48stateroadtrip.com

It’s not the checklist of things that I think are necessarily great, it’s more just the collective “wisdom” (or my interpretation thereof) of the most famous sites in the USA:

• The Alamo
• The Empire State Building
• The French Quarter
• Golden Gate Bridge
• The Grand Canyon
• Hollywood — It’s a ghetto, but it’s an iconic ghetto to which people attach unrealistically romantic expectations. Ergo: checklist.
• Hoover Dam
• The Liberty Bell
• Mount Rushmore
• The National Mall (Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol, Smithsonian)
• Niagara Falls
• Old Faithful
• St. Louis Arch
• Statue of Liberty

The Next Flight: Alcatraz, Arlington National Cemetery, Broadway (Times Square), the Brooklyn Bridge, Cape Canaveral, Central Park, Death Valley, Disneyland, Ellis Island, the Everglades, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Freedom Trail, Gettysburg (although it’s not like there’s anything to see…), Kitty Hawk, the Las Vegas Strip, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Pike Place Market, the San Diego Zoo, the Sears Tower, Waikiki Beach, the White House, Wrigley Field

Thoughts?

bkd

Had a few ideas for themes that are photo-related.

Take a photo of…

1. Every falling-down barn I see (not sure I have the patience for this one).
2. Every lighthouse I see (I’d be doing this one regardless of formal theme designation).
3. Every gas station I fill up at.
4. Every place I sleep.
5. All the trailhead signs for trails I hike.

Maybe.

bkd

This would be the “quick view” version, if only I were giving versions names rather than numbers. Er:

So, clearly, the trip ends with a whole lot of long, boring, consecutive-day drives across the desert. Oh. Well.

Mileage:

• Orange County to Mt. Baker: 2,775
• Mt. Baker to Acadia NP: 6,531
• Acadia NP to New Orleans: 3,322
• New Orleans to San Diego: 5,062

Which totals out to 17,690 miles over 120 days, meaning 147.4 miles per day. (The most efficient 48-state route is around 9,000 miles, fwiw.)

Good luck to us all.

bkd

Some of the resources I’ve used:

• The, uh, Internet.
• The Rand McNally Road Atlas and Travel Guide (spiral-bound edition). Shows a lot of parks, campgrounds, monuments, historical sites, etc. that might be right along your scheduled route — and they’re just really, really easy to see in this format.
• Special-interest magazines. For instance, a recent issue of Backpacker magazine featured their take on the “100 Best Day Hikes” in the US, a number of which sounded really, really good.
• Roadtripamerica.com. Mostly for the forums. The audience skews toward the not-me (it’s mostly older people or college students) and the forums are generally focused on the ROAD part of the road trip, but there are also plenty of great suggestions available there. Further, if you have questions about a particular location, state, or region, it’s likely that someone on there lives there or has been there recently and can offer some worthwhile suggestions.
• Reader’s Digest’s Most Scenic Drives in America. Sounds like it ought to be another resource mostly for older travelers, but I’d suggest it’s de rigeur for anyone planning a serious road trip. Heck, it’d be useful for anyone planning just a normal vacation. A lot of fantastic suggestions for things to do along given roadways, in town and out of town. I’m guessing you could have a pretty cool trip flying to a random city, pulling this book out, and then taking the nearest-by suggested drive.
• TrekEarth.com. This is a website for, essentially, travel photography. You can look up any state in the country and just look at the photos that were taken there. And if they’re pretty enough, schedule a visit to whatever location they’re from.
• National Parks Service websites. These websites are clearly not maintained centrally and the quality can be hit-or-miss in the sense that you may not necessarily get a good idea about what fun you might actually have at the park or lakeshore or monument or whatever that’s listed. But you might.
• The AAA Trip-Tik. I’m not really in AAA’s core demo, so I don’t love their suggestions for most places in the trip-tik — but I imagine they’d be pretty good for folks who are more into antiquing and looking at plant-life. Mostly I just joined so that I can feel superior and brilliant next time I lock myself out of my car…

I’ve not had a lot of luck with most US-focused travel books, which often seem like they’re trying to convince me that I’ll enjoy doing something that, in fact, I won’t. Maybe it’s just the focus on restaurants and hotels that bothers me — I like food well enough, but that doesn’t really tell me what I’m going to do with the other 14 hours in the day. Haven’t used any of the “Road Trip USA” travel guidebooks, but Amazon’s hive-mind gives them mixed reviews at best, which makes sense: how can you cover the entire country within 500-1,000 pages in anything more than a superficial, cursory manner?

