An Incredible Road Trip Across USA With A Breathtaking Climax in Alaska

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 1/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The hustle and buslte of New York City

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 2/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Cape Cod, it's beaches and lighthouses

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 3/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sub-urban US and its large mansions

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 4/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Desi Mecca - The Niagra falls

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 5/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Downtown Chicago - an array of beautiful buildings

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 6/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The bean - a must do in Chicago

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 7/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Amana colonies - a german village in the US

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 8/158 by Harsh Vardhan — on a long and lonesome highway - east of Omaha

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 9/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Admiring art made out of corn cobs at Mitchell

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 10/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Country roads of South Dakota

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 11/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The badlands national park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 12/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The colors and layers of Badlands

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 13/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A short hike at Badlands was worth it

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 14/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Four presidents on a hill - Mount rushmore

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 15/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The geolocial wonder that is Devil's Tower

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 16/158 by Harsh Vardhan — US Route 212 through Montana

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 17/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Miles and miles of arrow straight roads - Montana

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 18/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Gambling is legal in Montana - find loads of them

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 19/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Drive on the beartooth highway see lakes

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 20/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Entering Yellowstone National park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 21/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Bisons galore at Yellowstone

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 22/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sunrise on the yellowstone lake

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 23/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Multi-hued hot water springs at Yellowstone

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 24/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The mammoth hot water springs

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 25/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The bison has some serious disproportionate assets

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 26/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The old faithful erupts bang on time.

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 27/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The morning glory pool and its hues

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 28/158 by Harsh Vardhan — US Route 191 crosses through Wyoming is sparse

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 29/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Ninepipes lodge in Montana has stunning views

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 30/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A short hike to the Avalance lake in Glacier NP

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 31/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The stream running out of Avalance Lake at Glacier

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 32/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A 12km hike to Grinnel lake in Glacier

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 33/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Lucky enough to catch a female moose skinny dippin

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 34/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The serene and expensive Many glacier hotel

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 35/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The columbia river gorge highway is windy

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 36/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Old and rusted mailboxes get used seldomly

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 37/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Multnomah falls - a must do - on the highway

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 38/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Portland gets ready to tuck in the bed

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 39/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Mt hood, a volcona cum ski destination for Oregon

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 40/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The azure blue Crater Lake

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 41/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A full double rainbow can be tricky to capture

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 42/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Entering Yosemite from the eastern entrance

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 43/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Giant Sequoia trees dwarf humans

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 44/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The steep roads of SFO

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 45/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Caught flying at SFO

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 46/158 by Harsh Vardhan — One of the best aquariums in the US - Monterey Bay

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 47/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The infamous Pacific Coast Highway and Bixby Bridg

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 48/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A waterfall that falls right into the Pacific

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 49/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The rugged California Route 1 is a must do in US

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 50/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Lazy stinking wild elephant seals bask in the sun

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 51/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sometimes you find Zebras on the Pacific Coast

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 52/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Malibu - what a place to live

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 53/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A typical baywatch sunset at Santa Monica Beach

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 54/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone NP

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 55/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Finding some short of a shade at Death Valley NP

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 56/158 by Harsh Vardhan — From a cool 5°C to 47°C - that's Death Valley

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 57/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Walking on the dunes at Death Valley

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 58/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Known as Artist's Palette for obvious reasons

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 59/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A sin city in the middle of a desert - Las Vegas

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 60/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A new york skyline themed casino at Vegas

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 61/158 by Harsh Vardhan — And then a disneyland themed one

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 62/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Full of quirky stuff - Route 66 - the mother road

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 63/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Hoover dam - remember Goldeneye?

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 64/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Kitschy stuff on Route 66 - a replica of "Cars"

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 65/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Grandeur at its best - The Grand Canyon

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 66/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sunrise over the grand canyon and the river below

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 67/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A hike to the bottom of the Canyon is recommended

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 68/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Spot any humans in the photo?

