Heading west on I-90 to Seattle, you spend forever going through Montana, up hills, around curves, with no places to stop. Almost instantly after you cross the Idaho border, everything is downhill, an absolutely fun drive. The cliffs and mountains carved around the road are absolutely beautiful. The panhandle is an incredible place to visit.

That said, I also made the trip east through the southern route, through Boise, and I was pretty unimpressed. Much more flat, a lot of sprawl, and it seemed like a distant suburb of Salt Lake City. It’s very strange how the state has such a dual personality.