Day 11: Free Wifi. I'm lovin' it

Today was just one of those pretty relaxed days that we're bound to have (and need) occasionally. We spent most of it just outside of Joshua Tree National Park in a McDonald's trying to find a last minute couchsurfing host, since all of our previous requests had been denied. Thanks to the emergency couch request group for LA on the Couchsurfing site, we were found by Jim, who offered to host us for the night.

The drive from Joshua Tree to Los Angeles was a short one, although we were greeted with some familiar traffic right outside the city. It was a nice change of climate as we exited the desert and entered the much more temperate coastal region of California.

Our host took us, and the other couchsurfers, two Chinese ladies whose names I can't spell, to an excellent Chinese restaurant near his place in Alhambra, which is about 5 minutes drive from downtown LA. Unfortunately we couldn't find a place right in the city, but we were close by, so we'll have easy access when we head out to explore Los Angeles in the morning.

Day 10: Oh the places you'll go

We started the day nice and early because our host, Connor had to go to work. It was sad leaving Las Vegas because we had such a great time both in the city and just hanging out with the people we met. The group of people we met in Vegas was absolutely phenomenal, and while Las Vegas itself is a great place to be, I don't think we would have had anywhere near as good a time without our new friends. As much as I would have loved to stay, we had to press on and make our way to Joshua Tree National Park.

Mojave Desert road

The ride over was very relaxed, and at only about 4 hours in length, it was a cake walk compared to some of our other drives. We even took a small break along the side of the road to take pictures of some interesting trees (which we later found out were Joshua trees) when we passed through the Mojave Desert. The scenery was beautiful in the desert, and unlike anything I had ever seen before. Tough, ugly vegetation blankets the coarse sandy gravel and jutting rock formations of the Mojave, forming a unique landscape that's as harsh as it is beautiful.

Joshua trees

We got to experience quite a bit more of the Mojave when we reached Joshua Tree National Park, since the entire park is located in the desert. Our first stop was the visitor center where we learned that the Joshua tree is actually only found in the Mojave, and got some tips for some good areas to visit and hikes to go on.

Doing a bit of climbing

Before setting up our campsite, we drove up to Key's Point, a lookout point on one of the tallest mountains in the area where we were afforded a far reaching view of the surrounding valley. Driving through the park itself also offered some spectacular views. The grounds are littered with huge rock formations that look like large smooth boulders. It's almost as if some demented giant decided to make random piles of oddly shaped rocks. In fact everything in the park looks strange enough that it could have been ripped straight from a Dr. Seuss book, especially the park's titular tree with its twisted trunk and spiky leaves that make it look more like a cactus than a proper tree.

Our first adventure of the day after setting up our camp in the aptly named Jumbo Rocks campsite was to explore another well named pile of boulders called Skull Rock. We took a short, but beautiful hike through some other rock formations before reaching Skull Rock, which, as expected, looks like a large deformed human skull-- maybe even belonging to the park's long gone rock curator.

Next we hung around the camp for a bit and relaxed until about an hour before sunset when we hopped in the car to visit the cholla cactus garden, which is an especially lovely place to watch the sun go down. Like everything else in the park, these cacti are twisted, cruel looking plants that seem right at home in the desolate landscape. The dramatic lighting of the almost setting sun made for some excellent photo opportunities, and we spent the next hour just wandering through the deadly garden.

The cholla cactus garden

Joshua Tree Park was an incredible place, and I'd love to come back to explore more of the trails and do some rock climbing, but we only had time for one night, so it's on to Los Angeles in the morning.

Day 9: Goodbye to Fabulous Las Vegas

We started off our second day in Vegas with a trip to the "Welcome to Vegas" sign where we got a couple pictures in spite of the fake workers rushing people along and fishing for tips. After the sign we said goodbye to Danny and Charlie, who were headed off to the alien town a little further north in Nevada near Area 51.

Our new friends at the Vegas sign

By the time we made if back from the sign it was right around lunchtime, so we made a stop at In-n-Out Burger, a chain that can only be found in the West. The quality was much better than your average fast food burger joint, and not overpriced. Apparently there is a whole "secret menu" (most of which can be found on the restaurant's website) that you can order from to get some special options. Since I didn't have time to study the secret menu, I just ordered the standard double-double with fries, and I wasn't disappointed.

Everybody loves Spike

Once lunch was finished, there was some time to relax and get caught up on blog posts and pictures, and I even managed to squeeze in a few minutes to play fetch with Spike, one of the bungalow complex's dogs.

