I know that I haven’t posted to this blog in a while (and that Bishop hasn’t posted to this blog ever, that bastard), but rest assured, this is a good thing. I’ve become very busy, which is all I can ask for to keep me productive and happy.
And also, the trip is getting more and more likely every day. I’ve partitioned what we need into four different headings (money, transportation, lodging, and a third person), and we’re making some seriously good headway on three of those (all but the third person).
I’ll update with more details pertaining to those things some time soon. I promise. In the meantime, you can see what the hell I’m up to over at my personal Tumblr at http://jamesajanisse.tumblr.com/
Today Bishop and I went and saw his aunt who lives outside of Los Angeles. We explained the plan to her and asked if she could put us up for 2 months. She agreed, but at the same time openly doubted the eventual achievement of the road trip.
Obviously, this is a lofty endeavor, and I’m sure many people have plenty of skepticism. However, this was the first time anyone openly doubted us to our faces. And to that I had only one response:
Right now, the biggest obstacle seems to be our mode of transportation. I’m pretty optimistic about the other two general challenges we face, money and travel lodging. And now that our LA lodging is secure, well shit, I’m considering ourselves a quarter of the way there.
—JAJ
Boston at twilight. Is it me or do the skylines in America look the same?
I also have a problem distinguishing skylines, but I just accredit that to a lack of any architectural knowledge and an unfortunate natural tendency to disregard fine details :(
—JAJ
(Source: bowingdowntoliterature)
The first leg of the trip takes us from our home in Ann Arbor, Michigan through the Midwest, along with parts of Pennsylvania and New York. Here are some facts about this first leg of the journey, which we endearingly call The Midwest and More:
#1.) Detroit, Michigan - The 11th biggest city in America, and the one nearest and dearest to us. Both of us grew up in suburbs outside of Detroit, so we’re very familiar with the former automobile capital of the world. Even with its collapsed economy, the city of Detroit still has plenty to offer. From the GM Renaissance Tower, the tallest building in the city, to the Eastern Market, and of course the Detroit Institute of Arts.
We will arrive in Detroit at 1:00pm after a 1 hour (45 mile) drive from Ann Arbor, Michigan. We will leave the next morning at 8:00am.
#2.) Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The 26th biggest city in America, and the biggest in the state of Wisconsin, the land of cheese and beer. With that in mind, we’ll definitely have to hit up the Lakefront Brewery and find some fried cheese curds to try. If we still feel like drinking, only with some comedy involved, we might experience Bye Bye Liver: The Milwaukee Drinking Game, and if we’d rather have some history instilled in us, we can always check out the Historic Third Ward.
We will arrive in Milwaukee at 4:00pm after a 7 hour trip, that includes a 3 hour (200 mile) drive from Detroit to Muskegon, Michigan followed by a 4 hour ferry ride from Muskegon to Milwaukee. We will leave the next morning at 10:00am.
#3.) Chicago, Illinois - The 3rd biggest city in America, Chi-town and its attractions don’t need much of an introduction. Of course there’s Willis Tower, the tallest building in the United States, and the historic Wrigley Field. If we feel like getting our architecture on, we can check out the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t check out landmarks such as Buckingham Fountain and Cloud Gate. Chicago is so fascinating that it’s possible we’ll expand our stay in The Windy City to two nights instead of just one.
We will arrive in Chicago at 12:00pm after a 2 hour (100 mile) drive from Milwaukee. As of now, we will leave the next morning at 11:00am.
#4.) Indianapolis, Indiana - The 14th biggest city in America, Indy is the fastest growing region in the Midwest and a city that prides itself on cultural heritage. The center of the city, Monument Circle, includes the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, which dates back to 1901. That monument is just one of many, since Indianapolis is second only to Washington, D.C. in number of monuments. And at the end of the night, if we want some blues with our booze, we’ll probably hit up the Slippery Noodle Inn.
We will arrive in Indianapolis at 4:00pm after a 3.5 hour (200 mile) drive from Chicago. We will leave the next afternoon at 1:00pm.
#5.) Louisville, Kentucky - The 29th biggest city in America, Louisville is a city I had never heard of before planning this trip. Apparently it’s “The Northernmost Southern Town” (Or “The Southernmost Northern Town”), and is influenced by both Midwest and Southern cultures. Unfortunately, we’ll be arriving just after the Kentucky Derby and the accompanying festival, but we can still see things like the entertainment complex Fourth Street Live! We can also hit up the historic district of Old Louisville, or ride the oldest still-operating steamboat in the country, the Belle of Louisville.
We will arrive in Louisville at 4:00pm after a 2 hour (120 mile) drive from Indianapolis. We will leave the next afternoon at 12:00pm.
#6.) Columbus, Ohio - The 16th biggest city in America, Columbus is home to our university’s bitter rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Still, since I might end up in Columbus for my 22nd birthday, I’d better be able to find things to like about it.
…I spent some time looking around the internet for things to do in Columbus, but I fell short of success, so if anyone has any suggestions, that’d be great.
We will arrive in Columbus at 5:00pm after a 4 hour (220 mile) drive from Louisville. We will leave the next morning at 10:00am.
