Final Reflections from the Road

 

WanderWest — Final Reflections from the Road


After 20 days, 16 states, and 6,431 miles, WanderWest has officially come to a close. We crossed mountain ranges, danced under desert stars, braved thunderstorms and traffic jams, and soaked in every wild, wonderful, windy moment in between.

What started as a big dream that Dan and I wanted to share with the girls, and turned into the kind of journey that changes how you see the world—and each other.

Trip Highlights – In Our Own Words

  • Maddie:  My favorite moment is hiking through the twisty red rock maze of Fiery Furnace in Arches. Best stay? Camping under the stars.

  • Liv: Bryce Canyon was amazing—minus the part where Maddie got sick. The Panguitch Farmhouse stole her heart, and Cheesecake Factory was a top-tier meal.

  • Dan: Loved seeing wildlife in Yellowstone—the bison, elk, and bear sightings were unreal. Favorite meal? Moab Brewery, hands down.

  • Laura: Honestly? All of it. From the inspiration in the Tetons to the chaos of car snacks and long drives—it was pure magic. Oh, and give me a Home2Suites every time.

 
Most Beautiful Place-

  • The Grand Tetons took our breath away. Laura was blown away by their quiet majesty.
  • Dan loved seeing the night sky in Bryce and Grand Canyon
  • Maddie was amazed by all the wild animals we encountered.
  •  Liv's favorite the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon and watching the sunset paint the rocks—pure magic.  

 

 

Favorite Restaurants

  • Cheesecake Factory – unanimous win for the girls.
  • Moab Brewery – Dan’s favorite meal.
  • The Golden Mill in Golden, CO – Laura’s top pick with its fun variety and vibe.


Best Place We Stayed

  • Maddie: Camping under the stars—pure magic.
  • Liv: The cozy Panguitch Farmhouse—or the Moab Condo- she got her own room in that place! 
  •  Dan: Couldn’t pick just one—loved all the Airbnbs.
  •  Laura: Give me a Home2Suites any day—clean, comfy, predictable.

 

 

Inside Jokes We’ll Never Forget- and I am sure ones we are missing a few- 

 🌭 Rancher hotdog
 🌸 Wildflowers for the campsite
 🏔️ Spine of Mother Nature
 🦬 “If that thing rams into the car, I’ll be so mad”
 🗣️ You can get a job by talking  
 🐾 The prairie dog turn
🌠 I saw a shooting star. No you didn't! 

They may not make sense to anyone else—but they’ll always be part of our story.

 

The Rough Patch

The hardest day for all of us was Bryce Canyon—when Maddie got hit with altitude sickness and dehydration. Beautiful spot, but a tough experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What We’d Relive in a Heartbeat

  • Fourth of July fireworks under a big western sky
  • Rafting day—laughing, splashing, paddling, and freezing together.  
  • Spotting bison and bear in Yellowstone—nature at its most raw and rea
  • Fiery Furnace- Climbing the rocks in Arches and discovering hidden passages 
  • Walking through the towering hoodoos 
  • Watching the sunset in Bryce Canyon as it lit up the hoodoos
  • The prairie dog detour – maybe ridiculous, but we’d 100% make that turn again 
  • Golden Mill hangout – good food, perfect vibes, and one of our favorite meals together with Cousin Ethan! 


Biggest Surprise

  • Maddie: All the wild animals we saw up close!
  • Liv: her images she was able to capture on the camera and the editing skills 
  • Laura: The stunning beauty of the Grand Tetons—pictures don’t do it justice. 
  • Dan: not sure. Likely the way things like Yellowstone and Grand Canyon have changed in the past 17 years.  Things have gotten so built up!  

 

 


What We’d Change

  •  The route home—those long stretches at the end were a lot. 
  • Spend three nights in Bryce and in Montana 
  • Add Grand Tetons Park to our itinerary  

 

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

This trip reminded us how vast and beautiful this country really is—and how meaningful it is to see it together. From red rocks to roaring rivers, golden plains to snow-capped peaks, every turn in the road offered something new to marvel at.

 

We laughed. We got a little cranky. We ate some weird gas station snacks. We hiked, camped, hotel-hopped, and played more road trip games than we can count.

 

But most of all—we made memories we’ll carry with us forever. 💛

 

Until the next adventure...
 #WanderWest

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