Around 4pm we met up with Adam again and went downtown to El Cortez to try out some gambling. We played a few games of penny slots, which were pretty unsatisfying, even though I did manage to come out five dollars ahead. It was just kind of boring sitting there and pressing a button for something you have no control over. I would have liked to try out some poker, but where we checked in The Venitian was a little too rich for my blood.

Next we got some dinner on Fremont Street and waited around until Chris, aka "Foggy" and a friend of Charlie's, made it into Vegas. Once he arrived we took a trip back to The Strip to show Chris around and check out the Bellagio fountain show at night. Even after multiple viewings, it still impressed with its well choreographed streams, and explosive water canons that towered over even the extravagant hotels.

Chris, aka Foggy

The Strip at night was as busy as ever with a roiling mass of humanity blocking our path at every step. In spite of the Memorial Day weekend crowd we made it from The Bellagio to The Venitian at the other end of The Strip. Just walking along The Strip was exercise in more ways than one. It was exhausting just trying to look at all the incredible light shows and buildings at every turn. Even if I had a few more pairs of eyes it would have been overwhelming.

We finally reached The Venitian and walked around it for a bit. It had similar styling to Caesars Palace, but with even more lavish decorations including a life-sized canal complete with gondolas. Once we had our fill of The Venitian we made our way back to the car, and were fortunate enough to catch the show outside of Mirage, which combined waterworks with an incredible fire display. Dozens of torches sitting in the lagoon puffed up large fireballs in time to the music, as the volcano spouted huge torrents of water and flame that I could feel from the sidewalk 100 feet away. It was quite an exciting way to end our final day in Las Vegas.

Geries at the indoor Venitian canals

Next stop is the Joshua Tree National Park just outside of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert, where we should have better luck camping this time.

Day 8: Forget the Dam Tour

After our early start we made good time on our trip to Las Vegas. It was barely mid day when we arrived at Hoover Dam just outside of the city on the Arizona-Nevada state line. The drive through the mountains around the dam was very scenic, and the view of Lake Meade from the road was quite pretty. We stopped just long enough to walk the dam to take in its sheer size and snap a few pictures before moving on to Las Vegas.

The Hoover Dam Memorial Bridge

We came into Vegas around 1:30pm which gave us the rest of the day to explore the city with our host, Connor. One of the coolest parts about couchsurfing is that often you'll get to meet even more people than just the host. Connor had accepted a last minute request just after hours, and a pair of surfers from the UK, Danny and Charlie, were already there from the night before. Everyone was extremely cool, and we had a great group to go partying around the city. Since we were just in time for lunch, Connor took us out to the Palace Station to experience the ubiquitous Las Vegas buffet dinner complete with 99 cent margaritas.

Charlie taking a break from his margarita to play some slots

Once we were fed stuffed we took a trip to the Bellagio to catch the fountain show in the lagoon outside the hotel, and to wait for the final couchsurfer, Adam from Chicago. The show was impressive and just as outrageous and over-the-top as everything else on The Strip. Since it was Memorial Day weekend, the streets were packed, but I can't imagine Las Vegas as anything other than a bustling metropolis of excess. Massive hotels with striking designs dominate the landscape, and the themes are taken to such extremes. Along the strip you can visit Paris, Egypt, Rome, Venice, or any other number of far off places.

Adam (right) joined up with us at the Bellagio lagoon

The incredible amount of detail put into the buildings is mind-blowing. In Caesars Palace, the ceiling of the mall is convincingly painted to look like the sky, and all of the shop entrances are complete with Roman-style architecture and frescos. Everything is done so lavishly and at such expense that it's hard not to be impressed by these shrines to hedonism.

Geries in Caesars Palace

We came back to Connor's place for a short break before taking a stroll in downtown Vegas, where the older casinos are located. Fremont Street downtown is a huge show in itself complete with music blaring from every corner and enough neon signs to turn night into day. "Sensory overload" is really the only way to describe downtown at night.

Our awesome host, Connor

After walking Fremont Street for a bit we ducked into Bisson's Casino where we took a photo with a million dollars and finally crashed in a little sports bar to pick up a couple of pitchers and shoot the breeze. It was a lot of fun just hanging out and chatting with Connor, Danny, and Charlie and hearing about their experiences with their travels. It was a great and relaxing way to end an exciting day.

A million dollars!

