Planning an Exodus
I bought a road atlas today. How can something so silly and simple bring a person so much pleasure. The thought of my impending roadtrip has me anxiously counting the days. I can’t wait to get out of this place, even if it is only temporarily. The 2 weeks I had planned didn’t seem like enough, so I took an extra week off of work. I have some friends that will be in Vegas on the 13th, and since I’ve never been I thought it would be cool to go along. So that added a dimension to my initial idea of going to Colorado for 2 weeks and coming back. And then today, after buying my road atlas at Half Price Books I went and sat having a cup of coffee and skimming through the pages of open highway, begging to be explored. I was buzzing with excitement from head to toe. Sometimes I think I was born to be a Vagabond. Often times I’ve dreamed of selling everything I own and traveling the world, stopping here and there, working some menial job just to make enough money to get me to the next place. Buying a old VW camper bus and living out of it, carrying only what I needed to make it through the adventure. You know, 17″ plasma and DVD player, SATNAV, Mobile Internet for the laptop…. the basics.
As I returned to my map and mocha frappuccino I came up with an idea. Everyone is flying into Las Vegas at 5:45 pm on the 13th, which is a Saturday. I get off of work Friday the 12th at 2pm. I figure I pack the car the night before, go home after work and get a few hours of sleep and then hit the road by about 7pm. Google Map says it should take 18 hours, 44 minutes. I can probably do it in 16. They’re all going to be there till the 16th, though I’ll probably get tired of it in a couple of days since I don’t gamble and rarely drink. So if I leave the 15th, I don’t have to be in Colorado for the wedding until, like the 24th I think. That gives me 9 days to Drive drive drive drive drive….
So here is what I thought. I’m leaving Vegas Monday, whenever I feel like, and heading North. Make Salk Lake City, Utah (6:19 (according to atlas)), then Old Faithful, Wyoming (8:03) where I can spend the day/night. How great would it be to camp out in at Yellow Stone National Park. Then, whenever I feel like it I can continue North to Helena, Montana (4:43) and spend a couple hours.
This is where this idea REALY excites me. If I can get the documents, I’m going NORTH NORTH NORTH to CANADA!!! Can you get into Canada and back without a passport? I’ll have to find out the logistics but that would totally be a dream come true if I can get it done. I’ll drive to Calgary, Capital of (7:07) and definitely spend the day. Then I’ll drive across Canada on the Trans-Canada Highway, taking a couple days to cross through Swift Current(4:57) to Regina, the Capital of Saskatchewan (2:26) and on to Winnipeg, Capital of Manitoba (5:44).
Then, I will (Sadly) leave Canada and head South to North Dakota, through Grand Forks (2:15) to Fargo (1:09) Dontcha know (you have to say that with a Swedish accent. If you don’t understand that, you need to get out more then I do). Then Visit BIsmarck (2:54). After that, South Dakota to Rapid City (6:49) And Mount Rushmore!!!
The final leg would be to Cheyenne, Wyoming (6:32) and on to Denver (1:31) in plenty of time to help set up a couple of days before the wedding on the 27th. Then it’s a week in Colorado before returning to Hell.
I will bring a small tent and my sleeping bags for when I can sleep outside, when I can’t I’ll sleep in the car. I’ve been practicing since I’ve pretty much slept in my Lazyboy almost every night for a year, so I really don’t think it’ll be a problem. I have a corporate membership at Golds Gym so I can use any Golds in the World. I can use the gyms to shower when needed. South Dakota and Wyoming are the only states in this trip that don’t have Golds. Calgary and Regina Canada both have Golds as well. I’ll eat on the cheap, stopping in grocery stores instead of restaurants, and I intend to take this opportunity to really eat lighter and fresher (fruits, vegetables and whole grains). It’s going to be about nature, not nurture. I like the quote “Focus on the journey, not the destination, joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson
I’ve got a $1000 credit limit Chevron gas card that I have been saving just for a trip like this and I plan to BLOW IT UP!
Tell me that doesn’t sound like the trip of a lifetime. The planning has begun, sleep will be lost, I am already excited just thinking about it.
Stay tuned for more as the details come in.
Aug 24th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Jeez man you are nuts! But hey, I am all about the road trips, just not combining 8 road trips into one (lol). What you should do is get in with the trucker crowd. Buy a trucker map or whatever it is they do. They have those giant truck stops out there that provide showers, and rest lounges, beds for rent, all kinds of junk you might need/want.
As far as Canada, the rules are that all you need is a drivers license AND a birth certificate if you are arriving by land or sea. If by air you need a passport. I think it is supposed to change to all passports next year sometime.
One more warning (sort of), Driving in the rockies can be tricky. A lot of the mountain roads can be slow going and winding, so depending on your planned route, you may want to plan more time. The other thing is that you need to keep a close eye on the weather. Nobody ever seems to believe that it will snow in September, particularly when they come from florida or Texas. But it can and probably will. As you saw, the mountain counties in Colorado got a foot of snow in August a week or so ago. And yes, several roads were closed.
I think your body will probably shut down halfway throught the trip. Going from San Antonio (90 degrees and 90% humidity) to Las Vegas (100 degrees and 10% humidity) to Calgary (40 degrees and 20% humidity) to Winnepeg (50 degrees and 50% humidity) to Denver (70 degrees and 20% humidity).