Daily Itinerary
Part 1: Motivations
In the book You Are Here, Part 1 is the introductory section that explains my history and motivations for this trip. In order to make this itinerary match up with the book, I inserted this placeholder. Please keep scrolling!
Part 2: Outward Bound
May 15 - May 30, 2015
May 15 (Day 1)
From Alexandria, Virginia to Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Day’s miles: 289. Cumulative miles: 289.
Highlights: Great Dismal Swamp; Lake Drummond.
May 16 (Day 2)
From Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Day’s miles: 342. Cumulative miles: 631.
Highlights: Kitty Hawk; Cape Hatteras lighthouse; Outer Banks.
May 17 (Day 3)
From Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia
Day’s miles: 224. Cumulative miles: 855.
Highlights: Francis Marion Forest; the city of Savannah.
May 18 (Day 4)
From Savannah, Georgia to Fargo, Georgia
Day’s miles: 209. Cumulative miles: 1064.
Highlights: Georgia; Medical clinic.
May 19 (Day 5)
From Fargo, Georgia to Palatka, Florida
Day’s miles: 197. Cumulative miles: 1261.
Highlights: Okefenokee Swamp tour.
May 20 (Day 6)
From Palatka, Florida, to West Palm Beach, Florida.
Day’s miles: 327. Cumulative miles: 1588.
Highlights: Northern Florida; Kennedy Space Center.
May 21 (Day 7)
From West Palm Beach, Florida to Homestead, Florida.
Day’s miles: 202. Cumulative miles: 1790.
Highlights: Pahokee on Lake Okeechobee; Thunderstorm on the Everglades.
May 22 (Day 8)
From Homestead, Florida to Key West, Florida.
Day’s miles: 130. Cumulative miles: 1920.
Highlights: Florida Keys.
May 23 (Day 9)
Key West, Florida.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 1920.
Highlights: Key West with Karen.
May 24 (Day 10)
From Key West, Florida to Lake Placid, Florida.
Day’s miles: 317. Cumulative miles: 2237.
Highlights: Shark Valley visitor center, observation tower.
May 25 (Day 11)
From Lake Placid, Florida to Perry, Florida.
Day’s miles: 288. Cumulative miles: 2525.
Highlights: Florida Museum of Natural History.
May 26 (Day 12)
From Perry, Florida to Montgomery, Alabama.
Day’s miles: 252. Cumulative miles: 2777.
Highlights: New tires in Tallahassee. Florida Capital Museum.
May 27 (Day 13)
From Montgomery, Alabama to Forest, Mississippi.
Day’s miles: 224. Cumulative miles: 3001.
Highlights: City of Montgomery; Edmund Pettis Bridge; Selma.
May 28 (Day 14)
From Forest, Mississippi to El Dorado, Arkansas.
Day’s miles: 353. Cumulative miles: 3354.
Highlights: City of Jackson; Mississippi Museum of Natural Science; Natchez Trace Parkway; town of Natchez; northern Louisiana.
May 29 (Day 15)
From El Dorado, Arkansas to Mena, Arkansas.
Day’s miles: 206. Cumulative miles: 3560.
Highlights: Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources; Crater of Diamonds State Park.
May 30 (Day 16)
From Mena, Arkansas to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Day’s miles: 226. Cumulative miles: 3786.
Highlights: Talimena Scenic Drive; Muskogee and Tulsa; Dinner with Diana.
Part 3: The Rider
May 31 - June 10, 2015
May 31 (Day 17)
From Tulsa, Oklahoma to Council Groves, Kansas.
Day’s miles: 296. Cumulative miles: 4082.
Highlights: Will Rogers Memorial; Independence, Kansas; Flint Hills Scenic Highway; Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
June 1 (Day 18)
From Council Groves, Kansas to Lincoln, Nebraska.
Day’s miles: 185. Cumulative miles: 4267.
Highlights: Flint Hills Discovery Center; Manhattan, Kansas.
June 2 (Day 19)
From Lincoln, Nebraska to Winner, South Dakota.
Day’s miles: 330. Cumulative miles: 4597.
Highlights: Ashfall Fossil Beds State Park.
June 3 (Day 20)
From Winner, South Dakota to Wall, South Dakota.
Day’s miles: 269. Cumulative miles: 4866.
Highlights: Wounded Knee Memorial; Badlands National Park.
June 4 (Day 21)
From Wall, South Dakota to Bismarck, North Dakota.
