Every state and every province (Lots of pics!)

[Teuobk]

Hey guys-

In early 2010, I thought it would be fun to take a road trip to every US state and Canadian province, playing hockey for fun in each of them. That decision required a year and a half of preparation, including the purchase of a new Outback, but I'm happy to report that the trip is underway! In fact, it's better than underway: it's two months and 12,000 miles into the planned 6-month, 30,000-mile journey.

Thought you guys might be interested in seeing some of the photos from the journey so far (below). I've also written extensively about the trip on my blog, Stopping in Every State. Lots of other photos are on the trip's flickr stream, too.

To start things off, I decided that I needed to replace my trusty 1998 Outback with a new 2011 Outback. I don't usually name cars, but for this journey I thought of my car as a horse, so I gave my new Outback a good horse name: Sam. Here's Sam when he was a new car, by the shore of Lake Superior a year before the start of the trip:

(Click on any of the images to make them big)



I started the journey from Minneapolis. Here's Sam and me in the morning at mile 0:



Sam is quite a bit smaller than some of the mining equipment in northern MN:



After going through Minnesota, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, we were in Alberta. The Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper was beautiful:



From there, we went north towards Alaska on the Alaska Highway. There were stretches of that road where there were no other cars in either direction for 15 minutes at a time:



If you get the chance, the drive on Hwy 99 from the north into Whistler, BC is very enjoyable. It was, perhaps, the most enjoyable road that I have ever driven:



Part of the trip was to drive down the Pacific coast from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington to San Diego. Getting to the start involved a ferry ride, the first time Sam had ever been on a boat:



The 2000-mile drive down the coast was fantastic. This photo doesn't have Sam in it, but it was so fitting that I couldn't resist including it in this post. It was taken near Big Sur, California:



There's a neat spot located near Niland, CA that was featured in the movie Into the Wild. The colors were beautiful when set against the tan desert and blue sky. The scale of this work of art is difficult to appreciate; it was over 30 ft tall:



Drive, drive, drive:



Turns out that one of Sam's brothers was a lifeguard near San Diego:



I don't care for desert heat, but I appreciate the photographic opportunities it presents. This was a service station on Historic Route 66 in Amboy, CA:



We've since passed through Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming, but it appears that I didn't take any photos of Sam in those states. Once again, I'll plug the trip flickr stream, which has a bunch of non-Subaru photos from many other spots along the way.

About 18,000 miles still to go! Any suggestions for the eastern half of the US or Canada?

[HawkWagon]

If you're looking for great (world-class) driving roads, I recommend the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in North Carolina and Virginia.

In Maryland, cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. (You'll only pay the toll going eastbound.) And have some seafood (broiled crabcakes) while you're in the area.

If you happen to be in Omaha, Nebraska, on a Wednesday, you're invited to our weekly gathering (WEDNESDAY NIGHT MEETS @ J-BIRD'S)...but the most scenic drives in Nebraska are out west, in the Sandhills and Pine Ridge regions.

I'm envious of your journey, but looking forward to experiencing it vicariously. Thanks for sharing!

[Teuobk]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Not sure what day of the week I'll be in Omaha (Nebraska is still a few months away), but if it turns out to be a Wednesday, I'll certainly drop by.

[airlia101]

The title of your post made me immediately think of this:

Doctor Who Series 5 - Every Star, Every Planet. - YouTube
- one of the themes from the newest series.

Then I read your post, and that's an absolutely fabulous journey! (It actually reminds me of the Doctor's travels, a little. If only your Subie was blue...)

Here's hoping you and Sam have hundreds of thousands more fascinating miles together!

[mnfire]

Wouldn't mind hearing of some high and low on gas mileage during your travels

[Subyblue]

Enjoy your journey. Take time to really see America. And, as a previous poster stated, do drive across the Cheasapeake Bay Bridge. It is amazing. Stop at one of the viewpoints out in the middle. Nothing quite like it anywhere else. Go down the outer banks of North Carolina (but not during a hurricane). I'm from the West Coast, and these are among the best memories of places I've seen. Another favorite memory is the first time I came up on the Grand Canyon, in 1973. Early in the morning, so still and quiet, the wow, a big hole in the ground. Awesome.

