Traveling Cross-Country (not on a bike)

I've been traveling a lot this summer with my girlfriend. We made a cross-country trip that took us through some spectacular places. We were amazed at the dryness of Eastern Washington, the high winds of Eastern Oregon, the surprising beauty of Idaho, the red canyons and valleys of Utah, the spectacular mountains of Colorado, the flatness and downpours of Kansas, the expansiveness of rivers in Missouri, and the heat of Tennessee.

We swam in Salt Lake (actually floating is a better description), hiked in Arches National Park, rafted on the Colorado River, and got drunk in Hays, Kansas, among the more memorable activities. If I had to move from Seattle and had a choice of where else to live, I'd pick Colorado--it's incredibly beautiful, urban (around Denver), affordable, and has palatable weather. Still, every place had a charm of its own and we're lucky we had the opportunity to visit them.