Thanks for following us still through this epic journey! To start, I will share a map of the route we took again so we can all be on the same page if you missed out on the last blog. We drove our 2018 4Runner loaded with everything we needed. We averaged about 300 miles on a full tank. I mention this so you can take into account fuel and rest stops. We did pack extra fuel in case (7 gallons in 2x 3.5gallon rotorpax, link-https://amzn.to/32636a4 ), as keep in mind not all gas stations are 24/7. I will do a future post about the 4Runner setup for this trip.
I would like to say before we started this trip, we couldn’t find much info about this trip posted for people driving. The trick from the research we gathered was to try to leave after your local rush hour and try to gain as much ground through the night as there is very limited traffic, the other benefit of this is after all that driving and getting tired the sun will come up and give you a boost. This trick indeed worked on this trip as we were gaining time driving west.
So we started our drive Thursday evening at 6pm August 1st out of Frisco, Texas. I was glad to hit the road as it was hot as hell here and the 50 degree weather in Canada was calling my name! We got to Wichita Falls and stopped for fuel, as the next big city was Amarillo. We stopped in Amarillo and stretched then hit the road for Denver. We didn’t quite make it to Denver before Laena’s energy drink wore off so we stopped at Pueblo, Colorado to get gas and swap drivers. By Friday morning at 7am we made it into Denver and stopped for Breakfast.
Photo from my potato in Pueblo, Colorado
We ate at Snooze so that we could wait out some of the traffic, so we ended up hitting the road about an hour later. Next stop was in Cheyenne, Wyoming and we switched drivers again. We stopped at Casper, Wyoming and this is when we started hitting a little more traffic. Turns out Sturgis (motorcycle rally) was happening the upcoming weekend, it was neat to see all the bikes with plates from everywhere in the states converging to Sturgis,South Dakota for this event. Definitely made the drive less boring.
Photo from my potato in Wyoming
We stopped at Sheridan, Wyoming next and swapped drivers as we were both getting very exhausted. After grabbing more snacks and drinks we made our way to Billings, Wyoming next and stopped for fuel and to stretch. We were getting SO close to that border at this point. Next stop was Great Falls, Montana and we would be about 1.5 hours away from the Sweet Grass border crossing. Things took a turn for us as we neared Great Falls…
A rough storm system came in bringing rain and strong winds. We had the tent on top of the 4Runner and it acted as a kite so we were getting tossed all over the road. Laena white-knuckled it through the storm but after that we decided to grab a hotel in Great Falls to get rest and wait out the rest of the storm. The next morning We made it to the Sweet Grass border crossing and headed towards Calgary.
So some tips that I would recommend!
Drive at night if possible, you will gain the most ground due to no traffic and if you time it just right, the sun will wake you up as you get tired
If you’re fortunate enough to drive with another person, swap driving every few hours and nap when you’re not driving
When you get gas or stop anywhere STRETCH!! Don’t just use the restroom, fill up and hop back in. STRETCH! My chiropractor Dr. Kent Lee has shared this with me and it helps keep you alert.
If you are driving at night and have the means, carry extra fuel. A lot of the smaller gas stations close overnight and we ran into an instance where one ran out of fuel!
Personal thoughts on the drive
The drive was indeed long and exhausting. No offense to my Wyoming and Montana people but that was probably one of the worst parts of the drive. Amarillo wasn’t very amusing either, but it was neat seeing Cadillac Ranch on the way back as the sun went down. Colorado will definitely keep you awake with the elevation, twisties and lack of guardrails leading into the abyss with one wrong turn. We stopped a lot more frequently than we would’ve liked, but I feel like resting in Great Falls was perfect as we didn’t realize how exhausted we truly were until we checked into the hotel.
In the next post we’ll talk about our stay in Calgary!
Check out what I shoot with! https://dhophoto.com/blog/my-essentials