But I digress. (Not really.) I’ll add more resources at they become apparent.

bkd

Next post: how to own and operate a blog while using the words “cross-country”, “road trip”, and “itinerary” in every single post…

Anyway, I’m getting some search engine traffic to the site and am guessing folks might be interested in how the process went for me planning this trip. Here goes:

1. Decide what the goal of the trip is. The real over-arching goal of this trip, for me, is to try and understand the country I live in a little better, prove that I can live austerely for a while, and hopefully have some fun.
2. Figure out what kinds of things you actually want to do. This is influenced a little by #1. My favorite vacations, though, are always the ones when I’m outside and active, so that’s a top priority on the trip. There are also a lot of “checklist” things in the US that I haven’t seen before (Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, The Alamo) that I figure I should see. There are also a few things that a lot of people have recommended I check out, particular museums, geological features, or whatever.
3. List out all the activities you’re actually interested in doing. For me, this meant going to Wikipedia and getting a list of every location that’s under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Service, seeing which of those were interesting, then adding in the must-see activities from above.
4. Plot the trip. I like maps, so this was sort of fun, although it seems like there should be some better online tools available for doing this (I’ve used AAA’s trip-tik function quite a bit, but it seems mostly useful only for creating the composite trip maps I’ve posted on this site and my other blog). Instead, though, I used a US Road Atlas (this one; spiral binding highly recommended so it’s never a fight to keep it open to the right page) and just sort of placed markers on all the locations I wanted to visit.
5. List out the places you’re going to visit. Because I wasn’t initially sure when I might be leaving on this trip, I didn’t list any actual dates — but I think that works out fine. It gave me the opportunity to just say “two days here” and “a half day here” without feeling too calendar constrained. Also made it easy to move things around as needed. This will help give you an initial idea of how many days you’ll want to plan your trip for — although, at this stage in my planning, I was thinking 60-90, which ended up not really being the case.
6. Once you have a list in place, start looking at driving routes. AAA and the composite maps were handy in this case. Having a map with the route drawn out on it makes it a lot easier to look at your trip and see where you might make some changes to be more efficient by avoiding backtracking, eliminating odd-looking loops, etc. Adjust your route list as necessary.
7. Figure out when you’re going to leave. I had my roads plotted, but up until a month or two ago, I wasn’t sure when this trip was going to start, so I had two versions of it in my head — one going counter-clockwise for a spring start (to avoid being in the Deep South during July/August), and one going clockwise for a summer start (to avoid being in the Deep South during July/August). One thing was clear: I didn’t want to be in the Deep South in July/August.
8. Once you have your departure date set, re-visit the route list and start putting your travel against actual dates. One of the key things I was looking for was avoiding being places on particularly busy days. So, for instance, I’ve worked it out so that I’ll be at my brother’s house (thanks, C!) over Labor Day Weekend rather than fighting the hordes for a campsite somewhere. During this phase, you should probably start figuring out actual mileage between points and roughly where you’re going to sleep (maybe not down to the actual hotel, but it’d be good to have the general locale in mind). Doing this, you’ll probably realize that you may want to break your days up a little differently in order to avoid, for instance, consecutive 900-mile days. Or any 900-mile days at all.
9. With destinations scheduled out, start looking at actual activities. This is likely going to alter your itinerary a little as you realize that, while National Park X is truly beautiful, there really isn’t much to do there besides drive through it, so no sense in planning three days there. You’ll also get a sense during this stage for what kind of additional themes you might want to pursue during the trip. See a game at every MLB stadium? Hit as many of the Top 20 hamburgers in the country as possible?
10. Depending on the timing, start making reservations. In my case, I needed to make campground reservations for being at Yosemite in July more than two months in advance. The areas that I have planned for later in the trip don’t need to be reserved yet, so I’m holding off until I absolutely have to commit.
11. Ruminate. I’m not done refining the itinerary, actually. I keep going back through locations and looking at more things that I could do there (the road atlas is helpful here — shows a lot of out-of-the-way places to visit between locations). In my case, I’m also thinking about whether I want to start eliminating locations in order for the trip to seem more relaxing and less break-neck. At any rate, until reservations are made, there really isn’t even much of a hint of total commitment to a place or timeframe, so there’s no harm in perpetual optimizing.

