Home (For Now)

As I was wandering around the streets of El Paso, it hit me.  It was time to go home.  I felt a little like the Forrest Gump in the scene where he stops running and says, "I'm pretty tired.  I think I'll go home now."

So that was it.  I decided that home is where I wanted to be at that moment.  I drove from El Paso back to Southern California in one shot.  I knew I was getting close when the Waffle House disappeared and Starbucks appeared more and more.  Also, people drove faster and everyone seemed to have blinker light problems since I didn't see any on merges right in front of me.  Ahhh...close to home.

As you might know, this is my third year traveling the country in a car with my dog.  I put together a little map with arrows to the places I've been in those three years.  Arrows in Red are from this year, purple is 2009 and Blue represents 2008.

It's been quite the journey.  As much as I would say that I am staying put, that is not necessarily the case.  I tend to get bored easy and need to keep moving and doing things so that is what I plan to do.  In fact, the homecoming will be short lived since I need to pack up again in a few days to make way for renters to come to my home.

I have a few things planned in the upcoming months so there won't be a dull moment.  I look forward to sharing more with you as they happen.

Thank you for following me on my journey and for all of the supportive comments.  I appreciate you and hope some of it has inspired you to get out on the road to explore this great country of ours.

Driving In Circles

At least it looks that way from the map.  I am planning, or at least pointing in a direction I want to go next so I decided to map out where I've been the past three years.  It's a very low-tech mapping process, but it gave me an idea of where I've been and where I would like to visit next.

The route with the Blue arrows is the one I took in 2008, Purple for 2009 and this year is in Red.  I've covered most of the states but noticed a big hole in the Midwest.  Not that I avoided Arkansas, Oklahoma or Kansas, it's just that I didn't head in that direction for some reason.  I am currently in the New England area and as you can see, I've covered a lot of ground here.  The fall season is just amazing!  It's exactly what you see in all of the magazines depicting fall, except you get to wake up and see all of the beautiful color wherever you go each day.  I love it.

Soon I will be headed South.  A lot of people ask me what my route is or where I am planning to go next.  Fact is, I don't really know.  I try to think of a general area to head to but sometimes I will hear of something, or get a feeling which will make me change direction.  I feel some of the best moments on this journey were the ones where I wasn't planning and was a bit off course.  Some might call it being lost. I like to think of it as exploring a new area where I vaguely know exactly where I am.

Life is more interesting that way.

And So We Begin Again... (The Big Road Trip, Part 3)

The countdown has begun.

It's time to pack what I think I need in my car and head out on the open road.  This will be my third year wandering this country, while it being my second in a tent.  I've seen most of the states and this time around will be different from the last few years.

Well, each time is always different but I am looking forward to sharing my adventure with you through photographs and perhaps a slide show every so often.  I have a few projects in mind for the journey and I look forward to sharing more of that as well.

I am looking forward to learning more about the towns and people we don't hear about in the news.  People that make this country great but who live a quiet life outside of a spotlight.  I will be camping in new areas, taking side trips to oddball attractions, visiting some friends along the way and for the most part, taking it day by day to see where the road takes me and my co-pilot, Max.

Many of my friends and family are asking me where I am headed.  The fact is, I don't really know.  I know I will try and follow the weather as best as I can since I will be in a tent and Max doesn't tend to be a fan of cold temperatures.  I look forward to meeting interesting people and introducing those people to you.  Here are a few pictures of fellow Americans I've met in the last few months and I am excited to introduce more to you in the upcoming months.

Thank you so much for all of your encouragement and support.  If you know of a spot or town that I shouldn't miss, I would love to hear about it.  I can always be reached at alisontravels@gmail.com

I look forward to sharing more soon!

Freeway Snapshot Bingo

I was on the road today for a long drive. I usually do not drive longer than 6 hours a day if I want to enjoy myself. I have the tendency to wander and take pictures after driving down unknown roads. I enjoy it. but it can make for a long day if hours upon hours of driving are included in those 24 hours.

Today I drove 8 hours North. I was on the big freeway right in the middle of the state of California. Needless to say, there isn't much going on. I only stopped twice to get gas this time around.

Still wanting to get my picture taking fix, I decided to snap away as I was driving. Please put this on your "do not attempt" list kiddos...it's not safe. I just happen to have my camera in hand and my finger just happened to snap a picture while it was pointing out the window. So, it was a long day, but here are five snapshots of the countryside off of the freeway.

Below is what you get when you drive and put the camera out the window and snap a shot. Freeway snapshot bingo.

Remember, safety first!