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 69/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A U-turn like no other - Colorado river makes a U

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 70/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The slot canyon at Page - all clicks = wallpapers

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 71/158 by Harsh Vardhan — More abstract shots from Upper Slot Canyon

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 72/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The movie 127 hours was shot in such a slot canyon

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 73/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Back on the road in the Navajo Nation

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 74/158 by Harsh Vardhan — An exhilarating boat ride at Lake Powell

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 75/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A short hike towards Toadstools

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 76/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Simply bizarre, the coral pink sand dunes

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 77/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The unexpectedly beautiful Zion National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 78/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Walking on waves

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 79/158 by Harsh Vardhan — These waves in the stone are typical in Southwest

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 80/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The towering sentinels of Zion

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 81/158 by Harsh Vardhan — And a magical sunset to end the day

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 82/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Say hello to furry friends

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 83/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Hiking in the "Narrows" a 10km river walk

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 84/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Yes that's knee deep water

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 85/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Wildlife at last - a big horn sheep crosses

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 86/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Towards Bryce Canyon National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 87/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The colors and formations of Bryce

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 88/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Hoodoos as they are called are due to wind erosion

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 89/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Hiking on the Queen's garden train at Bryce

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 90/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A drive through the Grand Escalante National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 91/158 by Harsh Vardhan — US 24 - A drive through Capital Reef National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 92/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Pitstop at Mordor

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 93/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The delicate arch stands tall at Arches NP

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 94/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The North Window and the South Window at Arches

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 95/158 by Harsh Vardhan — One of the most iconic views of a US road trip

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 96/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The three most photographed 'monuments'

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 97/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The weird alien formations of Bisti Badlands

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 98/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sunrise at a non-descript lake near White Sands

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 99/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Early morning hike in the White Sands NP

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 100/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Going 'underground' at Carlsbad Caves

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 101/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A public art installation - The Cadillac Ranch

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 102/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Cross, Texas

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 103/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Back on quirky Route 66

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 104/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Blue Ridge Parkway - Mabry Mill

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 105/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The southern charm of UVA

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 106/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The seat of power - Capitol, Washington DC

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 107/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Washington Monument

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 108/158 by Harsh Vardhan — How can 1 miss the Museum of Natural History, NYC

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 109/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Street performance, NYC style

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 110/158 by Harsh Vardhan — An evening cruise on the Hudson, NYC

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 111/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Matanuska Glacier welcomes us in Alaska

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 112/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Mt Wrangell looms in the distance

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 113/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A Thai food truck in Glenallen serves good stuff

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 114/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Aurora Borealis - A childhood dream

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 115/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Mt Wrangell reveals all its glory towarsds Valdez

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 116/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A remote campsite in remote Cordova, Alaska (AK)

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 117/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The first male moose we saw turned out to be dead

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 118/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sunset in remote Cordova on an untarred road

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 119/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Hiking on the remote Sheridan Glacier

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 120/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The glacier snout reflects on its long life

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 121/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The quaint, charming, remote Cordova

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 122/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Cruising on Prince William Sound towards Whittier

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 123/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The national bird of US - The Bald Eagle

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 124/158 by Harsh Vardhan — This moose is shedding its antlers

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 125/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Bush plane - connecting AK all the time

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 126/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The calm waters of Ressurection Bay - Sewark, AK

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 127/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Try the Halibut at Chinook's - its worth it

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 128/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The harbor at Seward from where wildlife cruise

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 129/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A bunch of sea lions enjoying their rock

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 130/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The calving on the Holgate glacier

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 131/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The otter and its antics - back at Seward harbor

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 132/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The fall colors at Hatcher pass

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 133/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The first view of the might Mount Denali

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 134/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Parks highway runs through desolate Alaska

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 135/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Hunting season begins :(. The poor Caribou

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 136/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The northernmost Denny's in the world - Fairbanks

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 137/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The Dalton Highway ends at the Arctic Ocean

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 138/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Crossing the Arctic Circle - Check