Any questions about the trip or planning process, leave a comment. Dare. You. HTH.

bkd

Same map as last time. This itinerary actually goes day-by-day. Yep.

48-State Road Trip
- We 7/15
    - OC to San Simeon (300 mi., 5 1/2 hrs.)
        - Hearst Castle
    - San Simeon to Big Sur (69 mi., 1 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Big Sur
- Th 7/16
    - Big Sur
        - McWay Waterfall Trail (0.6 mi.)
        - Ewoldsen Trail (4.5 mi.)
    - Big Sur to Monterey (29 mi., 3/4 hr.)
        - 17-Mile Drive
        - Carmel
        - Coast Guard Pier
        - Cannery Row
    - Monterey to San Francisco (118 mi., 2 hrs.)
        - Burger Joint, Hamburger & Fries (#16)
    - Sleep: San Francisco
- Fr 7/17
    - San Francisco
        - Cable Car Museum
    - San Francisco to Pt. Reyes (51 mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
    - Pt. Reyes to Napa (57 mi., 2 hrs.)
        - Bistro Don Giovanni, Grilled Bistro Burger
    - Sleep: Napa
- Sa 7/18
    - Napa to Yosemite National Park (201 mi., 4 hrs.)
        - Sentinel Dome Loop (5.5 mi.)
    - Sleep: Yosemite
        - Kelty Meadow Campground
        - Reserved 4 Nights
        - $77.02
- Su 7/19
    - Yosemite
    - Sleep: Yosemite
- Mo 7/20
    - Yosemite
        - Half Dome (15.7 mi.)
    - Sleep: Yosemite
- Tu 7/21
    - Yosemite
    - Sleep: Yosemite
- We 7/22
    - Yosemite National Park to South Lake Tahoe (197 mi., 4 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: South Lake Tahoe
- Th 7/23
    - Lake Tahoe
        - Glen Alpine Trail (11.7 mi., 2,125' elevation gain)
            - Out and Back to Lake Aloha
            - From South Lake Tahoe, take highway 89 north past Camp
              Richardson. Make a left turn onto Fallen Leaf Lake Road
              and follow it all the way to the back side of the lake.
              There you will eventually see a sign to your left
              indicating Lilly Lake. Take this road and follow it to
              the end where you will find ample parking, pit toilets, a
              trail map and wilderness permits (be sure to fill out one
              of these permits before you head out).
            - www.4x4xplor.com—alohalake.html
              
