By Paige Udermann
Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” blared over the speakers as my new husband, Eric, and I embarked on a monthlong road trip across the U.S. Our goals included jumping into icy glacial lakes, spending time with friends and family, camping under the stars and making lifelong memories. I can assure you we thoroughly accomplished each one.
This was the second part of our honeymoon, so Eric and I were blessed to have ample time to explore. After getting married in June 2023, we had already spent time overseas, and now it was time for our stateside travel escapade.
South Dakota
Joining the early commuters in Minnesota, we began our drive in the wee hours of a fine July morning. Our destination? The Black Hills in South Dakota. Along the way, we stopped at Badlands National Park for a hike and then the infamous Wall Drug to get a free donut, offered to all honeymooners. We also searched for the mystical jackalope and drove by Mount Rushmore. By the time we reached our campsite that evening, we were exhausted.
Wyoming
The sun woke us bright and early the next morning so we could head toward our next stop: Grand Teton National Park. The name does not disappoint; the jagged, expansive mountain range is more than grand—it is magnificent. We arrived in time for an evening trail run and a jump into our first glacial lake. The views were nothing short of spectacular; it was as if the heavens opened as we bore witness to the light streaming through the clouds, reflecting off the snowcapped mountains and icy water. Eric and I were in disbelief that we still had an entire month of exploration ahead of us.
Daylight turned to stark darkness and the black of night waned into the soft glow of morning as we headed out on our first of many hikes in the mountains. Along the way, we saw waterfalls, moose, marmots and more glacial lakes awaiting a swim. We later left the nature-filled solitude and explored the mountain town of Jackson Hole, WY. Jackson Hole is utterly unique and filled with shops, delicious restaurants, views of the mountains and elk antler archways that will leave you astounded. While feeling fortunate to have one evening in this lovely town, we longed for more time to spend there and in Grand Teton. Luckily, more mountains were in our near future.
Oregon
Photo by Paige Udermann
We then made our way to Oregon. Crater Lake National Park in Southern Oregon caused Eric and I to stand breathless, marveling at the scenery. There is no good way to describe the looks on our faces as the lake came into view—jaws open, eyes wide, minds wondering how such a place could exist. The color is a stunning, piercing blue like you have never seen before. And, the knowledge that this lake is one of the deepest in the world is incredible. At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake formed from a mountain that collapsed from a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. With the lake getting an average of 42 feet of snow each year, we visited during the few short months visitors can viably swim in the frigid water. A steep hike led us to the water’s edge where a quick swim in the crystal-clear water left us gasping for breath due to its cold temperature. It was an expedition to remember.
We camped for one night close to the park before heading up to Eugene, OR, to visit family. We received a brief tour of the charming city before heading into the mountains once again. One amazing feature of the Northwest is the ability to live both an urban and outdoor-centered lifestyle so seamlessly. It took less than an hour before we were driving through dense forests begging to be explored. We soon hit the trail on a brief backpacking trip in the Diamond Peak Wilderness. We set up camp next to another glacial lake, which we had all to ourselves. After a long day of hiking, we were thankful for a swim with nothing but the sound of birds singing, which was beginning to be the anthem of our trip.
Back in Eugene a day later, Eric and I parted ways with our family only to be visiting more family in Portland. We spent a day in the city and then ventured to the ocean. While our time spent in the mountains thus far had offered breathtaking views, the Oregon coast was a new type of wonder. Expansive beaches, massive rock formations, cool breezes, rugged shorelines and storybook sunsets—a pleasant sense of ease washed over me. I soaked it in because our time on the coast was short-lived. We had a mountain to climb.
Washington
Photo by Paige Udermann
It has been a dream of Eric’s brother, Josh, to climb Mount Adams in southern Washington. The 12,280-foot active volcano is often overlooked amidst other well-known mountains such as Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, but being secluded and off the beaten path was one of its unique draws. Josh, Eric and I camped at the mountain’s base the evening before our climb. There was an air of excitement as we tried to sleep for the early morning ahead. At 2:30 a.m., our alarms blared. We gathered our equipment and began our hike with headlamps lighting the way. A few hours later the sun began to rise and illuminate views of other volcanoes in the Cascade Range. The terrain morphed from a trail to large rocks to a glacier. We put our crampons on, took out our ice axes and continued through the snow.
