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

by - August 10, 2024

Prologue - The Vagabond Couple's 2nd trans-America road-trip: The Key Turns

Elephant Butte, Monument Valley, Navajo Nation (Arizona), USA
Elephant Butte, Monument Valley, Navajo Nation (Arizona), USA

Hello traveler! My name is Shehzadi, which literally translates to "the king's daughter", thus "princess". I am a Toyota Tundra, a twin-turbo V6 heart wrapped in steel and my purpose was redefined one June morning in Hyattsville, Maryland. My humans - the ones I call The Vagabond Couple - loaded my bed with bags that smelled of adventure and coffee, patted my dashboard and pointed my grille west. This was not just another trip. This was The One. A 31-day, 9,000-mile loop around the vast, breathing body of a continent they call America. My elder brother, a monster first-generation SVT Raptor, named Storm Trooper, who was built for desert racing, had done a similar 7,500-mile road-trip with my humans before from Maryland to Banff and Jasper in Canada and back, but it was my turn now for an epic adventure.

For 9,000 of those miles, I was their rolling home, their shield from desert sun and mountain hail, their trusted steed on winding switchbacks and endless interstates. This is our story, told through my wheels and their wanderlust. It is a story of where the pavement ends and memory begins.

For, I’m not just metal and numbers
I’m a witness, a moving page
From America’s red rock cathedrals

So when the night is quiet
And the road hums soft and low
Know this, traveler, know it well
A parked truck still wants to go

They’ll turn the key when ready
I’ll answer the way I do
Because freedom loves motion
And the road still knows my name

I am Shehzadi
Built to roam, not stay
Princess of dust and borders
And I’m just getting started
Ask the road. It’ll say the same.


The Logbook: Our 23 Chapters

Here are the 23 episodes of our epic journey as we traverse the states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and return through Virginia into Maryland. You can click on each link for a deep dive into our road-trip.

Act I: The Eastern Gate to the Great Divide

Hoosier Pass, Continental Divide, Colorado, USA
Hoosier Pass, Continental Divide, Colorado, USA

The journey began with a familiar hum - the sound of leaving.

Act II: The Red Rock Cathedral

Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA

Here, the earth showed its artistry and I learned the taste of dust.

Act III: Deserts, Dams and Alien Skies

Artist's Drive in Death Valley, California, USA
Artist's Drive in Death Valley, California, USA

We traded natural wonders for human myths and extreme earth.

  • Episode 9: Zion to the Edge of the Extraterrestrial Highway
    URL: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2024/07/trans-america-overland-road-trip-part-9-zion-utah-las-vegas-hoover-dam-lake-mead-extraterrestrial-et-highway-nevada.html
    A long, hot drive. I blinked in the glare of the Las Vegas Strip, a bizarre human anthill. I stood parked at the foot of Hoover Dam, feeling the concrete vibrate with the power of the trapped Colorado River. Then, I carried them into the vast, empty silence of the Nevada desert, where the only company was the occasional Joshua tree and the promise of strange secrets.
  • Episode 10: E.T. Highway to Death Valley, California
    URL: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2024/07/trans-america-overland-road-trip-part-10-extraterrestrial-hwy-area-51-weird-nevada-mojave-desert-art-sculpture-death-valley.html
    This stretch of Nevada, anchored by the Extraterrestrial Highway (SR-375), transforms the lore of Area 51 and government secrecy into a kitschy, playful roadside experience, featuring alien-themed pit stops like E.T. Fresh Jerky, the Alien Research Center, and the famous Little A'Le'Inn in the remote town of Rachel.

    "The Last Supper" by Albert Szukalski, Goldwell Open Air Museum, Rhyolite, Nevada, USA
    "The Last Supper" by Albert Szukalski, Goldwell Open Air Museum, Rhyolite, Nevada, USA
    Beyond the UFO culture, the surrounding desert near historic ghost towns hosts surreal art installations, including the whimsical decorated vehicles of the Goldfield Art Car Park Gallery, the post-apocalyptic International Car Forest of the Last Church with its graffitied cars planted in the earth, and the haunting, open-air sculptures of the Goldwell Open Air Museum, where ghostly plaster figures stand silently against the vast Mojave landscape.