[HawkWagon]

Ahh, slight confusion here. Subyblue is referencing the much longer Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which links the western and eastern shores of Virginia and does have places to stop. I was referring to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge proper, which is a high suspension bridge linking the western and eastern shores of Maryland. You could actually take in both: starting from the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area, head north across the CBBT, then up the Delmarva peninsula. Switch from US 13 N to US 50 W at Pocomoke City and continue on to the CBB.

But... If you take my previous advice re: Blue Ridge Parkway & Skyline Drive (I see you're planning to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park anyway, so you can pick up the BRP at Cherokee, North Carolina) the CBBTwill be a bit out of your way. Skyline Drive would end at Front Royal, Virginia, so with a quick drive east you can add the District of Columbia to your hockey itinerary. Then pick up a game in Annapolis or Baltimore before hitting the CBB and continuing on to Delaware and New Jersey.

I've enjoyed catching up on the blog, by the way...

[Teuobk]

Originally Posted by airlia101

The title of your post made me immediately think of this:

Doctor Who Series 5 - Every Star, Every Planet. - YouTube
- one of the themes from the newest series.

Interesting. Might have to save the stars and planets for my next trip.

Originally Posted by mnfire

Wouldn't mind hearing of some high and low on gas mileage during your travels

According to the onboard computer, I've averaged 27.0 mpg on the trip so far. That's higher than I was expecting, especially given Sam's 6-cylinder engine.

Originally Posted by Subyblue

Another favorite memory is the first time I came up on the Grand Canyon, in 1973. Early in the morning, so still and quiet, the wow, a big hole in the ground. Awesome.

That's one of my favorite memories, too. A few years ago, I was backpacking in the Canyon and decided to get an early start on the hike back up to the rim. Experiencing it at sunrise, when I seemed to have the entire canyon to myself, was sublime.

Originally Posted by HawkWagon

Ahh, slight confusion here. Subyblue is referencing the much longer Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which links the western and eastern shores of Virginia and does have places to stop. I was referring to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge proper, which is a high suspension bridge linking the western and eastern shores of Maryland. You could actually take in both: starting from the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area, head north across the CBBT, then up the Delmarva peninsula. Switch from US 13 N to US 50 W at Pocomoke City and continue on to the CBB.

Thanks for the clarification! I'll have to try at least one of those bridges, depending on my eventual route and available time.

[Subyblue]

[QUOTE=HawkWagon;354696]Ahh, slight confusion here. Subyblue is referencing the much longer Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which links the western and eastern shores of Virginia and does have places to stop. I was referring to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge proper, which is a high suspension bridge linking the western and eastern shores of Maryland. before hitting the CBB and continuing on to Delaware and New Jersey./QUOTE]

Sorry about that, but when I think of suspension bridges, I naturally think of the Golden Gate. And being 3000 miles from the Chesapeake, my main thought is of the Bridge-Tunnel before any others. I have been across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and it is pretty impressive as well.

I served in the US Army in south-central Pennsylvania, north central Maryland and have seen much of the country around there in the many years since then. My group gets together every 5 years for a reunion, and we spend extra time traveling around the Mid-Atlantic area.

[ghawk]

Originally Posted by HawkWagon

Ahh, slight confusion here. Subyblue is referencing the much longer Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which links the western and eastern shores of Virginia and does have places to stop. I was referring to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge proper, which is a high suspension bridge linking the western and eastern shores of Maryland. You could actually take in both: starting from the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area, head north across the CBBT, then up the Delmarva peninsula. Switch from US 13 N to US 50 W at Pocomoke City and continue on to the CBB.

.

Bay Bridge/Tunnel is a unique experience at the southern most beginning of Chesapeake Bay. Twice, while I have been over the Bay Bridge in Annapolis, connecting to the "eastern shore" many times. Cape May, NJ is very worth a visit.
Do visit Carolina coastline, the Outer Banks, and Cape Hatteras.
There are many great areas in northeast, but in Maine, visit Bar Harbor, the historic Acadia National Park and Cadilac Mountain, especially at sunrise which is first place the sun appears in east USA.

If you are headed to Canada, in New Brunswick, the tides at Alma and nearby towns in Bay of Fundy are a site to see.