Thursday, July 29, 2010 Driving Across the Country; California to South Carolina
The Travel Junkie is at it again…
In less than two weeks, I’ll be embarking on a drive across the United States. I’ll be driving mostly along Highway 40, which is a pretty straight-shot across the nation, however I’m not gonna cannonball it—I’m going to take my time (at least five days, about 8 or 9 hours driving per day), and have some specific stops in mind to give my photographic trigger-finger a bit of a workout.
As I talk to people about the trip, I keep getting suggestions of other stops I should make, of places to see and shoot, and of course of unmissable cafés, diners, and other points of roadside food that I just can’t drive right past without stopping. I have friends along the way as well, and will be calling on them for an all-too-rare visit. So, it’ll be a week… or two. We’ll see.
The Journey
This is my planned route. Each point is an intended overnight. As you can see, I’ve already drawn in a red-line from Phoenix, AZ (where I’ll be visiting friends) to Santa Fe, NM (where I’ll be eating chiles… any suggested spots?) as an alternate route, because my friend (and epic commercial and fine art photographer) Parish Kohanim just recommended that I stop in White Sands, NM if I can. Which makes that segment 11h30m instead of 8h15m, so perhaps I’ll split it in two and spend the night in White Sands.
View Travel Junkie’s Cross Country Drive in a larger map
So, where do YOU think I should stop? That map above is completely editable by anyone. Go ahead and add in your favorite vistas, and by all means link to your flickr galleries or blogs, add photos directly, whatever you like! I’d love to see this map fill up with recommendations from all of you. I’d love to meet some of you along the way as well; if you’re on this route (or reasonably close to it), get in touch and let me know!
So far I’m planning to stop in Phoenix, AZ because I have friends there. Maybe I go through White Sands, NM, then I’ll drive through Albuquerque, NM (“I shoulda turned left at Albuquerque!”) and spend the night in Santa Fe, NM because I hear they have wicked good chile dishes, and I’ve never been—plus it’s supposed to be a really artsy town, and I like that. Amarillo, TX for lunch then Oklahoma City, OK for the night because, well… they’re on the way and I’ve never been before. Little Rock, AR for lunch perhaps, and to see the birthplace of Socks Clinton (no, not really), then Memphis, TN for the night ‘cause that’s Elvis-town, and that’s just gotta be cool. Birmingham, AL sounds worthy of a stop, and I’ll also stop in Atlanta, GA at least for coffee with Parish, but that’s just two hours from my destination so no overnight planned there. And? What else? You tell me!!
By the way, this strip is partially inspired by my friends Chris and Beth Fenwick, who recently returned from a month-long drive down Route 66. Of course I’m not driving 66 nor am I spending a month doing it, but the fact that I’m driving cross-country instead of flying is largely their fault. Read up (and watch video) about that trip on their blog, and listen to their interview on This Week in Photo.
The Gear
I’m a big fan of geo-tagging, and so I’ll be logging every second of this trip and marrying GSP coordinates to pictures in Aperture as I go. The logger that I currently have is a bit rubbish, so it’s time to get a new one. I’ve been doing some digging and I’m really liking the QStarz BT-Q1000XT at the moment. Fast startup, very long battery life (42h if you believe the specs), supposedly quite accurate. The only downer on it is that according to the company, it doesn’t mount as a USB drive on the Mac, meaning I have to use 3rd party software to access the data on it. I’m not thrilled with that prospect, so if anyone out there can recommend something better, I’m listening.
I have a little Ricoh Caplio GX100 camera that has a built-in intervalometer, so I plan on shooting a time-lapse of my entire drive. Why not, right? I’ll mount the camera on the inside of my windshield using a Panavise 809 Camera Window Suction Cup Mount (again unless someone has a better suggestion… all this stuff gets ordered next week). Could be interesting. Could also be dead boring. Only one way to find out though ;-)
Other than that, it’ll be my standard regimen of camera gear along for the ride.
The Result
Oh who knows… a video of the time-lapse, and with any creative luck, it’ll be something mildly clever, involving some of the larger photos I’ll take along the way. Of course I’ll be writing about the drive and posting photos on here as I go, and if it turns into anything special I’ll put it into a nice little Aperture book.
So pile on your advice, tips, and recommendations. Leave comments here, or add points of interest directly to the google map above!
Come long on this journey with me… it’ll be fun!
Reader Comments (16)
Northern NM is much more photographic / cultured. It appears that the southern third after Silver City is kinda white trashy (which could be an image treasure).
I'd completely bypass the tourism of Santa Fe and spend time in the ancient ruins of Chaco Canyon or Bandalier.
White Sands is a must, especially if there is weather!
The southern NM detour is worth it. White Sands is a must see if you have not been there. Roberto's in Las Cruces has excellent green chili burritos and chili rellenos. El Pinto and Gardunos in Albuquerque have good green chili as well. Enjoy the trip.
Have an amazing trip Joseph. I'll be checking in on you online to track your progress and see all the pics. You have a time buddy.
