As most of you know, the whole purpose for my cross-country adventure is to visit my dad, and meet & get to know his wonderful girlfriend. They live in Wasilla, AK-and no, not next-door to Sarah Palin, so don't ask me to get you her autograph-which is a bit north of Anchorage.
So those two weeks on my itinerary that say "in Alaska" are reserved to spend time with my dad. I'm not sure exactly what we'll be doing, but I'm sure I'll get to see Denali National Park, where my dad works, and maybe the Kenai Peninsula (hint, hint, Dad & Susanne:-).
Only about 13 days until my cruise, and 25 til I set off with Ruby on what I hope will be the trip of a lifetime.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
(Almost) Planned, (Mostly) Packed & (Totally) Ready To Go
So this school year is (basically) over. I will be doing a few weeks of summer school in the mornings but as of July 1, that's it. It's a busy month for me-my baby brother, who's not so baby anymore, is graduating from high school on June 25 and heading off to Johns Hopkins this fall; I'm going on an awesome Caribbean cruise with my mom and finally getting to see Puerto Rico (if only for a day); and, last but certainly NOT least, leaving on my amazing, 41-day, cross-country (and then some) adventure.
Day 3: S Thursday, July 15, 2010
I have pretty much everything, minus some clothes, packed and ready to go, and I can't wait to leave! It's funny how time always drags so slowly when you're anticipating something, but then speeds up so that long-awaited event is over too fast. I hope it doesn't seem that way for me-although it is entirely possible that 8 hours a day of driving will drag on a bit.
So, without further ado, here's a really general version of my itinerary. If you know of something along my route that's a must-see, leave me a comment to let me know.
Day 1: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Pomona, NY to Perrysburg, OH
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Day 2: Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Perrysburg, OH to Sun Prairie, WI
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Wisconsin Dells
Day 3: S Thursday, July 15, 2010
Sun Prairie, WI to Albert Lea, MN
Devil's Lake State Park
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Vesterheim Museum, Decorah, IL
Day 4: Friday, July 16, 2010
Albert Lea, MN to Belvidere, SD
Jolly Green Giant Statue
De Smet, SD: Laura Ingalls Wilder sites
South Dakota State Capitol
Day 5: Saturday, July 17, 2010
Belvidere, SD to Sheridan, WY
Badlands National Park
Mt. Rushmore
Jewel Cave National Monument
Day 6: Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sheridan, WY to West Yellowstone, MT
Bighorn National Forest
Cody, WY
Yellowstone National Park
Day 7: Monday, July 19, 2010
West Yellowstone, MT to Starbuck, WA
Missoula, MT
Northwest Passage Scenic Byway
Nez Perce National Historic Park
Day 8: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Starbuck, WA to Seattle, WA
Mt. Rainier National Park
Day 9: Wednesday, July 21, 201
Seattle, WA to Surrey, BC
Seattle Sites: Space Needel, Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Public Library, Pike's Place, Pioneer Square
Day 10: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Surrey, BC to Clinton, BC
Vancouver: Stanley Park, English Bay
Hell's Gate
Day 11: Friday, July 23, 2010
Clinton, BC to Smithers, BC
Quesnel
Prince George
Day 12: Saturday, July 24, 201
Smithers, BC to Stewart, BC
Gitwangak & Gitanyow-First Nations Totems
Bear Glacier
Fish Creek Bear Viewing Platform
Salmon Glacier
Day 13: Sunday, July 25, 2010
Stewart, BC to Rancheria, YT
Dease Lake
Watson Lake: Northern Lights Centre
Day 14: Monday, July 26, 2010
Rancheria, YT to Beaver Creek, AK
Whitehorse: MacBride Museum, Beringia Interpretive Center
Kluane Lake
Day 15: Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Beaver Creek, AK to Wasilla, AK
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge
Tok
Glenn Highway
Days 16 to 27: Wednesday, July 28 to Monday, August 9
In Alaska
Day 29: Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Wasilla, AK to Burwash Landing, YT
Day 30: Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Burwash Landing, YT to Skagway, AK
Haines Highway
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
Haines: Fort Seward & Sheldon Museum
Alaska Marine Highway Ferry to Skagway
Day 31: Thursday, August 12, 2010
Skagway, AK to Watson Lake, YT
Day 32: Friday, August 13, 2010
Watson Lake, YT to Pink Mountain, BC
Liard Hot Springs
Muncho Lake Provincial Park
Day 33: Saturday, August 14, 2010
Pink Mountain, BC to Hinton, AB
Grand Prairie
Day 34: Sunday, August 15, 2010
Hinton, AB to Ca;gary, AB
Jasper National Park
Lake Louis
Banff National Park
