For Every Journey, A Beginning

  A pleasant interstate 70 welcomed Rebecca and me, beginning our journey with confidence from Manhattan, Kansas. Crossing the point of no return, Kansas City, made me tingle.  The miles and hours passed effortlessly driving east through America’s sleeping heartland. State lines came and went but anticipation never wavered. At each stop for gas or other road trip necessities, Rebecca would [...]

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Stop #1- Philadelphia, PA

  Miles logged: 1,251 Soggy sandwich Saturday Traffic and rain, welcome to the Mid Atlantic. Arriving in the city of brotherly love after 21 straight hours of driving was anything but lovely. Patience and consciousness wearing thin, I needed a sandwich. Our first stop was the foodie central at the corner of 12th and Arch in [...]

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Philly Continued

  “Love Thy Neighbor”  (unless you both make cheese steaks) After stuffing my face with pulled pork at the Reading Terminal Market, now I have to eat cheese steak? This is what I live for. It’s been the subject of debate, lore and television segments. Who makes the better cheese steak, Pat’s or Geno’s? The time had [...]

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Stop #2 Massapequa, NY- Long Island

  Miles logged: 1,391 An All-American classic Not much had changed but our location on the map when waking from my cheese steak induced coma along the New Jersey turnpike. The rain was relentless and the traffic, even worse. We plotted our next course to my girlfriend’s parents’ home on Long Island. However, after a missed turned [...]

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Stop #3- New York, NY

  Miles logged: 1,445 New York City, a resort destination for the senses. Getting off the Long Island Rail Road at Penn Station evokes a reluctant smile. The energetic environment is the opposite of my home but I really like this town. I have a feel for the city. Doing as the New Yorkers makes me [...]

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Stop #4 New Haven, CT

  Miles logged: 1,527 Taste the tradition. Situated just blocks from Yale University in downtown New Haven, Connecticut, Louis’ Lunch is the home of the hamburger sandwich. Today this brick doll house is recognized as a national historic landmark, but it’s what’s cooking inside that is truly historic.  In 1895, a butter dealer named Louis Lansen operated [...]

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Stop #5 Kittery, ME

Miles logged: 1,853 So cliché but so delicious One year prior to this moment, New York City was the moon to me. A few trips later and I have my pizza folding technique down. Now I’m launching from my giant leap to Mars. We’re driving farther from familiarity. Leaving the sprawl of the greater New [...]

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Stop #6 Waterbury, VT

Miles logged: 2,038 One sweet stop After our evening with friends of the human and crustacean kind, we were back on the road. Our trip was winding down. At this point we had driven almost 2,000 miles and Rebecca and I could feel the road getting to us. Our spirits endured with the excitement and [...]

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Stop #7 Buffalo, NY

Miles logged: 2,461 Buffalo gives you wings Our final stop was not on the original itinerary. The plan was to depart northern Vermont, cruise through up-state New York and circumvent lakes Ontario and Erie on our way back to the yellow brick road. We would pass by Buffalo with no plans of stopping. That was [...]

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Follow the yellow brick road.

Miles logged: 3,567  Venturing from the familiar opens eyes, the heart and mind. The human spirit yearns to learn and to experience, satisfied by travel. This adventure fulfilled a desire to see and taste the unfamiliar. Through rain and shine, the wheels rolled. More than 3,500 miles were traveled, each one containing something new. The [...]

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