It took me what seemed like a 476 hours to figure all this stuff out. How can anyone possibly be a travel agent? All that time and all those logistics and they don’t even get to go on the trip. I hear some people use spreadsheets. I used a sketchbook that I drew a calendar into and 2 pens and a drawing pencil. It’s normal.

Here’s the plan, though it is very much subject to change because sometimes life happens.

• July 13: Fly from LAX to Denver. Arrive in Denver at 11:30. Rent a car. Drive to Steamboat Springs
• July 13-  July 15: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
• July 15 – July 17: Denver, Colorado (with a brief stint in Morrison, CO so I can see Morrissey at Red Rocks)
• July 17: TRAIN DAY
  • Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah
• July 17 – July 19: Salt Lake City, Utah
• July 19: TRAIN NIGHT
  • Salt Lake City to San Francisco via a bus transfer in Emeryville, California
• July 20 – July 22: San Francisco, California
• July 22: TRAIN NIGHT
  • San Francisco, California to Emeryville, California to Portland, Oregon
• July 23 – July 25: Portland, Oregon*
• July 25: TRAIN RIDE (normal length)
  • Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington
• July 25 – July 28: Seattle, Washington*
• July 28 – July 30: TRAIN FOREVER UNTIL I DIE.
  • Riding the entirety of the Empire Builder line from Seattle, Washington to Chicago, Illinois. Probably regretting it. Maybe enjoying it. Maybe getting murdered like in an old mystery novel.
• July 30 – August 2: Chicago, Illinois
• August 2: TRAIN NIGHT
  • Chicago, Illinois to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• August 3 – August 5: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• August 5: TRAIN RIDE (normal)
  • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In order to get from Pittsburgh to Maine I would need to transfer and use a leg in Philly anyway, so I decided to make a stop there and visit my brother and his girlfriend.
• August 5 – August 8: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• August 8: TRAIN RIDE (normal)
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Boston, Massachussetts
• August 8 – August 11: Boston, Massachussetts
• August 11: TRAIN RIDE (normal)
  • Boston, Massachussets to Portland, Maine
• August 11- August 15: Portland, Maine
  • Possibly extending my stay in Portland and paying for my trip home. Otherwise I’ll be haded back to Metropark, NJ
• August 15: TRAIN DAY
  • Portland, Maine to Boston, Massachussetts to Metropark, NJ to my parents’ house in Middletown, NJ

*I’m still trying to find a place to stay in  Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. I think I’m covered everywhere else. BUT if you are a person I talked to about visiting and you aren’t sure if I am, please let me know.