Past Treks

Past treks are where the stories come from.

A lifelong love of travel eventually turned into a love of planning travel. Along the way, that passion helped accomplish a goal that began in 2018: helping my youngest traveler visit all fifty states, completing the collection in 2026.

The destinations were memorable. The stories along the way turned out to be even better.

Trek Highlight	Story
Past Trek Highlights
Jack Stack Barbecue	A stop at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City led to a search for great Kansas City barbecue. Jack Stack was so impressive that when the route brought us back through Kansas City later in the trip, we skipped trying somewhere new and visited a second Jack Stack location instead. Years later, it's still good enough to have shipped to the house.
Coughlin's Bakery	An early-morning breakfast stop in Ogunquit, Maine turned into one of the most memorable food discoveries of the trip. The breakfast sandwiches were excellent, but the donuts were the real stars. To this day they remain among the best donuts we've found anywhere in the United States.
Beartooth Highway	Some roads become destinations themselves. The drive demanded attention, added time to the day, and occasionally raised the pulse rate, but years later the scenery and views are what remain memorable. Given the chance, I'd gladly drive it again.
The Red Dog	A planned one-hour stop at a ghost town unexpectedly became nearly two hours when we found ourselves watching the arrival of a newborn red dog (baby American bison). Nobody seemed particularly concerned about the schedule after that.

Lessons From The Road

Every trek teaches something.

Sometimes the lesson is that the destination was exactly as amazing as expected. Sometimes the lesson is that the thing you remember most wasn't even on the original planning list.

The more roads you travel, the more you learn that flexibility, curiosity, and occasionally taking the long way can be just as important as the itinerary itself.

The Unexpected Highlights

Some memories were planned. Many weren't.

A search for great Kansas City barbecue turned into a tradition that still results in shipments arriving at the house. A quick stop at a ghost town became a front-row seat to the arrival of a newborn red dog (baby American bison). A road that looked intimidating on the map became one of the most beautiful drives ever experienced.

Those moments are part of what make a trek worth taking.

Why Past Treks Matter

Past treks help build future ones.

Every journey teaches something about pacing, routing, attractions, lodging, and discovering what experiences truly matter.

Sometimes they even identify places worth returning to years later.

The road ahead gets better because of the roads already traveled.

The Next Generation
Today TWIB has evolved into a place dedicated to designing memorable treks and documenting the journey behind each one.

The Early Years
TWIB began as a very different passion project whose history can still be explored today.