Danny in Bisson's

Day 7: You can't drive your house, but you can sleep in your car

The drive to the Grand Canyon wasn't very notable, although the winds we experienced in Arizona were pretty ridiculous. When we stopped for gas just outside of the Grand Canyon park the wind was blowing so hard that it required quite a bit of force just to open the door of the car to get out.

At the Grand Canyon, the wind didn't let up much. We were told that winds can reach 40mph on the rim of the canyon, and I believe it. Aside from the constant breeze, the temperature was much cooler on the canyon than it was on our previous drives. It actually necessitated a change to jeans and a jacket from the shorts and short sleeves that I had been wearing up until then.

Bundling up in the Grand Canyon

After fighting our way through a bit of traffic to get a parking spot at the visitor center we made our way to Mather's Point, which is the traditional first view of the canyon. The view was literally breathtaking, but that may have just been the gale force winds that ripped over the rim of the canyon to our little spit of rock that jutted out into the abyss. It's hard to describe the immense size of the canyon, but it feels like you could drop a mountain in the bottom and it would still be dwarfed by the rift that enveloped it.

Mather's Point

The view is just as good upside down

Next we made our way to Yavapai Point which affords a great East-West view perfect for watching the sunset. We were able to get right up to the edge where we bundled up and waited for the sun to go down. Our shadows steadily grew longer, and eventually the sky was awash with a vivid orange for a short while before the sun sunk below the horizon formed by the rim of the canyon.

Geries on Yavapai Point at sunset

Once the sun had set, we went back outside the gate of the park to get some dinner before heading back in to do some night photography. Since we were unable to find any legitimate camping areas, we ended up camping out in the car. Originally we planned to move everything from the trunk and back seat to the front seats so we could fold down the back seats and sleep in the trunk, but laziness got the better of us and we ended up just sleeping in the front seats. We took a nap and woke up again once the moon had gone down, then made our way back out to Mather's Point.

The night sky from Mather's Point

With the disappearance of the sun came even more frigid temperatures-- not to mention that the wind was blowing with renewed zeal. Even so we went out in the pitch black to Mather's Point, and took in the incredible starscape, where hundreds of thousands of stars dotted the inky black sky, and the translucent white streak of the Milky Way was clearly visible even to the naked eye.

We went back to sleep not long after, and woke with the rising sun streaming through the windows of the car. Even though we woke up pretty early, we felt surprisingly well rested, so we got an early start on our journey to Las Vegas.

Days 5 and 6: On Route 66

A prime suspect in the sleeping bag incident

We tried to get an early start since we'd be spending about 16 hours on the road, but we had a bit of a hang up when we started packing. I had set up my sleeping bag the previous night, but ended up just sleeping on the couch. Apparently during the night one of the cats decided to relieve itself on the sleeping bag, so we had to spend some time trying to clean it up. It didn't work very well so we just tossed it in a trash bag and went on the road and hoped that it wouldn't stink up the car.

The first part of the ride was broken up a bit when we got pulled over about an hour outside Houston for going 7 mph over the speed limit, which seemed pretty harsh. Thankfully we got a warning, and needless to say we kept it under the speed limit for the rest of the trip.

Along the road we stopped at Buc-ee's since it came with Josue's endorsement, and it turned out to be pretty cool. It's really just a really large and nice convenience store at a gas station, but it was interesting to check out, and it's a Texas staple.

The famous Buc-ee's

Next we made a quick stop in San Antonio to see the Alamo. We didn't have much time to stay, but the place was fairly small, so we made a round, took some pictures and said bye to the Alamo in about 20 minutes so we  could get to Albuquerque before midnight. It was definitely worth the stop, though. It was really cool just to walk around in a building that holds such an interesting place in history.

The Alamo

After the Alamo it was a straight shot to Albuquerque with only a couple stops for gas and dinner at Denny's. Going through western Texas was an experience. Some parts were flat and empty like I originally pictured it, but there were also some very scenic hills and plateaus that made the drive interesting. No matter where we were, though, the landscape was brutally empty to the point where you almost felt like waving to anyone you passed just because there was that connection of being in such a lonely place at the same time.

Sunset in New Mexico

New Mexico was more of the same, but we got to watch the sun set as we drove through into our first night ride of the trip. There was even more nothing in New Mexico until we hit the mountains right before Albuquerque. As we crested a hill, the landscape opened up before us with thousands of lights in the valley below. It would have been cool to drive through during the day and actually see the mountains, but the night view was well worth seeing.

