Our First Cross-Continent Road Trip in USA & Canada: A Summary

The Loop, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana

Hey everyone, it’s us—The Vagabond Couple. If someone had told us a few years ago that we’d pack our lives into our SVT Raptor (yes, an iconic first generation desert racing pickup truck that we named Storm Trooper) and drive from our home in Maryland to the heart of the Canadian Rockies, we might have laughed. But that’s exactly what we did. This journey wasn't just a trip; it was a pilgrimage across the soul of North America, a testament to the wild beauty that lies just beyond the interstate exit ramp.

We chased horizons through nine states, stood in awe beneath carved presidents and ancient towers, felt the earth rumble in Yellowstone, and traced the spines of mountains from Glacier to Banff. We went from the humid East Coast to the arid Badlands, from geothermal fire to glacial ice, all from the cab of our trusty, 411-horsepower mid-perched and customized beast. It was the ultimate overland adventure: a massive loop of discovery, exhaustion, and pure, unadulterated joy.

For those of you dreaming of your own epic road trip, we’ve broken down our entire three-part journey below. Think of this as your index and inspiration guide. Dive into our full stories, feel the wind in your hair, and maybe start plotting your own escape.

The Whole Journey in a Nutshell

• Our Path: Germantown, Maryland → Canadian Rockies (Banff & Jasper) → Back home to Maryland.
• Our Steed: "Storm Trooper" our first-generation SVT Raptor. It swallowed our gear and conquered every mile.
• The Feel: A beautiful, exhausting, brilliant chaos of truck stops, mountain passes, tourist traps, silent forests, and endless asphalt.

Part 1: The Marathon Begin - East Coast to the Edge of the West

Germantown, Maryland to Wall, South Dakota

Our Full Story Here: Ice, Fire & Mountains Transcontinental North America USA & Canada Overland Trip | Part 1
Direct Link: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2018/07/trans-usa-canada-1-maryland-south-dakota.html

This was the launch. Two days, nine states, and a mission to put the East Coast in our rearview. It was less about destinations and more about the rhythm of the road. For a detailed visual of every twist and turn, check out our custom route map: USA Canada Transcontinental Drive Map.

• The Strategy: A straight-shot blitz west on I-70, I-80, and I-90. We wanted to reach the "real" West as fast as possible, but we learned the journey there is half the fun.
• Cultural Pit Stop: In New Concord, Ohio, we stepped back in time at the John & Annie Glenn Museum. It’s a humble but powerful tribute to pioneering spirit, housed in the astronaut's boyhood home. (See it on the map!)
• Can't-Miss Quirk: Pulling into the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott, Iowa, is an experience. It’s a small city dedicated to diesel and coffee, complete with a barbershop and movie theater. We loved every weird minute of it.
• Our Favorite Detour: Getting off I-80 in Iowa onto the sleepy backroads was a highlight. Suddenly, it was just us, the Raptor, rolling green hills, and those perfect, iconic red barns. This was the peaceful America we were searching for. (Marked as "Rural Iowa Pictures" on our map).
• Scenic Break: Just outside Omaha, we stretched our legs at the Scenic Overlook Tower at Loveland Overlook. The view of the Missouri River winding through the bluffs was a perfect preview of the wide-open spaces to come.
• Nightcap: Ending the leg in Wall, South Dakota at the legendary Wall Drug. After 1,400 miles, their promised free ice water tasted like victory. Before heading to the Badlands, we even caught a glimpse of local culture at the Wall Rodeo Arena.

Part 2: Where the Adventure Really Found Us

Badlands National Park to Glacier National Park, Montana

Our Full Story Here: Ice, Fire & Mountains Transcontinental North America USA & Canada Overland Trip | Part 2
Direct Link: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2018/07/south-dakota-wyoming-montana.html

Saint Mary Lake, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park

If Part 1 was the prologue, this was the heart of the novel. This is where we traded highway miles for jaw-dropping vistas and the map came alive. Follow our path through the parks on our map.