    - South Lake Tahoe to Lassen Volcanic National Park (221 mi., 4 3/4
      hrs.)
    - Sleep: Lassen
        - Summit Lake South Campground
        - Reserved 3 Nights
        - $48.00
- Fr 7/24
    - Lassen
        - Paddle?
        - Bumpass Hell Trail (3 mi.)
    - Sleep: Lassen
- Sa 7/25
    - Lassen
        - Lassen Peak (5 mi.)
        - Kings Creek Falls Trail (3 mi.)
    - Sleep: Lassen
- Su 7/26
    - Lassen
    - Lassen to Crater Lake National Park (255 mi., 5 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Crater Lake
- Mo 7/27
    - Crater Lake
        - Garfield Peak Trail (3.4 mi.)
        - Annie Creek Canyon (1.7 mi.)
    - Sleep: Crater Lake
- Tu 7/28
    - Crater Lake to Reedsport (201 mi., 5 hrs.)
        - Umpqua Lighthouse
    - Sleep: [Oregon Coast]
- We 7/29
    - Oregon Coast
    - Sleep: [Oregon Coast/Astoria/Portland]
- Th 7/30
    - Portland to Bonneville (Columbia Gorge)
        - From PDX, east on 84, take Exit 41
        - Eagle Creek Trail (12 mi., 1,200' elevation gain)
    - Bonneville to Portland
    - Sleep: Portland
- Fr 7/31
    - Portland to Mt. St. Helens (72 mi., 1 3/4 hrs.)
        - Merrill Lake (Paddle, Fish)
    - Sleep Mt. St. Helens
        - Yale Lake?
- Sa 8/1
    - Mt. St. Helens
        - Harry's Ridge Trail (7.8 mi., 1,000' Elevation Gain)
    - Sleep: Mt. St. Helens
- Su 8/2
    - Mt. St. Helens
    - Sleep: Mt. St. Helens
- Mo 8/3
    - Mt. St. Helens to Mt. Rainier National Park (120 mi., 3 3/4 hrs.)
        - Crystal Peak (7.8 mi., 3,200' elevation gain)
            - Trailhead 4.5 mi. past Crystal Mtn.-side park entrance
    - Sleep: Mt. Rainier
        - Silver Springs? Ohannapacosh?
        - Reservation?
- Tu 8/4
    - Mt. Rainier
    - Sleep: Mt. Rainier
- We 8/5
    - Mt. Rainier to Browns Point (75 mi., 2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Browns Point
- Th 8/6
    - Browns Point to Olympic National Park (121 mi., 2 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Olympic
- Fr 8/7
    - Olympic National Park
        - Hoh River Trail (18 mi.), Rainforest
    - Sleep: Olympic
- Sa 8/8
    - Olympic National Park
    - Sleep: Olympic
- Su 8/9
    - Olympic National Park
        - Ozette Ranger Station to Shi Shi Beach (14 mi. o/w?!) -- Coast
    - Sleep: Olympic
- Mo 8/10
    - Olympic National Park
    - Olympic National Park to Browns Point (179 mi., 3 1/2 hrs.)
- Tu 8/11
    - Browns Point
        - Mariners Game?
    - Sleep: Browns Point
- We 8/12
    - Browns Point to Mt. Baker (130 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Mt. Baker
- Th 8/13
    - Mt. Baker
    - Sleep: Mt. Baker
- Fr 8/14
    - Mt. Baker
    - Sleep: Mt. Baker
- Sa 8/15
    - Mt. Baker
    - Sleep: Mt. Baker
- Su 8/16
    - Mt. Baker to Curlew
        - North Cascades Highway
    - Sleep: Curlew?
- Mo 8/17
    - Curlew to Glacier National Park (380 mi., 8 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Glacier NP
        - Bowman Lake Campground?
            - $15/night
            - FCFS
            - Historic fill-times online
- Tu 8/18
    - Glacier NP
    - Siyeh Pass (10.3 mi.)
        - Shuttle from trail-end to trailhead.
    - Sleep: Glacier NP
- We 8/19
    - Glacier NP
    - Sleep: Glacier NP
- Th 8/20
    - Glacier NP
        - Swiftcurrent Pass (15 mi. o/w)
    - Sleep: Glacier NP
- Fr 8/21
    - Glacier NP to Whitefish, MT (52 mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
        - Great Northern Railway Depot
    - Whitefish to Yellowstone National Park (477 mi., 8 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Yellowstone
        - Reservation?!
- Sa 8/22
    - Yellowstone to Victor, ID (146 mi., 2 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Victor
- Su 8/23
    - Victor to Sheridan, WY (350 mi., 6 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Sheridan
- Mo 8/24
    - Sheridan
    - Sleep: Sheridan
- Tu 8/25
    - Sheridan to Devil's Tower (165 mi., 2 1/2 hrs.)
    - Devil's Tower to Mt. Rushmore (123 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - Mt. Rushmore to Custer State Park (30 mi., 3/4 hr.)
    - Sleep: Custer SP/Bismarck Lake
        - Reservation?
- We 8/26
    - Custer SP
        - Eastern Trailhead (12 mi. o/w)
        - www.sdgfp.info—parks 
    - Custer SP to Wind Cave National Park (29 mi., 1/2 hr.)
    - Sleep: Custer SP/Bismarck Lake
        - Reservation?
- Th 8/27
    - Custer SP to Chadron, NE
    - Chadron to Badlands National Park (127 mi., 3 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Badlands
        - Reservation?
- Fr 8/28
    - Badlands to Minuteman Missile NHS (53 mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
        - Wall Drug
    - Minuteman Missile NHS to Theodore Roosevelt National Park (309
      mi., 5 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Theodore Roosevelt NP
        - Reservation?
- Sa 8/29
    - Theodore Roosevelt NP
    - Sleep: Theodore Roosevelt NP
- Su 8/30
    - Theodore Roosevelt NP to Voyageurs National Park (579 mi., 9 1/2
      hrs.)
    - Sleep: Voyageurs
        - Reservation?
- Mo 8/31
    - Voyageurs
    - Sleep: Voyageurs
- Tu 9/1
    - Voyageurs
    - Voyageurs National Park to Duluth (146 mi., 3 1/4 hrs.)
        - Bike the Waterfront Trail
    - Sleep: Duluth
- We 9/2
    - Duluth to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (294 mi., 6 1/2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Pictured Rocks
- Th 9/3