Our Albuquerque host, Candace

The place we stayed was on the newly named Central Avenue, but was originally the historic Route 66. We came in pretty late, and our host, Candace, had already gone to bed, but we got to hang out with her roommate Xavier who showed us around downtown a little bit, and introduced us to some local New Mexico beers before we came back to the apartment and got some long overdue sleep.

Our other Albuquerque host, Xavier

The next day we woke up and met a couple of other Couchsurfers from Belgium-- Koen and Ben-- who were also staying with our host. We also finally got to meet Candace and had a good chat with her Koen and Ben before she had to leave for a music festival and left us in the hands of Xavier again. Ben, Geries, Xavier and I went to get some breakfast not longer after at a place called Frontier which had a killer breakfast burrito. Next, Xavier took us for an great ride around Albuquerque and right up to the side of the mountains that overlook the city.

Ben, Koen, me, and the dogs

New friends at the base of the mountains overlooking Albuquerque

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at the apartment with Geries, Ben, and Koen. I got a little reading done, and we had a chance to rest before setting out on our trip to the Grand Canyon.

About Our Lodging

I didn't really mention it specifically before, but the way that Geries and I are acquiring lodging for our trip is actually pretty unique. We're using a website called Couchsurfing to find hosts that let us stay at their place for free. It probably sounds pretty sketchy at a glance, but it's actually a really well organized social network that allows you to be as safe as possible by checking out references, etc. So far the experience has been amazing, because it's really more about the experience and meeting new people than it is about just finding a place to stay. Some of the best times we've had so far on our trip have been just hanging out with our hosts and shooting the breeze. Everyone we've met has become a new friend, and when they decide to go on their own trips they will always have a couch to crash on, or someone to show them around wherever we are.

The site itself has a better explanation, but those are the basics. I highly recommend checking it out.

Day 4: Takin' It Easy

Outside the Saturn V hangar

Last night we realized that if we kept going at the same breakneck pace we wouldn't make it very far, so we decided that today we were going to sleep in and take things slowly so we could actually relax. It is a vacation after all! With that in mind, our only planned stop was to the NASA space center just South of Houston. Thanks to a tip from our host, Josue, we skipped the official space center (and the hefty price tag) and just stopped by the Rocket Park where a Saturn V rocket rests in a hangar the size of a football field.

Saturn V

We walked into the hangar through a small nondescript door that we almost weren't sure we were supposed to go through. The door opened into an expansive space where the Saturn V towered over us. We craned our necks upward to take in the awesome sight as we made the walk from the nose to the five monstrous F1 engines at the tail of the rocket. A small car could drive through the widest part of the mouth of each engine with room to spare, and looking up into their gaping maws I felt absolutely puny. Aside from being awestruck by the sheer size of the Saturn V, it was also just incredible to see something that was so integral to our exploration of space.

An F1 Engine

After spending some time inside we had a chat with Jason, a security guard that stopped us when we almost pulled into the actual working space center campus instead of the Rocket Park-- in our defense, the parking lot for the Rocket Park was tiny, and it was not at all obvious where to go. Anyway, he told us about some of his military experience jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, and found that he had actually been at Fort Benning in Georgia not too long ago. Small world.

Jason, a security guard at the NASA Space Center

The rest of the day was spent just wandering around Hermann Park again before meeting with Greta, a friend of Geries's from Georgia Tech, to go and stay at her place for the night. Since we hadn't gotten any Texan barbecue yet, we went to Luling City Market at the recommendation of Greta, and it was definitely worth it. The brisket was some of the best I've had, and the sauce was equally good.

Our Houston host, Greta

I'll be sad to see Houston go, but we'll be leaving bright and early to make our longest drive so far on the road to Albuquerque.

Day 3: Little Japan in Big Houston

Our New Orleans host, Tess

Unfortunately this morning we had to say goodbye to New Orleans and our gracious host, Tess. We had a great time biking around the city's lively streets and taking in some Louisiana charm, but it was time to move on to Houston, the next stop on our journey. We managed to get packed and on the road by 9:30am, and came into Houston at 4pm giving us a little time to explore before our new host, Josue, made it back from work.

