The Road Trip

I am off on a 8-night, 9-day road trip starting Sunday, May 18 and ending Monday, May 26. I will be in at least 10 states, maybe 11, depending on routing.

Visit My Road Trip with Spidey or follow me on Twitter (@STLSpidey) to read more about where I’ve been and where I’m going.

I got this idea a few years’ back.  I started reading travel books, and I found that many writers took trips on their own, sometimes with no set timeline.  I read Bill Bryson’s The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, Paul Theroux’s The Old Patagonian Express, and Andrew McCarthy’s The Longest Way Home.

I decided that I was going to try to take such a trip.  I decided to go Bryson’s route, simply because it’s easier.  I’d like to follow Theroux (train) and McCarthy (destinations) at some point in the future.

I’ve plotted out a path from St. Louis, where I live, visiting 10 states to the west in 9 days.  Most days require less than 6 hours driving, leaving ample time for stops. Unlike the writers, I can’t go without a timeline.  So, I have planned out hotel stops with reservations, and I was able to use points for 6 of the 8 nights.  I’ve also noted things I want to see along the way and confirmed opening and closing times.

I used Roadtrippers and Trip Advisor to plan things out.  The route is below from Google Maps.

It should be fun!!