Preparation for the Journey

How do you prepare to drive around the nation with your family for two months? Please someone tell me if you really know. Oh well, you're probably too late for me to do anything about it anyway. So we'll just do our best with what we have and hit the road. 

In this age of information, I found there was almost too much as there are really too many places and simply not enough time even in eight weeks to do it all. Internet and books have lead us to decide on a basic route and a National Park Pass will allow us to visit the best of what our nation has to offer. But there are lots of places in-between and I know we will miss some great places but we have decided to be of the attitude that we will certainly see more in our time than some people will even in their own lifetime. 

Nearly twenty years ago, I had thoughts of taking a trip like this when I couldn't figure out what to do with my life. I contemplated this trip between moving to Jackson Hole, Wyoming or hiking for sometime on the Appalachian Trail. Back then, I flipped through the pages of Backpacker magazine trying to figure out what I could do, as the internet was really in it's infancy and this magazine was the best source of information. With a few years worth of magazines I had some good ideas but I decided the timing wasn't really that great as I was eager to leave Maine in the middle of winter and most of the hikes I wanted to do would be covered in snow as well. Jackson fell through when a friend who lived there and had invited me before to come out, now said that most jobs were already taken and it was even more impossible to find a place to live. So I headed to the AT, without reservation. Turns out to be one of my best choices EVER! A couple days onto the trail I met the woman who would become my wife and be the mother to our two children. Now all of us are ready, well mostly ready, to share this adventure across America.

In the process of planning, I also had to spend time cleaning the house. I am a bit of a pack rat, and have kept many adventure magazines in addition to Backpacker magazines. Instead of just putting them all away in a box, I took the time to flip through them looking for information. I love that I have twenty year old magazines that spurred my sense of adventure. I knew there was a reason I kept all these magazines. Some were useless, others bummed me out that I didn't have more time, or slightly older children and others stirred memories of past trips or past equipment. Now they are all put back away, only after making plenty of photocopies, and we are prepared with ideas should the world wide web somehow break down while we are on the road. If it does, then I apologize that you have no idea just how much we may be enjoying that. 

It was also fun getting ideas from people. And not just people I know. I am fortunate to work at a store that attracts people from across the country. I got some inside info on some places, others just reaffirmed places I should visit but no one really turned me off to a place. Even more than learning about those places, I really got a kick learning about the people themselves. That's what this journey is going to be about as well. It's not just about the places, but about those who visit or live in those places. I have a good idea what most of the places will be like, kind of, and I am looking forward to being amazed, but who else will be there, I haven't a clue. 

Okay by now you're probably wondering where we are going exactly. Well I can't tell you exactly. A lot of our route is going to be weather dependent. I don't do well in the heat. In all of our planning, it seems to me that we could spend the entire two months in Southern Utah, but with temps reaching upper nineties we'll try to do a week there at least without melting away. Our first stop will be to Mo's hometown of Indiana for a few days. After that it's onto Colorado for a little adventure then to Utah and Northern Arizona. Through Nevada and into California which may provide us with a break to the heat if needed. We'll hit a couple of parks and make our way to the coast in the San Francisco Bay area and then follow the coast north. We will continue to take in the Pacific air through most of Oregon and on into Washington. Our passports are coming with us as we head into Canada with our sights set on Banff and a couple of surrounding parks. Back into the US via Glacier National Park in Montana and then south to Wyoming. After crossing that state we'll hit both North and South Dakota before finally winding our way back to Indiana and finally Maine. 

That's basically the plan. We really hope our VW Eurovan Bam Bam holds up well and that we spend more time driving it than fixing it. We hope the kids will remember things about this journey that we will have forgotten years from now. We hope that this only serves as a starting platform towards them living adventurous lives.

Check in when you can. We will do our best to provide updates, stories and photos. We will be off the grid so to speak so don't be surprised when we haven't updated for a week or more. Watch out America, here we come!