Editor's Note: If you've been following along with Scho & Jo's journey here at Waterway Guide, you know that their adventures didn't end when they earned their Gold Looper status. In fact, they were just getting started. Trading tides for trails, Jen and Elliot are taking their exploration beyond the water and into the mountains with their next great endeavor: From Sea to Summit—a cross-country expedition through all 50 states, U.S. National Parks, and Canadian provinces. Join us as we follow their latest chapter, proving once again that adventure is always within reach. Here's the first installment of their exciting new series.

We last left off our Sea to Summit adventure on the East Coast and have since traveled from Texas to Southern Utah, and have had a whirlwind of adventures in between. Starting off in Texas, we visited the Texas Hill Country, exploring San Antonio, Fredericksburg, and Austin. In each of these places, we were able to try some of the Texas cuisine, through authentic Tex-Mex, bar-b-que, and some German food. We visited two national parks, Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains, and fell deeply in love with Big Bend. 

Following Texas, we traveled north to New Mexico, where we explored two more National Parks, Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located near Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Parks, making it a great option for a 3-day trip to visit all three parks, as each park is relatively small. When visiting White Sands National Park, we almost had a moment of deja vu walking in sand, but with no water in sight. White Sands NP is extremely dog-friendly, and Ollie had a blast running up and down the vast sand dunes.

Building our van last year was tough, and to help us through the most challenging days, we promised each other that we would prioritize each other's "bucket list van destinations" within our first year on the road. Jen's top destination was Utah, and Elliot's was Alaska. 

 
Towards that end, after Texas and New Mexico we drove all the way to southern Utah, where we were completely blown away by Utah's Mighty Five National Parks. We drove through and explored all 5 parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches. They most certainly did not disappoint. When we entered Zion National Park for the first time, we drove through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel from the east side and were immediately overwhelmed by the incredible views of Zion National Park, which made Jen burst into tears. 

Each of Utah's parks exposed us to a new natural beauty and landscape that we had not seen before. Bryce Canyon National Park is known for Hoo-doos, being the highest elevation of the Utah parks, and for its dark sky zone. We took advantage of the dark sky zone, waking up at 3 am for night photography, and were able to see the Milky Way.

is the least visited of Utah's National Parks, but its beauty stands up to the rest of the parks. We loved the scenic hikes and eating fruit pie in Capitol Reef's Fruita district, which is a historic oasis where Mormon pioneers planted fruit orchards still maintained by the NPS to this day. Lastly, we visited the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon in Cathedral Valley, which requires an all-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance to access. 

The sheer size and scale of Canyonlands National Park blew us away! We overheard many comparing it to the Grand Canyon, and although we haven't visited the Grand Canyon yet, we can say that the sheer magnitude of this park is impressive. We spent one day hiking throughout the Island in the Sky District and loved it. Watching the sunset at Green River Overlook might have been one of the most impressive sunsets we've seen to date. 

was the last of Utah's Mighty Five. We spent two full days exploring all this park had to offer, hiking almost every trail to see as many arches as possible. Our one month in southern Utah gave us a new love and appreciation for the harsh desert environment and the plants and animals that call this place home. The desert will most certainly be calling us back, just like the water does. 

If there's one thing that the first six months on the road have taught us, it's just how beautiful the United States is. We've been blown away by the natural beauty time and time again. It's been quite a moving experience. We couldn't be more grateful to the people who have protected these places, and continue to do so, so that we can enjoy them today! 

In our next Sea to Summit, we'll be sharing our adventures in the last frontier… Alaska!