Hi everyone,
I posted on here during the planning stages for the trip, and got some great advice! I wanted to follow-up and share the actual details of the trip (which was GREAT). I'll share the stops we made, our impressions, and even some of the food we ate.

This was the actual route that we took:

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This trip lasted 8 days total, and I will break down the stops we made along the way:

Day 1: Wisconsin → Iowa → Nebraska

• Madison WI: Half of the day was spent packing and moving out of an old apartment. Made an obligatory stop at Target for snacks.
• Overnight in Norfolk, NE

Day 2: Nebraska → Wyoming (barely) → Colorado

• Drove to Carhenge: A super unique art installation - I definitely recommend!
• Drove through Cheyenne WY, and stopped at Rib & Chop House for a delicious Steak.
• Drove to Frisco, CO, where we stayed overnight. This was the longest driving day (around 12 hours total). There we managed to lock the keys in the rented car - big bummer! Ended up getting roadside assistance next morning.

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Day 3: Colorado

• As we waited for roadside assistance, we had a nice time in Frisco, CO - a super cute ski village. We had breakfast at a place called Bagalis, and walked around Main street.
• Once we were finally on our way, we stopped at Twin Lakes for a nice view.
• We then drove up a treacherous road to Maroon Bells, which was one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. Since we got there in the afternoon, and we didn't have time for a very long hike. We still did the Crater Lake Trail (3.6 miles roundtrip). It was incredible!
• The drive up and down the mountain (from Maroon Bells) was kind of scary at times, especially in a large car. I wouldn't recommend driving there at night.
• After hiking, we drove past Aspen, CO, and decided to look for food there. Everything was pretty snooty and overpriced...(I guess we should have expected it from Aspen)
• Finally, we ended the day in Fruita, CO.

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Day 4: Colorado → Utah

• As a last minute change-of-plans, we decided to drive through the Colorado National Monument. Great decision! It was a great road with beautiful overlook stops.
• We drove to Moab, Utah and had lunch at Arches Thai (delicious).
• We then went to Arches National Park, and decided to go see the Delicate Arch. It was amazing! We sat there for a while and enjoyed the view. Arches NP was so great, we decided to stay nearby and hike there again the next day.
• We had dinner at Moab diner

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Day 5: Utah

• We couldn't miss out on seeing a few more arches, so we went to the Landscape arch, and the proceeded to get lost somewhere on the way to the Double arch, but ended up finding our way back on the primitive trail (around 6-8 miles total). It felt like we were in a sci-fi movie! Incredible views - I've never seen anything quite like it before.
• We then drove in the direction of Zion National Park

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Arches National Park: Delicate Arch

Day 6: Utah → Nevada

• We woke up very early, and decided to go attempt the famous Angels Landing hike. I have to admit that I was VERY nervous, even before being near it...Unfortunately (or luckily?), the "chains" part of the hike was closed due to COVID-19 (there was an actual park ranger assigned to keep hikers away). We still hiked up from the Grotto trailhead to Angels Landing, and even continued towards west rim spring. Even though we couldn't do the final part of Angels Landing, the views were unbelievable, and we didn't have to fear for our lives.
• After the exhausting hike, we had a nice cold beer at the Zion Canyon Brew Pub.
• We left Zion NP, and drove to Las Vegas, NV.
• That night we walked around on the strip for a bit, but it was way too crowded, and our legs felt like they might fall off.

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Zion National Park

Day 7: Nevada → California

• We had breakfast at Bagelmania in Las Vegas - a pretty cute bagel spot.
• We drove to Death Valley, and made a few stops at Rhyolite ghost town. This is a spooky abandoned town, which also sets the stage for really cool art installations. If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend to check it out.
• The heat was unbearable! We left the car for no longer than 10 minutes at a time, and turned really cranky really quickly. In other words, we mostly enjoyed Death Valley from the comfort of our car.
• We ended the day in Delano, CA.

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The Last Supper in Rhyolite Ghost Town

Day 8: San Francisco

• The last day was just about reaching our final destination - SAN FRANCISCO.
• We had dinner at Limon Rotisserie in the Mission - it was so good!

Reflections

• Great podcasts we listened to on the way: 'Stuff You Should Know', 'Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend', '99% Invisible', and more. Download music + podcasts for longer drives - you may lose service.
• Make sure you always grab the keys before shutting the car door!!!
• Try to check in advance if certain destinations require a reservation / have an entry fee. Colorado National monument had a fee, and Zion requires shuttle tickets to get around (no entry for cars in the summer). I also believe we were only allowed to enter Maroon Bells after a certain time without a reservation (after 5/6pm). All of our plans worked out very well - but I think we were very lucky.
• There was a long stretch (probably 100+ miles) in Nebraska with no service. We were scared that we might run out of gas...Make sure to plan for long drives through rural areas.
• Just an observation: At every gas station / road stop in Iowa and Nebraska, the vast majority of people were NOT wearing a mask. But as soon as we entered Colorado, everyone seemed very cautious. I'm sure this also has to do with the specific rural vs. urban areas we passed..
• My favorite places: Arches NP, Maroon Bells

I'm hoping this might be interesting/helpful to somebody! Please feel free to ask any questions.

Thank you for checking out my long long post :-)