    - Pictured Rocks to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (248
      mi., 5 1/2 hrs.)
        - Paddle (from end of river into the lake)
    - Sleeping Bear Dunes to Ann Arbor (264 mi., 5 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Ann Arbor
- Fr 9/4
    - U of Michigan
        - Appointment(s)?
    - Ann Arbor to Dearborn (34 mi., 1/2 hr.)
        - Miller's Bar, Hamburger (#8)
    - Dearborn to Wayne, IL (312 mi., 5 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Wayne
- Sa 9/5
    - Wayne
        - Kane County Cougars vs. Quad Cities River Bandits
            - 6 PM Start
            - Incl. Fireworks
    - Sleep: Wayne
- Su 9/6
    - Wayne
    - Sleep: Wayne
- Mo 9/7 (Labor Day)
    - Wayne
    - Wayne to Bloomington, IN (268 mi., 5 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Bloomington
- Tu 9/8
    - Indiana U.
    - Bloomington to Dayton (168 mi., 3 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Dayton
- We 9/9
    - Dayton
        - United States Air Force Museum
    - Dayton to Akron (197 mi., 3 1/2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Akron
- Th 9/10
    - Akron to Cuyahoga Valley National Park
    - Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Niagara Falls (222 mi., 3 1/2
      hrs.)
    - Niagara Falls to Palmyra, NY (108 mi., 2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Palmyra
- Fr 9/11
    - Palmyra
    - Palmyra to Lake Placid (270 mi., 5 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Lake Placid
- Sa 9/12
    - Lake Placid
        - Cascade Mountain (4.2 mi.)
            - Arrive by 9 AM for a parking spot.
        - The Brothers (10.3 mi.)
    - Lake Placid to Underhill State Park, VT (73 mi., 2 1/2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Underhill SP
        - Reservation?
- Su 9/13
    - Underhill SP
        - Mt. Mansfield Trail (6.8 mi.)
    - Sleep: Underhill SP
- Mo 9/14
    - Underhill SP to Belvidere (21 mi., 3/4 hr.)
        - Devil's Gulch (5.0 mi.)
        - Hunger Mountain (4.4 mi.)
    - Belvidere to Twin Mountain, NH (98 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Sugarloaf Campground
        - Reservation?
- Tu 9/15
    - Sugarloaf
        - Franconia Ridge (9 mi.)
        - Baldface Traverse (9 mi.)
    - Sleep: Sugarloaf
- We 9/16
    - Sugarloaf to Acadia National Park (223 mi., 4 1/2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Acadia
        - Reservation?
- Th 9/17
    - Acadia
        - Mt. Abraham (8 mi.)
    - Sleep: Acadia
- Fr 9/18
    - Acadia
        - Cadillac Mountain (4 mi.)
    - Acadia to Newport, RI (360 mi., 6 1/2 hrs.)
        - Spiced Pear Restaurant, Not Just a Burger (#3)
    - Sleep: Newport
- Sa 9/19
    - Newport to New Haven (104 mi., 2 hrs.)
        - Louis' Lunch, Hamburger Sandwich (#20)
    - New Haven to New York City (80 mi., 1 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: New York
- Su 9/20
    - New York
        - Peter Luger Steakhouse, Luger Burger (#2)
    - Sleep: New York
- Mo 9/21
    - New York
        - J. G. Melon, Hamburger (#14)
    - Sleep: New York
- Tu 9/22
    - New York to Philadelphia (104 mi., 2 hrs.)
        - Rouge, Rouge Burger (#4)
        - Barclay Prime, Kobe Sliders (#5)
    - Sleep: Philadelphia
- We 9/23
    - Philadelphia to Annapolis (126 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
        - Ft. McHenry
        - USNA
    - Annapolis to Quanitco (66 mi., 1 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Quantico
- Th 9/24
    - Quantico
        - United States Marine Corps Museum
    - Quantico to Shenandoah National Park (99 mi., 2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Shenandoah
        - Reservation?
- Fr 9/25
    - Shenandoah
    - Sleep: Shenandoah
- Sa 9/26
    - Shenandoah
    - Sleep: Shenandoah
- Su 9/27
    - Shenandoah to Monongahela National Forest (130 mi., 2 3/4 hrs.)
        - North Fork Mountain Trail (12 mi. o/w)
    - Monongahela NF to Shenandoah (130 mi., 2 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Shenandoah
- Mo 9/28
    - Shenandoah to Charlottesville (31 mi., 3/4 hr.)
        - Monticello
    - Charlottesville to Appomattox (83 mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
        - Courthouse
    - Appomattox to Richmond (92 mi., 2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Richmond
- Tu 9/29
    - Richmond
    - Richmond to Williamsburg (51 mi., 1 hr.)
    - Williamsburg to Jamestown
    - Jamestown to Cape Hatteras National Seashore  (142 mi., 3 1/4
      hrs.)
    - Sleep: Cape Hatteras
        - Reservation?
- We 9/30
    - Cape Hatteras
        - Wright Brothers National Monument
    - Cape Hatteras NS to Durham (213 mi., 3 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Durham
- Th 10/1
    - Durham
        - Duke University
    - Chapel Hill
        - UNC
    - Sleep: Durham
- Fr 10/2
    - Durham to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (306 mi., 5 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Great Smoky Mountains
- Sa 10/3
    - Great Smoky Mountains
        - Mt. Cammerer (12 mi., 2,500' elevation gain)
            - Starts at Chestnut Branch Trail
    - Sleep: Great Smoky Mountains
- Su 10/4
    - Great Smoky Mountains
    - Knoxville
    - Sleep: Great Smoky Mountains
- Mo 10/5
    - Great Smoky Mountains to Charleston (340 mi., 5.5 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Charleston
- Tu 10/6
