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…
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…
From Shark Fin Cove to Lighthouse Field State Beach: Surfing and Coastal Views in Santa Cruz Leaving Shark Fin Cove, we continued south along California’s spectacular Highway 1 toward Lighthouse Field State Beach. The drive itself was part of the adventure, with…
Leaving California and continuing east on Interstate 10, one of our favorite scenic stops of the day was the Texas Canyon Rest Area near Dragoon. The rest area is surrounded by enormous granite boulders and rugged rock formations that seem to rise straight out of the desert floor. Across the highway, even more spectacular rock formations stretch across the landscape, creating one of the most unique natural scenes along I-10 in southeastern Arizona. It was the perfect place to take a break, stretch our legs, and capture a few photos of our Jeep Gladiator with the impressive boulders providing a beautiful desert backdrop.
After crossing into Texas, we arrived in El Paso and checked into the Quality Inn & Suites Airport near the airport for the night. The hotel itself was convenient for travelers making the long drive across the Southwest. During the evening, we noticed a young man sitting in his pickup truck directly outside our hotel room for several hours. While it initially caught our attention because it seemed unusual, the following morning it appeared he was part of a work crew staying at the hotel. The rest of the crew emerged from nearby rooms before everyone headed out for the day. We never experienced any problems, but seeing someone remain in a vehicle throughout the night was something we hadn’t encountered before during our trip.
Once we had settled into the hotel, we headed over to Dave & Buster’s El Paso for dinner. We kept things light with a delicious flatbread and a fresh Caesar salad, both of which were excellent after another long day on the road. Before returning to the hotel, we made one more stop at Walmart Supercenter to pick up a few supplies for the next leg of our journey. Standing in the parking lot, we were treated to a beautiful panoramic view overlooking the suburban neighborhoods of El Paso with the Franklin Mountains rising in the distance. It was a peaceful way to end another day of our cross-country adventure.
Although El Paso served primarily as an overnight stop before continuing toward home, it offered a pleasant ending to a day filled with dramatic desert scenery, interesting roadside stops, and beautiful mountain views. From the incredible granite formations of Texas Canyon to the sweeping vistas overlooking El Paso, this stretch of Interstate 10 reminded us that some of the best moments on a road trip happen between the major destinations.