Day’s miles: 376. Cumulative miles: 5242.
Highlights: Grass River National Grasslands; Grand River Museum, Lemmon; Bismarck.
June 5 (Day 22)
From Bismarck, North Dakota to Devils Lake, North Dakota.
Day’s miles: 247. Cumulative miles: 5489.
Highlights: Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
June 6 (Day 23)
Devils Lake, North Dakota.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 5489.
Highlights: Explored Devils Lake and environs with Karen.
June 7 (Day 24)
From Devils Lake, North Dakota to Dauphin, Manitoba.
Day’s miles: 247. Cumulative miles: 5489.
Highlights: Riding Mountain National Park.
June 8 (Day 25)
From Dauphin, Manitoba to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Day’s miles: 340. Cumulative miles: 6116.
Highlights: Lake Dauphin; eastern Yellowhead Highway; Saskatoon.
June 9 (Day 26)
From Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Edmonton, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 343. Cumulative miles: 6459.
Highlights: More Yellowhead Highway through Prairie Provinces.
June 10 (Day 27)
Edmonton, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 6459.
Highlights: City of Edmonton. New “On/Off Road” tires at Scona Honda.
Part 4: Angst and Awe
June 11 - June 28, 2015
June 11 (Day 28)
From Edmonton, Alberta to Athabasca, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 108. Cumulative miles: 6567.
Highlights: Alberta Highway 2.
June 12 (Day 29)
From Athabasca, Alberta to Peace River, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 248. Cumulative miles: 6815.
Highlights: Lesser Slave Lake; town of Peace River.
June 13 (Day 30)
From Peace River, Alberta to High Level, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 277. Cumulative miles: 7092.
Highlights: Town of Fort Vermillion.
June 14 (Day 31)
From High Level, Alberta to Hay River, Northwest Territories.
Day’s miles: 194. Cumulative miles: 7286.
Highlights: 60th Parallel crossing; Alexandra Falls, Louise Falls.
June 15 (Day 32)
From Hay River, Northwest Territories to Fort Providence, Northwest Territories.
Day’s miles: 215. Cumulative miles: 7501.
Highlights: Great Slave Lake; Deh Cho bridge; excursion to the Canadian Shield.
June 16 (Day 33)
From Fort Providence, Northwest Territories to Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories.
Day’s miles: 205. Cumulative miles: 7706.
Highlights: The unpaved Deh Cho Highway; Sambaa Day Falls. My “Jack Kerouac” moment.
June 17 (Day 34)
From Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories to Fort Nelson, British Columbia.
Day’s miles: 309. Cumulative miles: 8015.
Highlights: The brutal Laird Highway. My “Box of Rain” moment.
June 18 (Day 35)
From Fort Nelson, British Columbia to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 321. Cumulative miles: 8336.
Highlights: The Alaska Highway; Stone Mountain and Muncho Lake Provincial Parks; the Signpost Forest in Watson Lake.
June 19 (Day 36)
From Watson Lake, Yukon to Faro, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 277. Cumulative miles: 8613.
Highlights: The brutal unpaved portion of the Campbell Highway; Ross River and a tiny part of the Canol Road.
June 20 (Day 37)
From Faro, Yukon Territory to Carmacks, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 121. Cumulative miles: 8734.
Highlights: Mostly paved Campbell Highway; First views of the Yukon River.
June 21 (Day 38)
From Carmacks, Yukon Territory to Dawson City, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 222. Cumulative miles: 8956.
Highlights: Parts of the Klondike Highway; Arrive in Dawson on the Solstice.
June 22 (Day 39)
Dawson City, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 8956.
Highlights: The town of Dawson City.
June 23 (Day 40)
From Dawson, Yukon Territory to Eagle Plains, Yukon.
Day’s miles: 255. Cumulative miles: 9211.
Highlights: Dempster Highway, day 1; Tombstone Territorial Park.
June 24 (Day 41)
From Eagle Plains, Yukon, to Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
Day’s miles: 228. Cumulative miles: 9439.
Highlights: Dempster Highway, day 2; crossed the Arctic Circle.
June 25 (Day 42)
Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 9439.
Highlights: Motorboat down the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean; tour of Tuktoyaktuk; small plane ride back to Inuvik.
June 26 (Day 43)
From Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to Eagle Plains, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 231. Cumulative miles: 9670.
Highlights: Dempster Highway, day 3; ran off the highway berm but managed to recover.