As we neared the top almost eight hours later, there was a break in the snow and it became a full-on scramble. We deemed it unsafe, so we made the difficult decision to turn around at over 11,000 feet. Although slightly disappointed, we were still in high spirits because the day had simply been exceptional. The way down went far more quickly than the climb up due to a technique called glissading. Glissading is the act of descending by sitting and sliding down the mountain, using an ice axe to control your speed. It is like going down a never-ending slide. I am most certain you could hear our laughs from Mount Rainier nearly 50 miles away—we felt like kids on nature’s playground.
We drove away from the mountain feeling thankful for the climb and determined to summit at a future date. Back in Portland, we said our goodbyes as nostalgia for our time together was already setting in.
We spent the day driving up to Port Angeles, WA, where we met up with our close friend and his girlfriend. They had heard of a backpacking route in Olympic National Park and wanted to check it out with us, so we set off with the familiar anthem of birdsong in the background. As we trekked, we took notice of the grandeur of the trees surrounding us. Their trunks were wide, and the tops reached so high it seemed they would touch the clouds. We did not think it could get better, but then we reached our secluded campsite called Bruce’s Roost. It was one of the most stunning sites Eric and I had ever stayed at. We had a 360-degree view of striking mountains, leaving us in awe once again.
Our hike the next day provided sweeping views of mountain lakes, waterfalls, forests and rock formations. We reached our car far too soon but found our way to a brewery for a well-deserved pizza and beer.
That night, we camped in the backyard of our friend’s family, and we couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as we fell asleep to the sounds of a suburban neighborhood. We were ready to escape back into the wild. That is one remarkable thing about spending time in nature—you recognize the noise pollution and constant stimulation of modern life.
Montana
Photo by Paige Udermann
Our next escape was Glacier National Park, Montana. After stopping in Coeur d’Alene, ID, for an evening, we arrived at the famed park. Known for its glaciers, meadows, lakes and trails, Glacier ignited a hunger for exploration unlike any other stop on our journey. It immediately felt like a sort of paradise with its vast array of possibilities.
Our first full day in Glacier began before sunrise with a drive on the renowned Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road winds its way through the park and beholds vistas unlike any other. We arrived at the trailhead for the Highline Trail and were one of the first to begin the hike. This hike is one of the more popular ones in the park and for good reason; it seems as if you get a taste of every bit of the park in one hike. At every turn, Eric and I shared in our disbelief at what lay before our eyes.
At one point, a spur trail juts off the main path taking thrill-seekers up a precarious route leading to a view of Grinnell Glacier. Unsurprisingly, Eric and I immediately set forth to experience the view for ourselves. As we clambered up the rocky terrain, the trail narrowed and the grade of the drop-off to the right of the trail only increased. My heart began to beat faster as I forced myself to go on. This continued until my fear of heights overtook my determination and I chose to stop. I sent my fearless husband on without me to take a picture so I could revel in the beauty from the safety of flat ground.
After returning to the main trail, we made a brief stop at a quaint chalet to eat lunch and then began the hike back. We returned to our car with tired legs and happy hearts after our 17-mile trek.
Two days and many more hikes later, we bagan on our last hike in the park. Eric had gotten a spectacular view of Grinnell Glacier from above, but on this day, we would traverse to the glacier itself. Throughout our entire trip, we marveled at the blue skies we had been blessed with each day. This particular morning, however, the skies were not only gray, but we were hiking in the clouds. It was a welcomed change that brought a different perspective to our hike. The colors of the lakes, trees and rocks were all accentuated with a vast contrast to the gray. As we got closer to the glacier, we saw bighorn sheep and more marmots, and then our view slowly diminished. We knew we were at Grinnell Glacier only because of the dot marking our location on the AllTrails app; any further view was obstructed by cloud coverage. We could, however, enjoy the ominous view of the water.
While we were committed to our goal of jumping into glacial lakes, this lake proved to surpass the limit to which we would go to meet it. Large icebergs floated about, and dipping even the tip of my pinky in the water sent a shiver through my entire body. Maybe next time.
Later, we took one last wistful glance as Glacier National Park disappeared out of our rearview mirror.
Onto Boseman, MT, we drove. Here, we spent a few days with Eric’s friend who is a recent Boseman transplant. He took us on a flower-filled hike near Big Sky, a leisurely tube ride down a river and a visit to hot springs to relax our worn-out limbs. We also visited several fantastic restaurants. We were sad to leave, but our trip was coming to an end.
Over the course of the next few days, we worked our way back to Minnesota.
Wisconsin
We marked the end of our month-long journey in Door County, WI, trading mountain views for midwestern lakes and cabins. Eric and I reflected on the fairytale life we had been living and embraced how it would soon morph into normalcy as newlyweds.
The birdsong that followed us home reminded us that with the end of one adventure comes the beginning of the next.
