It’s Day 3 of the trip already and we’re almost in Kansas City, Missouri as I post this, but since I just hooked up my mobile hotspot, this is my first chance to share the initial thoughts I wrote back in PA, so here they are:

KINGSTON, PA — If this trip turns out in reality half as good as it looks on paper, it should be one hell of an adventure. From the Grand Teton to Devils Tower, from statehouses to state highpoints, from Presidential sites and major league ball parks to the Outdoor Retailer Show at the Salt Palace, this trip has a little bit of everything.  In fact,  I have not planned such an ambitious schedule since my 2004 cross-country odyssey to climb Mt Rainier.

In many ways, this trip will be jam-packed like so many before, but this trip for me is different in one significant way – this time, instead of traveling with close family, I’m traveling with a close friend, the soon-to-be king of all media, Patrick Gensel of CampTheSummit and AdventureTrends.com fame.

Much of our trip has been planned with intricate precision, but so much more has not.  The itinerary I’ve drafted is daunting, even intimidating, Patrick’s even more so, for in two weeks when I fly home, Patrick continues on solo to the Pacific Northwest and points known only to his heart and imagination.

So as we begin, I am both excited and optimistic.  I look forward to seeing what’s around that next curve, over that next mountain, and I welcome the adventures to be found on the road that lies ahead.