June 27 (Day 44)
From Eagle Plains back to Eagle Plaines, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 53. Cumulative miles: 9723.
Highlights: Rain and impassable roads forced me to hitchhike back to Eagle Plains; met Darryl and John in the bar, who helped me enormously the next day.
June 28 (Day 45)
From Eagle Plains, Yukon, to Dawson City, Yukon.
Day’s miles: 204. Cumulative miles: 9927.
Highlights: Terrible riding through muddy, slick Dempster patch with Darryl, but we made it. The last stretch was beautiful.
Subarctic Interlude
June 29 - July 10, 2015
June 29 (Day 46)
From Dawson City, Yukon to Tok, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 187. Cumulative miles: 10,114.
Highlights: Top of the World Highway; entered Alaska.
June 30 (Day 47)
From Tok, Alaska to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 205. Cumulative miles: 10,319.
Highlights: City of Fairbanks (first true city since Edmonton).
July 1 (Day 48)
From Fairbanks, Alaska to Denali National Park, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 235. Cumulative miles: 10,554.
Highlights: Denali National Park in a cold rain (no views).
July 2 (Day 49)
From Denali National Park, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 136. Cumulative miles: 10,690.
Highlights: Met Karen at the Anchorage Airport.
July 3 (Day 50)
Anchorage, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 10,690.
Highlights: Explored Anchorage with Karen all day.
July 4 (Day 51)
Anchorage, Alaska; Utqiagvik, Alaska
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 10,690.
Highlights: Karen and I flew to Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle; Midnight Sun; waded in the freezing Arctic Ocean.
July 5 (Day 52)
Utqiagvik, Alaska; Anchorage, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 10,690.
Highlights: Return flight to Anchorage; more exploring of the city.
July 6 (Day 53)
From Anchorage, Alaska, to Tok, Alaska.
Day’s miles: 322. Cumulative miles: 11,012.
Highlights: Glenn Highway; views of glaciers.
July 7 (Day 54)
From Tok, Alaska to Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 228. Cumulative miles: 11,240.
Highlights: Alaska Highway; Kluane Lake.
July 8 (Day 55)
From Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory, to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 164. Cumulative miles: 11,404.
Highlights: More Alaska Highway.
July 9 (Day 56)
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 12. Cumulative miles: 11,416.
Highlights: The city and museums of Whitehorse.
July 10 (Day 57)
From Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory.
Day’s miles: 280. Cumulative miles: 11,696.
Highlights: Yet more of the fabulous Alaska Highway.
Part 5: Falling South
July 11 - July 25, 2015
July 11 (Day 58)
From Watson Lake, Yukon Territory to Iskut, British Columbia.
Day’s miles: 206. Cumulative miles: 11,902.
Highlights: The Cassiar Highway; Jade City.
July 12 (Day 59)
From Iskut, British Columbia to Smithers, British Columbia.
Day’s miles: 331. Cumulative miles: 12,233.
Highlights: More Cassiar Highway; returning to Civilization.
July 13 (Day 60)
From Smithers, British Columbia to Prince George, British Columbia.
Day’s miles: 227. Cumulative miles: 12,460.
Highlights: Bulkley Valley.
July 14 (Day 61)
From Prince George, British Columbia to Jasper, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 242. Cumulative miles: 12,702.
Highlights: Fraser River; new tires; into the Canadian Rockies.
July 15 (Day 62)
From Jasper, Alberta to Lake Louise, Alberta.
Day’s miles: 146. Cumulative miles: 12,848.
Highlights: The Icefields Parkway; the Icefields Centre
July 16 (Day 63)
From Lake Louise, Alberta to Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
Day’s miles: 292. Cumulative miles: 13,140.
Highlights: Town of Field; Burgess Shale Fossil lecture & tour.
July 17 (Day 64)
From Bonners Ferry, Idaho to Lewiston, Idaho.
Day’s miles: 242. Cumulative miles: 13,382.
Highlights: City of Couer d’Alene; Clarkia fossil beds.
July 18 (Day 65)
Lewiston, Idaho.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 13,382.
Highlights: City of Lewiston. Haircut!
July 19 (Day 66)
From Lewiston, Idaho, to Boise, Idaho.
Day’s miles: 274. Cumulative miles: 13,656.
Highlights: Salmon River Valley; city of Boise; Graham Nash in concert.
July 20 (Day 67)
From Boise, Idaho to Battle Mountain, Nevada.