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 139/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The last pitston on the Dalton highway - Coldfoot

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 140/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A long drive back and Aurora strikes

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 141/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Another show of Aurora at Fairbanks, AK

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 142/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Driving south back towards Denali National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 143/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The most iconic view of Denali National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 144/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The wonder lake ground has awesome views of Denali

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 145/158 by Harsh Vardhan — On an evening stroll at the Wonderlake campground

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 146/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Sunsets on the (erstwhile) Mt McKinley

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 147/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The wonder lake campground and the stunning view

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 148/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A LEED Platinum rated building - Riley Camground

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 149/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A Kp 6 Aurora display makes people dance

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 150/158 by Harsh Vardhan — As it dances itself in the sky above

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 151/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The traffic comes to a halt when nature takes over

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 152/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A walk in the park - Denali National Park

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 153/158 by Harsh Vardhan — A quaint homestay on the remote Denali highway

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 154/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Another quaint hut on the Denali highway

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 155/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The road is as remote as it gets

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 156/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Miles and miles of nothingness

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 157/158 by Harsh Vardhan — The last few hours at AK, were spent at the Zoo

Photo of Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska 158/158 by Harsh Vardhan — Saying hello to the snow leopard of Himalaya in AK

Thursday 26th, June... Somewhere in CP.

I had been on a sabbatical for about 2 months now and was on my way for a game by about 5pm when I got a frantic call from Aarti. She was in a foul mood since she found out that her employment contract, which was due for a renewal next week, could not come through for another couple of months. So technically it was her second last day at work and an 'enforced' sabbatical was the order for the upcoming months. Dropping my 'plans' for rest of the evening, I headed straight towards CP to calm down some frayed nerves. That only took an hour, professional approach for the future were discussed, a bit of introspection happened and before we knew it the professional course of action for Aarti had been charted out.
Then came the bigger question on how to spend the next months specially given the fact that now we were both on a sabbatical. To make matters a little more challenging we were to leave for Srinagar the the day after for a week long 'Great Lakes trek of Kashmir'. This had been planned months in advance and obviously could not be postponed at such a late hour. Aarti had to be plan in such a way that she had to be back and available for work on 1st September. That gave us a window of exactly 7.5 weeks beginning 7th July, the day we were slated to come back from Srinagar from our trek. The obvious answer was to travel but the question was where!
It would have been peak monsoon season in India, thus ruling out a lot of things, including treks in 'green' Himalayas, a drive in the North-east. The only enticing option was probably to do a very long trek. This would have meant walking in the trans-Himalayan region for 4-5 weeks with a couple of weeks of rest in between these longs walks. As exciting it sounded, it would have been way too strenuous for both of us. Plus we would have returned with sunburn that would have taken a decade to heal.
Another idea that came up was to do the coastal drive, this too was dropped, since such a thing could be done while working on jobs as well in the future. So we had to do something which could not have been done during the course of a regular job. Thus we had to go somewhere which takes a lot of time to reach (and money) but try to cover the region entirely. This meant an international trip. The possible region of interests were narrowed down to North America, China, South America, Africa, Australia, Russia. Since we were at Cha Bar in the Oxford book store, we had access to Lonely planets from around the world right next to us. It soon dawned upon us that the entire southern hemisphere would be nearing peak winters and hence would be a waste of time. This narrowed down the region further to China (read Tibet) & North America (read US).
China requires a lot of logistics and planning to be done. Not to mention the visa part. I got in touch with Kaushik Da (@kshil) later that evening and picked his brain to check if a trip to Tibet would have been feasible. It did seem feasible, but tough and required a lot of immediate action and decisions. USA on the other hand seemed easier after a quick conversation with some close friends and relatives who were there in different regions of the US. Everyone gave us a thumbs up on the weather front in different parts of the US. We both had valid visas as well thanks to our professional engagements in the past, thus logistics seemed much easier. As we checked online later that evening the tickets were reasonably priced as well. The direct flight to New York was going for 62,000 INR for a flight on 13th July, two weeks later. Combining all these factors, the decision was made later that night to book the tickets for the US and do a cross-country drive (twice) in the 6 weeks we had. Once the booking was in place the next part was to start working on an itinerary.
There in a savior sprang up in the form of KD Acharya (@kdacharya). He had made a great itinerary for us covering the Southwest region of the US for two weeks a year ago. An itinerary that we never got to do and remained stuck as a plan. So we got in touch with him and asked him to guide us and help us plan the entire itinerary. After many phone calls, and email exchanges a basic draft was in place by evening of 28th Jun, Sat. The next day our trek was to begin from Sonamarg, and we would be out of network for a week.
Credit: If there is one person because of which this trip was made possible it was because of the gentleman mentioned above. KD, if you are reading this, please know that you are one of the most kind person I have had the pleasure of knowing through this platform. Your help made me accomplish my dream trip and your passion for helping me plan my trip was just amazing. Thank you for spending so much time with us and hosting us, despite your hectic schedule. Please convey my regards & gratitude to Mrs. R Acharya as well.

