That’s a Wrap!

That’s a Wrap!

…and that is a sucky title for the final column. Toes in the sand? The end of the beginning? Across 50 states? How do you you wrap up 40,000 miles through 50 states and 110 columns over five months? Anything I write will seem anti climatic to me. But these are...
Hiking to Papakolea

Hiking to Papakolea

It was tough figuring out which picture to use as the “featured image.” Papakolea Beach is my favorite place. Ever. I think it is the uniqueness of it. There are only four green sand beaches in the world and one is right next to South Point on the Big...
Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

As the sun sets on this adventure, how could I not make a pilgrimage to KOA Coffee Plantation, the coffee I have been trying to better this entire trip? It came close in Alaska but everything else just palled in comparison. So, I went back down south, to Kona, the...
Makai and Mauka

Makai and Mauka

I hate making generalizations about people, but I found two generalizations that have fit everybody I have met from Hawai’i. The first is, off the islands, Hawaiians have absolutely no sense of direction. They can lost in a parking lot. North, south, left,...
The Circuit

The Circuit

And around we go. I wasn’t planning on doing it today. The weather on the Big Island can be hit or miss believe it or not. It really is like a microcosm of the US. Depending on where I am on the island, and what elevation, I can go from 60-80 degrees. On the dry...
State #50

State #50

Well, close to a year after I first expected to be here, and after 5 months, 49 states and about 32,000 miles, I finally made it back to the Big Island of Hawai’i. A journey through 50 states of Covid America has come to a close. I am going to cheat a little bit...
Parked in Seattle

Parked in Seattle

I do love Seattle. I just wish I could, well, get rid of a mountain range? The Cascade Mountain range is what keeps the Pacific Northwest lush and beautiful. It is also why there is such a gloomy winter. Despite popular belief, Seattle (and Portland) are not even in...
The Final Leg, Reflections

The Final Leg, Reflections

The final leg of the journey is really the first leg. It was the only leg. Hawai’i. This time last year? I was just exhausted. So damn tired. I remember exactly where I was and exactly where I would be: at work. I’d be spending Thanksgiving at work and...
The Road to Escondido

The Road to Escondido

Every time I have gone to write a “road to” column, I’ve been wanting to write “The Road to Escondido.” I didn’t even know where it was. It pops into my head because it is one of my favorite albums, a collaboration between Eric...
A Friluftsliv Interlude

A Friluftsliv Interlude

I know, I’m going out of order here if you are following me on Facebook or Instagram as well, but this seemed like a good spot to write about something I came across months ago in National Geographic: Friluftsliv. Friluftsliv is what we all need to embrace right...
The Road to Austin

The Road to Austin

(I’m trying to catch up here) With a packed car, half of the stuff from my storage area, I headed out, just sopping for a night here and there as I made my way down to Austin. Friends, a winery and a Bloody Mary were awaiting me. And I place to finally unpack my...
Unfinished in Philadelphia

Unfinished in Philadelphia

“I’m not finished!” –Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, slamming his walking cane down on the table and rising up to deliver a blistering tirade. How apt. In the movie, he’s blind. I was blind. I was blind to a lot of things. My vision is...
The Beginning

The Beginning

This particular journey has come to an end. Or maybe it is just the end of this segment? The final tally was about 108 days, 49 states and 28,000 miles. I found a hotel room a few hundred yards from where I started. Well, where I started the second or third time. Now,...
Damsels in Distress

Damsels in Distress

The day started out in northern Michigan before the sunrise. That’s been something interesting about the trip: latitude and altitude. It’s just something that you don’t think about much, but it’s important as you zig zag across America over a...
Sleepy Friday in 50

Sleepy Friday in 50

And then I slept. And slept some more. My body had been telling me something. I had been ignoring it. So, it took the wheel. I arrived in Gaylord, Michigan about 4 (EST), yesterday. I thought about doing the things I had done a hundred times: unpacking, setting up the...
America: The Greatest Show on Earth

America: The Greatest Show on Earth

I found Minneapolis! I didn’t have much luck with it’s Twin, St. Paul. I’m not quite sure what happened. The “downtowns” are only 15 minutes apart. GPS took me into downtown Minneapolis. Then, it took me on a road (35 I think), and it got...
Convergence and Divergence

Convergence and Divergence

Cheers as I start my way to state #44? #43 Is it Wednesday? Sunday? I’m in Central Time zone, right? Where the hell am I? –“Chris’ World” gets pretty confusing when I start paying attention. But I think I have grown as a person. With over...
Civilization

Civilization

Something that has been on my mind as I traveled the country was a computer game I used to play far too much: Civilization. You start off and build one city. It is essential you build it in the right place. Your goal at the beginning of the game is to build three...
Cheers from Illinois!

Cheers from Illinois!

Let’s talk Chicago! I’m not there. I’m not even going close. The ride to Peoria from St. Louis was close enough. I absolutely love Chicago in the summertime. I’ve been there mid winter. Who the hell holds a conference in Chicago in the middle...