Yesterday, I went to AAA and got maps.

(I love being a AAA member. They jump started my car for free at one in the morning when her battery died; they've always proven helpful and friendly, and they GIVE ME MAPS!)

I went into the office around one. When the woman asked me how she could help me, I threw up my hands and said "I'm moving cross country, and I need direction."

She smiled and pulled out a gigantic US map. She then grabbed a small stamp shaped like a circle.

"Where are you starting from?" she asked.

"Allentown, PA," I said.

She stamped a little black circle around Allentown. "And where are you going?"

"San Francisco," I responded, and got that funny tingly feeling in my nose like I do before I cry.

She stamped San Francisco.

We spent the next two and a half hours working out the route between the two (all with her commenting "My goodness, I want to go on this trip with you!"). We decided that instead of leaving from Allentown I should leave from DC (my mom concurred - it'd be a waste of gas and time and I'd be moving farther away from the West Coast). The tentative route that we have worked out is this:

Day 1: Washington, DC to Bloomington, IN. Stay over with natbrat and been_a_book (btw, I will be emailing you shortly about that, natbrat). Roughly 660 miles.

Day 2: Bloomington, IN to Minneapolis, MN, via Evansville, WI. The stop is to visit my 90-year-old grandmother who I haven't seen in years. I have an aunt I can stay with in Minneapolis. Roughly 650 miles.

Day 3: Minneapolis, MN to Rapid City, SD. I don't know who I'm going to stay with in SD, so if anyone knows anybody around Rapid City who'd be willing to put us up for a night, that'd be swell. I want to see Mount Rushmore while I'm there - probably the next morning before we leave to hit the road again. Roughly 603 miles.

Day 4: Rapid City, SD to Georgetown, CO by way of Rocky Mountain National Park, CO. We're not going to stay in the park, we'll go through the park and then stay further south, in Georgetown. Roughly 460 miles, plus the park. Plus we get to go through MOUNTAIN PASSES. HOW COOL IS THAT?

Day 5: Georgetown, CO to Farmington, NM. I have a friend who lives in Farmington who can put us up for the night. Roughly 372 miles.

Day 6: Farmington, NM to Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Grand Canyon Village. I GET TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON OMG. I also kind of want to see The Boneyard in Vegas, if I can. I don't know where I'll be staying in Vegas, so if you know anyone, let me know. Roughly 560 miles.

Day 7: Las Vegas, Nevada to SAN FRANCISCO! AHHHHHHHH. Roughly 550 miles.

I now have a huge map on my wall with circles around all of these places, and postit notes with addresses.

So, if you know anyone in or around the following places that will let me and one other person crash overnight, let me know:

Rapid City, SD.
Georgetown, CO (or Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)
Las Vegas

Also, I now have a traveling buddy! My friend Errol will be flying up from Guyana, crossing the country with me, staying in San Francisco for a few days, and then flying home.

Also! I will probably be getting camping gear, like a sleeping bag and tent. Does anyone have any good/light recommendations?