Road Trip!!!
Guys, I have a proposal.
This coming summer will be the last chance we'll have for a long time to do something awesome together. Come fall, we will part ways for a long time to come. Dan's going to Japan, I'm going to China... we simply won't have as easy a time hanging out as we used to.
Dan had a successful road trip this past break. Unfortunately, many of us were unable to take part. Which is why I propose a trip this summer, not just across the South, but across the entire USA!
We could plan the trip any way we wanted. The exact dates can be flexible, but will have to be after the 2nd week of June since I don't graduate until then :P Here's my idea so far:
The first leg of the trip would be from NOVA to Chicago. Here we can go through coal country and the Appalachians. I did this once when I was 13 and went to my friend's grandparents house in St. Louis. It's a beautiful drive. I suggest a trip on Route 50 to Cincinnati. From here, we can take US Route 30 to Chicago.
In Chicago, we can hit Route 66, and follow it all the way to Los Angeles. The road promises to be a beautiful and adventurous drive, if this site has anything to say about it. It goes through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally Califorinia, ending in LA.
From LA we can head up along the Pacific Coast Highway, California's Route 1, and make our way to Seattle. I suggest first stopping in San Francisco, then swinging by Portland, then heading to Seattle from there.
Once in Seattle, we can then make our way across the Northwest. I have no problem going into Canada, in fact I think it'd be cool, but I do have one request: I want to go to Great Falls, Montana and see where one of my ancestors ran a bar. If it's still there, I'd like to have a drink. Other than that, anything goes for me. A rough idea would be to swing through Idaho to Great Falls, then head up to Canada from there. In Canada we'd go east to Winnepeg, then head southeast through Minnesota and to Wisconsin. We can drive through the peninsula connecting Wisconsin and Michigan.
From here, we can go back into Canada to Toronto, then into New York and down back to DC via Pennsylvania. Or, we can bypass NY and go to Montreal, then head south through Vermont (or maybe go into Maine), New Hampshire, Massachusetts and then New York, New Jersey, Delaware, MD and finally VA.
Or, if we really want to waste time, we can drive south through Michigan and go through Kentucky, Tennessee, hit Mississippi, then go through Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and then back to NOVA.
Of course, this is my rough sketch. We can adjust it as we see fit, or throw it all out and start from scratch. However, I'd like to suggest a couple ground rules:
1. Let's try to stay off of the Interstate as much as possible. It'll make the trip take longer, but I want to experience the backroads of America.
2. Wherever we eat, sleep, etc. we should avoid at all costs the nationwide corporate spots. No eating at McDonalds, staying at the Holiday Inn, etc. We can camp if we like, or we can spend the night at local motels. And we can eat at local restaurants.
3. We may have to adjust this rule based on the situation, but let's try to listen to some local radio to get a feel of local media. Obviously there will be places where we can't pick up anything, and there will be times when the radio will be unbearable, but we should at least make the effort.
The trip will probably take at least 1 1/2 weeks, maybe 2. But before you think about cost, time, etc. think about this. When will we ever get another chance to do this? Haven't you always wanted to satisfy your wanderlust and see America (and Canada) the way YOU wanted to see it? For me, this is my last chance to take a grand tour of my country, a perfect send-off before I strike out on my own on the other side of the world. I'm sure you guys are having similar thoughts. It may be costly, but it the experience will be priceless. We'll be worrying about our money for the rest of our lives. Let's take this chance, before we have our careers, wives and kids, and our old age to think about. We'll never be this free again.
A while ago I made a vow to myself: I won't let my 20's slip by. I have 8 years left before I'm 30, and I'm going to make the most of every second of it. I'd love it if you guys would join me on this. What do you say?
This coming summer will be the last chance we'll have for a long time to do something awesome together. Come fall, we will part ways for a long time to come. Dan's going to Japan, I'm going to China... we simply won't have as easy a time hanging out as we used to.
Dan had a successful road trip this past break. Unfortunately, many of us were unable to take part. Which is why I propose a trip this summer, not just across the South, but across the entire USA!
We could plan the trip any way we wanted. The exact dates can be flexible, but will have to be after the 2nd week of June since I don't graduate until then :P Here's my idea so far:
The first leg of the trip would be from NOVA to Chicago. Here we can go through coal country and the Appalachians. I did this once when I was 13 and went to my friend's grandparents house in St. Louis. It's a beautiful drive. I suggest a trip on Route 50 to Cincinnati. From here, we can take US Route 30 to Chicago.
In Chicago, we can hit Route 66, and follow it all the way to Los Angeles. The road promises to be a beautiful and adventurous drive, if this site has anything to say about it. It goes through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally Califorinia, ending in LA.
From LA we can head up along the Pacific Coast Highway, California's Route 1, and make our way to Seattle. I suggest first stopping in San Francisco, then swinging by Portland, then heading to Seattle from there.
Once in Seattle, we can then make our way across the Northwest. I have no problem going into Canada, in fact I think it'd be cool, but I do have one request: I want to go to Great Falls, Montana and see where one of my ancestors ran a bar. If it's still there, I'd like to have a drink. Other than that, anything goes for me. A rough idea would be to swing through Idaho to Great Falls, then head up to Canada from there. In Canada we'd go east to Winnepeg, then head southeast through Minnesota and to Wisconsin. We can drive through the peninsula connecting Wisconsin and Michigan.
From here, we can go back into Canada to Toronto, then into New York and down back to DC via Pennsylvania. Or, we can bypass NY and go to Montreal, then head south through Vermont (or maybe go into Maine), New Hampshire, Massachusetts and then New York, New Jersey, Delaware, MD and finally VA.
Or, if we really want to waste time, we can drive south through Michigan and go through Kentucky, Tennessee, hit Mississippi, then go through Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and then back to NOVA.
Of course, this is my rough sketch. We can adjust it as we see fit, or throw it all out and start from scratch. However, I'd like to suggest a couple ground rules:
1. Let's try to stay off of the Interstate as much as possible. It'll make the trip take longer, but I want to experience the backroads of America.
2. Wherever we eat, sleep, etc. we should avoid at all costs the nationwide corporate spots. No eating at McDonalds, staying at the Holiday Inn, etc. We can camp if we like, or we can spend the night at local motels. And we can eat at local restaurants.
3. We may have to adjust this rule based on the situation, but let's try to listen to some local radio to get a feel of local media. Obviously there will be places where we can't pick up anything, and there will be times when the radio will be unbearable, but we should at least make the effort.
The trip will probably take at least 1 1/2 weeks, maybe 2. But before you think about cost, time, etc. think about this. When will we ever get another chance to do this? Haven't you always wanted to satisfy your wanderlust and see America (and Canada) the way YOU wanted to see it? For me, this is my last chance to take a grand tour of my country, a perfect send-off before I strike out on my own on the other side of the world. I'm sure you guys are having similar thoughts. It may be costly, but it the experience will be priceless. We'll be worrying about our money for the rest of our lives. Let's take this chance, before we have our careers, wives and kids, and our old age to think about. We'll never be this free again.
A while ago I made a vow to myself: I won't let my 20's slip by. I have 8 years left before I'm 30, and I'm going to make the most of every second of it. I'd love it if you guys would join me on this. What do you say?