The Great American Road Trip - Background

I'm about to embark on something on my bucket list - A cross-country road trip. I'm not sure what sparked my desire to undertake a journey like this. Maybe it was those Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons I watched as a kid that were set in the desert in the US West. I found those landscapes, albeit just crude drawings, intriguing. Or maybe it was Dinah Shore singing "See the USA in your Chevrolet," making a road trip seem so wholesomely American. Either way, I've always had a desire to roam the country from coast to coast. Now, that I have retired, I have the chance to do it.

A little about me. My name is Tim Philpot and I live in Pipersville, PA with my partner Robert. We're in Bucks County which is an incredibly lovely area. We live on a farm and have lots of elbow room. There's always plenty to do on a farm, so I'm never bored. I'm 59 and in good health, thankfully. I like driving and I love to get lost. To me, it means I get to see places that I never have before--and I always find my way home. I have a pretty good sense of direction, so the prospect of getting lost isn't scary to me. In fact, some of the travel experiences I cherish most are times when I've lost my way and stumbled upon unbelievably beautiful sights.

The general plan is to set out August 24th and take the northern route to the west coast. Then I'll visit with family in California for a few days before turning east and heading to Arizona. Robert will fly to Phoenix where I'll pick him up and then we'll stay a week or so in Sedona before continuing on. We've been kicking around the prospect of visiting Asheville, NC on the return trip (I've been several times and love it, but Robert hasn't had the chance to yet, but very much wants to).

I'm going to blog as I go, mainly as a way of sharing the sights and progress with friends and family. I'm not a big talker, especially on the phone, so I think this is a good way to share the experience. I don't expect to discover any profound personal insights, but maybe a few funny anecdotes and some interesting factoids. Oh...and some pictures too!

So if you've read this far, maybe you'll check out the blog once in a while to see where I am and how I'm doing.

Cheers!