Well... It's been 11 years in the making. I've been wanting to move to Alaska for that long. It has never materialized in that time, unfortunately. Now, through a very strange and unpredictable (and way longer and more personal story than I feel like telling here) series of events this year, it seems the dream will be coming to fruition.
I'm going to sell my beloved volkswagen (referenced in my previous topic 'no more project cars'), my 120 gallon saltwater reeftank which i so dearly love, and everything else I can possibly sell. The rest will be donated, given away, trashed, or taken with me. I'm going to try to fit myself; my dog; my tools; my cigars/wine cooler; my bedding/clothing; my camping/hunting equipment; my computer supplies; and my cookwear into the back of a 2016 subaru outback, and 2 kayaks and a rolled up kingsize memory foam mattress (tightly wrapped/sealed in plastic) on the roof, and head west.
I'm going to try to make the trip in about 2 weeks, if I can stand it. The longest stop will be Glacier National Park, Montana. I have been dreaming of spending a solid few days-week camping there with my soul brother Jerry, for over a decade. Looks like the time has finally come. I'm trying to be conservative in my downtime/detours. Gas and food cost money, and I'm not going out there with a *huge* nestegg, so I don't want to burn a lot of money on the trip, if I can avoid it. Thankfully, this isn't my first trans-continental roadtrip, so I'm not gonna feel shafted by not getting to see every possible sight along the way. Badlands and Glacier, however, are bucketlist items. Can't miss the opportunity. I've driven straight through from Bellingham, WA - San Francisco; DC - Maine; DC - Orlando. I'm no stranger to a 12 hour+ day of driving. It'll be nice to take some breaks.
Anyway, I've created a googlemap outlining my rough itinerary, including a visit with @awkwardPause in WA before I make the border crossing to the Canadian leg of the journey. Take a look! If you're on my route, maybe we can get together and have a smoke. I'm sure I'll be keen to stretch mine and the dog's legs and get some leisure time. I'd be especially keen to meet some folks in BC, Yukon, and Alaska along the way. Aside from a few trips to Vancouver and Vancouver Island, when I lived in WA, I haven't really seen much of Canada.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nXUPrvjCyimOAHh5YdLG2-cVZA7ZK19-&usp=sharing
Projected departure date is August 1. I'll probably be making a day long stop each in Cuyahoga, Iowa, and Badlands, and possibly a week in Glacier. I'd love to meet some new people along the way, or even just hear some cool recommendations for spots to check out, that aren't major detours (<50 miles max, preferably) from my planned route.
Edit: @Rhino it looks like I'll be driving right through your neck of the woods on my leg between Des Moines and Badlands...