12 Photos From My Road Trip Showing How Beautiful The USA Is | The Odyssey Online
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These 12 Photos From My Cross-Country Road Trip Show Just How Beautiful The USA Really Is

Political issues aside, it's kinda cool that I live here.

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These 12 Photos From My Cross-Country Road Trip Show Just How Beautiful The USA Really Is
Davis Purtell

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Earlier this month, I drove from Michigan to California and back, sleeping in my van along the way. Not only was it the experience of a lifetime, but I took a bunch of cool pictures too. Here are some highlights.

South Dakota

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After the endless miles of corn in Iowa, we drove into South Dakota expecting the same. We were met with more farmland once again, but this time it was way prettier. In fact, the entire state of South Dakota was gorgeous and gave us our first taste of isolation.

Nebraska

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Nebraska is pretty boring, but the further west you go, the better. Once the corn stops, you drive through these peaks and valleys and you're very much alone.

Hiland, Wyoming

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The real isolation hits once you get deeper into Wyoming. This was the first road sign we had seen for miles, and it seemed to only be there to tell you that you are very alone.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

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The flat isolation turns into mountainous isolation near Devils Tower in Wyoming. There's absolutely nothing out there, and the serene beauty gave me a sensation unlike anything I've ever felt before.

Random gas station, Wyoming

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From what we saw, most of the gas stations in Wyoming were from this company. Each had a statue of a dinosaur just like this one, and they were all posed in different locations. I loved it.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

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We woke up to snow in the middle of June. We jammed out to Christmas music while I held the wheel with a death grip as I tried to not drive us off a cliff.

"Bears on Highway", Wyoming

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Can you tell I love Wyoming? Part of its charm are the random signs telling you that you bears are everywhere.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

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When I saw this, the sheer magnitude of our adventure finally hit me. Just two days earlier, we were in Michigan, and now we're staring at mountains in Wyoming.

Oregon

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The snow in the Wyoming mountains eventually melted in Oregon. While listening to some prime road trip bops, we drove through these mountains as the sun set. The vibes were truly immaculate.

Smith Rock, Oregon

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We hiked through Smith Rock, and the entire time I was thinking, "I wanna climb it."

San Francisco, California

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This picture was taken in the same parking lot we spent the night in. Waking up to this view was simply indescribable.

Highway 1, California

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For a couple hundred miles, we drove down Highway 1. If this isn't already on your bucket list, you need to add it ASAP. The entire drive winds through mountains on the coast, and it all looks like this.

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