USA Road trip

Starting Our Adventure in Arizona:

Tanque Verde Ranch After flying from London Heathrow into Phoenix, we made our way to Tucson and arrived at Tanque Verde Ranch at around 11.30pm.

It had been a long journey, so by the time we finally arrived, we were more than ready to settle in and get some rest before our American adventure really began. Tanque Verde Ranch would turn out to be one of the real highlights of our entire three-week road trip and, without doubt, my favourite place we stayed.

The ranch has a wonderfully rustic feel, but at the same time, there is a real sense of luxury about the place. Our room was absolutely pristine and located in a more remote part of the ranch, making it incredibly peaceful. After the journey from the UK, waking up surrounded by the Arizona landscape was quite a way to start our adventure. Our three nights at Tanque Verde gave us the perfect opportunity to slow down before we began covering the 1,900 miles ahead of us.

Most mornings started with breakfast before spending time around the pool and simply enjoying the surroundings. Of course, you can’t stay on a working ranch without getting involved with the horses. Despite being a complete novice and never having ridden before, I decided to give it a go. It turned out to be one of my favourite experiences of the entire trip. There’s something quite special about being on horseback and taking in the vast Arizona landscape—it felt like a world away from everyday life back home.

The food was another real highlight. Everything we ate was excellent and, considering the quality, reasonably priced too. My personal favourite was a perfectly cooked steak served with seasoned vegetables—simple, but absolutely spot on.

What really made Tanque Verde Ranch stand out, though, was the customer service. Every member of staff was friendly, attentive and genuinely seemed to care that guests were enjoying their stay. It’s something I notice more and more when I travel, and great service can make such a difference to the overall experience. We only stayed for three nights, and looking back, I could happily have stayed longer.

Tanque Verde Ranch gave us the perfect start to our USA adventure: peaceful, welcoming and packed with authentic experiences. If you’re planning a trip to Arizona and want to experience a little of the American west while still enjoying comfort, food and service, this is one place I would return to without hesitation.

Flagstaff, Lowell Observatory and the Magic of Route 66.

Leaving Tanque Verde Ranch behind, we headed north towards Flagstaff, and the drive itself became part of the adventure. One of the things I loved about this road trip was how quickly the landscape seemed to change. Mile after mile, the scenery transformed around us, and there was always something new to look at. With an SUV, the open road ahead of us and those huge American landscapes stretching into the distance, it really started to feel like we were living the road-trip dream.

We spent one night in Flagstaff, which I found to be a relatively quiet but very interesting and pleasant place. After the peacefulness of Tanque Verde, it was another change of pace, and we enjoyed simply wandering around and experiencing the town. Food was pretty straightforward during this part of the trip. We embraced the American road-trip experience and ate mainly in traditional diners, with plenty of burgers, fries and pizza making an appearance.

One of the reasons for stopping in Flagstaff was to visit Lowell Observatory, and I’m really glad we did. It was fascinating, informative and gave us a completely different experience from everything we’d seen on the road so far. After spending our days looking across enormous desert landscapes, looking upwards towards the night sky felt like another reminder of just how vast this part of America really is. But for me, the real highlight of this part of the journey was Route 66. I’d wanted to drive this legendary road for years, and finally being behind the wheel was every bit as good as I’d imagined. We drove through both Seligman and Kingman, and there was something about the old-fashioned Americana of these towns that made the journey feel genuinely special. Seligman in particular felt like stepping into another era. If you’ve seen the film Cars, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what I’m talking about. The colourful buildings, classic American cars, roadside businesses and friendly locals all combine to create that unmistakable Route 66 atmosphere. We also stopped at the Black Cat Bar, where we experienced some good old-fashioned American friendliness and hospitality.

My biggest piece of advice from this part of the trip? Don’t rush Route 66. If you only have a week for your Western USA adventure, I’d take as much time as possible to experience this historic road. Slow down, stop often and enjoy the journey rather than simply trying to get to the next destination.

Death Valley: A Landscape Like No Other.

Death Valley is one of those places that is difficult to describe until you’ve actually been there. It really is somewhere I think everyone should visit at least once. The landscape is simply out of this world—vast, dramatic and larger than life. Everywhere you look, there seems to be another incredible view, and the sheer scale of the place is difficult to take in. We stayed for one night at The Ranch at Death Valley, and once again, the hospitality was absolutely on point. After a busy few days on the road, it was a welcoming place to spend the night and experience a little of what Death Valley has to offer.

