stopped in at Erick Schat's Bakkerÿ in Bishop to get lunch. We could not resist buying some additional baked goods to take home with us while we were there.

Overall it was a great trip. Picking up Thomas in NYC worked out beautifully and he and his friend Edison had a blast at Cedar Point. Our trip eastward was a little more compressed than we would have liked, but it worked out. The middle sections of the trip -- Kansas in the US and Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada -- turned out to be very pleasant. It's easy to assume that these areas are "boring," but there was plenty to see and do.

Driving always gives you chances to stumble on new things. The giant easel in Kansas, delicious ice cream inside a gun store in Indiana, bicycling around South Bass Island, falling in love with Winnipeg. Lots of great moments and memories on the trip.Read more
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Trip end
June 23, 2026