    - Charleston
        - Civil War Walking Tour
        - Ft. Sumter
    - Charleston to Hunting Island State Park (85 mi., 2 hrs.)
        - Swimming
    - Sleep: Hunting Island
        - Reservation?
- We 10/7
    - Hunting Island to Savannah (62 mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Savannah
- Th 10/8
    - Savannah to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (202 mi., 4 hrs.)
    - Okefenokee NWR to Pensacola (344 mi., 5 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Pensacola
        - Blackwater River State Park? Falling Waters State Park?
- Fr 10/9
    - Pensacola
        - Gulf Islands National Seashore
        - National Museum of Naval Aviation
    - Sleep: Pensacola
- Sa 10/10
    - Pensacola to Mobile (56 mi., 1 hr.)
        - Historic District
        - USS Alabama Memorial Park
    - Mobile to New Orleans (144 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: New Orleans
- Su 10/11
    - New Orleans
    - Sleep: New Orleans
- Mo 10/12
    - New Orleans to Vicksburg (227 mi., 3 1/2 hrs.)
        - Vicksburg National Military Park
    - Vicksburg to Jackson (49 mi., 3/4 hr.)
    - Sleep: Jackson
- Tu 10/13
    - Natchez Trace
    - Sleep: Natchez Trace
- We 10/14
    - Natchez Trace
    - Sleep: Nashville
- Th 10/15
    - Nashville
    - Nashville to Mammoth Cave National Park (87 mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
        - Hike?
    - Sleep: Mammoth Cave
        - Reservation?
- Fr 10/16
    - Mammoth Cave
        - Grand Avenue Tour (10 AM)
            - Reservation?
        - Historic Tour (3 PM)
            - Reservation?
    - Sleep: Mammoth Cave
- Sa 10/17
    - Mammoth Cave
        - Kayak in Green River (bring PFD)
        - Hike?
    - Sleep: Mammoth Cave
- Su 10/18
    - Mammoth Cave to Fredericktown, MO (319 mi., 5 1/2 hrs.)
        - Cathedral Canyon (5 mi.)
    - Sleep: Mark Twain National Forest
        - Silver Mines, Sam A. Baker SP, Williamsville, Johnson's
          Shut-Ins SP?
- Mo 10/19
    - Fredericktown to Joplin via Mountain Grove/Springfield (313 mi.,
      6 hrs.)
        - Kansas
        - Oklahoma
    - Sleep: Joplin
- Tu 10/20
    - Joplin to Petit Jean State Park, AR (225 mi., 4 hrs.)
        - Seven Hollows Trail (4.5 mi.)
    - Petit Jean State Park to Hot Springs National Park (74 mi., 2 1/4
      hrs.)
    - Sleep: Hot Springs NP
- We 10/21
    - Hot Springs NP
        - Bathhouse Row
        - Bath?
    - Hot Springs NP to Denton (327 mi., 5 hrs.)
- Th 10/22
    - Denton to Austin (225 mi., 3 1/2 hrs.)
        - Salt Lick (Driftwood)
        - Bat Bridge
            - "Just before dark..."
    - Sleep: Austin
- Fr 10/23
    - Austin to San Antonio (81 mi., 1 1/4 hrs.)
        - The Alamo
        - River Walk
    - Sleep: San Antonio
- Sa 10/24
    - San Antonio to Fredericksburg (70 mi., 1 1/4 hrs.)
    - Fredericksburg to Ft. Stockton (260 mi., 3 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Ft. Stockton
- Su 10/25
    - Ft. Stockton to Big Bend National Park (147 mi., 3 3/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Big Bend NP
        - Reservation?
- Mo 10/26
    - Chisos Mountain Lost Mine Trail (4 mi.)
    - Bike Ride in Park
        - Rio Grande Village to Panther Jct. -- or part way and back
    - Sleep: Big Bend NP
- Tu 10/27
    - Big Bend NP to Guadalupe Mountains National Park (284 mi., 6 3/4
      hrs.)
    - Sleep: Guadalupe Mtns.
        - Reservation?
- We 10/28
    - Guadalupe Mtns. to Carlsbad Caverns National Park (42 mi., 1 hr.)
        - Left Hand Tour (9 AM)
            - Reservation?
        - Other Cave Tours
    - Carlsbad Caverns to Roswell (103 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Roswell
- Th 10/29
    - Roswell to White Sands National Monument (112 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - White Sands to San Antonio (117 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
        - Buckhorn, Buckhorn Burger (#7)
    - San Antonio to Santa Fe (148 mi., 2 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Santa Fe
- Fr 10/30
    - Santa Fe
        - Bobcat Bite, Hamburger (#12)
    - Santa Fe to Chaco Culture National Historic Park (186 mi., 4 1/4
      hrs.)
    - Sleep: Near Chaco Culture
- Sa 10/31 (Halloween)
    - Chaco Culture
    - Chaco Culture to Four Corners
        - Arizona
    - Four Corners to Cortez, CO
    - Sleep: Cortez
- Su 11/1
    - Cortez to Canyonlands National Park (147 mi., 3 1/4 hrs.)
        - Syncline Loop (8.3 mi.)
            - Island in the Sky District -- near Upheaval Dome
            - Hike clockwise.
    - Sleep: Canyonlands
        - Reservation?
- Mo 11/2
    - Canyonlands to Capitol Reef National Park (167 mi., 4 hrs.)
    - Capitol Reef to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (65
      mi., 1 1/2 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Calf Creek Recreation Area
        - Reservation?
- Tu 11/3
    - Grand Staircase-Escalante
        - Calf Creek Falls (5.5 mi.)
            - Trailhead at campground.
    - Sleep: Calf Creek Recreation Area
- We 11/4
    - Grand Staircase-Escalante
    - Grand Staircase-Escalante to Lake Mead National Recreation Area
      (272 mi., 5 1/4 hrs.)
    - Sleep: Valley of Fire State Park
        - Reservation?
- Th 11/5
    - Lake Mead NRA
        - Bowl of Fire (7 mi.)
        - Paddle
    - Sleep: Valley of Fire
- Fr 11/6
    - Lake Mead NRA to San Diego (385 mi., 6 hrs.)

