FAQs of my summer road trip

When are you leaving?
This Friday!! probably after morning traffic dies down.

Who is coming with you?
Laura Rod. for leg 1, Elizabeth Stewart for leg 2, Angie for leg 3, Brent and Jeremy for leg 4, Brent for leg 5, Courtney for leg 6. (see appendix for further details)

What is your route?
I20 to Dallas, from Dallas through NM to Utah to the Grand Canyon. Then to California, then up the coast to Seattle and then back east on I90.

Are you camping?
yes - at National Parks, but I'm also staying with family. I'll spend about a week (next week!) in Dallas, TX with my sister - Elizabeth, her husband Milan (hurray for the Czechs in the world cup!) and the kids (see May 9). Then I have a few nights of indoors in San Francisco when Angie and I can stay with a friend of Jeremy's. In Seattle I have a brother and his wife and cousins. And I'll also go up to Vancouver Island to stay with my Grandpa and Gram. I'll make a stop in Chicago where I have lots of cousins too.

So is your family all over the world?
Yeah, pretty much.

Are you going to camp alone?
Nope. I won't have to - God provided someone to be with me for each leg of the trip.

What are you most excited about seeing?
Utah! cuz it looks amazing. And also Yellowstone because I've always been in disbelief that there is actually an upside-down waterfall. And the coast of California because people talk about that a lot. Oh, and the Grand Canyon.

What are you most nervous about?
Falling of the edge of the Grand Canyon. No, seriously, I used to be really nervous about getting all the way out there -- say to California, and then not feeling like driving back. Scared of making the committment to the whole trip: afraid I'd not make it back. Now I'm nervous about running out of money. But I'm budgeting really carefully, and God won't leave me in Nebraska.

How many miles are you going to travel?
I've got a rough estimate of 9200 miles, but that's just mapquest-ed directions between cities, so I'm really not sure how much various backroads/expeditions from that trip will add up to. I'll probably double the mileage of my car. =)
oo, that reminds me Laura and I will watch my speedometer make it to 10,000 as we drive to Jackson.

How much money do you expect gas will cost?
I think something like $920 total, but I'll have people to help pay the costs. Estimating is tricky because I did the math at $2.75 and $2.80 a gallon, and it's fluxuating obviously. But I also estimated 28 miles per gallon and I hope to get over 30 on the highway. We'll see.

Have you got some good music?
Oh yes. I've been working on some complilations...see sidebar.

And books on tape?
I don't actually have any, but I do have lots of sermons on CD, and perhaps people coming for shorter sections can borrow from the library. And we'll read aloud to each other.

How many new states will you be in?
I'm going to hit a total of 24 states which includes 16 new ones for me: Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma (for a moment), New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa or Wisconsin.

Did you teach math?
I did.

What's the weirdest thing you've planned for?
I just printed out 3 pages of NPR stations nationwide. (how else I am I going to get news? and Cartalk? =)

Take lots of pictures.
Okay, that's not a question, but now I can since I am borrowing someone's camera! and that is awesome.

When are you leaving again?
Friday

This Friday?
Yes! Can you believe it?

Did you get your car checked up?
Yup - today. Oil change, tire rotation etc. And for free because I had a coupon! And the guy showed me where all the important fluids are.

Where did you get this idea?
I think I was trying to fall asleep or maybe I was in the shower - something seemingly random when the idea popped into my head last November or December. I told Brent about it and he already knew he'd like a ride from SanFran to Seattle, so the plan was set in motion.