Planning, will it even end!

                                   This planning thing can take on a life of its own.

Seemed like such a simple trip, get in the car, head south, then west, hook up to Route 66, follow ones hood ornament (only my car doesn't have one) and the GPS.  Then, bingo, before you know it the famous Hollywood sign, is in the beams of your head lights.

Well, now hold on a moment, it's not quite that cut and dry.  Minor matters such as lodging, food, fuel, exploring and photography somehow have all edged into the equation.  Not to mention what to try and see and what to bypass. 

Bypassing can be a huge error.  Sometimes the real gems to explore and see are not what's in the travel guides or on the web but rather those innocuous people, places and things, that we tend to overlook in our pursuit of grander sights.

Also, miles.  Yup, those elusive little numbers that keep popping up over and over again on your car's odometer.  Funny, but according to "Google Maps" the distance across the Texan Panhandle seems small, (about three inches) only 178 miles or 2 hours and 34 minutes, as the crow flies.  But since I'm not a crow (most are too smart I'm told to be crossing in July) and this is not a zip-zip trip. In reality, I'm probably looking at something closer to a 5-hour crossing.

Realizing why I'm taking the trip in the first place, I created an Excel spreadsheet and armed with Google Maps information I've been able to get a better idea as to my actual travel times from one day to another.  Still, to quote a one Robert Burns, "the best-laid plans of mice and men.....", so bearing this in mind I'm prepared to make changes to my plans on an hour by hour basis.

Now, this hour-by-hour thing is all fine and good, however, at some point, within a reasonable window of time, I want to arrive on the West coast.   The trick will be not to race past the best of life and yet not get bogged down hunting for those elusive butterflies of life.

Though the web is a great place to find planning information,  I found that such sources as the maps from the CAA (AAA in the states), Drew Knowles "Route 66 Adventure Handbook" and CCCmaps.com Road Atlas, all supplied a wealth of information.

The fine-tuning and re-visiting my destinations continues...

Planning and Some Thoughts

Planning for a lengthy road trip is proving to involve more than I first thought it would.  It's one thing to say, "let's go" but quite another to actually sit down with pad and pencil in hand and do a proper itinerary.

Though the Internet is a huge help in obtaining many pieces of information, nothing beats getting one's hands on actual printed materials.  Namely REAL maps and travel books.  Thank goodness for the CAA and their wonderful selection of detailed maps, not to mention their "TripTik" planner.  The "TripTik" by the way will be phased out in November of this year.  Another casualty of our digital age.

The more I read about the old "Route 66" the more it intrigues me.  Having grown up reading the likes of John Steinbeck and seeing those wonderfully powerful Dorothea Lange Depression-era photographs, the more I've wanted to experience for myself this famous "Mother Road" of dreams.

It's interesting, when we think about it, as to how much we are influenced by certain people.  I'm not talking about media celebrities but rather about those who have created profound and influential pieces of work.  The media spotlight hounds might influence our short-term thinking (I know I have been influenced from time to time) but it's those individuals who have produced, and continue to produce serious thought-provoking ideas through their writings, photography and works of art, that in the long run really have a lasting effect on us.

When reflecting upon my own career I realize that the likes of Steinbeck, Lange, Eddie Adams, Bernie Boston, Robert Capa, Margaret Bourke-White and Farley Mowat, to name just a few, are the individuals who's works were inspirational in pushing me towards my own career.

One of the mistakes, at least in my opinion, which can be made when planning such a trip, is to over plan.  Yes, too much of anything can be a bad thing and over-planning can result in the trip being too rigid.

Got my maps, done my reading now it's time to stop overthinking the trip as I realize that my best work and pleasure will come from spontaneity.

Let's throw caution, only to a point, to the wind and explore and discover.

Overview

There has always been something about the allure of the open road that has appealed to me.  Whether it’s the mystery of what lies just over the next hill, around the bend or down a deserted road, (whose end cannot be immediately seen) I find the idea of discovering the answer an exciting prospect.

One of the draws that an automobile has always had for me is that it can take us to places that the average person, either by choice or lack of interest, chooses not to seek out.

Call it adventurism, curiosity and sometimes even foolhardiest.  By whatever name you might use, as a photographer, I find the need to explore and document such places both stimulating as well as rewarding.

With this in mind, I've decided to drive across the continent from Markham Ontario to Los Angeles, California via (or at least what is left of it) the now decommissioned Route 66.

My intent is not to just photograph the landscape but to attempt to engage and document individuals I encounter along the way.

The intention of this blog is to keep my family and friends informed as to my progress as well as provide a visual record of my journey.

Pages will hopefully be added daily, providing I have Internet access.  Look out Starbucks here I come.

Let the adventure begin…..