• First "Wow" Moment: Walking into Badlands National Park through the Pinnacles Entrance. It’s silent, harsh, and beautifully alien. Stops at the Sage Creek Basin and Wilderness Overlooks showed us the vast, layered expanse of this geologic wonder.
• The Famous Sights: Yes, we did Mount Rushmore. It’s a civic spectacle. And yes, we craned our necks at Devil's Tower National Monument. It humbles you with its sheer, solitary presence. Both are cliché for a reason.
• The Mountainous Approach: The drive west through Wyoming on the Big Horn Mountains Scenic Byway was unforgettable. Pullouts like the Shell Falls Interpretive Site offered rushing waterfalls and stunning forest views long before we reached Yellowstone.
• The Crown Jewel of the Leg: Yellowstone. We entered via the scenic East Entrance from Cody. Our map is dotted with stops: the bubbling Mud Caldron, the roaring Dragon's Mouth Spring, the iconic Old Faithful, and the colorful, steaming terraces of Norris Geyser Basin. It’s a living, breathing, boiling planet of its own.
• A Somber Stop: Heading north toward Glacier, we paused at Quake Lake (Earthquake Lake) in Montana. The visitor center and stark landscape tell the powerful, tragic story of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake—a reminder of the raw power of the earth we were traversing.
• The Drive of a Lifetime: Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Clinging to the side of the continent, we passed Lake McDonald, climbed to Logan Pass, and stopped at the Wild Goose Island Lookout over Saint Mary Lake. It was the perfect, challenging crescendo to our time in the States.

Part 3: Peak Majesty and the Long Road Home

Banff, Jasper, and the 3,200-Mile Return

Our Full Story Here: Ice, Fire & Mountains Transcontinental North America USA & Canada Overland Trip | Part 3
Direct Link: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2018/07/banff-jasper-columbia-icefield-athabasca-glacier-canadian-rockies.html

Crowfoot Glacier, Icefields Pkwy, Alberta, Canada

Crossing into Canada at Chief Mountain felt like entering a new world of even more dramatic peaks. This was the scenic payoff we’d driven thousands of miles for. The Icefields Parkway section of our map is especially dense with pins!

• A Calm Welcome: Our first stop in Canada was watching the sunset paint the sky over Vermilion Lakes in Banff. The reflection of Mount Rundle on the still water was our peaceful welcome.
• The Famous Poster Child: Lake Louise. Yes, it’s crowded. But when you see that turquoise water for the first time, framed by the Victoria Glacier, you forget everyone else. We walked the Lakeshore Trail to soak it all in.
• The Best Drive on the Planet: The Icefields Parkway (AB-93). Every turn is a new masterpiece. Our must-stops included:
  • Bow Lake Viewpoint: For the perfect reflection of the Crowfoot Glacier.
  • Saskatchewan River Crossing: A great rest stop where glacial rivers converge.
  • Weeping Wall & Panther Falls: Sheer cliff faces draped with cascading water.
  • Columbia Icefield: We toured the Athabasca Glacier on a massive Ice Explorer vehicle and walked on the ancient ice itself.
  • Tangle Creek Falls & Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint: More stunning waterfalls and panoramic glacier views right from the roadside.
• Mountain Town Life: We based ourselves in Canmore, AB, exploring its charming streets and historic railway lines. In Jasper, we celebrated reaching our northernmost point before the long trek home.
• The Homeward Blur: The drive back from Jasper to Maryland is a three-day marathon. Our map traces the route through Edmonton, Saskatoon, across the border at Portal, North Dakota, and down through Fargo and Minneapolis before the final sprint east. It was a necessary decompression, a time to process all we’d seen.

Table 1: Transcontinental North America Overland Drive — Route, Context & Notes

Our Parting Thought

This trip wired our souls to the landscape of this continent. It’s a cliché, but the journey truly was the destination. The cramped hours in the Raptor, the shared wonder at a new vista, the bad truck stop coffee, and the silent understanding between us when words weren't enough—that was the magic.

The roads are out there waiting. We've pinned them all on our map for you. All you have to do is point your wheels and go.

Do also check out our 2nd Cross Country drive, a 23-episode Trans-America USA + Mexico Overland 9,000-mile 31-day Roadtrip blog series summarized and indexed at "Shehzadi’s Song: A Tundra’s Tale of a 9,000-Mile Odyssey around the USA | A Summary of The Vagabond Couple's 2nd epic North American Cross-Country Road-Trip". 

Drive along with us:

• Vagabond Couple on YouTube
  
  
• Vagabond Couple on Facebook

— The Vagabond Couple (and Storm Trooper)

P.S. Want to Retrace Our Tracks? You can explore our entire 7,000-mile route and see every stop mentioned on our interactive Google Map: USA Canada Transcontinental Drive (Cross Country) - The Vagabond Couple