#7.) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Pittsburgh is the first non-Top 30 city that we’ll be visiting, but we won’t be staying overnight. Instead, we’ll only have 5 hours to explore Pennsylvania’s second biggest city. During that time, we might ride the Duquesne Incline, an incline railroad finished in 1877 that takes you 400 feet up Mt. Washington. If we feel like getting artsy, we can see the installations at the Mattress Factory, and if not, we can see street vendors and a farmer’s market in the Strip District.
We will arrive in Pittsburgh at 2:00pm after a 3.5 hour (190 mile) drive from Columbus. We will leave that evening at 7:00pm.
#8.) Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania - Cherry Springs will be our first of ten camping trips on the road. Its location in northern Pennsylvania ended up being very convenient as a rest stop between Pittsburgh and Niagara Falls. We won’t be getting to Cherry Springs until late at night, but that’s okay, because its attraction is that it has one of the darkest skies in the eastern United States. The sky is apparently so dark that you can see the Milky Way Galaxy, which appears so bright that it casts a shadow. Here’s a picture of this very sight, which will surely be breathtaking in person.
We will arrive in Cherry Springs at 11:00pm after a 4 hour (190 mile) drive from Pittsburgh. We will leave the next morning at 9:00am.
#9.) Niagara Falls, New York - Although it’s no question that the Canada side of Niagara Falls (the Horseshoe Falls) is more aesthetic than the American side, Niagara Falls State Park allows close up access to both, as well as other areas around the falls such as Goat Island and Cave of the Winds, which lets you get all up in the Bridal Veil Falls’ base. And if we feel so inclined, we might even ride the Maid of the Mist boat tour.
We will arrive in Niagara Falls at 12:00pm after a 3 hour (150 mile) drive from Cherry Springs. We will leave later that day at 4:00pm.
#10.) Albany, New York - Albany will be the first non-Top 30 city that we actually stay the night in. The capital of New York State, Albany has a few things that sound interesting, such as the architectural marvel of the New York State Capitol or the Empire State Plaza. However, we will be arriving pretty late, so we may just head to Lark Street to experience the night life scene there.
We will arrive in Albany at 8:00pm after a 4 hour (300 mile) drive from Niagara Falls. We will leave the next morning at 8:00am.
So that’s the first leg of our journey. It’s a pretty temperate start - the drives aren’t too long or too short, and on most of the days we leave at 10am or later and arrive at our destinations at 4pm or earlier. After the 8th day on the road, we’ll be entirely out of our Midwest origins and on our way to the East Coast of the United States for the second leg.
—JAJ
The Pan-American Road Trip.
It seems like hubris to try and experience all of America over a single summer. But hubris is what we’re all about.
The Pan-American Road Trip is an experience originally conceived of by me, James A. Janisse, with the initial idea of visiting the 25 biggest cities in the country. When I discovered that Portland, Oregon was actually the 30th biggest city in America, I expanded the trip to include those last 5 cities. While mapping it out on Google Maps, I quickly saw that the trip would take me through most of the continental states - so my second goal became driving through all 48 of them.
I informed my re-discovered friend turned best friend turned roommate James Bishop about the plan, and he was immediately interested in the opportunity. Additionally, he provided a place to live outside of Los Angeles free of charge for 2 months, so the trip instantly became much more realistic.
Since I initially developed this road trip in late August, I’ve spent a lot of time modifying it and looking at particularities. The biggest boon to my research was CouchSurfing.org, which will (hopefully) provide us with free boarding in almost every city we stay in. I’ve also consulted lists of the greatest places in America and added many stops along the way. The latest revamping of the trip included (at Bishop’s urging) the exploration of all of Florida and some other minor tweaks - these will likely continue all the way up until we leave come May 2011.
Many have scoffed at this idea as being unrealistic. But if you don’t set your goals high, then you’re just aiming for land.
The following are the 30 Biggest Cities in the United States (by Population). The source, as always, is Wikipedia. We will reveal more of what the trip entails over the months to come.
1.) New York City (8.4 million)
2.) Los Angeles, California (3.8 million)
3.) Chicago, Illinois (2.8 million)
4.) Houston, Texas (2.3 million)
5.) Phoenix, Arizona (1.6 million)
6.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1.5 million)
7.) San Antonio, Texas (1.4 million)
8.) San Diego, California (1.3 million)
9.) Dallas, Texas (1.3 million)
10.) San Jose, California (965 k)
11.) Detroit, Michigan (911 k)
12.) San Francisco, California (815 k)
13.) Jacksonville, Florida (813 k)
14.) Indianapolis, Indiana (808 k)
15.) Austin, Texas (786 k)
16.) Columbus, Ohio (769 k)
17.) Fort Worth, Texas (728 k)
18.) Charlotte, North Carolina (704 k)
19.) Memphis, Tennessee (677 k)
20.) Boston, Massachusetts (645 k)
21.) Baltimore, Maryland (637 k)
22.) El Paso, Texas (620 k)
23.) Seattle, Washington (617 k)
24.) Denver, Colorado (610 k)
25.) Nashville, Tennessee (605 k)
26.) Milwaukee, Wisconsin (605 k)
27.) Washington D.C. (600 k)
28.) Las Vegas, Nevada (568 k)
29.) Louisville, Kentucky (567 k)
30.) Portland, Oregon (566 k)
The Pan-American Road Trip is a mission to discover America. Over the course of the summer of 2011, James (A. Janisse) and James (Bishop) will travel across all 48 continental states, staying the night in the biggest 30 cities (and then some) in the country, and camp out in 10 national or state parks. 
