I might as well announce it to make it easier to explain why I won’t be attending your event in January.
After mom died in 2008, I wanted to relax and travel before getting back into the swing of life. But almost immediately afterward Gramps had a heart attack and so I put off any extensive travel so I could drive Gram & Gramps when they needed it, and then their health deteriorated. After that, I was doing some work and being the personal representative on their estate. I also had an increasingly aging and sick cat to care for.
All those will no longer be an issue come January. I am going to take some time and get out of Dodge.
Some time ago, Brittany (not her real name) planned a Caribbean Cruise for the 8th through the 15th of January, 2012. I had already booked my place on the cruise. Instead of flying to the departure point in Miami, I am going to drive.
I have only a loose plan at this point. I will fill in more details of the plan soonish, but most of the plan will remain undetermined until I get to wherever. I don’t know wherever is. I won’t know until I get there.
The loose plan: I think I will leave January 1st after I recover from New Years Eve debauchery. That will give me 7 days to drive to Miami. According to Google Maps, it’s about a 54 hour drive by their preferred route. That’s about 8 hours per day. On my own, I can usually go 10 to 12 hours each day. I might even have time to stop and see a thing or two.
From the 8th through the 15th, I will be reading books on a big fucking boat.
After the cruise, I will drive back to Seattle. On the itinerary are the following: Springfield, Illinois, a couple of places in Iowa, and Brule County, South Dakota. I want to research some family history in those places. I also want to also visit a few book bloggers (who, to my knowledge, do not live in those particular places) and buy them coffee and talk books. Other than that, I am giving myself the freedom to change my route because I see a sign saying This way to the world’s largest ball of twine!
or National Mustard Museum, 100 miles ahead in Mount Horeb!
Want me to visit along the way? Send me your details and if the whim strikes me, I will.
When will I be in those places? I don’t know. What other places will I go? I don’t know. How long will that return trip take? I don’t know. I will most certainly be back in time for the Sounders home opener in March. There’s a good chance I will be back in time for Losers Dinner on February. But I may skip that.
I will send post cards. If you want post cards, send me your mailing address. Either comment with it here, on Google+, on Facebook, or email it to me if you are squeamish about it being public. If you don’t have my email address, use spamforphil at kingrat.biz. (Note: I don’t check that email address very often, so put POSTCARD in the subject so I can pull the appropriate emails out easily.) I will also likely blog and Google+ a fair amount. Suggestions for things to see and do are welcome on any of the travel related posts.
So. There it is.
I’m excited for you. I miss major road trips.
If it works out, I highly recommend the states of Utah and Tennessee. I’d love a postcard, and will send you my street address. xoxo
Envious of your freedom, but we wouldn’t change a thing (well….). We drove to Nebraska with 5 kids in July; doubt you’d want to stop anywhere we did. The Badlands, although a short drive off the beaten path, is uniquely beautiful. We’re in the Boise area and would love to see you, although you most certainly would have to get all of the book review & blog talk out of the way as our lives aren’t geared to that kind of intellectuality. However, we could chat over mismatched silverware and catch up. Enjoy every minute of your adventure, which sounds much deserved. Postcards are welcome the Bradshaws at 1399 N Atherton Ave, Kuna, ID 83634.
There’s a really good chance I’ll be going through Boise. I’ve done 4th of July Pass in winter before with not so great results (ask Rus about that trip), so I’m likely to be coming across from South Dakota through Idaho.