Hey Joseph... remember "the Journey is the destination"... try to take your time. You'll have a good time, no... a GREAT time. keep yourself free to stop on a whim and don't bother with a schedule or an agenda... stop when you are done. You'll ALWAYS find a hotel room. There are a ton of them out there.
Remember, the small motels can be really pleasant. We never saw one on our trip that didn't have free wi-fi. Don't look past all the help that AAA offers in planning trips and there is an iPhone app called Roadside America, TOTALLY worth buying the whole set of "sections". They use in App purchases to buy sections of the US... ever bored? it will tell you what cool attractions are near you and how far away. Its pretty damn cool.
We feel honored that our trip (and blog - www.bethfenwick.com/66) was part of your inspiration. We have always chosen to blog (even before that word was invented I think) our trips to inspire others to go out there and try something new... I know you are the master world traveler and all but to slow down and take your time... well, thats a different type of travel.
Enjoy!!!
fen
El Pinto on N. 4th in Albuquerque has fantastic NM food. A must visit restaurant!
JOE! My camara man! I still have my Nikon 2020 (with 210 zoom lens) you sold me as a freshman or sophmore! still use it, still love it. I will meet you for dinner in Oklahoma city if I can! Tell me when you will be there. I have a historic place for you to try,..... all about cowboy country! I'm in Dallas now, OKC is about 2 hours north, but if I'm in town,... I'll drive up. Great to see you on line and your photog is still wonderful to see after soo long. Love road trips, drove many times across most this country. Drive safe and love it,... talk to you soon......
Hi Joseph,
Enjoy your travels. If you stop by Memphis, Tennessee? Check out "Corky's Bar-B-Que" I loved the ribs! Will you be making a stop by Graceland? You could get some cool photos there. In Atlanta, Georgia? They have a cool Aquarium and you can take photos. The World of Coke at the Underground is cool too. We enjoyed the hamburgers and string fries at "Johnny Rockets" also at the underground (2007 Seal concert trip). Staying at a Bed and Breakfast along the way can give you that "homey" touch while on the road. You can google them before you head to a state. Take one of those refrigerated coolers so you can take drinks, snacks, sandwiches, etc. I think they plug into the cigarette lighter. If you make it to NC pop by the NC zoo...great photos there. Have fun and Safe travels:O) Peace, Janet
You should come do one of those impromptu Aperture classes in Lubbock :) although I might be the only person that would come lol. Don't forget to check out our huge windmills as you drive through Texas, they can make for some interesting photographs.
It is going to be a great trip, I have done it many times in my life. It looks like you will be going through my hometown of Laguna NM. It is a small Native American village on the Laguna Indian reservation just west of Albuquerque. You can get a great shot of the village with the mountains in the background from a rest area on I-40, but go Route 66 through the resevation, the road less traveled, and go to the church at Laguna Pueblo. Stay away from the normal tourist spots like Santa Fe, everyone goes there unless you just want to be that tourist. The Pueblos are having their fiestas so one may be going on while you are there in the Rio Grande valley, stand around long enough and someone will invite you in to eat at their home.
Safe travels and safe return
Lew
If you haven't been to Charleston SC and Savannah GA, I highly recommend including them in your trip. Also, if you get to Savannah, it's not too far farther south to go to Cumberland Island off the southernmost GA coast. It's a Natl Park and requires a reservation to take the boat over, but well worth the day trip. Have a great time and I hope you don't evaporate in White Sands this time of year. I was there in late Sep and nearly passed out from the heat. All that white sand reflects the heat like an oven! Best to shoot early am or late in the day!
Santa Fe has more places to eat than you can imagine. Myfavorite is Pasquals, which is in downtown. If you run into any problems, email me. My brother still lives there. MY choice fr you go see is the Rio Grande Gourge. and some of the bluffs on the way up to Toas.
Have to go to the Varsity (I added it to the map). Some great get fat and enjoy yourself food
Joe,
This looks like a great adventure! I can give you plenty of suggestions for lunch in Little Rock, Ark. Let's see, there's Starving Artist Cafe, Dizzy's, Jimmy's Serious Sandwiches, The Flying Fish, Sticky Fingers...tons of them. (I'm assuming you'd prefer local/regional places, not chains.) Hit me up on Twitter (@Catatonic) and I can give you details. And of course there are lots of good photo ops, such as the River Market district, the Clinton Presidential Center, etc.
Have a safe and fun trip!
I don't know if you plan on doing any meet-ups or anything, but I would love to tag along when you are in Memphis.
In Oklahoma City, a visit to the National Memorial is a must. Very powerful exhibit and especially beautiful at sunset/twilight. It's 2 minutes from I-40 located at 5th and Harvey. If you're in town for dinner, try Cattleman's Steakhouse in the historic stockyards area, also 2 minutes off I-40. Would love the chance to meet you if timing permits.
19th century Victorian home called Mont Helena in Rolling Fork Mississippi. The three story house was built by Helen and the Reverend Harris back in the 1870’s. The imposing mansion sits on top of what used to be an Indian ceremonial mound and can be seen for miles around. Throughout Mont Helena’s nearly 150 year history; it has endured many changes and tremendous struggles.