Fresh air, summer heat, scorching deserts, miles upon miles of the same road, with just infinite mountains and grasslands surrounding us. Buzzing cities, and packed, touristy destinations were also in our itinerary, as well as open roads and mountain views. Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Montana, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and our starting spot, Maryland are the 13 states that my family and I stayed in and drove through, in our month-long road trip in the 2023 summer. We did a mix of hotel stays as well as staying with friends and tent camping. Some of the destinations we visited included the St. Louis Arc, Budweiser Brewery, the Forest Park in St. Louis, the World’s Largest Czech Egg in Kansas, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Sacajawea Gravesite, Fort Washakie Powwow Grounds, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful Geyser, the Old Trail Town memorial museum, Cody Night Rodeo, Black Hills National Forest (Mount Rushmore and Crazy Hill Memorials), Badlands National Park, Sulphur Springs, Target Field (Minnesota Twins Stadium), and The Mall of America.
Some of the places I felt were unnecessary or not as fun to go to as a 14-year-old, were the Old Trail Town Memorial Museum, the Sulphur Springs, the Mall of America, and Yellowstone National Park. Other places that I would try to go to would be the Old Faithful Geyser, Sulfur Springs, Fort Washakie Powwow Grounds, Mount Rushmore, the Rodeo, and the Badlands National Park.
The Old Trail Town Memorial Museum in Cody, WY was a walk-through museum of a small western town, where you could go into the rooms and houses and see what it was like. There was also a small graveyard of people who died in that town along with their life stories. I felt like this was interesting to see, and it was cool because it looked almost identical to Western movie scenes. However, in most of the rooms, you couldn’t touch the props; they were all roped off. In each of the houses, there was limited space to walk in, and if you had any questions, there were not a lot of guides in the area or signs with information about the building or objects. It was self-paced, and I found myself with a lot of unanswered questions when I left. The museum was more for the experience and scenes of a western town.
Sulfur Springs and the Mall of America in Montana and Minnesota were two more destinations I felt like were not worth the time. The Sulfur Springs were big, but again there weren’t any workers or specialists that could answer questions or signs with information on the Sulfur Springs. It was a cool stop, however the boards to walk were narrow. The Mall of America in Minnesota is the biggest in the United States and therefore is always packed with a lot of people, and there wasn’t enough time to explore the mall in just one day. At the end of the day, you would end up spending way too much money in my opinion. The mall also features roller coasters and amusement rides in the mall which are crazy expensive and still, always packed. Although it is cool to be in the biggest mall in the U.S., I don’t think it’s worth the visit because you can barely see anything, since the mall is so big. In four hours, my family and I only got through a fraction of one floor. If there is something specific you need in the store, I think it’s a great place to go to, but as a tourist attraction, I don’t think it was worth our time.
Lastly, Yellowstone National Park was a gorgeous site to see, with many activities. However, the environment is selective and doesn’t suit everyone. There is absolutely no cell service anywhere in the park, except for the main hotel, which many children and teenagers tend to grasp onto. Also, if you are working or need to attend meetings, etc., the only place would be in the hotel lobby. Secondly, the park is huge, and takes 20-30 minutes to drive in between sites, which can become time-consuming. There are a lot of activities that people can do, like white water rafting, fly fishing lessons, and hikes that families can do together. In general, I don’t find it to be a very family-fun park because of how distant the sites are and that hiking only appeals to a selective amount of people. The park is home to many animals like bison, wolves, bears, elks, coyotes, and more which can also be dangerous for children or teenagers. We stayed about three days and saw a lot of bison, coyotes, elk, and a baby bear. There were no fences so you could see them right from your car window.
On the other hand, there were also many places I feel were extremely fun experiences and would recommend anyone to visit. The Old Faithful Geyser is one of them. I found it to be a foreign experience and cool to see when it exploded. The geyser is one of the biggest ones in the world, and I found it to be an amazing experience for a lot of people.
This is found in Yellowstone National Park. I have seen bigger and more elaborate geysers in Iceland the year before, but for most people, this is a lifetime experience. The thrilling anticipation of waiting for it to blow kept people around for hours, anxiously grasping their phones, eyes buzzing, patiently until the moment arrived. In a different environment, I attended a Powwow with my family for a few hours in Fort Washakie. I found it to be culturally diverse and interesting. There were many local stands of Native Americans selling crafts, jewelry, hunting gear, fur attire, and many food trucks. I think this is an amazing celebration that would be beneficial to teach teenagers and children (even adults!) how different cultures work and what they might believe in.
As for the St. Louis Arc, my family and I got the chance to go to the top and look downwards at the city. I found it to be educational, with many infographics and history timelines once you reach the top. There is also an attached small museum on the ground floor, with details on the history and about the arc monument. I found this to be exhilarating for people who like exciting things, like going to the top and looking down at great heights. This is also good for people who like museums and history, because, with a monument, it also has information on its history, like when and why it was built, and how it affected the Native Americans who lived across the Mississippi River.
George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt are the four key presidents and leading figures of the United States. They are also the individuals represented on Mount Rushmore, in South Dakota. This monument is widely known, and I feel like it’s a destination everyone should visit if they’re in the area, as it is a bucket list-worthy place. There are many trails you can take to reach the monument and to get a closer look at it. But for those not interested in walks or hikes, the mountain is clearly visible from the entrance of the area. The area also includes a big museum which is partially underground, with a lot of visuals and theaters with short films playing about the history and making of Mount Rushmore, which is something I thought was family-friendly. Lastly, Cody’s Rodeo in Wyoming is a horse and bull riding and racing rodeo stadium. I really enjoyed their shows; they had many different events like cattle lassoing, horse/barrel racing, bull riding competitions, and stunts on horses. There were a lot of children and teenagers there, however, it was really loud and packed. I think it was a great spot to get a more Western experience. Lastly, Badlands National Park in South Dakota was a really cool drive. It looked sort of like a different planet, with all the rocky, abnormally shaped mountains, and fields. There are biking and walking trails throughout the park but also roads, to which you can drive through the whole park and stop at sights to take pictures or read at information stands.
In conclusion, if you, your family, or your friends are planning a road trip towards the midwestern part of the United States, these are the places I would and wouldn’t recommend visiting to help you save time on your trip and make it worthwhile.