Day’s miles: 316. Cumulative miles: 13,972.
Highlights: Idaho, eastern Oregon, Nevada. High, dry, and hot.
July 21 (Day 68)
From Battle Mountain, Nevada to Ely, Nevada.
Day’s miles: 238. Cumulative miles: 14,210.
Highlights: The Great Basin; US 50, “Loneliest Road in America.”
July 22 (Day 69)
From Ely, Nevada to Green River, Utah.
Day’s miles: 344. Cumulative miles: 14,554.
Highlights: Great Basin National Park; crazy I-70 through the Colorado Plateau
July 23 (Day 70)
From Green River, Utah to Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Day’s miles: 196. Cumulative miles: 14,750.
Highlights: Into the Colorado Rockies.
July 24 (Day 71)
From Glenwood Springs, Colorado to Aspen, Colorado.
Day’s miles: 40. Cumulative miles: 14,790.
Highlights: Met Karen; our fourth and final rendezvous.
July 25 (Day 72)
Aspen, Colorado.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 14,790.
Highlights: Explored Aspen and surrounding area; Maroon Bells Lake.
Part 6: Return and Reflection
July 26 - August 9, 2015
July 26 (Day 73)
From Aspen, Colorado to Georgetown, Colorado.
Day’s miles: 119. Cumulative miles: 14,909.
Highlights: Independence Pass (12,095 feet).
July 27 (Day 74)
From Georgetown, Colorado to Laramie, Wyoming.
Day’s miles: 220. Cumulative miles: 15,129.
Highlights: Rocky Mountain National Park; through Fort Collins, into Wyoming.
July 28 (Day 75)
From Laramie, Wyoming to Bill, Wyoming.
Day’s miles: 173. Cumulative miles: 15,302.
Highlights: Eastern Wyoming grasslands and wind.
July 29 (Day 76)
From Bill, Wyoming to Hill City, South Dakota.
Day’s miles: 160. Cumulative miles: 15,462.
Highlights: Thunder Basin National Grassland, Wyoming; Black Hills Institute Museum, Hill City, South Dakota; pre-Sturgis in the Black Hills.
July 30 (Day 77)
From Hill City, South Dakota to Alliance, Nebraska.
Day’s miles: 160. Cumulative miles: 15,622.
Highlights: The Black Hills.
July 31 (Day 78)
From Alliance, Nebraska to Grand Island, Nebraska.
Day’s miles: 278. Cumulative miles: 15,900.
Highlights: Nebraska’s Sand Hill region; Ogallala aquafer.
August 1 (Day 79)
From Grand Island, Nebraska to Bethany, Missouri.
Day’s miles: 327. Cumulative miles: 16,227.
Highlights: Lincoln, Nebraska; 100+ miles of Iowa; northern Missouri.
August 2 (Day 80)
From Bethany, Missouri to Springfield, Illinois.
Day’s miles: 296. Cumulative miles: 16,523.
Highlights: Cornfields. Lots of cornfields.
August 3 (Day 81)
Springfield, Illinois.
Day’s miles: 0. Cumulative miles: 16,523.
Highlights: Illinois State Museum; Abraham Lincoln’s historical neighborhood.
August 4 (Day 82)
From Springfield, Illinois to French Lick, Indiana.
Day’s miles: 255. Cumulative miles: 16,778.
Highlights: Wabash River; Baden Springs Hotel in French Lick.
August 5 (Day 83)
From French Lick, Indiana to Nashville, Tennessee.
Day’s miles: 202. Cumulative miles: 16,980.
Highlights: Hoosier National Forest; Grand Ol’ Opry.
August 6 (Day 84)
From Nashville, Tennessee to Somerset, Kentucky.
Day’s miles: 204. Cumulative miles: 17,184.
Highlights: Eastern Tennessee and Kentucky.
August 7 (Day 85)
From Somerset, Kentucky to South Point, Ohio.
Day’s miles: 237. Cumulative miles: 17,421.
Highlights: The rugged Cumberland Plateau.
August 8 (Day 86)
From South Point, Ohio to Raphine, Virginia.
Day’s miles: 267. Cumulative miles: 17,688.
Highlights: Central West Virginia; into the Shenandoah Valley.
August 9 (Day 87)
From Raphine, Virginia to Alexandria, Virginia.
Day’s miles: 222. Cumulative miles: 17,910.
Highlights: University of Virginia; the old familiar roads.