Family & Friends,
Alas, here is my End of Journey Report for my Road Trip Across America, 2016!
I must say that the road life suited me well. I was already more of a lone wolf, so traveling by myself and driving alone for hours on end did not phase me so much (except that maybe I talked to myself a little more than usual). It gave me a lot of time to think, which was healthy for my overactive brain. I also liked the fact that I could fit my entire life into a minivan. There is something very liberating about that. By the end, I had my own system down pat: how I organized my "control panel," how I avoided speeding tickets (even though I was totally flying most of the time), and how I managed to use Porta Potty's without having to touch anything.
In many ways, this trip was a whole lot easier than my last big trip to Europe and Asia. Why? There was no language barrier (except some thick accents in the South); there was no currency exchange; I had wifi through my phone plan (although, I didn't always have service in some areas); there were no visas or border control to deal with; I had last resort shelter in the form of the minivan I traveled in; I could pack more and therefore be more prepared; I could buy more souvenirs because I had room; and I could charge my phone in the van.
The downsides were that I was constantly worried about having all of my possessions in the van and I had to find secure parking everywhere I went. Also, the U.S. sucks at having hostels for traveling on the cheap (see more below).
As is now my tradition, I've compiled all the statistics and "awards" from the trip, as well as some useful tips (in addition to the tips and travel items that I wrote about in my last End of Journey Report, which also applied to this trip).
And enjoy the cross-country timelapse video below!
Onward,
Chris
THE STATS:
*The Final List:
1. Silver Spring, MD
2. Washington, DC
3. Cleveland, OH
4. Chicago/Park Ridge, IL
5. Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
6. Nashville, TN
7. Memphis, TN
8. Birmingham, AL
9. New Orleans, LA
10. Austin, TX
11. San Antonio, TX
12. Roswell, NM
13. Santa Fe, NM
14. Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO
15. Denver, CO
16. Idaho Springs, CO
17. Boulder, CO
18. Arches National Park/Moab, UT
19. Zion National Park/Hurricane, UT
20. Grand Canyon National Park/Flagstaff, AZ
21. Las Vegas, NV
22. Los Angeles, CA
23. Santa Barbara, CA
*Miles traveled: ~6,000
*Days traveling: 32
*Number of hours driving: 102 (4.25 Days)
*Time zone changes: 5
*Cities/Towns: 23
*States visited: 15
*States driven through: 21
*National parks: 6
*Nights camping: 2
*Nights slept in van: 3
*Hostels: 6
*Airbnb's: 3
*Family/friend hosts: 6
*Gay bars: 12
*Breweries: 5
*Storms driven through: 6
*Storms on foot: 3
*Hikes: 8
*New animal friends: 12
*T-shirts purchased: 4
*Silly hats tried on: 6
*Amount of RAW GoPro footage: 84.97 GB (~7 Hours)
*Amount of photo footage: 6.33 GB (~1,300 Photos)
THE AWARD GOES TO...
*Favorite cities: New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville
*Least favorite cities: Memphis, Birmingham
*Best hostel: Firehouse Hostel (Austin, TX)
*Worst hostel: Woodward Lumber Hostel (San Antonio, TX)
*Best gay bars: Pegasus Club (San Antonio, TX), Blush N' Blu (Denver, CO)
*Best brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH)
*Least expensive town: Birmingham, AL
*Most expensive town: Las Vegas, NV
*Best food: New Orleans, Nashville
*Most overrated: Grand Canyon National Park, Las Vegas
*Most underrated: Cleveland, Great Sand Dunes National Park
*Best public transportation: Washington, D.C., Chicago
*Worst public transportation: Birmingham
*I wish I had more time in: Cleveland
*Favorite national park: Zion National Park
*Most beautiful landscape: Colorado
*Most boring landscape: Indiana
*Most played driving song: "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber
USEFUL TRAVEL ITEMS:
*Satellite GPS: There were long stretches where there was no phone service, so Google Maps wouldn't have helped. Also, it sucks up your phone battery, which you probably want for emergencies.
*AAA Paper Maps: I know there's a serious problem with Millenials not knowing how to read real maps, but these are the best back-up to anything digital.
*Phone Charger: Duh. That's the great thing about traveling by automobile: You can charge your phone in the car.
*Extra Phone Power: I don't have one of these, but it would have been useful. I didn't run into any battery issues on my Euro trip because I didn't use my phone much because I didn't have international service. But for this domestic trip, I used it a lot for Google Maps on my walking explorations, instead of paper maps.
*Plenty of water: It's important to stay hydrated, especially if you're drinking a lot of caffeine to stay alert. It's also useful for camping, of course, when there might not be running water.
*E-Z Pass: For you West Coasters, an E-Z Pass is the East Coast/Midwest equivalent of a FasTrak pass. I went through so many frickin' tolls that renting an E-Z Pass was definitely a good decision.
TRAVEL TIPS:
*Get gas and use the bathroom whenever you have the chance! I got caught into a predicament while driving through Indiana when I was running low on gas and had to pee really bad. It was a 50-mile stretch before I reached another rest stop. There weren't even shoulders on the road to pull over and pee.
*Pack snacks. It might be hard to find a real place to eat on the road, so having snacks in the car is a lifesaver. It's also something to do when you get bored driving. And on that note, you can save time by eating meals in the car, so handheld foods like sandwiches or chicken fingers are best because they're less messy.
*Plan accommodations ahead of time. The U.S. really does not have as strong a hostel culture as, say, Europe. It's just not a thing. Most places I visited did not have any hostels, and if they did, they were more expensive than what I was used to in Europe. Also, make sure the hostels are legit. In Memphis, I found one hostel, but when I looked deeper, I found that it was affiliated with a church and it had all these rules about volunteering in order to stay there. Campsites tend to be cheaper than American hostels, but many of them are completely booked months in advance. Others do not take reservations and you have to just show up and take your chances. Because of this, Airbnb is often your best bet, which isn't necessarily cheap either.
*Carry some cash with you. I assumed that I would mostly rely on credit cards since I wouldn't have to deal with foreign transaction fees like last time. I always recommend credit card over cash because: (A) It's safer if your wallet gets lost or stolen, and (B) You accumulate a lot of rewards points from spending. For the most part, this plan worked out, but there were some areas in the South that have just not caught onto things like Uber or even taxis with credit card machines. Also, there were some gas stations that only took cash or debit card, not credit card.
Another tip I recommend not just for traveling, but what I always stuck to in NYC too: Pay with cash when going out to bars. The last thing you want is to get drunk and forget to close out your tab and leave your credit card at the bar. Not only that, but bars count on people getting so drunk that they don't remember how many drinks they had... I've seen this happen many times where a bartender adds additional drinks to the bill, or they get you mixed up and charge other people's drinks to your card. Sometimes they also add a higher gratuity, instead of the standard $1 tip per drink. Furthermore, I like paying with cash because it keeps my drinking in check. Once I run out of cash, I know that it's time to stop drinking.
*Listen to talk radio, not just music. I often got bored of listening to the same Top 40 songs played on the radio over and over. Sure, you can create your own playlist, but you'd better make sure it's long enough to not drive you crazy with repetition. I managed to create a solid balance between music and NPR. I even listened to some Christian radio just for shits and giggles. And call-in talk radio that gave romantic advice. But the biggest advantage to non-music listening is that it's better for keeping you awake because you are engaged in the conversation/story. TED talks are great too, but don't use up all your data!
*Trust in the Universe!
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
- Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Alas, here is my End of Journey Report for my Road Trip Across America, 2016!
I must say that the road life suited me well. I was already more of a lone wolf, so traveling by myself and driving alone for hours on end did not phase me so much (except that maybe I talked to myself a little more than usual). It gave me a lot of time to think, which was healthy for my overactive brain. I also liked the fact that I could fit my entire life into a minivan. There is something very liberating about that. By the end, I had my own system down pat: how I organized my "control panel," how I avoided speeding tickets (even though I was totally flying most of the time), and how I managed to use Porta Potty's without having to touch anything.
In many ways, this trip was a whole lot easier than my last big trip to Europe and Asia. Why? There was no language barrier (except some thick accents in the South); there was no currency exchange; I had wifi through my phone plan (although, I didn't always have service in some areas); there were no visas or border control to deal with; I had last resort shelter in the form of the minivan I traveled in; I could pack more and therefore be more prepared; I could buy more souvenirs because I had room; and I could charge my phone in the van.
The downsides were that I was constantly worried about having all of my possessions in the van and I had to find secure parking everywhere I went. Also, the U.S. sucks at having hostels for traveling on the cheap (see more below).
As is now my tradition, I've compiled all the statistics and "awards" from the trip, as well as some useful tips (in addition to the tips and travel items that I wrote about in my last End of Journey Report, which also applied to this trip).
And enjoy the cross-country timelapse video below!
Onward,
Chris
THE STATS:
*The Final List:
1. Silver Spring, MD
2. Washington, DC
3. Cleveland, OH
4. Chicago/Park Ridge, IL
5. Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
6. Nashville, TN
7. Memphis, TN
8. Birmingham, AL
9. New Orleans, LA
10. Austin, TX
11. San Antonio, TX
12. Roswell, NM
13. Santa Fe, NM
14. Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO
15. Denver, CO
16. Idaho Springs, CO
17. Boulder, CO
18. Arches National Park/Moab, UT
19. Zion National Park/Hurricane, UT
20. Grand Canyon National Park/Flagstaff, AZ
21. Las Vegas, NV
22. Los Angeles, CA
23. Santa Barbara, CA
*Miles traveled: ~6,000
*Days traveling: 32
*Number of hours driving: 102 (4.25 Days)
*Time zone changes: 5
*Cities/Towns: 23
*States visited: 15
*States driven through: 21
*National parks: 6
*Nights camping: 2
*Nights slept in van: 3
*Hostels: 6
*Airbnb's: 3
*Family/friend hosts: 6
*Gay bars: 12
*Breweries: 5
*Storms driven through: 6
*Storms on foot: 3
*Hikes: 8
*New animal friends: 12
*T-shirts purchased: 4
*Silly hats tried on: 6
*Amount of RAW GoPro footage: 84.97 GB (~7 Hours)
*Amount of photo footage: 6.33 GB (~1,300 Photos)
THE AWARD GOES TO...