Entering the Lone Star State

At the rest area on the Texas border we grabbed a couple maps and travel guides that pointed us to some of the attractions in Houston. Having heard of the Japanese Garden before, we decided to check out the Museum District where the garden is located. The Museum District provided a great first impression of Houston, with its welcoming streets lined with overhanging trees, and the beautiful Hermann Park where we spent most of our afternoon. Impressive stone monuments, ponds, and lush green spaces made Hermann Park a wonderful place to kill a few hours. Geries and I took a leisurely ride around the park checking out the various sculptures and installations-- my favorite being a huge collection of sculptures depicting the Chinese zodiac that overlooks a scenic lake.

Geries in Hermann Park

Zodiac Sculptures

After exploring the park proper, we took a stroll through the Japanese Garden where we were greeted by a serene pond and waterfall and a Japanese teahouse. Supposedly when the teahouse is open, the garden view through a certain window inside the teahouse becomes a carefully crafted "living painting." Regrettably, the teahouse was closed, but we were still able to enjoy the landscape and fleeting glimpses of its wildlife inhabitants, including quite a few seemingly stone-carved turtles. It's hard to describe how peaceful the park seemed in spite of the fact that it was actually pretty packed with people.

Admiring the Japanese Garden

We left the park for dinner, and came to the Amazon Grill, which was recommended by a friend of Geries's and a Houston local. There we met David, a very friendly cashier, and filled ourselves to bursting with the complementary chips and David's suggested entrees, mine being grilled chicken with an awesome mango sauce.

David from Amazon Grill

Since it was about 8pm after finishing dinner, we went to meet up with our host and unpack our things. Josue immediately welcomed us into his home, and offered us some cold beer, which was the perfect cap to our already excellent day. You'd be hard pressed to find a more inviting and laid-back guy than Josue. We spent a little while just chatting with him over our beers before he showed us around the house, and whisked us away to find a good place to hang out. Tuesday nights aren't necessarily the most lively time to go out, but we found a cozy bar to share some local Texan brews and learn about the best things to see and do around Houston. But wait! We weren't done yet-- we still had time to check out Twin Peaks, a Hooters-like restaurant where we were served a mountain of barbecue heaped nachos that even the three of us had a hard time conquering.

Our Houston host, Josue

Hanging out with Josue really brought to light the fact that this trip won't be made great just by seeing cool places, but by having a good time with interesting people that we wouldn't have the chance to meet in the same old spots.

Day 2: Beignets, Burritos, Streetcars, and Saxophones

Couldn't resist the beignets

Our second day in New Orleans got off to a much earlier start than we expected. The time change played with our heads a bit, and we unintentionally woke up at about 7:30am. So we took a nice early morning ride to Decatur Street and hit up a staple of New Orleans: Cafe du Monde. There we got some of the famous beignets, a pastry similar to funnel cake. Everything in the bustling cafe was coated in a thin layer of the powdered sugar that covered the fried dough in miniature mountains. A trumpet player had set up shop right outside the patio, regaling the cafe's patrons with some authentic New Orleans music. Next we took another quick ride down Deactur Street to head back to our host's place.

The bright open area on Decatur Street by the riverside was a stark contrast to the dim, almost claustrophobic atmosphere of Bourbon Street, despite their close vicinity. Both had their charms, though, and were definitely an integral part to our New Orleans experience.

After riding around for a bit more, which happened to be great fun in the mostly flat city, we took a quick break in the Marriott hotel lobby before heading out to Midcity to visit a former resident of Geries's and have lunch at Juan's Flying Burrito. The namesake burrito, containing chicken, steak, and shrimp all in a single giant tortilla, was delicious and fueled us for another full day of riding. We spent the next few hours riding back and forth from our host's house and stores to stock up on food for dinner and breakfast. Since we liked the beignets so much, we actually made a trip back to the Cafe du Monde for another round before catching a trolley on Canal Street.

One of our New Orleans insiders, Nick

Cafe du Monde's Sax Man

The streetcar ride was actually a lot of fun, and took us through the beautiful Garden District, where we passed some incredible old houses and a huge park that we would have loved to have ridden through. Unfortunately, though, we caught the trolley pretty late in the day so we didn't have time to take in the Garden District a little more thoroughly. Just getting to see the Garden District was pretty great, though, and the trolley ride made for a great way to finish off our time out in the city of New Orleans. I really hope to come back in the future and take some more time to explore the eccentric streets of New Orleans in greater depth.

Trolley ride

Geries on the trolley

Me on the trolley

Tomorrow we'll be setting out bright and early for Houston, Texas!