    International Car Forest of the Last Church, Goldfield, Nevada, USA
    International Car Forest of the Last Church, Goldfield, Nevada, USA

    Then, we descended. And descended. The air grew thicker, hotter. We crossed a line into a place that felt like another planet: Death Valley.
  • Episode 11: Death Valley, California
    URL: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2025/03/trans-america-overland-road-trip-part-11-death-valley-california-usa.html
    My systems worked hard here. My temperature gauge, which had seen the cool peaks of Colorado, now read 130°F at Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America. They stood on salt flats that shimmered like a broken mirror, in a silence so complete it was deafening. I idled patiently, my coolant circulating, a testament to engineering in a land that defies life.

Act IV: The Western Arc and the Turn for Home

Antelope Canyon, Navajo Nation (Arizona), USA
Antelope Canyon, Navajo Nation (Arizona),  USA

We reached our farthest west, then my nose turned, instinctively, toward the east.

Act V: Sacred Lands and Cosmic Questions

Valley of the Gods, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, USA
Valley of the Gods, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, USA

The journey turned inward, seeking spirit and mystery.

  • Episode 16: Monument Valley to Durango, Colorado
    URL: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2024/07/trans-america-overland-road-trip-part-16-monument-valley-of-the-gods-mexican-hat-gooseneck-san-juan-river-bend-bluff-utah-durango-colorado.html
    This was a drive of icons, a journey through landscapes that felt both monumental and sacred. The pilgrimage along US-163 towards the iconic buttes of Monument Valley is a rite of passage, yet the true communion began when I left the pavement, tracing the offroad trails that wind directly between those towering buttes, their colossal forms rising like ancient gods from the very dust my tires stirred. This spirit of intimate exploration continued as I navigated the unpaved loop through the Valley of the Gods, a gallery of immense sandstone sentinels, and paused before its famous, gravity-defying bookends: the sombrero-shaped pinnacle of Mexican Hat and the fortress-like profile of Alhambra Rock. The geological drama reached a breathtaking crescendo at Goosenecks State Park, where I stood at the rim to witness the San Juan River's spectacular double bends carving a thousand-foot-deep, serpentine canyon through epochs of stone. Connecting these experiences, the path led on, past the historic town of Bluff, a quiet sentinel on the edge of this vast terrain where ancient petroglyphs are etched into canyon walls, serving as a direct whisper from the past. Rolling through this continuum - from the patient, relentless work of the river below to the footprints of ancestors in stone and the cathedral-like valleys I drove within - I moved with nothing but a respectful hum, feeling a guest granted passage through a profoundly ancient and hallowed space.
  • Episode 17: Durango, Colorado to Roswell, New Mexico
    URL: https://thevagabondcouple.blogspot.com/2024/07/trans-america-overland-road-trip-part-17-durango-colorado-roswell-new-mexico-ufo-alien-crash-landing.html
    From solid rock to flying saucers. The high desert led us to Roswell, where the humans embraced pure, joyful kitsch. They visited museums dedicated to crashes and little green men.

    Alien at Area-51 section of International UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell, New Mexico, USA
    Alien at Area-51 section of International UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell, New Mexico, USA

    I was parked next to a statue of a cartoon alien. It was bizarre and wonderful - a testament to the human need for mystery, for stories that reach beyond the known horizon.

Act VI: The Southern Swing – River, Ranch and Rhythm

Crossing the Rio Grande river to Mexico on a rowboat at Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
Crossing the Rio Grande river to Mexico on a rowboat at Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA (it is easier to just wade across!)

The map bent south, toward heat, flavor and a different pulse.

Act VII: The Mighty River and the Crescent City

Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

We followed the great, muddy spine of the continent to its most vibrant end.

Act VIII: The Long Road Home

Hot Boiled Peanuts at Gas Station in Alabama, USA
Hot Boiled Peanuts at Gas Station in Alabama, USA

The final push, a marathon of memory and familiar sights.

