California to Maine; 5,000 Mile Road Trip

"We were all delighted, we all realized we were leaving confusion and nonsense behind and performing our one noble function of the time, move." - Jack Kerouac, On the Road

The time is long overdue for me to finally make a cross country road trip. I've done 3, 2,000 mile long road trips- one through California and Oregon, one through Utah and Nevada, and one through Washington and Oregon. With grad school looming, I must get to Maine one way or another....


The expeditious traveler can make it from Southern California to Maine in roughly 5-6 days assuming that stops are only for necessities and sleep. The shortest distance on the American Highway system is rather bland. There are great sights to see within the US states of Colorado and Utah, as well as some Mid-western sights, but the best sights are often well off the beaten path.

Across America on Highways!

Anyone who knows me knows I am NOT expeditious, especially when it comes to travel. Maybe its because I'm a long-distance runner, but I'm not concerned about destinations, just the journeys. Cliche? Of course it is. But believe me, I live the "Focus on the Journey, not the Destination" in the most literal way possible!

In Flagstaff, AZ, currently!

As always, my primary reason for travel is to visit National Parks and National Monuments. These are generally, but not always, the best sights to see in America. I intend to visit all 350+ National Park Units eventually, so this trip will add about 20 of them to my checklist! However, I intend to also see several long lost friends, visit a couple of microbreweries, and keep you all updated through coffee-shop posts such as this! So follow me as I cross America, the Beautiful!

Read. Plan. Get Out There!