Sometime in February 2016, I was at a friend's place in Edison, NJ discussing plans for a long weekend for the labor day weekend of May. The general consensus was going to Cancun, Mexico for a beach vacation. I was too lazy to apply for a visa for a vacation and thought there is so much to see in the US that I would rather take a vacation somewhere closer. A few days later, my long standing dream of driving across the country got seeded. I was browsing the internet searching for interesting places to visit when I came across Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. I thought, why not do both and more. I made a skeletal plan and emailed two of my old friends. I could not elicit much enthusiasm from them. Meanwhile Nihar, a friend who lives closer home got wind of the plan and he got in touch with a very old friend of mine, Rajdeep who lives in Indianapolis. Both of them showed interest and a plan was hatched. We would take a week off around the labor day weekend in May and hit the road. I was to the make the detailed plan - cities, landmarks, days, vehicle. It was an easy task, given that I have been thinking about this since 2007.
Over the next few weeks, the plan got altered and we decided to hit the road in New Jersey on the first week of May, drive through the country, reach California in about 10 days and fly back. Flight tickets were booked, car reservation was done and we were all set. A few weeks before the actual date, Rajdeep came over to Jersey and we all made a detailed plan over drinks. I borrowed a book on scenic byways and highways of America from a friend and did a detailed plan on the roads we would take in our journey.
Over the next few weeks, the plan got altered and we decided to hit the road in New Jersey on the first week of May, drive through the country, reach California in about 10 days and fly back. Flight tickets were booked, car reservation was done and we were all set. A few weeks before the actual date, Rajdeep came over to Jersey and we all made a detailed plan over drinks. I borrowed a book on scenic byways and highways of America from a friend and did a detailed plan on the roads we would take in our journey.
Destinations:
Friday – Chicago (I80, 176E along Huron, Sandusky
towns along lake Erie) 12.5 hours
Saturday – Sioux Falls, SD (via Des Moine) 9.5
hours
Sunday – Gillette, WY (via mount rushmore) 7.45
hours – will be more because we will take interior roads
Monday – Spend time in yellowstone and grand
teton (with cody, wy as the base camp. Take 14, 191 and 89)
Tuesday – Explore Yellowstone, Grand Teton etc.
Wednesday – East Glacier Park Village (via Townsend
and Helena– highway 89, 287, 15, 89, )– 9 hours
Thursday – boise, ID – 11 hours
Friday – Medford, OR (via crater lake) – 9 hours
Saturday – SFO (via US 101) 11 hours
The eventual route was altered owing to changing weather conditions, but we roughly stuck to the key places to visit on our way.
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