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On The Road

My cross country road trip

By Munish Gupta

April 11^th, 2014

inception

This trip had long lived in my daydreams—an untethered coast-to-coast road journey across America. I’m sure the original thought is buried deep in the dusty archives of my Facebook wall somewhere. But 2014 became The Year.

I plotted a rough loop—Houston to San Francisco to New York and back—mostly letting Google Maps play the role of fate. One last sweep of the apartment, belongings tucked into garage corners and car trunks, and off I went. The open road was calling.

Phase 0 - The Unplanned Prologue

“Wherever I may roam, where I lay my head is home..”

Metallica captured the spirit of this trip better than any travel guide ever could. No fixed plan, no route. Just San Francisco and New York as bookmarks. Everything else? Discovered in motion.

First stop: The electric streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras. A whirlwind of beads, music, and dancing. The city pulsed like a living organism in celebration.

World War 2 museum

Massive, immersive, moving. It reshaped my sense of history.

Café du Monde – Six beignets down, no regrets. Coffee and powdered sugar joy.

Phase 1 - The Western Drift

Made a U-turn and started traveling west. West Texas was magnificent in its own unique way!

West Texas

Mile 1200: Sunset paused me mid-drive. Pulled over to soak it in—a fiery horizon over endless plains.

Another day, still Texas!

Trains cutting across the silence.

New Mexico – The Enchanted Threshold

Crossed into the Land of Enchantment, greeted not by a welcome sign, but a border checkpoint. No passport. Awkward.

Arizona – Golden Dusk & Desert Roads

Way too many highway patrol cars!

The real highlight was the sunset chase toward Tucson—orange glow spilling over jagged grey peaks.

More of Arizona.

California

West Coast

Mile 2487: The moment my tires touched Highway 1, it felt like cruising through a dream. California’s ribbon-like road winding beside the Pacific.

Survived LA’s chaos and pulled into this coastal gem for the night. Rush hour had a video game vibe.

Pacific Coast Highway – Rally-style driving, waves crashing below, motorcyclists breezing past. Pure joy.

mission peak, fremont

Dry-mouthed hike, cow spectators, sweeping views.

…along the trail.

City by the bay

Mile 2716: Surfaced from the BART station, and there it was—San Francisco. Couldn’t stop smiling. Magic in the fog.

The Golden Gate Bridge: How I enjoyed driving across this bridge and the city in Midtown Madness!

Golden Gate – Drove it. Biked it. Crossed into Sausalito and ferried back, grinning the whole time.

Biking trail

Phase 2 – Eastward via Mountains & Magic

Toll bridges. I-80. Mountain climbs. Then, bam—Lake Tahoe’s grace.

Passed this spot along i80 and driving towards Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe.

reno, nevada

30 minutes later: desert dunes. Nevada is nature’s mood swing.

Mile 3015: Reno.

Nevada stretched on, quiet and vast. The mountains stood solitary—stoic sentinels of the land—waiting patiently for those willing to seek them out. And for the ones who did, they offered a reward beyond measure: views that silenced thought and stirred the soul.

salt lake city, utah

Utah! Driving towards the Salt Lake City.

Mile 3530: Sunset flirted with the mountaintops while the moon rose.

“…just at the moment of setting, the sun bathed the mountain top in a glow softened and shaded by the of the dark clouds which still hung the horizon against the summit of mountains.”

Salt Lake City

The Capitol stood stately. Temple Square hushed. Snow-laced scenic drives to ski resorts. Enchanting.

utah 190

After exploring Salt Lake City, started driving towards National Arches Park. The goal was to get as close to the park as possible. The drive was very pretty! Saw a wind mill farm along the way. Finally called it a day in Green River city.

The arches national park

The first hike

Primitive 8-mile hike: cliffs, arches, wrong turns, right turns. Scary at times, but deeply rewarding. Got gloriously lost.

Hiking trails i followed in Arches National Park

Denver, colorado

After leaving Arches National Park, I began the drive toward Denver—what would become the most nerve-wracking leg of the journey. All was calm until sunset. Then, as I entered the Rockies, the temperature plunged and snow began to fall. At one point, it was just 8 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the treacherous conditions, I made it to Denver that night. Along the way, I passed several ski valleys—some glowing with lights, casting a magical, almost Christmas-like glow against the snowy backdrop. It was beautiful, surreal, and just a little terrifying.

Denver: The Mile High City

Denver

pike's peak

Drive to Pike’s peak. Only 13 miles were open out of the total 19. That lake was frozen.

Pike’s peak drive - on the way. Must have been close to mile 12.

garden of the gods

Giant rock sculptures. Felt like Mars in a snowglobe.

Mile 4510: It started to snow when I left Denver. Everything was covered in white blanket. It seemed ghostly but oh so beautiful!

“Kind of morning that lasts all afternoon, just stuck inside the gloom..”

Kansas.

Took detours off toll roads—meandering through postcard countryside.

Mile 5132: Kansas City, MO.

Somewhere in Illinois.

Indiana

Indianapolis

Indianapolis: Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument

More pictures here: http://goo.gl/pzmQ2u

Indianapolis

Indiana War Memorial - Shrine Room

Mile 5946: Cleveland, Ohio

And the next morning at the same place.

Here’s where I first met Cartman and the gang. Educational? Not quite. Unforgettable? Absolutely.

Crossing another State.

New York, New york

“The City So Nice They Named It Twice”

The moment. The destination. Four and a half years since my first visit. Ended up wandering the same streets that I did back in 2009.

Accidentally boarded the subway in the wrong direction—ended up at Columbus Circle. Just as well. Central Park welcomed me back.

Fifth Ave.

Could not get enough of the city!

MoMA & MET – Finally checked off the list

“Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh (in 1889), and me (in 2010) :)

Last bit, I promise.

“Water Lilies” by Monet at MoMA

Phase 3 – The Journey Home

Washington, D.C.

Woke up early, showed up at the Capitol—no reservation. Walked in with luck on my side. Explored the Library of Congress in awe.

Library of Congress

New market square battlefield

Saw a sign. Took the exit. Stumbled into a museum, and a 45-minute film reenacting the Civil War battle.

LURAY CAVERNS

There was a tourist information center in the museum. Got to know about these caverns nearby.

Skyline drive

…and about the Skyline drive through the Shenandoah National Park. Breathtaking views!

the Great smoky mountains national park

Forecast said rain. But the clouds held back. Hiked quiet trails.

Somewhere in the park.

Met two guys embarking on the 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail. Imagine the stories they’d return with.

Great Smoky mountains park trails I followed

New Orleans, LA

Saw a sign in a window:

“There are only three cities in the US – New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans.”

Hard to disagree.

A house, just being a house, beautiful in its own right.

An art gallery on Royal Street.

A Street Music Ensemble.

The Lone Star state

Mile 8416: Pulled back into Texas. Back where it began.

“Four more exits to my apartment… but I’m tempted to keep the car in drive.”

John Mayer knew.

“The more I see, the less I know for sure.” ― John Lennon

Button Label

A Walk In The Time Of Corona

On The Road

My cross country road trip

Walk + Thoughts

Part 2

Part 1

August 1^st, 2019

October 17^th, 2018

July 26^th, 2018

Walk + Thoughts

Part 2

Part 1

August 1st, 2019

October 17th, 2018

July 26th, 2018

August 1^st, 2019

October 17^th, 2018

July 26^th, 2018