Planning a 12-month-long road trip through U.S. and Canada

I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

If you have knowledge of out-of-the-way points of interest (not major
attractions) along my route, please consider sharing them with me at
http://daveburke.proboards89.com/. Note that there is a discussion
thread for each of about 70 locations I expect to visit.

I'll establish headquarters for about five days at a time and, while
I'll focus on venues within 20 or 30 miles, I'll also take sidetrips of
up to 200 miles (round-trip).

By the way, an interesting (at least to me) aspect of my trip is that
I'll be experimenting with the use of seven (or more) media channels:
blog, newspaper column, forum, map room, photo gallery, podcasts and
radio clips. You can find links to each of these channels on my home
page (link below).

I hope you'll take a look and decide to help me plan the trip of a
lifetime.

From the look of your map, you might as well be using an airplane.
You seem to be avoiding all of the "flyover country" that is the real
America. The places that Charles Kuralt made his living from.

No thanks. You will be trodding through the places that we see
everyday in the news.


On 28 Dec 2006 21:43:19 -0800, "Wandering Dave"
wrote:

I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

If you have knowledge of out-of-the-way points of interest (not major
attractions) along my route, please consider sharing them with me at
http://daveburke.proboards89.com/. Note that there is a discussion
thread for each of about 70 locations I expect to visit.

I'll establish headquarters for about five days at a time and, while
I'll focus on venues within 20 or 30 miles, I'll also take sidetrips of
up to 200 miles (round-trip).

By the way, an interesting (at least to me) aspect of my trip is that
I'll be experimenting with the use of seven (or more) media channels:
blog, newspaper column, forum, map room, photo gallery, podcasts and
radio clips. You can find links to each of these channels on my home
page (link below).

I hope you'll take a look and decide to help me plan the trip of a
lifetime.

On 2006-12-29 00:43:19 -0500, "Wandering Dave" said:

I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

If you have knowledge of out-of-the-way points of interest (not major
attractions) along my route, please consider sharing them with me at
http://daveburke.proboards89.com/. Note that there is a discussion
thread for each of about 70 locations I expect to visit.

I'll establish headquarters for about five days at a time and, while
I'll focus on venues within 20 or 30 miles, I'll also take sidetrips of
up to 200 miles (round-trip).

By the way, an interesting (at least to me) aspect of my trip is that
I'll be experimenting with the use of seven (or more) media channels:
blog, newspaper column, forum, map room, photo gallery, podcasts and
radio clips. You can find links to each of these channels on my home
page (link below).

I hope you'll take a look and decide to help me plan the trip of a
lifetime.

Some suggested route revisions:

1. Looks like you're planning to drive through Chicago. AVOID IT AT ALL
COSTS, unless you don't mind endless traffic bottlenecks. I'd recommend
a ferry across Lake Michigan. There's a catamaran from Milwaukee to
Muskegon and a slower, old-style ferry from Manitowoc to Ludington.

2. Unless you have some good reason to go through Toledo, Cleveland and
Erie, why not cut across Ontario from Port Huron, MI, to St. Catherines?

3. An alternative for the East Coast would be to drive through Delaware
and down the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, taking the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to around Hampton, VA. Fascinating trip!

In article .com,
"Wandering Dave" wrote:

I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

If you have knowledge of out-of-the-way points of interest (not major
attractions) along my route, please consider sharing them with me at
http://daveburke.proboards89.com/. Note that there is a discussion
thread for each of about 70 locations I expect to visit.

I'll establish headquarters for about five days at a time and, while
I'll focus on venues within 20 or 30 miles, I'll also take sidetrips of
up to 200 miles (round-trip).

By the way, an interesting (at least to me) aspect of my trip is that
I'll be experimenting with the use of seven (or more) media channels:
blog, newspaper column, forum, map room, photo gallery, podcasts and
radio clips. You can find links to each of these channels on my home
page (link below).

I hope you'll take a look and decide to help me plan the trip of a
lifetime.

In Pennsylvania, check out French Creek State park which is near
Morgantown. In New Jersey, check out Cape May.

On 2006-12-29 08:48:08 -0500, sechumlib said:

Some suggested route revisions:

Oops - forgot one. US 90 across Mississippi and Louisiana may be a mess
because of Katrina. (Remember Katrina?) You should probably look for an
alternate route if you planned to go that way.

Russell Patterson wrote:
From the look of your map, you might as well be using an airplane.
You seem to be avoiding all of the "flyover country" that is the real
America. The places that Charles Kuralt made his living from.

And traveling through the "flyover country" in Canada. I traveled
almost exactly the same route between Lethbridge and Winnipeg a few
years ago and saw way more than just grainfields. It was at least equal
to a trip through the "flyover country" of Kansas and Nebraska, if not
more so.

There's a fairly large park along the river on the west side of
Lethbridge. It's also home of a very large (I believe the world's
largest) railroad trestle, a fairly impressive sight.