🗺️ Vagabond Couple's 2nd Trans-America Overland Route Analysis

9,000-Mile Journey: Hyattsville, MD to Hyattsville, MD: Summary of the Journey's Arc

  • Total Calculated Distance: The final odometer reading of 8,939 miles confirms the "9,000-mile" claim, accounting for in-town exploration and side trips.
  • Narrative Geography: The route was a curated narrative arc: Departure → Western Natural Wonders → Southwestern Culture → Southern Heartland → Reflective Return.
  • Thematic Journey: The trip physically traced a path through the "Continent's Contrasts", from below-sea level salt flats to 14,000-foot peaks, from ancient Native lands to Space Age conspiracy and from silent deserts to the beating heart of jazz.


Route Leg Key Stops & States Odometer (Cumulative) Major Attractions & Themes Travelers' Notes & Narrative Beats
Leg 1
Departure & Heartland		 Hyattsville, MD → St. Louis, MO
(via MD, WV, OH, IN, IL)		 0 - ~1,180 mi Appalachian Mountains (I-68), Sideling Hill Cut, Midwest farmlands, Gateway Arch. The journey begins. Transition from East Coast density to the open Midwest. First major landmark: the Mississippi River at St. Louis. "Shehzadi's" first 1,000 miles.
Leg 2
Plains to Rockies		 St. Louis, MO → Colorado Springs, CO
(via MO, KS, CO)		 ~1,180 - ~1,800 mi Endless Kansas plains, dramatic rise of the Rockies, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak (14,115 ft). A study in contrasts: hypnotic flatness to towering peaks. Conquering "America's Mountain" establishes a theme of geographic extremes.
Leg 3
Colorado Plateau & Canyon Country		 Colorado Springs, CO → Page, AZ
(via CO, UT, AZ)		 ~1,800 - ~3,200 mi Hoosier Pass, Moab (Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point), Bryce Canyon, Zion Narrows, Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend. The core of the "Red Rock Cathedral." Deep immersion in the Southwest's geological wonders. Vehicle ("Shehzadi") proves itself on Sand Flats off-road trail.
Leg 4
The Western Arc & Turnaround		 Page, AZ → Oakhurst, CA
(via AZ, NV, CA)		 ~3,200 - ~4,500 mi Monument Valley, Extraterrestrial Hwy (NV), Death Valley (-282 ft), Tioga Pass, Yosemite NP. Sacred landscapes meet alien lore. Reaching the ultimate extremes: from iconic buttes to the hottest, lowest place. The westernmost point is reached near Fresno, CA.
Leg 5
Southwest & Southern Deserts		 Oakhurst, CA → Terlingua, TX
(via CA, AZ, NM, TX)		 ~4,500 - ~6,200 mi Grand Canyon, Route 66, Roswell UFO sites, Rio Grande border crossing (Boquillas, Mexico). Pivoting south and east. Cultural exploration blends with myth (UFOs) and history (Route 66). The intimate, peaceful border crossing at Big Bend is a highlight.
Leg 6
Texas & Gulf Coast		 Terlingua, TX → Lafayette, LA
(via TX, LA)		 ~6,200 - ~7,100 mi Remote West Texas, San Antonio Riverwalk, Houston, heart of Cajun Country. Shift from remote wilderness to vibrant urban and cultural hubs. Introduction to the deep flavors and music of French Louisiana.
Leg 7
Deep South & Mississippi Delta		 Lafayette, LA → New Orleans, LA
(via LA)		 ~7,100 - ~7,500 mi Baton Rouge (Mississippi River), New Orleans (French Quarter, French Market, jazz). Reunion with the mighty Mississippi. Total immersion in the sensory and cultural tapestry of New Orleans, the journey's final planned destination.
Leg 8
The Appalachian Return		 New Orleans, LA → Hyattsville, MD
(via LA, MS, AL, TN, VA, WV, MD)		 ~7,500 - 8,939 mi Hot boiled peanuts (AL), Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, Washington D.C. Beltway. The long, reflective drive home. Embracing familiar regional comforts and landscapes, culminating in the completion of the 9,000-mile loop.
TABLE 1: STOPS AND ATTRACTIONS


Geological, Geographical & Cultural Route Analysis

The Vagabond Couple's 9,000-Mile Trans-America Journey: the Continent's Story in Rock and Culture

This journey physically traversed the major physiographic provinces of North America: the Coastal Plain, Appalachian Mountains, Interior Plains, Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, Basin and Range, and the Sierra Nevada. Each province tells a chapter in the continent's geological biography, from ancient sea beds to violent mountain building and profound erosion.

Culturally, the route mapped a parallel story: from the political foundations on the East Coast, through the agricultural heartland and the myths of the West, into the deep Indigenous and Hispanic roots of the Southwest, through the borderlands and into the unique cultural cauldrons of the Gulf South, before returning to the source. The trip was not just a tour of places, but a journey through the layered human history inscribed upon a monumental physical stage.

Region & Route Segment Geological & Geographical Features (Altitude) Historical, Social & Cultural Notes
1. Appalachian Corridor
Hyattsville, MD to St. Louis, MO
  • Appalachian Mountains: Ancient, eroded fold mountains. (Sideling Hill Cut: ~1,000-1,500 ft / 300-450 m).
  • Allegheny Plateau: Dissected plateau region.
  • Midwestern Till Plains: Glacially smoothed plains and river valleys.
  • Mississippi River: Major continental drainage basin.
  • Historic Routes: Follows parts of the old National Road (US-40) and I-70, pathways of westward expansion.
  • Industrial & Agricultural Heartland: Transition from East Coast urbanity to the vast agricultural "breadbasket" of America.
  • Gateway Arch: Monument to 19th-century westward expansion (Manifest Destiny), symbolizing St. Louis as the "Gateway to the West."
2. Great Plains to Front Range
St. Louis, MO to Colorado Springs, CO
  • Great Plains: Vast, flat sedimentary basin. (Topeka, KS: ~950 ft / 290 m).
  • Pikes Peak Granite: 1.4-billion-year-old pink granite batholith.
  • Front Range of the Rockies: Dramatic uplift at the edge of the Plains. (Pikes Peak Summit: 14,115 ft / 4,302 m).
  • Garden of the Gods: Striking red sandstone fins (Fountain Formation).
  • Pioneer Trails: I-70 corridor parallels the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails.
  • "America's Mountain": Pikes Peak inspired the song "America the Beautiful." Its cog railway is an engineering marvel.
  • Native History: The Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes consider the Garden of the Gods sacred.
3. Colorado Plateau
Colorado Springs, CO to Page, AZ
  • Continental Divide: At Hoosier Pass (11,542 ft / 3,518 m).
  • Colorado Plateau: A vast, largely undisturbed sedimentary layer cake of rock. (Avg. elevation 5,000-8,000 ft / 1,500-2,400 m).
  • Iconic Formations: Arches (Entrada Sandstone), Hoodoos (Claron Formation), Slot Canyons (Navajo Sandstone).
  • Grand Canyon: Superlative erosional feature, exposing 2 billion years of geologic history.
  • Living Native Cultures: Heart of Navajo (Diné), Ute, Pueblo and Hopi nations. Monument Valley is a sacred Navajo (Diné) landscape.
  • Mormon Pioneer History: Settlement trails and towns throughout Utah.
  • Recreation & Conservation: Moab is a global hub for outdoor adventure. National Parks (Arches, Zion, Bryce) represent the "best idea" of American land preservation.
4. Basin and Range / Sierra Nevada
Page, AZ to Oakhurst, CA
  • Basin and Range Province: Parallel mountain ranges separated by flat valleys (e.g., Mojave Desert).
  • Death Valley: Pull-apart basin, North America's lowest point (Badwater Basin: -282 ft / -86 m).
  • Sierra Nevada Batholith: Massive granite formation. (Tioga Pass: 9,943 ft / 3,031 m).
  • Alabama Hills: Weathered granite formations, part of the Owens Valley fault zone.
  • Extraction & Boom/Bust: History of borax mining in Death Valley; gold and silver mining in the Sierra.
  • Modern Myths: Area 51 and UFO culture rooted in Cold War secrecy within the remote Great Basin.
  • Protection of Extremes: Death Valley and Yosemite as protected extremes of desert and alpine environments.
  • Cinematic Landscape: Alabama Hills is a iconic Hollywood filming location for Westerns.
5. Southwestern Deserts & Rio Grande
Oakhurst, CA to Terlingua, TX
  • Sonoran & Chihuahuan Deserts: Distinct desert ecosystems with signature flora (saguaro, ocotillo).
  • Rio Grande Rift: A major continental rift zone. (Big Bend area: ~1,800-3,500 ft / 550-1,070 m).
  • Chisos Mountains: A "sky island" mountain range within the desert.
  • Edwards Plateau: Limestone plateau at the edge of the Hill Country.
  • Ancient Trade Routes: Route 66 and I-40 follow ancient paths. The Rio Grande has been a cultural corridor for millennia.
  • Borderland Culture: A fluid region of blended Mexican and American influences. The Boquillas crossing exemplifies peaceful, daily transnational life.
  • Ranching & Cowboy Lore: The heart of American cowboy mythology and modern ranching culture (Pecos, TX).
  • Roswell Incident: A 20th-century myth that transformed a small desert town into a cultural icon.
6. Gulf Coastal Plain & Mississippi Delta
Terlingua, TX to New Orleans, LA
  • Coastal Plain: Flat, low-lying sedimentary deposits. (Houston: ~80 ft / 24 m).
  • Mississippi River Delta: A massive, dynamic wetland built by river sediment. (New Orleans avg. elevation: -1 to 2 ft / -0.3 to 0.6 m).
  • Bayous & Swamps: Slow-moving waterways and forested wetlands.
  • Lake Pontchartrain: A large brackish estuary.
  • Acadian (Cajun) Diaspora: Lafayette is the cultural center of the exiled French-Canadian Acadians, with a unique language, music (zydeco) and cuisine.
  • Port Cities & Trade: Houston (energy), Baton Rouge (industry) and New Orleans (historic port) are economic powerhouses defined by the river and Gulf.
  • Cultural Fusion: New Orleans is a unique blend of French, Spanish, African, Caribbean and American cultures.
  • Resilience & Adaptation: History of hurricanes, floods and the engineering challenges of living in a sinking delta (levees, pumps).
7. Appalachian Return
New Orleans, LA to Hyattsville, MD
  • Mississippi Alluvial Plain: Fertile floodplain ("the Delta").
  • Appalachian Mountains (South & Central): Includes the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. (Clingmans Dome: 6,643 ft / 2,025 m).
  • Shenandoah Valley: A limestone valley between mountain ridges.
  • Piedmont Region: Rolling plateau east of the mountains.
  • Civil War History: A corridor dense with battlefields and strategic sites.
  • Appalachian Culture: Distinct music (bluegrass), crafts and dialects in the Smokies.
  • Agrarian to Urban: Transition from rural Southern landscapes to the dense, political hub of the Northeast Corridor (Washington D.C.).
  • The Road Home: This leg reflects on the completed loop, experiencing familiar Eastern landscapes with new perspective.
TABLE 2: GEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS


The Maps of Our Memory

The Vagabond Couple Transcontinental North America USA Overland Road-Trip Route Map
The Vagabond Couple Transcontinental North America (USA) Overland Road-Trip Route Map

Our entire 9,000-mile loop, a record of every turn and stop:

  1. Vagabond Couple's 2nd USA Cross-Country Driving Map - Part 1: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=13MTWNt7EgZ6w056_FxwqPwqrl1Oe7wE
  2. Vagabond Couple's 2nd USA Cross-Country Driving Map - Part 2: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1ewqNRvx9m5lvGDvG1qJ9OuDTDOGBILQ

Epilogue: The Garage, the Dream, the Next Road

Now I sit in my familiar garage. Not all of the red dust of Utah has been washed away (some will be still present as I drive across the globe to India next year!)

The pine needles from the Smokies have been vacuumed out. But if you listen closely, you can still hear the echo of the desert wind in my door seals, feel the phantom vibration of Tennessee backroads in my frame.

My humans are different. Their definition of "home" has expanded to include the scent of a high mountain pass, the silence of a canyon at dawn, the warm welcome of a Cajun kitchen. They traveled 9,000 miles to understand the scale of their country and in doing so, they made me more than a truck. I became a vessel for their dream, a trusted companion on the greatest road of their lives.

The key is off. The journey is logged. But every truck knows this truth: a journey ended is just a journey waiting to begin. The road is out there, whispering. And when they're ready to answer, my engine will be waiting to turn over, once again and sing its song.

Drive on with us:

- Shehzadi (and the Vagabond Couple)

Share
Tweet
Pin
Tags : ,

You May Also Like

0 comments