The next few days passed away like a breeze. There were lots to be done and very little time to actually do it. We were back in Delhi on the evening of 6th Jul (Sunday) and were scheduled to fly off on the direct flight to New York on late night 12th July (Sun. morning if you will). That gave us exactly 6 days to pack up our bags, figure out a plan, wind off all activities in Delhi and arrange the required funds to sponsor such a trip. By the time Saturday evening came, we managed to do all that. The itinerary plan would have to be a bit on-the-fly but we did scope out the broad contours with KD Acharya. The first 3 weeks were now cast in stone on a broader level till Los Angeles. The next 3 weeks were to be finalized on Sunday in the den of KD. Some hotel bookings were made, some campsites were booked before we actually boarded the flight.

We spent the first couple of days in New York, where we picked up our car rental. From there we drove to Boston and spent a couple of days with my relatives. A side day trip to Cape Cod happened to visit the Atlantic Ocean. Then we moved towards the desi tourist pilgrimage of Niagara Falls. A long day drive landed us in Chicago from where we drove through the vast open fields of Iowa to reach Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Mount Rushmore bid us adieu as we headed towards Montana to drive on the infamous Beartooth highway to spend the next few days being in awe of the geographical bizarre region of Yellowstone National Park. The bears were sighted too far away there, so we had to head towards the more pristine Glacier National Park on the border of US & Canada in Montana. The baren-ness of Washington state surprised us as we sped our way through the Columbia river gorge to spend a fine evening with a dear friend in Portland.
It was difficult to leave after spending only an evening but Crater lake National park attracted us like a moth to a flame, only to lead us on towards the picturesque Sierra Nevada region which boasted of Lake Tahoe & Yosemite. A weekend with friends in San Francisco was just what the doctor ordered before we could take in the amazing blue Pacific Ocean drive through Route 1, along the Pacific Coast highway towards Los Angeles. Aarti's relatives fed us some great Indian meals before we left for the sin city of US - Las Vegas. The shining city sparkled like an oasis as we reached there by evening after taking the longer route through the hot as hell Death valley national park.
One night was not sufficient for us to soak in the glamour of sin city, thus Aarti ended up gambling before breakfast there. The city life was left way behind when we moved towards the Grand Canyon, and a part of Route 66 kitchy bedazzled us. Grand Canyon was a sight to behold, however what really caught us attention was the beauty of a small town called Page in Arizona. The U-bend of the Colorado river, the slot canyons being lit up and the gambling of another kind when we tried our luck at the permits for the 'Wave'. A unique experience waited for us at Zion National Park when we spent the better half of the day trekking through a river only to end the day at one of the most unexpected beauties of the trip - The Byrce Canyon National Park. The drive from Bryce towards Arches could only be described as one of the 'lower 48' most beautiful drives, however the sunset at the Delicate Arch inside Arches National Park stole its thunder. Monument valley could have been a bit over-rated but the drive through New Mexico was an experience which ended at the even more spectacular White Sands National Monument. We went a bit under the ground at Carlsbad Caverns national park to take a lesson in Stalegtites and Stalegmites, only to surface with millions of bats as they flew out of those caves. The dash through the rest of the country was not as hectic as we had imagined it to be. The Blue Ridge Parkway was lovely to drive upon - for a short while. Maybe the fall is a better time to be there. A Friday night was well spent with friends at Charolettesville, while the weekend with Aarti's sister in DC. The time had come to bid adieu as we finally drove back to the greatest city of them all, New York city, but not before soaking in the spirit of the city for a few more days.
We ended up driving a good 13,000 miles in the 'lower 48', or 21,000km if you will during the course of those fantastic 6 weeks. We ended up hiking about 120km spread across multiple day hikes. It was already the best trip ever, and yet there was more to come...

