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Road trip across USA - What, Why?

Long distance trips by car or train have always fascinated me. Experiencing new places and landscapes in quick succession is an adrenaline rush, overwhelming the senses. I've done many such wonderful trips, but they have all been less than two weeks long. I finally have an opportunity to do a trip that is much longer and intense. I can't wait to go for it!

The extensive road network in the US is perfect for a grand road trip across the vast country. It seems like the best way for me to experience the beautiful landscapes and meet people across all the states, through rural and urban America. To give the trip more purpose and challenge, I decided to do the trip in an electric car, cover all 48 states and hike over half a million steps.

I plan to head out on this adventure end of August 2022.

Goals for the trip:

  • Visit all 48 contiguous states in US.
  • Visit as many national parks as possible
  • Walk/hike a total of half a million steps in the trip
  • Meet friends and family en route
  • Do the trip in an EV (my Tesla Model 3)
  • Complete the whole trip in less than 2 months
  • Drive an average of around 300 miles per day
  • Spend more time in small towns instead of big cities 
  • Do the trip in good weather. Try to avoid snow, rain and heat.

Here's my planned itinerary that tries to encompass these goals and constraints:



Highlights of the Plan:

  • The route is a total of around 14,000 miles. I plan to go clockwise.
  • Touches all 48 states, some very briefly :-) Added 2 Canadian provinces as a bonus.
  • Visit 26 national parks, most of them for the first time. 
  • Walk an average of 11,000 steps each day to reach the goal of half-million steps
  • Adjusted route to include meetups with friends and family.
  • Mapped out charging locations. Seems OK except for a couple of places. 
  • Should take around 48 days for the whole route, averaging 290 miles per day. 
  • Focus on smaller towns, especially for night stays. 
  • Cover the northern states in September and the southern states early October. 

Relevant Links: 

Next: Planning for a long road trip in a Tesla (Aug 11, 2022)

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