But my favourite part of our stay wasn’t actually inside the hotel. It was spending the evening sitting outside the saloon, beautifully named, The Last Kind Words. As the sun began to set, the whole landscape seemed to change. The setting sun cast this incredible light across the mountains, creating colours and shadows that were constantly changing in front of us. Sitting there, simply taking it all in, was one of those travel moments when you don’t really need to do anything else. The views were like nothing I’d ever seen before. There was something almost magical about sitting outside with a drink, watching the sun disappear across a landscape that felt so enormous and completely untouched.

Death Valley also gave us one of the most memorable experiences of the trip: stargazing under incredibly clear skies. With so little light pollution, the night sky was spectacular, and it was another reminder of just how remote and extraordinary this place really is. The heat, though, was something else! Death Valley certainly lived up to its reputation, and exploring in those temperatures wasn’t always easy. But even that became part of the experience. We only had one night here, If I were planning the trip again, I’d seriously consider allowing more time. Death Valley surprised me. I expected it to be impressive, but I don’t think I appreciated just how beautiful it would be. It was harsh, vast and incredibly hot—but also peaceful, dramatic and genuinely unforgettable.

Mammoth Lakes:

A Complete Change of Scenery Leaving Death Valley behind, we headed towards Mammoth Lakes, and once again the landscape completely changed around us. After the heat, desert and enormous barren landscapes of Death Valley, arriving in Mammoth Lakes felt like entering another world. The scenery became greener and more mountainous, and the cooler temperatures were certainly welcome after the heat we’d experienced further south. One of the things I love about a road trip like this is that you can experience such different environments within the space of a few hours. You’re not simply travelling from one hotel to another; the journey itself becomes part of the experience. We spent some time exploring Mammoth Lakes and, while we weren’t there for long, one experience really stands out—wild swimming. Taking a dip in the natural surroundings was fantastic fun and, after the intense heat of Death Valley, it was certainly a refreshing change! Mammoth Lakes was another reminder that the Western USA isn’t just about deserts, canyons and big cities. The variety of landscapes is incredible, and around every corner there seemed to be something completely different waiting for us. It was a relatively short stop on our itinerary, but it broke up the journey perfectly before we continued towards one of the places I’d been most looking forward to visiting.

Yosemite National Park:

Yosemite was another place that completely took my breath away. Even though we didn’t stay overnight in the park, we spent time driving through it, and the scenery was simply incredible. The scale of Yosemite is difficult to appreciate until you’re actually there. Huge granite mountains, forests, valleys and spectacular viewpoints seemed to appear around every corner. Even when we were simply driving through, I found myself wanting to stop constantly just to take another look. Being a self-confessed trekker, I couldn’t resist getting out and exploring on foot. While Ellie decided to stay in the car and relax at a beautiful viewpoint, I headed off on a wild trek up what looked like the best mountain I could find! I disappeared for a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to explore the landscape on foot. We weren’t fortunate enough to spot any bears, but there was still plenty of other wildlife around. For me, that’s another big part of the attraction of visiting places like Yosemite—you never quite know what you might see. I’d also heard before travelling that traffic through Yosemite could be a real problem, so I was slightly apprehensive about that. Our experience, however, was completely different. When we visited, there was very little traffic and getting through the park wasn’t an issue at all. Of course, conditions can vary enormously depending on the time of year and exactly when you visit, but our experience was very positive. Yosemite was another example of what made this road trip so special. We’d gone from the heat and barren landscapes of Death Valley to the cool mountain scenery of Mammoth Lakes, and now we were surrounded by some of the most spectacular natural scenery we’d ever seen. We may only have driven through Yosemite, but I certainly wouldn’t rule out going back one day and spending much longer there as you inevitably leave places wishing you’d had more time.

Monterey: Wildlife on the California Coast.

After the mountains and forests of Yosemite, we continued towards the California coast and the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. This was another complete change of scenery. The rugged coastline, ocean views and cooler coastal air felt a world away from the deserts we’d experienced earlier in the trip. And, for me, Monterey was where the wildlife really came into its own. We were fortunate enough to see an incredible variety of marine life during our time here, including sea otters, sea lions and whales. Seeing these animals in their natural environment was one of the highlights of the trip, particularly the sea otters. There was something about watching them going about their business in the water that was impossible not to enjoy. We also came across something we certainly weren’t expecting—a beached whale. It was a sobering sight, but also a reminder of just how closely connected the area is to the incredible wildlife living along this coastline. One of the things that struck me throughout this part of California was how much there was to see without having to plan every minute of the day. Sometimes it was simply a case of stopping, looking out across the water and seeing what happened to be there. After thousands of miles of driving through deserts, mountains and small American towns, reaching the Pacific coast felt like another significant milestone in our journey. And there was still one particularly scenic section of road ahead of us. From Monterey, taking in the legendary Highway 1.

