The Ever Changing Route

View The Route in a larger map


This map should give you a very general idea of the route that we'll be taking on our cross country adventure. Keep in mind that we've actually changed the itinerary five times since we began planning this trip! I definitely see us changing it again...on the fly. I always say that part of the fun of taking a trip is in the planning. This winter we actually spent a whole day in our pajamas pouring over maps and calculating mileage. 26 days and 8,000 miles! That's a lot of miles! That's a lot of "together time" in the car! I really don't know if 30 years together has prepared us for this shoulder to shoulder, 10+ hours a day in a small box with wheels, drive across the country. And I really should work on curbing my back seat driving. Kevin always tells me that I could start my own business called "Help You Drive".

Here's the actually itinerary...wish us luck!

Day 1 - Erie, PA
2 - Arrive Ottawa, Illinois to visit family
5 - Leave Illinois to Badlands - or as close as we can get
6 - Badlands & Mt. Rushmore
7 - Yellowstone
8 - Yellowstone
9 - drive 1/2 way to Portland, OR
10 - Arrive Portland, OR to visit Jared and Molly
13 - Leave Portland to Redwoods
14 - Napa/San Fransisco
15 - Napa/San Fransisco
16 - Vegas
17 - Grand Canyon
18 - Santa Fe, NM
19 - Arrive Austin, TX to visit Chelsea and Ryan
22 - Leave Austin to Memphis, TN
23 - Lexington, VA
24 - HOME

We have three 12 hour driving days scheduled...which shouldn't be too bad. Right? We also have a few extra days for wiggle room in case there's something special to see or we just don't feel like driving that far on a day or two.

If all else fails we can sell everything and fly home!