The Great American Road Trip: Planning Underway

For years, we've been talking about seeing America the old-fashioned way... driving across the country. Now, we're close to making the trip a reality. We intend to share the experience with you by blogging along the way.

This summer, we're planning to complete the 1st leg of 3-part country tour - seeing some of the northern parts of the country. After flying to Portland, Oregon, our journey (see map) begins with a ride up the Pacific Coast to Cannon Beach, OR where we'll pick up the route taken by Lewis and Clark. Cecilia recently completed a several month study on the American pioneers and the Oregon Trail. We decided to incorporate a little field exercise to compliment that learning experience. The 3500-mile, 9-state trek winds its way through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, culminating with a scenic drive along Pennsylvania's Route 6 on the way home to Bensalem, PA.

Along the way, we'll be stopping to see some famous and not-so-famous attractions, including Haystack Rock, the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood, Craters of the Moon National Monument, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park, Thunder Basin National Grassland, Mount Rushmore, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, Lake Michigan, and the NFL Hall of Fame. We're still exploring other sites along the journey.

In the future, we hope to travel along the southern portion of the US (leg 2) and then tour the New England states (leg 3). Stay tuned for more posts about our great American road trip!