Santa Barbara and Highway 1:

The Road Along the Coast Leaving Monterey behind, we continued south towards Santa Barbara, taking the famous Highway 1 along the California coastline. This was another one of those drives where the journey really was just as important as the destination. After everything we’d already experienced on the road, I thought I’d become accustomed to the incredible scenery, but California’s coastline still managed to surprise me. The road winds its way along the Pacific, with dramatic coastal views and the ocean stretching out beside you. Driving it in an SUV, with the freedom to stop whenever something caught your eye, was exactly what I’d hoped this road trip would be like. Santa Barbara itself was a lovely place to spend some time. We enjoyed exploring the town, doing a little shopping and, of course, finding somewhere good to eat, and that brings me to what was probably my favourite meal of the entire three weeks, a little restaurant called Toma, Id done a ton of research on this place as it was our Aniversary night and I wanted something special, It’s a small, very quaint restaurant with a wonderfully chilled atmosphere. There were candles, friendly staff and a really relaxed feel to the place. Sometimes it’s the smaller restaurants that leave the biggest impression, and Toma was definitely one of those for us. After so many miles on the road, it was lovely to slow down, enjoy some great food and just take in the atmosphere. Looking back, this part of the trip really summed up what I enjoyed most about travelling through the Western USA. You can have the famous sights and iconic roads, but it’s often the unexpected little moments, the roadside stop, the friendly conversation, the wildlife encounter or finding a fantastic local restaurant that become the memories you talk about afterwards. From Santa Barbara, there was one final destination on our itinerary: Los Angeles. After three weeks and around 1,900 miles, our Western USA adventure was beginning to draw to a close.

Los Angeles:

The Final Stop, After three weeks and around 2000 miles on the road, we arrived in Los Angeles. There was something quite satisfying about finally reaching our last destination. We’d travelled through Arizona, Nevada and California, experienced deserts, mountains and coastlines, driven Route 66, seen incredible wildlife and made memories that we’ll be talking about for years. Los Angeles gave us the chance to enjoy a little more of California before heading back to the UK. We had our final taste of the American road-trip lifestyle and, perhaps more importantly, had the opportunity to look back at just how much we’d experienced in such a short space of time. And that’s probably the biggest thing I took away from the whole trip.

Would I Do Anything Differently?

Absolutely. I’d slow down. We covered around 1,900 miles in three weeks and, while I wouldn’t change the experience for anything, there were definitely places where I wished we’d had more time. There is simply so much to see across the Western USA that it’s easy to build an itinerary that looks fantastic on paper but leaves you constantly thinking about the next destination. If I were planning the trip again, I’d reduce the number of stops and spend longer in each place. Route 66 in particular deserves time. My advice would be to take as long as possible and enjoy the journey rather than rushing from one famous location to another. I’d also give myself more time in places such as Death Valley and Yosemite. Both left a huge impression on me, and I could easily have spent longer exploring them. But perhaps that’s a good problem to have. Leaving somewhere wishing you’d had more time is usually a pretty good indication that you’ve found somewhere special.

My Western USA Road Trip Tips:

Take your time. Three weeks sounds like a long holiday, but the Western USA is enormous. Don’t underestimate the driving. The distances are huge, but that’s also one of the great joys of the trip. Being behind the wheel on the open road, particularly through places like Route 66 and Death Valley, was an experience in itself. Build in flexibility. Some of our favourite memories weren’t planned—they were the places we stopped, the wildlife we saw and the unexpected experiences along the way.

Don’t just chase the big attractions. Some of the smaller towns and local experiences ended up being just as memorable. And finally, leave some room to breathe. You don’t have to see everything in one trip. In fact, I’d argue that trying to do so can sometimes mean you enjoy the places you do visit a little less. Three weeks, 1,900 miles and an incredible amount of memories later, I’d absolutely do it all again.

Would I change the route? Probably. Would I take longer? Definitely. Would I recommend a Western USA road trip? Without hesitation. For me, this wasn’t simply a holiday. It was the sort of adventure that reminds you why travelling is so special in the first place.