EPT![[image loading]](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6074/6055747596_a170d18c70_z.jpg)
This last Summer was unfortunately bland in terms of travel. Due to work constraints, and a general lack of vacation hours, the girlfriend and I were relegated to a jaunt into the scenic, west-central country side of the noble state of Wisconsin. I counted us lucky that we got that far, but things just didn't come together as they should have.
I love to travel; planes trains automobiles you name it apart from rickshaw or unicycle I might consider it as a means of transport to a given destination. A recent Reddit post, which details the Mongol Rally (a charity event where one drives from London to Mongolia), got me jonesing for a lengthy trip across this, my great nation: The United States.
Growing up we spent a fair bit of time in the family station wagon, a 1991 Ford Taurus. As the youngest at the time, I was of course relegated to the way way back on a rear facing seat with about a quarter inch of foam rubber for cushioning, surrounded by luggage. We ran about, between the bustling metropolises that are Brookings, South Dakota and Chicago, Illinois mostly to visit family.
We even made it to Colorado by car a couple of times, which was fun save for the maternal unit lying to hotels to cram six people into a single room. We were driving a Suburban at the time, which even at the time was a mother fucker to top off with gas; In retrospect that bit makes perfect sense, grandma drying her underwear over the towel rack in the one bathroom still doesn't (I wish I was lying about that).
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KUPFY48.jpg)
Not THE chariot, but the same color and year, bonus points for Minnesota plates. This thing was damn near indestructible.
After becoming obsessed with this idea, in the last few hours, I needed to flesh this out as completely as I could. In an effort to as closely resemble the aforementioned Mongol Rally I wanted to make the trip from Saint Paul, MN to Panama, this however posed two challenges:
- 1. Neither my car nor my girlfriend's will make a six thousand mile road trip.
2. Dropping a rental from the US, at a Panamanian airport is prohibitively expensive if not impossible.
To put it nicely, I would say our cars have, "character," honestly they are just kind of shitty. As an example my girlfriend's car can't be filled up because the gas tank leaks, she has to keep it at about three quarters full; in my case we have relatively low mileage but the struts will likely need some TLC after another Minnesota Winter.
Alright, so I nixed the international bit for now and keep it domestic, we still have to rent a car and we want to maximize the time we get at our destination. Now that I am twenty five, this comes down in cost a huge amount. The obvious answer was to rent a car to get there and fly back, but of course it is never that simple.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kmsndAa.png)
Half the distance on the car and you're dropping it at a major airport? Best I can do is triple the weekly rate.
Not even joking with that image, weekly, round trip rates are pretty reasonable with insurance coming to about 300 bucks if you aren't after anything special in terms of make or model. That same trip, with the same car will easily exceed one thousand dollars if you make it a one way and fly back. I understand convenience has a price but goddamn is that a mark up.
It dawns on me that I am pretty deep in this blog, and I've neglected to tell you our prospective destinations which as it currently stands are Seattle/Washington state in general or the Grand Canyon. Personally I am aiming for the Grand Canyon because any chance I have to do something revolving around National Lampoon's Family Vacation I am going to take.
![[image loading]](http://lindsrambles.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/touristas.jpg)
Plus if I were to dress like this is Seattle people would just think I was being ironic, in parts of Arizona I think I would be called a native. Now if I can only find the socks that match these sandals.
So thus far for costs we have:
- 1. Rental Car- ≈$350
1.1- Gas ≈300 (A rough estimate based on 300 miles per tank and 1500 one way trip, could well cost less)
1.2- Daily insurance because I am going to abuse the shit out of that car
2. Food -? A well stocked cooler goes a long ways, but probably a couple hundred including a meal out or two
3. Lodging-?
Lodging is a bit of a mixed bag, using the route that Google maps would have us swing through Denver where I have family with ample space to crash for an evening. Beyond that I am all for a bit of cushy, State Park or KOA camping. We'd have a shower and a place to sleep and save a good bit of change relative to hotels.
That would be a tough sell for me even less outdoorsy girlfriend, but I think it is doable considering the relative cost being about 30 bucks a day compared to a hotel or motel. Most of the equipment for this could be borrowed from parents as well, which makes it more appealing to me.
Now is the time to start putting some more cash away, and get down to making some reservations for late Spring. Would love some input on destinations or things to see along the way that may be worth stopping in for. Nothing is set in stone yet, but a week long road trip will be the perfect way to kick off Summer 2014
