Hello, everyone, and welcome to my travel blog! I’m Francis Kahura, a third-year History Education major at Westfield State University, and I’m thrilled to share my cross-country adventures with you. As a recent addition to the Westfield Voice staff, I’m excited to bring my travel experiences and insights to our campus community.
Whether you’re a prospective student, current community member, or fellow graduate, I hope you’ll find both inspiration and practical advice in these pages. My passion for exploring America’s diverse landscapes, histories, and cultures drives everything I write here.
Before we begin, a quick note: this blog updates monthly, and all opinions are entirely my own. I may not recall every detail from each trip perfectly, so I appreciate your patience and understanding as I share these stories. If you have questions or feedback, please reach out through the Westfield Voice or my school email.
Now, let’s embark on this journey together!
Before we begin, a few housekeeping items: this blog will be updated monthly, and all opinions expressed are my own. Plus, I may not remember all the details of every trip perfectly, so I appreciate your understanding and patience as I share these stories. If you have any questions or comments about this blog, feel free to reach out to me through the Westfield Voice or my school email address. Now, let’s get started on this journey together!
Chapter 1: The Departure [New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana]
On a crisp February morning, my family and I loaded our two Subaru vehicles with everything we’d need for an ambitious cross-country adventure. Our route would stretch over 2,500 miles from Springfield, Massachusetts—the birthplace of basketball—all the way to the West Coast, a journey we estimated would take nearly three weeks to complete. With our cars packed and our spirits high, we pulled onto the highway, ready for whatever awaited us on the road ahead.
Our first state was upstate New York, and honestly, we totally could’ve hit up Niagara Falls—it’s literally right off I-90 and absolutely iconic. Like, the water just cascades over this cliff and creates this insane mist you can see from miles away, and it’s the whole border between New York and Canada. Definitely worth the detour if you’re ever passing through. But nah, we were in go-mode and just powered through the Empire State like we had somewhere to be, trying to rack up as many miles as possible on day one.
Okay, so leaving New York, we rolled into Pennsylvania—yeah, the Declaration of Independence and Liberty Bell state. But like, we weren’t anywhere near Philly, so we just cruised through northwestern PA instead. We passed Erie (which is literally named after Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes), and honestly, the drive was pretty mild until we hit this scenic overlook in western Ohio called Conneaut Bank. Here, the views of Lake Erie were actually fire—we got some sick photos and finally stretched our legs after being cooped up in the car forever.
So yeah, we pulled into Maumee for our first night—it’s this cute little town south of Toledo that’s basically named after the river running through it. We grabbed a hotel right off the highway so we could actually sleep and not be totally dead for day two. Next morning, we hopped back on I-80 (which basically merges with I-90 out here) and crossed into Indiana. Here, there are tons of rest stops and random attractions scattered along these highways if you need a break, and Maumee’s got this whole historic downtown thing going on with old buildings and local shops that’s lowkey cool. But we were on a mission, so we just kept pushing toward Chicago, ready to check that off our list.
Chapter 2: Our Exploration of Chicago And Continued Journey into the Great Plains of South Dakota and Wyoming
Okay so we rolled into Illinois and hit up this train station near Chicago—literally the vibe was immaculate. We hopped on the next train heading downtown and lol, when we pulled in, the skyline just hit different. Like, those skyscrapers were absolutely towering over everything, and the whole city was just buzzing with energy. We spent some time exploring downtown and the Magnificent Mile, checking out iconic spots like the Chicago River and the Bean in Millennium Park (honestly, the Bean is lowkey the coolest sculpture ever). After vibing in the city for a bit, we caught the train back to grab our cars and then headed northwest into Wisconsin and kept pushing west into Minnesota. We ended up staying at a hotel in Rochester, which is basically the perfect spot if you’re trying to explore Minnesota’s outdoor scene. Minnesota’s literally called the State of 10,000 Lakes for a reason—it’s got lakes and forests everywhere, and the landscapes are genuinely stunning.Â
Honestly, if you’re an outdoors person, Minnesota is calling your name. The North Shore of Lake Superior? Absolutely unreal—like, the views will have you speechless. And if you’re really trying to go full nature mode, Lake Itasca is where the Mississippi River literally starts its whole journey south, which is lowkey iconic when you think about it. Definitely worth checking out if you’re trying to experience some of Minnesota’s most legendary natural spots.
Chapter 3: South Dakota’s Hidden Gems
We decided to stop and explore South Dakota rather than simply drive across the endless prairie—and it turned out to be an excellent decision. The moment we crossed the state line, the landscape transformed dramatically. The terrain opened up into vast prairies that stretched endlessly across the horizon, creating a sense of isolation and vastness. Since we were traveling in February, everything was blanketed in snow and bitterly cold. The overall atmosphere was both eerie and beautiful—a striking contrast that made the landscape feel both desolate and captivating.
