From Florida to California and Back: 6,169 Miles of Adventure in Our Jeep Gladiator There is something special about packing up the Jeep, pointing it west, and watching America unfold mile by mile through the windshield. What started as a road trip from Florida to…
Meet Our Silent Travel Companion Every great road trip needs a dependable travel companion. Ours just happens to never ask for a restroom break, never complains about the music, and has absolutely no opinion on where we stop for dinner. Meet our mannequin. My Security…
From Campbell to Blythe: Garlic Fields, California Farmlands, and a Desert Sunset Leaving Campbell after a wonderful weekend with family, we began the next leg of our cross-country journey back toward Florida. Our route first took us south through Gilroy, a community…
Sunday Morning Mass at St. Lucy Parish Before the Journey Home Before beginning the long drive back toward Florida, we wanted to start the day with Sunday Mass at St. Lucy Parish in Campbell, California. It was a meaningful way to conclude our time in the San Jose…
From Santa Cruz to a Family Celebration at Testarossa Winery After spending the morning exploring California’s beautiful coastline, we returned to the Residence Inn San Jose Campbell to get ready for one of the main reasons for our cross-country journey—our…
After a long day of driving across Arizona, we made an overnight stop in Kingman before continuing west on our cross-country road trip. We stayed at the Clarion Inn Kingman I-40 Route 66, which turned out to be a comfortable and relaxing place to recharge for the night. The hotel was clean, quiet, and conveniently located near Interstate 40, making it an easy stop for travelers making their way across Route 66 and the Southwest. After spending long hours on the road, having a nice clean room and friendly atmosphere made the evening much more enjoyable.
One thing I wanted to try while traveling through the western United States was the famous In-N-Out Burger. Since there are no locations near home in Florida, this was my first opportunity to finally see what all the hype was about. The restaurant was busy and clearly very popular with both locals and travelers passing through town. The burgers were fresh, the service was fast, and the food was good, but after hearing so much about it over the years, I personally felt it was a little overrated.
Everyone has their own burger preferences, but for me, I still prefer Five Guys burgers overall. I enjoy the thicker burgers, larger topping selection, and fresh-cut fries that Five Guys offers. That said, trying In-N-Out Burger was still a fun part of the road trip experience and one of those iconic stops you almost feel required to make when traveling through the Southwest.
After getting some rest in Kingman, the adventure continues with the next major stop: Hoover Dam. The drive toward Nevada and seeing Hoover Dam for the first time was an experience all its own, and that will be featured in the next blog post from this unforgettable Florida-to-California road trip.