Day 35: Calgary, AB to Regina, SK
Monday, August 16, 2010
Calgary: Canada Olympic Park, Calgary Tower
Medicine Hat
Moose Jaw
Regina: Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Government House, RCMP Heritage Center
Day 36: Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Regina, SK to Winnipeg, MB
Portage La Prairie: Fort La Reine Museum
Winnipeg: Forks National Historic Site, Royal Canadian Mint, Manitoba Museum, Riel House
Day 37: Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Winnipeg, MB to Duluth, MN
Grand Fork, ND: Myra Museum
Paul Bunyan Statue
Split Rock Lighthouse
Day 38: Thursday, August 19, 2010
Duluth, MN to Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Hiawatha National Forest
Sault Ste. Marie: Locks, Tower of History
Day 39: Friday, August 20, 2010
Sault Ste. Marie, ON to Toronto, ON
Sudbury: Dynamic Earth
Midland: 30,000 Island Cruiser, Ste. Marie-Among-the-Hurons
Day 40: Saturday, August 21, 2010
Toronto, ON
CN Tower, Casa Loma, Campbell House, Ontario Legislative Building, Fort York
Day 41: Sunday, August 22, 2010
Hamilton: Royal Botanical Gardens
Niagra Falls: Skylon Tower, Maid of the Mist
Corning Museum of Glass
Thursday, May 20, 2010
On-The-Road Reading, sans Kerouac
I've temporarily set aside the great gear dilemma in order to focus on more important issues, namely what reading material I'll take along with me. (Yes, quality books are more important to me than itinerary planning-after all, a good read can help you survive anything).
Anyone who knows me, even if they just talk with me for five minutes in the dentists' waiting room, knows that I don't go anywhere without a book. Naturally, there's no way I could travel for 6 weeks book-less. I wish I was incredibly well-off and could purchase myself a Kindle. But I'm not and I can't, so I'll have to settle for actual ink-and-paper tomes. I want to learn about the history and culture of some of the places I'm visiting, delve into a classic or two (maybe on audio book for the long drives), read a spiritual/theological book or two, and of course indulge in some funny chick lit. My picks so far (feel free to suggest others):
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown & Hampton Sides
Undaunted Courage: Merriweather Lewis, Thomas Jefferson & The Opening of the American West by Stephen Ambrose
Travels in Alaska by John Muir
Two in the Far North by Margaret Murie
A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: The Story of Hannah Breece by Hannah Breece
Travels With Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson
Broken-Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp
Who Do I Lean On? by Neta Jackson
Driftwood Lane: A Nantucket Love Story by Denise Hunter
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
This seems like a pretty ambitious list for a six-week vacation, even to me, especially when you consider that I'll probably have only one or two hours a day of reading time. Maybe I'll get started a little early (although I do confess that I have an entirely different list in store for my Caribbean cruise).
Anyone who knows me, even if they just talk with me for five minutes in the dentists' waiting room, knows that I don't go anywhere without a book. Naturally, there's no way I could travel for 6 weeks book-less. I wish I was incredibly well-off and could purchase myself a Kindle. But I'm not and I can't, so I'll have to settle for actual ink-and-paper tomes. I want to learn about the history and culture of some of the places I'm visiting, delve into a classic or two (maybe on audio book for the long drives), read a spiritual/theological book or two, and of course indulge in some funny chick lit. My picks so far (feel free to suggest others):
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown & Hampton Sides
Undaunted Courage: Merriweather Lewis, Thomas Jefferson & The Opening of the American West by Stephen Ambrose
Travels in Alaska by John Muir
Two in the Far North by Margaret Murie
A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: The Story of Hannah Breece by Hannah Breece
Travels With Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson
Broken-Down House: Living Productively in a World Gone Bad by Paul David Tripp
Who Do I Lean On? by Neta Jackson
Driftwood Lane: A Nantucket Love Story by Denise Hunter
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
This seems like a pretty ambitious list for a six-week vacation, even to me, especially when you consider that I'll probably have only one or two hours a day of reading time. Maybe I'll get started a little early (although I do confess that I have an entirely different list in store for my Caribbean cruise).
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