Driving Historic US Route 20 in the planning

 Have you ever been on a long road trip? 

Across the country?

I have not though I'm planning one for June of 2024, driving from Boise, Idaho to Tully, New York (and back) on Historic US Route 20. 

Most people, when thinking of a cross-country route in the US, think of the famous Route 66. As kids, my brother and I even watched the "Route 66" television show that ran from 1960 to 1964 and starred Martin Milner and George Maharis. 

Route 20 never had it's own television show, but found fame in its own right. It's the longest highway in America coast-to-coast, starting in the Pacific costal town of Newport, Oregon and ending in Boston, Massachusetts, on the Atlantic coast, a trek of 3,365 miles. 

It even has a website: Historic US 20 . com Part of the mission is to raise awareness of grassroots America, highlight the small towns and historic sites along the route. That is the part I love best and am looking forward to; as a photographer, I can't wait to visit these charming places, meet the interesting people and hear their stories, and do my best to capture the essence in my photos. 

Here's a map of the route. We get to drive through Yellowstone National Park since the route goes right through there, too! 

 

My trip will be a little shorter, a bit over 2,000 miles since I'm starting in Boise and ending in central New York. However, I do intend to jog slightly northwards, going up into South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore and The Badlands National parks since they're about an hour north of Route 20 as it crosses Nebraska. 

This is the Vision Board I created for the trip. I like Vision Boards, they help me 'keep my eyes on the prize.' This includes some of my intentions for the trip: "safe, secure, supported," "FUN," "EASY," and a mock-up of The Senior Way book I intend to publish about the adventure! You can see Spring Lilly there in the middle, my trusty Jeep. The lady there is me, a few years ago, and I have no idea who the man in the silhouette is but he looks like a fun travel companion - he has a camera! 

I'll be driving in or through eight states: Idaho, a little corner of Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, a corner of Pennsylvania, and New York. There, and back again.

One of my cousins has signed on as a travel companion. She lives in NY so will fly to Idaho, and ride with me back to central New York. The plan is to start out on June 1, 2024. We figure it will take a little less than three weeks taking our time and sightseeing to drive to NY. I'll visit some other family and friends while there, then head back to Idaho. I am hoping to find a companion for the return trip - maybe the silhouette man with the camera! - but I'm pretty adept at 'winging it.'

If you've done a long road trip, leave a comment and share your experiences!