So that, then, would be it. I’m thinking version 10 might go a week longer, which would probably result in a little more relaxation in Wayne maybe, probably a trip to the St. Louis Arch, and possibly a visit to Mackinac Island in Michigan.

bkd

I’ve had a few people ask me about whether I was going to try and “hit all x of y” during the trip. Actually, I’ve had two people ask me this and both with the same example: catch a game at all 30 Major League baseball parks. So: I’m not doing that. But I still have some themes lined up. Ready?

You sure?

Cuz I can do this later if you want.

K, ready?

Themes currently planned into the itinerary:

• The 20 Best Hamburgers (as defined by this article from GQ): SF, Napa, Seattle, Chicago, Ypsilanti or Dearborn, Newport RI, New Haven, NYC (x2?), Philly (x2?), San Antonio NM, and Santa Fe. I’ve hit a few of the others, but if I do all of the above, I’ll only be missing the one in Hackensack, NJ and Hollywood, FL. (I probably won’t hit all of the above — they’re uncomfortably concentrated in a few cases.)
• National Parks  — per the as-yet unpublicized Ninth Itinerary, I’d hit as many as 24 of the 58, including (only?!) 17 that I haven’t visited before.
• “Great Day Hikes” — There was an article about The 100 Greatest Day Hikes in the last Backpacker magazine. I’m not really using that as a checklist, but I like the concept and day-hiking is kind of the skeleton around which the rest of the trip has been planned.
• Military and Flight Museums: McMinnville maybe, USAF in Dayton, USMC in Quantico, USN Flight in Pensacola.
• US Tourist Checklist Stuff I Haven’t Done Before — although, I’m not sure what I’d count under this other than Mt. Rushmore, Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty (and I *lived* there even), the French Quarter, and The Alamo. Maybe that’s enough — but if I go just three hours out of my way, I can also see the St. Louis Arch! (Meh.)

