First Entry

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I begin my travel blog on the eve of a trip to Kentucky. I will be there for approximately 3 weeks (I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be longer), caring for my elderly charge, R, as well as engaging in some sprucing up of R's old house for her daughter (and my boss), S. I'm somewhat ambivalent about the trip. Initially, I was very excited for it, but as the departure date approaches, I have become less and less enthused for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that it falls right in the middle of a very inconvenient time frame in my life. I am trying to move into a new apartment, as well as find another job. This trip, understandably, throws a monkey wrench into my dealings. There are also some things going on around here that I am sad to be missing out on, some events and the like. But alack, we play with the cards which we are dealt.

The drive to Kentucky is approximately 12 hours, which we will take in two legs: beginning tomorrow afternoon, and pausing for the night at some half-way point, then resuming Wednesday afternoon, and terminating Wednesday evening. I have my trusty iPod with audiobooks handy for the drive. Despite a tendency towards motion sickness, I rather enjoy long car trips.

Which brings me to the main point. I may have been a somewhat misleading in the opening paragraphs of this post. You see, while I do intend to write about my Kentucky trip, my main reason for starting this travel blog is to chronicle the planning and execution of the road trip that I intend to take in the spring. I begin the blog now, 10 months before the trip itself, because the planning of the thing is an important part of the experience as well, and it can be interesting to watch it grow and develop as the date grows nearer. I don't yet have a travel companion, or the money for a trip, or even a car (a rather important piece of the equation on a road trip, I'd think), but I am not ready to leave yet either.

So far, the plan is quite vague, but it is still in its infancy, so there is much time to hammer out the details. I know there can never be such a thing as the "perfect trip," and that a certain amount of flexibility must be maintained in all ventures, but I hope that with as much advanced planning as I intend to do, I can have the best experience possible on my first road trip. It will also give me the opportunity to save money for the trip. It has been said that saving with a goal in mind makes you more likely to be successful.

My tentative destination is Atlanta, Georgia. Why? Simply because I've never been there before. I will, of course, be departing from my hometown of Lambertville. I've only begun to plan any activities for the first two stops along the route, with only a few locations for the rest of the trip. Right now I'm looking into local attractions, sites, and events that might be worth attending. I plan to stop in Philadelphia to visit the Mutter Museum and Eastern State Penintentiary, followed by Shenandoah National Park for a day of hiking, then Richmond (what's a trip down south without visiting family? And maybe sneaking a free meal and place to sleep. I know, I'm downright devious), Durham (see above, re: family), then Greensboro to see an old friend, then Charlotte (I hear it's beautiful in the springtime), and finally Atlanta.

I'm excited. For many years I have wanted to go on a road trip, and now I feel like I'm in a position to take the leap. Road trips are a really great way to travel. You get to see lots of different places, and don't have to stay in any one spot long enough to get bored. You can have a compact little adventure at each destination, and experience a broad cross-section of America in the span of just a week or two.

If anyone has any suggestions of things to see or do at any of my stops, or anything along the way that I wouldn't want to miss, please let me know.

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