*Favorite cities: New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville
*Least favorite cities: Memphis, Birmingham
*Best hostel: Firehouse Hostel (Austin, TX)
*Worst hostel: Woodward Lumber Hostel (San Antonio, TX)
*Best gay bars: Pegasus Club (San Antonio, TX), Blush N' Blu (Denver, CO)
*Best brewery: Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, OH)
*Least expensive town: Birmingham, AL
*Most expensive town: Las Vegas, NV
*Best food: New Orleans, Nashville
*Most overrated: Grand Canyon National Park, Las Vegas
*Most underrated: Cleveland, Great Sand Dunes National Park
*Best public transportation: Washington, D.C., Chicago
*Worst public transportation: Birmingham
*I wish I had more time in: Cleveland
*Favorite national park: Zion National Park
*Most beautiful landscape: Colorado
*Most boring landscape: Indiana
*Most played driving song: "Love Yourself" by Justin Bieber
USEFUL TRAVEL ITEMS:
*Satellite GPS: There were long stretches where there was no phone service, so Google Maps wouldn't have helped. Also, it sucks up your phone battery, which you probably want for emergencies.
*AAA Paper Maps: I know there's a serious problem with Millenials not knowing how to read real maps, but these are the best back-up to anything digital.
*Phone Charger: Duh. That's the great thing about traveling by automobile: You can charge your phone in the car.
*Extra Phone Power: I don't have one of these, but it would have been useful. I didn't run into any battery issues on my Euro trip because I didn't use my phone much because I didn't have international service. But for this domestic trip, I used it a lot for Google Maps on my walking explorations, instead of paper maps.
*Plenty of water: It's important to stay hydrated, especially if you're drinking a lot of caffeine to stay alert. It's also useful for camping, of course, when there might not be running water.
*E-Z Pass: For you West Coasters, an E-Z Pass is the East Coast/Midwest equivalent of a FasTrak pass. I went through so many frickin' tolls that renting an E-Z Pass was definitely a good decision.
TRAVEL TIPS:
*Get gas and use the bathroom whenever you have the chance! I got caught into a predicament while driving through Indiana when I was running low on gas and had to pee really bad. It was a 50-mile stretch before I reached another rest stop. There weren't even shoulders on the road to pull over and pee.
*Pack snacks. It might be hard to find a real place to eat on the road, so having snacks in the car is a lifesaver. It's also something to do when you get bored driving. And on that note, you can save time by eating meals in the car, so handheld foods like sandwiches or chicken fingers are best because they're less messy.
*Plan accommodations ahead of time. The U.S. really does not have as strong a hostel culture as, say, Europe. It's just not a thing. Most places I visited did not have any hostels, and if they did, they were more expensive than what I was used to in Europe. Also, make sure the hostels are legit. In Memphis, I found one hostel, but when I looked deeper, I found that it was affiliated with a church and it had all these rules about volunteering in order to stay there. Campsites tend to be cheaper than American hostels, but many of them are completely booked months in advance. Others do not take reservations and you have to just show up and take your chances. Because of this, Airbnb is often your best bet, which isn't necessarily cheap either.
*Carry some cash with you. I assumed that I would mostly rely on credit cards since I wouldn't have to deal with foreign transaction fees like last time. I always recommend credit card over cash because: (A) It's safer if your wallet gets lost or stolen, and (B) You accumulate a lot of rewards points from spending. For the most part, this plan worked out, but there were some areas in the South that have just not caught onto things like Uber or even taxis with credit card machines. Also, there were some gas stations that only took cash or debit card, not credit card.
Another tip I recommend not just for traveling, but what I always stuck to in NYC too: Pay with cash when going out to bars. The last thing you want is to get drunk and forget to close out your tab and leave your credit card at the bar. Not only that, but bars count on people getting so drunk that they don't remember how many drinks they had... I've seen this happen many times where a bartender adds additional drinks to the bill, or they get you mixed up and charge other people's drinks to your card. Sometimes they also add a higher gratuity, instead of the standard $1 tip per drink. Furthermore, I like paying with cash because it keeps my drinking in check. Once I run out of cash, I know that it's time to stop drinking.
*Listen to talk radio, not just music. I often got bored of listening to the same Top 40 songs played on the radio over and over. Sure, you can create your own playlist, but you'd better make sure it's long enough to not drive you crazy with repetition. I managed to create a solid balance between music and NPR. I even listened to some Christian radio just for shits and giggles. And call-in talk radio that gave romantic advice. But the biggest advantage to non-music listening is that it's better for keeping you awake because you are engaged in the conversation/story. TED talks are great too, but don't use up all your data!
*Trust in the Universe!
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
- Henry David Thoreau, Walden