5-15-26

This trip already feels like an adventure before we’ve even turned the key! To fit in everything we hope to see, early starts are part of the plan each day (and today we actually hit the road ahead of schedule—5:45 a.m.!) Over the course of six legs, we’ll visit two of America’s magnificent national parks, explore 26 National Park Units from across the system’s 433, and travel through 14 states along the way.

Our trusty Lexus—now five years old and complete with its wonderful music system—will be our rolling home base for this adventure. By limiting our driving to six hours or less a day, we’re making sure there’s plenty of time to explore, wander, and absorb the places we pass through. Even with one stretch aboard Amtrak’s Auto Train, saving us about 850 miles of highway driving between northern Virginia and Sanford, Florida, we still anticipate covering nearly 9,000 miles before this journey comes to its end.

Even the meals feel like part of the experience — picnic lunches assembled from the food and supplies we have packed, balanced with dinners out in towns along the route.

As seasoned travelers, we know that plans are made to be broken, and despite eighty-two days of reservations carefully lined up, we expect surprises, detours, and changes along the way.

But that is part of what we love most about a road trip: the anticipation, the freedom, the unfolding story of each day.

This time, however, I hope to build a new habit of posting daily logs as we travel, capturing memories while they are fresh rather than waiting until we return home tired and forgetful! So…we are off on Leg 1!