The final day of my journey started quite similarly to many other days from the prior two months. I woke up alone, in a dingy motel, had a quick bite (if available), and hopped into my car with a cup of coffee, and went off in search of new things to see over the course of the next 12-16 hours of moving around. This morning was different though. By this point in the journey, I had been living as a…
After a short break from my epic solo road trip to fulfill a prior commitment in Washington, DC for a few days, I traded in my suits, conference centers, and luxury of sleeping in the same bed for three nights in a row, for t-shirts, dusty cargo shorts, and living out of a car for a month. It was definitely a strange experience to be heading (by train) to the Baltimore-Washington International Airport, just a few hours from home, knowing…
As I was heading north through South Dakota on the “Road To Nowhere” (US-83) I realized I was only a couple of hours away from the North Dakota border. Not knowing if I’d ever have the opportunity to set foot in and get credit for a very remote state (I actually ended up in North Dakota seven years later anyway), I decided to go about five hours out of my way to check that box. As I neared the border…
When deciding to drive cross country, you’re going to want to pick out a few must-see locations on your journey and try to find interesting ways to get there. For me, I actually pieced together a few different routes using a terrific resource called RoadTrip USA. They have a list of many different routes you can take across the USA – primarily following old two-lane highways that predate the interstate system created in the 1950’s. I recommend this whenever possible,…
Ten years ago, on this day, I set out on my most epic adventure. Ever since I was in a child, I had dreamed of driving to California to see the country. This all started when I was about 10 years old and my cousin Chilik came to visit us from Israel. Him and his friend bought a used car for next to nothing and just took off for the west coast, returning a couple of months later. Growing up…
About a week into our time in Israel, it was time for Ariel and I to get away to one of my favorite places in the world, the Israeli desert, or Negev. Originally, this was supposed to be a night for just the two of us, but since Jacob got sick on the plane, and although he was basically back to normal, we decided to bring him with us instead of leaving him with his grandparents. This was a little…
For a change of pace this year, we decided to spend July 4th outside the US. Ariel had never been to Niagara Falls and had always wanted to go. Plus Jacob is still little enough that he gets to do a lot of stuff for free. Anything tourism-related in the USA on Independence Day tends to be zoo, and besides none of us were really feeling extra patriotic this year. So we decided to fly up to Toronto and head…
Let’s talk about Bermuda rental cars, specifically the Tazzari Zero. Cars have been an integral part of my adventures since before I even met Ariel. I once spent about 2 months living out of a car while driving over 14,000 miles around the United States. Nearly every trip I’ve ever been on (even a backpacking trip across Europe!) has involved a rental car. I love cars, I love driving, I love the open road probably more than any other form…
As I sit here on night seven of my Alaska adventure with Ariel, my thoughts turn to last week’s solo adventure and really the last 12 years of solo travel. This little getaway had a lot in common with my past solo trips: Waking up not knowing where I’d sleep every night. Major last-minute diversions from the itinerary. Staying at the cheapest, crappiest place I could rest my head. Eating most meals in the car or motel rooms. Dicey moment…
The last day on this trip was really only a half day. After doing my usual packing routine, making sure I left nothing behind, I took a look at myself in the mirror – a solo adventurer for possibly the last time in my life… …and then I was off. My main target today was the Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve. This had actually been a national park at one time – and let me tell you something – I…