Anyway, we posted up in Rapid City for the night, which is basically the perfect home base if you’re trying to check out the Black Hills region. And let me tell you, the Black Hills are actually fire once you understand the whole story. So apparently they’re called the “Black Hills” because of all these dark pine trees covering the mountains, making them look kinda dark from far away. Not because they’re actually black—which honestly would’ve been cooler, but whatever. The vibe is still immaculate.
From there, we hit up literally all the major attractions: Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, and Crazy Horse Memorial. And okay, I’m not gonna lie, seeing those four presidential faces carved into a mountain was absolutely insane. The whole visitor center had flags from all fifty states plus like fourteen US territories displayed, which was lowkey a whole flex on American geography. We even spotted this random glass statue of a woman with her arms stretched out at one of the overlooks, and it was giving mysterious energy.
Real talk though? The Badlands and Mount Rushmore are genuinely worth the stop. The scenery is unreal, and the history hits different when you’re actually standing there. South Dakota totally exceeded our expectations, and we were ready to keep pushing west into Wyoming.
Chapter 4: Wyoming and Utah’s Natural Majesty
Jackson Hole, Wyoming greeted us with the charm of an Old West town—rustic wooden buildings, weathered boardwalks, and the majestic Teton Range rising in the distance. While we didn’t encounter any actual cowboys or saloon doors, the authentic frontier aesthetic more than compensated for the missing Hollywood elements. We settled into a western-themed hotel for two nights, and the next morning, we rose before dawn to explore Grand Teton National Park with our guide, Claude. As our bus wound through the park, the snow-capped peaks of the Teton Range emerged against the pale morning sky, their summits glowing in the early light. That afternoon, we ventured to nearby Yellowstone National Park, home to some of Earth’s most remarkable geothermal features. We witnessed Old Faithful erupt with its famous regularity, a sight that, while less dramatic than Hollywood suggests, proved genuinely awe-inspiring in person.
After checking out and dipping from Wyoming with our souvenirs, we vibed southwest into Utah. Honestly, this state is literally a natural wonder—like, the red rock formations are absolutely insane, the canyons are stunning, and the desert views hit different. Fun fact: Utah was established back in the mid-1800s as a safe space for the Mormon community, and that religion still lowkey shapes the whole vibe of the state today. But lol, we were on a mission and just cruised through without stopping, ready to get to the next spot as we rolled into Nevada.
Chapter 5: Viva, Las Vegas!
So we rolled into Nevada—aka the “Silver State”—and the rocky landscape literally just melted into this crazy arid desert as we got closer to Las Vegas. And no B.S., Vegas was absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. We posted up at this bougie hotel for one night and then dipped to check out the Hoover Dam, which is literally just a quick drive from the city. Built back in the 1900s, this thing is lowkey one of the most insane engineering feats ever—like, it spans the entire Colorado River and powers the whole region with hydroelectric energy. But here’s where it gets absolutely wild: two different time zones literally meet at the dam. So you can literally stand with one foot in Arizona (Mountain Standard Time, year-round) and your other foot in Nevada (Pacific Time). Like, it could be 3:00 PM in Arizona while it’s 2:00 PM in Nevada at the same exact moment. Honestly? That experience was so unreal it had us shook.
Okay so after leaving Vegas, the five of us dipped into Southern California and honestly, the whole vibe just shifted—like, the desert literally faded into these gorgeous coastal views and massive cities popped up everywhere. We finally pulled up to San Bruno, this suburb just north of San Francisco, and lol, after weeks of being on the road, we were lowkey ready to be done. The next morning, we hopped on a quick train into downtown San Francisco and it was giving main character energy, fr fr. The buildings were cool and all, but the real main event? Driving down what is now Divisadero Road (historically, Discus Rd, lol), which is literally this iconic street where all the Victorian houses are painted in these insane pastel colors—like, it’s the aesthetic you see in every San Francisco Instagram post. Apparently a bunch of famous musicians from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s used to live there, which is lowkey sick when you think about it. And honestly? The whole city still has major hippie vibes from back in the day—like, you’d see people walking around in tie-dye and vintage band tees just keeping that counterculture energy alive. It was actually fire to witness that history still thriving in the present day.
Chapter 6: Epilogue
As our journey through San Francisco came to a close, I realized something that changed how I see the world: every mile we traveled, every stranger we met, and every unexpected detour taught me more than any textbook ever could. After saying goodbye to my sister, who decided to stay on the West Coast, I made one final drive through Nebraska and Iowa, and honestly? Those quiet stretches of highway gave me time to think about everything we’d accomplished. When we finally pulled into our driveway in Massachusetts, our dust-covered Subaru wasn’t just a car anymore—it was proof that we’d actually done it.
Here’s what I want you to know: you don’t need permission to explore, you don’t need to have everything figured out, and you definitely don’t need to wait for the “perfect time.” That time is now. Whether it’s a cross-country road trip or just discovering what’s hidden in your own backyard, the world is waiting for you to show up and experience it. Pack light, bring people who make you laugh, stay curious, and trust yourself to find your way. The adventures that scare you a little? Those are the ones worth taking. So go ahead—answer that call, chase that horizon, and come back with stories that remind you who you really are.
