Hello.
My name is Diarmaid and I’m posting here to log the details of my adventure to the USA. I’ve been here before, visiting San Francisco and the West 3 times in the past. This however, is to be my most audacious journey in the Lower 48 yet.
Originally born in Southern Ireland, I now live in outside the Western city of Galway. I’ve been here for over 10 years and am now looking for a change of scenery. But before all that, I’ve decided to take a career break to visit the United States to spend ‘FourWeeksInAmerica’ and hopefully have the holiday of a lifetime – a road trip crossing the North American continent – twice!
The Plan.
Starting in Chicago, I plan to drive West toward the Pacific at San Francisco, then South East toward Savannah, Georgia, to meet with the West coast of the Atlantic Ocean I see each and every morning from my bedroom in Ireland.
Along the way I hope to see some of the amazing sites that captivate movie directors and nature photographers alike, that make up the great American landscape. From Fall snow on the Rockies to the warm deserts of Arizona, I hope to see it all.
Some of the cities I hope to travel through include; Des Moines (IO), Omaha (NE), Denver (CO), Salt Lake City (UT), Jackson (WY), Spokane (WA), Vancouver (BC – Canada), Seattle (WA), Portland (OR), San Francisco (CA), Las Vegas (NV), Flagstaff (AZ), Albuquerque (NM), Dallas (TX), Austin (TX), Houston (TX), New Orleans (LA), Talahassee (FL), Savannah (GA), Norfolk (VA), Philadelphia (PA), Washington D.C., Pittsburgh (PA), Cleveland (OH), Buffalo (NY), Toronto (ON – Canada), Detroit (MI), Louisville (KY), St. Louis (MI), Milwaukee (WI) and Chicago (IL).
In four weeks. Period.
The Timeline.
For one reason or another – mainly funding – I’ve given myself just four weeks to achieve this goal. Exactly four weeks from the day I pick up my rental car to the day I drop it back with probably 8 months of mileage added in those 4 weeks.
Granted, this is a short timeline – and although the journey could be completed in over a week (East to West only), my route offers an escape plan. Because I’m starting and finishing in Chicago – which is *almost* in the center of the USA – I *should* be able to cut short the vacation if I need to and cut straight back to Chicago if time runs short.
Why Not Fly?
In the words of Amy Adams in ‘Talladega Knights’, “Ricky Bobby is a driver.” Then to quote the great Bernie Mac in ‘Oceans Thirteen’, “‘Nuff Said”.
The Car.
Returning to this topic after the trip, you may have read of the crazy car issues. Basically I had to change the car a few times, and each progressive change yielded a worse and worse car. I started in Chicago with a 2012 Ford Fusion – the US equivalent to the European Mondeo. I really liked this car, and to be honest since first visiting the US in 2008 I’ve grown accustomed to Ford vehicles generally. But alas all didn’t end well with the Fusion. By the time I hit the Sierra Nevada mountains the Fusion had developed a serious set of warning lights culminating in a change at McCarran International Airport where the Fusion made way for a Dodge SUV. After less than 24 hours with the abominable snowman of a thing, I gave it back and got a Chevy Malibu. Though nowhere near as comfortable or well equipped as the Fusion, I was happier my ass was closer to the asphalt at least (I really dislike SUVs). Alas the Malibu too had issues and after getting me through the South, it saw me to Regan National Airport in Washington DC where after first refusing a 2010 Ford Escape SUV (for being basically hideous), I was given a Chevy Impala and told it was better than a Malibu, a fact I disregarded from the moment I closed the door sealing me inside. However this car was pretty awful and had some mechanical issues that led me to change it in Dulles International Airport a few hours later. There I received my second Malibu which had a built-in 110V AC power socket (a really handy addition). Sadly this car had some rear axle issues and an hour later I received my third (technically fourth) car of the day, a Dodge Avenger. By the time I got this I had basically had enough of the Hertz desk and kept quiet. It was truly the worst of the lot however, and despite my best efforts, I managed to spend way more on gas than I’d ever intended thanks to this guzzler. My words to the clerk at the Red Roof Inn in Buffalo that following night were echoed by him when he declared it “a piece of crap car”. So in hindsight I should’ve just brought the Fusion to a dealer and have them repair the issues and bill Hertz but that seemed like too much hassle at the time. A later undocumented journey yielded better results with a Ford Focus sedan from Budget which happily restored faith in the brand I know and like.
The Mission.
Simple – get it done. Some of my friends are doubting this trip can actually be done in such a short timeline. I hope I can get it done. It means lots of early mornings. It means breezing through some of America’s most famous cities. It means I might not get much sleep. But hey, you don’t go on vacation to sleep!