Epilogue: Looking back on a cross country trip 10 years later

In reflecting on this trip, I recall why it started. When I was seeing Hillary, I was very much into another girl, Alison. (I know, I am/was an asshole). When she decided to go out with another dude who had more money than I would ever have, plus was living near her north of the city, I was heartbroken. So I decided that I needed to get away from her and go on a trip. I was after all going to graduate in the fall and needed to get in some college road-trippin'. My interest had been piqued with yearly trips down I-95 to Orlando with my family and later in March of 1997 when I went on spring break with Z, Matt, Brad and others to Myrtle Beach and again in 2000 with a trip for a few Phish shows across the east coast. I needed to see the west. So I took off on the road, propelled by what had set many others on similar quests: hoping to gain a woman's attention or escaping the reach of a woman's influence.

After a few days being back home, I had a case of cabin fever and decided to visit Kate, my old roommate who had extended an invite to me at SPAC. Bringing Halley with me to visit Kate in Hanover, NH plus a drive through Vermont gave Halley and I a grand total of 30 states visited (plus Pennsylvania for me from earlier trips). Going coast to coast and seeing the greenest of the country (Colorado and Vermont) as well as the least hospitable (Arizona, Kansas), both oceans, multiple rivers and sights that I am glad I remember, it was an amazing journey. It is why I still travel today. As of this posting I'm on my way to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan and then down through Wisconsin to Chicago for the Phish shows at UIC Pavilion before heading back to the Northeast for Liberate VT Festival, a fitting end to a summer of intense travel, 10 years later.

A brief recap of the trip that I started on June 26, 2001

Length of trip: 40 days

States visited: 28

Trey Anastasio Band shows seen: 10

Oil changes: 3

Days without air conditioning: 40

Hotels stayed in: One (thanks to my friends)

Campgrounds stayed in: Three

National Parks visited: Two (Grand Canyon, Zion)

National Monuments Visited: One (4 Corners)

Lowest cost for a gallon of gas: $1.11 (Southern Indiana)

Highest cost for a gallon of gas: $2.30 (Los Angeles)

Miles traveled: 10,500

Halley and I, June 2010 on top of Cascade Peak, Adirondacks, NY

Thanks for reading this blog on my trip