Day 1: Eau de "Bourbon Street"

The first day of the trip has come and gone, and if every other day ends up being as busy as this, I'm going to need to sleep for about a week straight when we get home. Geries and I started off fairly early since we made sure to pack as much as possible the night before. We got on the road at about 8am, and arrived in New Orleans around 4pm, putting us pretty close to the mark set by Google Maps. A pleasant surprise came as I checked my phone on the drive through Alabama, and we realized that we had just gained an hour after passing in to the Central time zone.

Other than the surprise time-warping, though, the rest of the drive was fairly mundane. However, there were some pretty scenic views of a marshland around the Alabama-Mississippi border, and of the Mississippi River upon coming into New Orleans.

The real fun came when we arrived at our destination, and didn't let up until we collapsed of exhaustion at the end of the day. Immediately upon our arrival our host, Tess, told us about a music festival called The Bayou Boogaloo. So before unpacking anything else we hopped on our bikes and took a ride through the city and ended up at a large park with a small river running through it, along with three stages supplying live music to a large and lively crowd. After walking around a bit and listening to a couple of numbers performed by local bands, we took another ride back to the city and began exploring.

First we made our way from our host's place in the Garden District toward the French Quarter where we caught a glimpse of the mighty Mississippi and watched a ferry come back and forth across the river. Next, in search of food, we went deeper into the French Quarter and ended up on Bourbon Street, where we ended up spending the rest of the day (at least in the vicinity). Getting lost down Bourbon Street was quite an experience. Despite it being Sunday night, the street was crowded with throngs of locals, tourists, eccentric street performers, and doormen trying to coax passerby into their establishments. It was a non-stop assault on our senses with the constant barking of doormen and street performers, more than a little shoving and jostling for position on the street and sidewalk, bright neon signs glaring overhead, and above all a noxious smell that can only be named “Bourbon Street”-- a pungent mixture of the fragrances of sewage, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and most likely pot.

After wandering around in a bit of a daze, and making more than a few rounds on our bikes trying to spot a suitable place to eat, we phoned for help and were directed to the Acme oyster bar. Unfortunately when we got there, the line was well out the door, so we opted for Felix's Seafood across the street. While it took a while to get the food, the fresh seafood po' boys we ordered were delicious, and a great way to end our first night in New Orleans.

Day 0: The First Step

Before I start anything else, I'll just go ahead and explain what this blog is about:

Around January, my good friend, Geries, decided that this summer would be a good time to do a cross-country road trip, and suggested it to me. At first I thought it would be pretty cool, but not something that would be feasible, but the more I thought on it, the more I realized that this was it-- it was now or never. That's a little dramatic, but it isn't far from the truth, since Geries and I will soon be graduating from Georgia Tech, and will be off to the "real world" where three-month blocks of freedom seldom crop up. So, long story short, I decided to join Geries, and we began planning our adventure.

Since the decision was made early on, and the spring semester was in full swing, we put off much of the planning for the trip, but the thing to solidify first was the list of destinations. While it would have been great to spend the whole summer on the road, other obligations and the rapidly increasing price tag led us to settle for about a month. With that in mind, we came up with this list of destinations:

• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Houston, Texas
• Roswell/Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Grand Canyon, Arizona
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Los Angeles, California
• Sequoia, California
• Yosemite, California
• San Francisco, California
• Seattle, Washington
• Yellowstone
• Mount Rushmore, North Dakota
• Chicago, Illinois
• Detroit, Michigan
• Boston, Massachusetts
• New York City, New York
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Washington D.C.

With 18 destinations, about 2 nights per destination, 35 nights on the road, 8451 miles to drive, and 147 hours (6.125 days) spent in the car, this was looking to be one hell of a trip. And now that we depart tomorrow, we've been working hard to get everything ready for the journey-- including starting this blog.

We'll be updating this blog on a daily basis (Mostly. We'll be camping some, so those posts will have to wait) with our location, some pictures and video, and what we've been up to.

And I'll start with today! We spent a total of about 12 hours making sure the car was in order, getting last minute supplies, packing things, and getting our bikes ready for the trip. Our bike rack got some preliminary testing, and looks like it will hold. Both Geries and I were skeptical at first, but it turned out to be rock solid, and there's nothing to worry about. After some quick trips all around the metro-Atlanta area we gathered all the supplies we needed, performed our necessary bike/car maintenance, and packed everything up for tomorrow.

Tomorrow we set off! See you guys in a month!