Road Trip: Up The Middle Of The Country
May 04, 2024 - May 23, 2024
2024 Road Trip Summary
The target of this vacation was: more capitals!
The scheduling was a little bit of a challenge, but still manageable - and not that much of a challenge for a
former project manager.
We flew to Houton, Texas, and drove - basically - straight up the country to North Dakota (we did have a slight detour
into Arkansas and Missouri).
The weather was generally acceptable, with temps varying 50 degrees between different days' lows and highs. It was very warm - unseasonably so - at the beginning, and then becoming cooler. Much cooler. Snow-flurries cooler.
Trip statistics:
- 20 days and 19 nights.
- 7,100 miles travelled, including a flight from Philly to Houston, and a return flight from Bismark to Philly.
- 4,101 miles driven (more than 210 miles each day).
- Averaged 38.9 MPG for the entire trip, making 13 stops for gas.
- Walked at least 160,975 steps each, or 76.22 miles each.
- 7,891+* pictures retained, and 5 videos. Keep in mind that some of the pictures taken from the car are taken 1) at speed, 2) with the camera focusing on something [more] nearby than expected - like the dashboard, and or 3) quickly before the sight passed by [usually at speed...].
- 41 meals eaten (NOT incuding some "dinner-snacks" [such as bread, cheese, and wine - not a full meal]).
- 2 exotic cars spotted**: a Rolls-Royce, and a Lamborghini (both in Texas).
- Generally, most drivers used their turn signals and were decent drivers. There was the occasional idiot going 90+ in a Toyota Corrola or Honda Civic in a 55 or 65 MPH zone, but again, generally, not too many bad drivers.
Trip highlights:
- 8 new capital stamps - tied for the most capitals in a single trip
- 4 new National Park stamps - we have now seen an even dozen
- 9 additional cities / towns visited (not including any "hey, let's stop here" cities / towns)
- 1 new National Memorial
- 2 new National Landmarks
- 1 new Historic Memorial
- And a partridge in a pear tree
* This was the final count of pictures from the memory card that was downloaded to the laptop. There were some images that
were either blurry or missed the mark altogether. Also, I usually take two pictures with the cell phone because there is no
"preview" wherein the camera has a 5 second preview so the shot can be confirmed before taking it again if necessary.
** I decided to start counting the Porsche 911 because the model sells for $150,000 and up, and is rarer
than any other model they sell. The lesser Porsches don't count.
NOTE: The images are toned, hued and adjusted for the settings on MY monitor. Your experience may vary slightly. If you are having difficulty seeing images and they seem "washed out", you may need to turn down the brightness on your monitor.
All pictures [should] have a hover-over pop-up. If you see the thumbnail, hover-over it, and a larger version of the image
will appear in a window a little to the side. If you want to see an even BIGGER version of that image, you can either:
- left-click on it, look at it, and then click the browser back button
OR
- right-click on it, and select Open in new tab / window
This site doesn't have all the details, but a sufficient amount to give you enough of an idea about our trip. And for us to remember the highlights when we read this chronicle next month, next year, or next decade.
Day 1: Travel
Day 2: Austin, TX
including The Contemorary: Laguna Gloria Art Museum, and The Contemorary: Jones Center Art Museum
Day 3: Austin, TX
including the capital, Mount Bonnett Park, and the Public Library, and Buc-ees®
Day 4: Dallas, OK
including the zoo, and Crow Museum of Asian Art
Day 5: Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK
including the capital, Myriad Botanical Garden and Crystal Bridge, and the Bob Dylan Museum (in Tulsa, OK)
Day 6: Fort Smith, AR
including two churches, Regional Art Museum, and Hot Springs NP
Day 7: Little Rock, AR
including the capital, President Clinton Library, and the Museum of Fine Arts
Day 8: Little Rock, AR
including Crystal Bridges Museum
Day 9: Springfield, MO
including the Route 66 Museum, and the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden and Springfield Botanical Gardens
Day 10: Jefferson City, MO
including the capital, and the National Museum of Toys and Miniature
Day 11: Kansas City, MO
including the KC Public Library, a church, and Gage Park, and the E.F.A. Reinisch Rose Garden, Topeka
Day 12: Topeka, KS
including the capital, the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, passing by at The Great Overland Station, and the geographical center of the contiguous United States
Day 13: Lebanon, KS
including the Anna Bemis Palmer Museum, Clayton Museum of Ancient History, and two libraries in Lincoln
Day 14: Lincoln, NE
including The Sunken Garden, and the capital, a church, and the Sheldon Museum
Day 15: O'Neill, NE
including a church in O'Neill, NE, and the Rawlins Library and a church in Pierre, SD
Day 16: Pierre, SD
including the capital, memorial park, fighting stallions, Oahe damm, and La Framboise Island
Day 17: Hot Springs, SD
including Badlands NP, Wall, SD, and Mount Rushmore NM
Day 18: Bowman, ND
including the Mammoth Site, Wind Cave NP, Crazy Horse Monument, and Belle Fourche - the geographical center of all of the United States
Day 19: Bismarck, ND
including Theodore Roosevelt NP, and the capitol
Day 20: Travel
