Some trips just stick with you. This one — nine stops through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada in April — is one we're still talking about. Here's the full breakdown, with everything we wish we'd known before we went.

We were on our way from Olympic National Park to North Cascades when a missed ferry changed everything. The next one wasn't until 5pm — and it was barely 9am. So we drove down and around... and that detour took us right past Leavenworth, Washington. What felt like a total inconvenience turned into a great highlight of the trip.

It was June, and the hillsides were covered in apple and cherry trees in full bloom, cold mountain streams winding through the valleys below. And then there was the town itself — a Bavarian village tucked into the Cascades that we almost skipped entirely. We had just enough time to wander a few shops, grab brats and cold beers, and fall a little in love with the place.

We already talked about going back.