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A quick dry towel, bug spray, wooly socks and a stack of wet wipes – not the standard items to go into a honeymoon suitcase but for newlywed Grace McDougall that's exactly what she'd stashed away, ready for an epic journey with her new husband Steffan.

'Brave, stupid, crazy,' were the thoughts that ran through my head when I realized the happy couple - both qualified medics from Aberystwyth, Wales - were joining me and eight other strangers on a nine-week camping trip across America.

Pretty cosy, pretty intense.

The first time the 11 of us met was in the lobby of a New Jersey hotel at 7am one Saturday in August, all bleary-eyed and a little lacking in conversation - some jet-lagged, some hungover.  

Happy campers: Newlyweds, Grace and Steffan McDougall opted for a different type of honeymoon - joining nine strangers on a nine week camping trip across America

Just married: The couple pictured one week before setting off on their big adventure with nine strangers

Along with the 25-year-old honeymooners, there were nine more of us aged 18 to 27 from the UK and Europe.

Tobias Nielsen, 19, Lena Oedinger, 19, and Sam Newman, 20, were taking gap years to travel before starting college and the rest of us were taking leave from work or in-between jobs.

Brad, 24, from Essex told us he worked as a freelance carpenter so he was fairly flexible to up and go.

And that was a similar situation for Simon Christiansen, 24, a physiotherapist based in Denmark.

For everyone the trip - organized by Trek America - had instant draw with 28 U.S. states and 15 National Parks ticked off in 64 days.

We would also skip across the border to Canada to explore Vancouver and Banff National Park on our way around.

I'd previously been on a trip to Alaska with Trek America and knew the drill - putting up and down tents come rain, come shine, cooking meals on a gas stove and early starts.

But the majority of the group had no idea what they were in for. 

Especially Grace, who later told me she hadn't done much camping since the Girl Guides.

She added that her idea of a 'dream honeymoon' was sunning it up in Hawaii or relaxing by the pool on a Caribbean cruise.

But her long-term love Steffan had persuaded her to do something different, inspired by his mother's own travels across America with Trek America in the Eighties.

After brief introductions in the New Jersey hotel lobby with our expedition leader, 43-year-old Jay Burleson, we boarded a minivan which doubled as our semi-home for the next two months.

Allowing for more room, our one-bag luggage allowance was loaded into an attached trailer.

With Grace and Steffan both being close to 6ft, the Ford 15-seater wasn't exactly the ideal vehicle for the 12,000-plus mile excursion, but they made do, shuffling around the bus to find a spot with prime legroom.

Our first stop after leaving New Jersey was Niagara Falls.

Because of the time of year, the schedule put together by Trek America saw us do an anti-clockwise loop of the country.

Honeymoon crashers:(From left to right) Angela Calvert, Simon Christiansen, Steffan McDougall, Lena Oedinger, Grace McDougall, Sadie Whitelocks, Charlotte Wilkonson, Tobias Nielsen, Brad Hart

From left to right: Sadie Whitelocks, Angela Calvert, Steffan McDougall, Lena Oedinger, Grace McDougall, Charlotte Wilkonson, Simon Christiansen, Brad Hart, tour guide Jay Burleson and Sam Newman

Knowing what to pack was pretty tricky with temperatures bouncing from lows of minus three to highs of 38 Celsius.

I winged it by throwing everything I could into one case – later nicknamed 'the coffin' because of its sheer size.

The two star items proved to be a knitted beany hat and North Face jacket which saved my life when we camped in Glacier National park and the tents froze over.

Grace agreed that was definitely a low point for her, as she pulled on her wooly socks, gum boots and left her cruise-ready bikinis untouched.

Almost every day we hopped to a new place.

After Niagara Falls we hit our first city, Chicago, and then from there things got increasingly blurry.

Taking notes became necessary to remember where we'd been the week before – or even hours before in some cases!

From bright city lights to stunning starry skies, we covered a mix of urban and rural terrain.

Jay, our trusty guide who has been leading tours in the U.S. for over a decade, pointed us in the right direction as we went.

Some of his recommendations included the Amish town in Shipshewana, Indiana, and the Spam museum in Austin, Minnesota, which was full of meaty treats.

There were some constants along the way, one being the cathedral-like Walmarts where we would do intermittent grocery shops, each putting in $10 a day into a food kitty.

Each night we'd take it turns to rustle up dishes with highlights including a mean fish curry in Montana, sausage and mash in Wyoming, chicken schnitzel in Banff and our last fajita feast in West Virginia.

