The Long Sprint Home - Day Two

Sorry for another relatively short post, but you'd be amazed how little energy you have to write about a day of nonstop driving.

Just for reference, here's what we've done since lunch Tuesday. Yesterday was Ogden to Lincoln, a lovely little drive that took us across both Wyoming and Nebraska (is it weird to anyone else that those two states share a border?)

Below you will see the state capitol of Wyoming in Cheyenne, where we ate dinner last night. The only restaurant we could find downtown was the Albany, which triples as a bar and a liquor store in addition to being an eatery. Talk about one stop shopping.



The only other real news of notes is that I had my first run-in with law enforcement personnel last night about midnight. But good news! It was only for not coming to a complete stop at the top of an off-ramp where I was stopping to get gas and a got off with a warning. Finally these good looks come in handy.

You'll notice that the bobbymap has been updated, while the scoreboard has not. That's because I keep forgetting to check my mileage when I park for the night. That said, I am well over 6,000 miles for the trip, which is fun.

Things to do in Idaho when you're dead

Dead tired, that is. Evidently communing with nature is exhausting, as I was in a funk all day Friday. But have no fear, dear readers. I made the drive from Butte to lovely Coeur D'Alene, Idaho without any trouble, despite some intermittent snow showers.

Before grabbing lunch I made a quick stop at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch, a National Historic Site that has preserved an old Montana cattle ranch. This turned out to be an unexpected highlight (I hadn't even heard of it until I saw the sign), as the views were amazing and it was awesome getting to see what life on the ranch must have been like over a hundred years ago.

I stopped in Missoula, Mont., for lunch, and did a quick drive through the campus of the University of Montana. It's amazing how much nicer a very bland campus can look when surrounded by mountains.

After a spicy grilled cheese with sweet potato fries at the Iron Horse (great value at $5.95), I made the 165-mile drive to Coeur D'Alene, where I stayed for the night. I'll take some pictures of the lake that shares a name with the town today, but it was another in a long line of beautiful towns here in the west.

No real plan for today, so if you have suggestions, give me a call. Also, I'm now in the Pacific Time Zone for a few days, rounding out the four time zones here on the Drive For 5-0.

Also, no new states yesterday, but Idaho is now red on the bobbymap.

Blue moon of Kentucky, keep on shinin'

When I left this morning, I imagined this post being relatively short with lots of whining about how lame driving through Kentucky and Ohio was. But you deserve better, I deserve better, the blog deserves better. So we'll start you off with this little beauty from Corbin, Ky. Wait for it...

That's right, the birthplace of KFC. In addition to being on the site of the Colonel's original restaurant (the building in the photo is a recreation), there is also a museum and a regular KFC. Not to mention a souvenir stand, complete with Colonel Sanders bobbleheads. I, however, opted for the $0.69 commemorative button. I believe I'll have to give this place an honorary spot on the Lunch List.

After lunch in Corbin, I headed to Cincinnati for dinner at the Montgomery Inn. This place came recommended by (ed.) Casey's roommates Rebecca and The Doctor (instead of the universally-panned Skyline Chili) and lived up to expectations. The "World's Greatest Ribs" were solid, but the highlight was a scoop (actually the size of football) of Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip ice cream. I ate at the Boathouse location, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone dining in the 'Nati.

A little site housekeeping to close...

First, you'll (probably not) notice a slight change to the bobbymap. First, Ohio has been changed from blue to red since I have now driven through it. Second, as I am spending the night in Ann Arbor, Michigan is now red as well. I haven't really done anything but check into the hotel, so Michigan will get some love tomorrow. One last thing is a new feature on the side bar, the Scoreboard. It will list four things from here on out - miles traveled, states visited, tanks of gas purchased and average miles per gallon. I haven't actually included totals yet (because I forgot to look at the odometer when I got out of the car), but I will update that in the morning.

So almost no whining and the Colonel...not too bad if you ask me. Kentucky was really boring though. And the traffic in Lexington sucked.

I just can't wait to get on the road again.

Hello everyone and welcome. To your left you will see the 2007 American Map Large Print Road Atlas. This, along with some occasional help from Google Maps, will be my guide to the Drive for 5-0 (patent pending).

A short explanation of my mission and the reason for this blog's existence: Shortly after getting my driver's license in 1998, I decided that traveling (for pleasure, not work, I've since learned) is one of the things in life that I really enjoy. My first really big road trip was a 10-day drive to and from Sante Fe, New Mexico. Upon returning from that trip, I set a goal that has stayed with me ever since - to visit each of the 50 states in the union before my 25th birthday, May, 14, 2007.

I've gotten to where I am (41 down, nine to go) in a variety of vehicles with a variety of people, but the end of this mission will be a cross-country drive beginning on roughly April 23 in Durham, N.C. and returning roughly 18 days later, with the turnaround point falling in the greater Salem, Ore. area.

To your right you will see what has been called "bobbymap" on my computer for the last several years. Pretty straightfoward, shaded states have been visited, white states have not (blue by plane, red by car, more or less). For the not-so-geographically-inclined, the nine states remaining are, in order of planning visit: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Washington and Oregon.

That's what I know. What I need now is your help. I'm going pretty much in a straight line, but where should I stop? Anything must-see or must-avoid? Let me know where you've been and where you think I need to go.