Two days before we were supposed to catch our flight back home, we got some more bad news. Aarti's contract, which was supposed to come any moment now, was seeming to be postponed indefinitely. Every dark cloud has a silver lining, so while this meant it would be job hunting for Aarti when we are back, along with me. It also implied that we had more time on our hands to 'do something'.
KD (@kdacharya) had been pestering and coaxing us with all his convincing power to do a bit of Alaska while we were near Seattle, but that would have just meant not doing justice to the biggest state of USA and one of the most beautiful one at that. We were sure that we would need more time for Alaska and a week long detour would not have been gratifying. However, now we had the time to make that dream come true on this trip itself.
A day was spent to figure out of Alaska was worth visiting at that time of the year, again a lunch with KD convinced us of the same. We had to rebook all our tickets, make a plan for Alaska for two weeks, and now instead of catching our Delhi flight back on 28th August, we were all set to fly out to Anchorage, Alaska on 30th Aug morning. We ended up driving another 2500 miles in Alaska over the period of 2 weeks, did a day hike which literally and figuratively almost blew us away, saw as many as 8 bears in 4 hours but most of all spent 5 nights watching the northern lights. One of which was the strongest one of this year so far till that day.
If the 'lower 48' can be called as breathtakingly beautiful, Alaska then cannot be described in words, but of course more on that later.

Anchorage was a bit disappointing as we landed there on a fine Saturday evening and so were the first few hours of our drive towards Glennallen. We had expected too much of Alaska. However we chanced upon the Matanuska glacier, which is bigger than Gangotri glacier, right next to the the road and then from that point onwards Alaska blew us away. Later that night, we witnessed our first show of the northern lights at Glennalen, Alaska. Moving further south we caught a ferry from Valdez to a little known corner of Alaska called Cordova. The 'off-the-tourist map' Cordova wooed us to no end and gave us our most secluded campsite and treated us to the best pizza we had in the US. Another ferry brought us back to the mainland and to the much visited Seward. It showed us gems for a couple of days, before we drove straight up to Fairbanks hoping to catch some more northern lights. And Fairbanks lived upto its reputation where the lights can be seen for more than 240 nights a year! However we got greedier and went all the way till Coldfoot on the Dalton Highway, or the haul road they call it only to return back to Fairbanks. Denali National Park was an experience and so was witnessing Mt Mckinley from the wonder lake campground! But the best was kept for the last in the Denali Highway from where we spent one last night at Glennallen. The trip came to its end ironically at the Anchorage Zoo, where we killed some watching the antics of a snow leopard before we caught our flight back to New York and eventually to Delhi.
US has humbled me to no end. Whether it be her citizen, her culture, her efficiency or the breathtaking vistas it has to offer to travelers. To be honest, I had never fallen in love with cities there, but on this journey the vast landscape has made me realize why it is impossible even for an American to discover entirely his own land in his own lifespan. The vastness is on a different scale altogether, so is the beauty of the place. I would definitely be back sometime again in my life to try and cover more of this amazing country.

Driving across the USA – Twice and then some more – In Alaska

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