June 24, 2017
10/10 would recommend road tripping to California with your best friend

 So currently I am on I-40 West.  348 more miles to go for today!!  I began this road trip on Thursday morning with my friend Faith.  

Leave from: Bedford, TX

Destination: San Diego, CA

Duration of Drive: 24 hours

Length of Drive: 4 days with stops in 3 cities- Lubbock, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff

So far we have made stops at Palo Duro Canyon in Canyon and Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo.  Palo Duro Canyon was not part of our plan, but we decided to make a stop there and it was so worth it!  It was so beautiful.  I couldn’t believe we were still in Texas.  I didn’t think Texas was anything except flat.  Admission to the park is $5/person.  At the Canyon, there are a number of different hikes you can do ranging from 1/2 mile to 3 miles.  We decided to do the lighthouse hike because it is apparently the most famous hike at the park.  Honestly, I wouldn’t call it much of a hike though.  More like a nice walk.  There wasn’t too much uphill involved, but the scenery was still amazing.  And of course, it felt good to finally get some exercise after being stuck in a car for so long.  If you’re heading west, I definitely recommend considering making a stop at the Canyon!  

Next, about 30 minutes from Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo is Cadillac Ranch.  If you’ve never heard of this, it’s basically just 10 cars in the middle of a field that are sticking up out of the ground.  All the cars have graffiti all over them and when you visit, you can add your own artwork to the cars.  Personally, I didn’t think it was too exciting, but it’s one of those things I have always wanted to see so I am glad I can now say that I have.  If you are planning to go, bring your own spray paint and buy a dark color like red, black, etc so you have a better chance of your artwork showing up on top of all the other colors.  To get there, you can just put Cadillac Ranch into your GPS and when you start getting close, you will see where all the cars have pulled over on the side of the road and you will know you have arrived!

Okay guys so I also went to this to-die-for waffle place for breakfast this morning and so I just have to tell y’all about it!  It is in Albuquerque, New Mexico and it is called Tia B’s La Wafflería.  They have all kinds of gourmet waffles!  And if you don’t like any of the options on the menu there is also the option to make your own waffle.  So basically whatever your little heart can dream up, you can have.  I made my own waffle with buttermilk waffle batter, strawberries, bananas, cinnamon, chocolate whipped cream, and caramel.  It was so yummy!!  The restaurant was super cute and had lots of outdoor patio seating.  Fun Fact about New Mexico:  Apparently there are very few mosquitos and flies here so when you eat your food out on the patio there aren’t a million little bugs trying to attack you while you eat!  Shoutout to my friend Louisa for recommending this place and taking us there.  

So now after that hearty breakfast we are on our way to…. THE GRAND CANYON!!!  So far my road trip experience has been an adventure.  But it wouldn’t have been going this smoothly if we hadn’t stocked up on some road trip essentials before the trip.  So what are Kaylee and Faith’s Road Trip Essentials?  Here are a few of the most important…

• Lots of snacks!!  And I mean LOTS.  That way if you get stranded in the desert or something, you’re prepared😉
• CD’s to jam to!! (If you have a CD player) and/or aux cord to continue jamming
• Cooler filled with lots of water, other drinks, and fruit
• Spare Tire 
• Car Charger
• Sunglasses
• Wallet with cash and cards (duh)
• Paper maps in case you lose signal out in the middle of nowhere, USA
• Pillows and blanket (Got to be comfy on these long trips!!)
• Hand Sanitizer and Wipes (which comes in very handy when the bathroom at the gas station is out of soap🙄 or you get dirt all over you from hiking)
• A best friend to make the trip a blast (but most importantly to split the driving up.. sorry Faith that’s actually the only reason I wanted to drive with you😘)

So those are my road trip essentials.  What are some of your road trip essentials?  Comment below!🙂

Until Next Time,

Texan On The Go📸🚘🗺🛣