Had some other theme ideas also that are sort of in the hopper, although I worry that they’ll get in the way of having an actual semi-relaxing, enjoyable trip. Ah well. They would be:

• Photographing every broken-down farm building that I see.
• Photographing every gas station I tank up at.
• Photographing every state line crossing (so trite).
• Collecting a shot glass (or key chain or baby spoon or hat pin or…) from each state and/or Sehenswürdigkeit.

Any further thoughts appreciated. Unless they’re no good.

bkd

People like maps. Here’s mine:

48-State Cross-Country Road Trip Itinerary Map

The push pins are relevant for the most part — I’m stopping where there are push pins, with maybe an exception or two. But I’m also stopping in some places without push pins. Very confusing, yes. The pins are really just there to hold the map together. As pins often do.

I’m looking at the trip in four parts: West Coast, Northern States, East Coast and Gulf, and South/Southwest. Here are highlights:

Part 1: West Coast (from July 15 through August 16)

• San Simeon
• Big Sur
• Monterey Peninsula
• San Francisco
• Point Reyes
• Yosemite National Park (ca. 4 days)
• Lake Tahoe
• Lassen Volcanic National Park (ca. 3 days)
• Crater Lake National Park
• Oregon Coast
• Columbia River Gorge
• Mt. St. Helens (ca. 2 days)
• Mt. Rainier National Park (ca. 4 days)
• Olympic National Park (ca. 4 days)
• Mt. Baker/North Cascades National Park (ca. 5 days — it’s a family reunion)

Part 2: Northern States (August 17th to September 15th)

• Glacier National Park (ca. 4 days)
• Whitefish, MT
• Yellowstone National Park
• Grand Teton National Park
• Sheridan, WY
• Devil’s Tower
• Mt. Rushmore
• Custer State Park, South Dakota
• Badlands National Park
• Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Voyageurs National Park (ca. 3 days)
• Duluth
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
• Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti
• Chicago
• Nauvoo, IL
• United States Air Force Museum (Dayton)
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Niagara Falls
• Palmyra, NY
• Adirondacks
• Vermont Mountains
• New Hampshire Mountains
• Acadia National Park (ca. 2 days)

Part 3: East Coast and Gulf (September 16th to October 11th)

• Newport, RI
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Annapolis/Ft. McHenry/US Naval Academy
• United States Marine Corps Academy (Quantico)
• Shenandoah National Park (ca. 2 days)
• Monongahela National Forest (WV)
• Charlottesville/Monticello
• Appomattox
• Richmond
• Yorktown
• Williamsburg
• Jamestown
• Wright Brothers National Monument
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore
• Raleigh-Durham
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park (ca. 4 days)
• Charleston/Ft. Sumter
• Hunting Island State Park, SC
• Savannah
• Pensacola/Gulf Islands National Seashore
• Mobile
• New Orleans (ca. 2 days)

Part 4: South and Southwest (October 12th to November 6th)

• Vicksburg
• Natchez Trace Parkway (from Jackson, MS to Nashville)
• Nashville
• Mammoth Cave National Park (ca. 3 days)
• Cathedral Canyon, MO
• Joplin, MO
• Petit Jean State Park, AR
• Hot Springs National Park
• Austin
• San Antonio/The Alamo
• Fredericksburg
• Big Bend National Park (ca. 3 days)
• Carlsbad Caverns
• Roswell
• White Sands National Monument
• Santa Fe
• Chaco Culture National Historic Park
• Four Corners
• Canyonlands National Park
• Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Right. So one of these days I’m going to figure out how to best present all this information in a way that’s useful. Not there yet. Even though I’m calling out how many days I’m spending in a few of the place above, there are others where I’ll also be spending multiple days. I also have down the names of trails, campgrounds, and other points of interest that aren’t listed above.

I mean, really, how much of my planning do you actually want to see? (You can answer that.)

bkd