Grace proved to be a stealth cook, whipping up home comforts such as spaghetti bolognese - although she never got chance to introduce us to her traditional specialty - Welsh cakes.

Occasionally as a group we'd eat out - especially with four birthdays along the way - and sometimes we had to stop at fast food joints on long drives.

Subway, Wendy's and McDonald's proved to be the favorite go-tos. Surprisingly, despite hefty U.S. portion sizes, the majority of us didn't report gaining too many extra pounds over the two months.

Grueling hikes around the National Parks - from the Grand Canyon Rim Trail to the Delicate Arch sunset hike - helped keep fitness levels in check.

Even the rigmarole of putting up and taking down a tent everyday got our hearts pumping.

By the time we'd hit Los Angeles - around 5,000 miles in - everyone was feeling a little weary.

The bus equivalent of 'cabin fever' had hit us!

Spending so much time cramped together in the van was tough.

For honeymooners Steffan and Grace it was especially hard not having their own space.

'I knew we signed up to a trip with a group of people but we don't like showing affection in front of people so that was hard,' Grace told me as the trip neared the end.

Long way around: The route the Trek America trekkers took over the two months 

Blushing bride: Grace hadn't done much camping since the Girl Guides, but she soon got to grips with tent-living on her honeymoon

Free time: Although Trek America put together an itinerary for the group it was fairly flexible

However, she did say that just sitting in the van with Steffan was 'special', as their shift work as medics had split them apart in recent years.

She also cited other positives.

'It's done us good, especially in terms of teamwork because we've had to put up tents and cook together - something we certainly never do at home!

She continued: 'Steffan has become more organized and I've got better at living out of a suitcase.'

So was Grace warming to her grate-crashed honeymoon?

As the weather improved and we hit more beaches, she definitely got more enthusiastic about the concept.

Goodbye gum boots, hello bikinis!

In Miami, lolling on the golden sands of South Beach certainly seemed a world away from the frozen climates of Glacier National Park.

We even got treated to a hostel for a couple of nights, with a pool and tiki bar to play with.

Las Vegas, Colorado, Chicago, Seattle and New Orleans were other destinations where we ditched tents for beds.

For some happy campers homesickness kicked in, as they'd never been away from friends and family for so long.

But Skype and Facebook seemed to tide everyone over, especially Tobias who had left his girlfriend back home in Denmark.

While trusty travel pillows proved to be an essential item for many, iPods and painkillers were among the other 'life savers' listed.

Cityscape: Grace and Steffan against the Chicago skyline, during the first leg of the nine-week trip

Photo ops: The newlyweds took hundreds of photographs during their action-packed honeymoon - here they are pictured in Arches National Park, Utah

For Grace, her new husband was her rock.

'I'm surprised at how gentlemanly he's been – when we've been on hikes he's been watching out for people.

'It something I already knew – that's what I love about him,' she said gazing into his eyes as they lolled next to each other in the van.

After Miami we snaked down to the dreamy tropics of Key West and then trailed up to South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C. and finally back to where we started: New Jersey.

We all agreed it had been a completely epic two months.

The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Mount Rushmore, Bryce Canyon, Badlands, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Zion, Carlsbad Caverns - places many people - even Americans, don't get to see in a lifetime.

We'd visited dozens of cities and other tourist attractions too - including Disney, Universal Studios and not forgetting the Spam Museum.

So - Grace's verdict?

'Definitely something to tell the grandchildren but I'm never camping again.. I'm looking forward to having a real honeymoon,' she confirmed.

Steffan threw a cheeky smile at the rest of us. He knew that his risk of whisking his wife on a trip of a lifetime had paid off despite her remarks otherwise.

The wealth of memories they had collected from their action-packed honeymoon will be sure to last a lifetime.

'You're pretty good at camping,' Steffan jibed to his new wife in the final days of the trip. 'It's been nice that you haven't worn as much make-up too.'

'Don't push your luck Steffan!' I thought to myself chuckling.

With that, everyone went their separate ways.

But I know in years to come it will be a life-changing travel experience that will keep us bonded.

Honeymoon Gatecrashers: The Reunion is already on the cards.

'It's going to be weird going home and thinking "where is everybody?"' Grace mused as she and Steffan embarked on their journey to Wales and life together as husband and wife.

Trek America, Trailblazer trip 63 days from $7749, departing from New York, March to August