It’s been a long two weeks on the road with just two suitcases, our beagle Amstel, and our Subaru. We saw a lot of the United States that we’d never seen before. We logged nearly 3,000 miles in total and traveled through seven states including Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

You really get to know a vehicle on a trip like this. The Subaru Forester performed flawlessly, got relatively good gas mileage and was extremely comfortable. Traveling cross-country in this small SUV really has me rethinking my plan to buy a Tesla 3, I may have to go with the Model Y instead. When I finally do get my Tesla (hopefully this year) I’d love to do a road trip like this to break it in.

We saw some beautiful sights during this trip and some heart-wrenching ones. The levels of poverty we saw in some parts of Kansas and Texas were much more severe than I imagined. The decimation of the little towns that dotted our route along the highway were a testament to how hard agricultural communities have been hit over the past few decades. It would take a small miracle for some of these towns to recover, yet their citizens trudge on...many with smiles on their faces. It was a great reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.

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I’d like to end this Road Trippin’ series of posts with my favorite hike of our entire trip. The West Fork Trail of Oak Creek.

West Fork Trail Slideshow

This hike was special. It was a total of just over six miles with thirteen creek crossings. The trail took you through a pine forest with mountain views in every direction the entire way. Click above to view the slideshow of pictures from our hike. Amstel ended up falling into an icy cold Oak Creek during one of the crossings but seemed to be invigorated by it.

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Thanks for joining me in this series of posts. Until next time, try not to get stuck in a bubble. Despite what the mainstream media would have you believe, the world is indeed a wondrous place.

With Gratitude,
~Eric Vance Walton~

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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.

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