My Road Trip Across the U.S. and Canada in September 2017

During September 2017, I ventured out on a road trip across the United States and Canada that totaled over 7,800 miles or over 12,000 kilometers. I went through 18 U.S. States, 2 provinces and saw much during my time in these spots. This is the story of my time seeing my country and its northern neighbor.

My Set-Up and Gear

Both countries are relatively expensive, so I had to do my trip as “budget-friendly” as possible. To do so, I camped most nights out of my car. I brought along a tent that I could put up each night and also to sleep outside under the stars! Whenever I could, I looked for free campsites where I could stake my tent. There are a couple of websites that provide detailed listings: campendium and freecamping.net. You can find links to these websites along with many of the other travel resources I use here.

For my meals, I prepared them out of my car with my butane gas stove. While I did eat out a few times, I tried to keep that practice to a minimum. My breakfast consisted of hot instant oatmeal, eggs, bacon, a fruit (e.g. apple or orange) and tea. Lunch would generally be smaller, in which I would make a sandwich with deli meat and had a side of chips. Dinner varied, but I would make bigger meal consisting of pasta or rice with vegetables. I would make large portions so I could have leftovers to warm up the next night. This practice kept my costs down, although it did take a couple of hours each day to prepare my food. I would make my meals a lot of times at rest stops and picnic areas, as I could easily obtain water there.

U.S.: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

While I have been through Wyoming before, I drove on I-25 through the eastern side of the state. I had never visited that portion before. The Southeast is pretty open and bare, being mostly prairie and flat. The northeast however changes, turning into a beautiful mountain range. The first night I stayed at a campground near Bighorn National Forest. During that day, I drove through a couple of cities with much “wild-west” charm: Casper and Sheridan, Wyoming.

The next day, I drove into Montana. First of all, something to note – Montana, like many of the western states is absolutely huge! The mileage from east to west is over 500 miles (800 km+) alone. It took me over 2 days to drive through the state. Some cities I really enjoyed: Livingston, Bozeman and Western Montana. Livingston is one of the first cities where you start to see the impressive peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Bozeman is a beautiful city that is home to the University of Montana is a town surrounded by mountain ranges. It reminded me very much of Boulder, Colorado. Western Montana is very beautiful, as you are driving through multiple canyons, near rivers and forests. Before driving into Canada, I was able to spend a night at lake in the northern panhandle of Idaho. This area is similiar to Western Montana.  

Canada: Banff – A Must See for Nature Lovers

Driving into British Columbia (Canadian Province) is really beautiful as well as you’re driving up towards Banff National Park. It was interesting crossing the border as the scenery looked the same, but there were some differences from the US. For example, the road signs – everything is in kilometers. The speed limits, the distances are all in that measurement. Luckily my car’s speedometer also has measurements in km! Another thing I noticed that was different from US was all signs are printed in both English and French. These two languages are the official ones of Canada.

Upon arriving in Banff, I met up with my travel mate and now friend, Desmond. The next few nights we would camp in the park, except the first night! The first night there, it rained for much of the day. Rather than setting up in the rain, we opted to stay in a hostel. The rest of the nights we got to camp.

Banff is an absolute must for nature lovers. You’re in the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by stunning views and lots of outdoor activities. It reminds me much of my home state of Colorado. During our time there, we hiked the Ha Ling peak. Also, we saw Lake Lousie and Morainne Lake. We also explored many of the park’s multiple waterfalls!

Canada: TransCanada Hwy. 1 – Stellar Views and The Northern Lights?

After spending a few days in Banff, we headed west on the TransCanada 1. As the name implies, this road crosses entirely through Canada east to west. If you have a chance to drive this road, do it. It is absolutely amazing drive. Like driving through Montana and Idaho, you’re greeted by stellar mountain views, winding roads and rivers.

One of my favorite memories from this area was seeing the Northern Lights. Yes, I’m about 85% certain that we saw them! One night we were camping at a large lake, fairly far from the nearest town or city. The sky that night was clear with no clouds and no moon. Watching the stars for a while that night, I started seeing a grey patch coming up in the sky. However, it didn’t look like clouds as you could see through it to the stars. After watching it for a while, the patch started to dance across the sky. It was mesmerizing to watch. I was curious if it was wildfire smoke, as there were many in the area at that time. However, looking at the sky the next day, there was no smoke to be found. Based on all of this, I think I saw the Northern Lights!

Canada: Vancouver

Our last stop in Canada was Vancouver. Vancouver is Canada’s largest Western City. I spent a couple of days there. The city has a nice harbor and has a lot of nice parks. I had the best Dominos Pizza I’ve ever had there. Although, it was a nice city, I liked Seattle far much better.

Washington/Oregon

After leaving Vancouver, I said goodbye to Desmond and continued back into the US. My first stop was Seattle. I really did end up liking the city, as the city is surrounded by evergreen trees on one side and ocean on the other. I only got to spend an afternoon in the city, but got to see the iconic Space Needle, the “Seattle Waterfront” and the Public Market. The city had such a cool vibe, very energetic and hip. I hope to return again soon to visit for longer!

I also had the pleasure of seeing my friend Janet in Seattle, of whom I met earlier this year on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. We had a fun night reminiscing about our experiences on the Camino with Spanish wine. It was crazy meeting her in Spain in May and  then chatting together in the US a few months later. She was also nice enough to offer me a bed to crash for the night.

The next day I headed southbound to Oregon, in which I visited Portland, Eugene and Bend. I didn’t like Portland nearly as much I liked Seattle, however it was pleasant to visit for an afternoon. I far liked Bend out of all, as it was near the mountains and had a chill vibe. It reminded me much of Colorado.

One of the most unique (and equally sad) spots I visited in Oregon was the Japanese Bomb memorial near Lakeview, OR. This was the only known place where civilians died on United States soil from enemy attacks during World War II. Learn more about this memorial on my Instagram post, here.

Final Thoughts

Earlier this year, I wasn’t even planning to return to the United States during the course of my World Trip. After a swift decision however, I came back and I’m glad I did. I saw much of the U.S. that I had never seen before and saw Canada for the first time. I visited some cool cities, was awed at amazing vistas and enjoyed much of nature. If you’re considering a road trip around North America, just do it! You won’t regret the decision.