I find it interesting he mentions a stop in Middleton, Wis. and makes no
mention of Madison, which borders on Middleton. At the very least a
visit to the Wisconsin State Capitol is worthwhile. If one is up for a
few miles of cycling, a ride through the city on a bike is well
worthwhile. Few places are more accomodating to cyclists.

Another poster mentions Chicago. Passing through Chicago is tolerable
if you pick your timing properly. DO NOT PASS THROUGH CHICAGO ON A
FRIDAY AFTERNOON. Obviously, in general rush hour is best avoided, but
Friday rush hour starts much earlier and seems much more intense. If
you enter the outer suburbs around 9am and get out of town no later than
3 you should get through OK. You won't be driving 65mph and you'll
probably be stopped in traffic at least once but it won't be unreasonable.

There is unfortunately no particularly good way to bypass Chicago to the
south. I-80 is still bad news around I-57 and at spots in Indiana.

Avoid Illinois toll roads to the extent possible. Due to equipment
upgrades, it is no longer necessary for Ipass owners to slow down at
tollbooths. I probably don't have to explain the hazard involved in
being forced to *stop* on a freeway full of 70+mph traffic.

There is something to be said for taking the northern route to Traverse
City. From Middleton, northeast to Fond du Lac, north through Green Bay
and Escanaba, east to St. Ignace, across the Mackinaw Strait and enter
Traverse City from the north. Avoids Chicago completely, and you get
close to the Lake Michigan beaches at many points. (if you're really
tolerant of cold, try taking a dip. You might come to understand why
swimmers wore those heavy full-cover bathing suits back in the 1880sgrin!)

Consider visiting Lambeau Field. A visit to Milwaukee wouldn't be too
far out of the way. (and a major construction project downtown has
recently been completed)

The real trick to seeing America is to avoid the Interstates where possible.

--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com

On 28 Dec 2006 21:43:19 -0800, "Wandering Dave"
wrote:

I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

If you have knowledge of out-of-the-way points of interest (not major
attractions) along my route, please consider sharing them with me at
http://daveburke.proboards89.com/. Note that there is a discussion
thread for each of about 70 locations I expect to visit.
snip

In Alberta, I'd go west from Edmonton to Jasper and then south along
the Icefields Parkway -- one of the most spectacular routes in the
world. The Parkway straddles the BC/Alberta border and includes Banff
and Jasper National Parks.

In the east, you're also missing out on Halifax, one of my favourite
cities, and the spectacular Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island.


---
Mike from Ottawa

Read the book by Least Heat Moon called "Blue Highways" before you embark to
get an idea of what I think you may be trying to do. Also National
Geographic Traveler magazine has a section, usually in every issue entitled
something like "24 Hours in ???(whatever city) that consolidates the high
points of that city. If you are interested in cuisine be sure to look at
Calvin Trillins " Tummy Trilogy" to get an idea how to eat in the US. I can
help you with Central Texas area if you are coming here.
"Wandering Dave" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

If you have knowledge of out-of-the-way points of interest (not major
attractions) along my route, please consider sharing them with me at
http://daveburke.proboards89.com/. Note that there is a discussion
thread for each of about 70 locations I expect to visit.

I'll establish headquarters for about five days at a time and, while
I'll focus on venues within 20 or 30 miles, I'll also take sidetrips of
up to 200 miles (round-trip).

By the way, an interesting (at least to me) aspect of my trip is that
I'll be experimenting with the use of seven (or more) media channels:
blog, newspaper column, forum, map room, photo gallery, podcasts and
radio clips. You can find links to each of these channels on my home
page (link below).

I hope you'll take a look and decide to help me plan the trip of a
lifetime.

On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 08:44:40 -0800, Rita wrote:

On 28 Dec 2006 21:43:19 -0800, "Wandering Dave"
wrote:

I'm taking a 15,000-mile-long road trip in 2007, visiting many U.S.
states and Canadian provinces. Here's a map
http://www.wanderingdave.com/maps/.

Just for starters I see the route take you down the center of
California instead of along the coast. I wonder why?

You also are missing our great national parks or most of
them.

Exactly! Grand Canyon through Northern Utah for example!

What led you to design a tour along the edges of the country?

On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 15:44:17 GMT, Doug Smith W9WI
wrote:

There is something to be said for taking the northern route to Traverse
City. From Middleton, northeast to Fond du Lac, north through Green Bay
and Escanaba, east to St. Ignace, across the Mackinaw Strait and enter
Traverse City from the north. Avoids Chicago completely, and you get
close to the Lake Michigan beaches at many points. (if you're really
tolerant of cold, try taking a dip. You might come to understand why
swimmers wore those heavy full-cover bathing suits back in the 1880sgrin!)

I wonder why Traverse City is worth such a long side trip. But it
would be a lot more isteresting to drive across Michigan's Upper
Peninsula and cross the Straits of Mackinac adn approach Traverse
City from the north. But I suppose there's a special agenda for
those stops in Wisconsin.


--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *