Commentary: Holiday Inn Express

This was one of the unexpected lessons on the trip. Holiday Inn Express proved to be a great place to stay. Instead of making a reservation, I just found a location, walked up to the counter, negotiated a rate, and stayed at the place. Holiday Inn Express has free WiFi and a really good free breakfast in the morning. Overall, Holiday Inn Express is a solid recommendation for someone traveling. This is now my location of choice for this type of trip. (www.hiexpress.com)

Commentary: Travel Pro Luggage

My Travel Pro suitcase finally reached the end of its life on this trip. Considering the suitcase has logged over 300,000 miles across five continents, I would consider this a very good life. A replacement will be ordered. I cannot imagine traveling with anything else. Mary deserves credit for selecting this brand. It was an excellent choice. (www.travelpro.com)

Commentary: Cross Country Drive

This trip was something that I have wanted to do for a very long time. I am grateful for the opportunity to make this drive. The drive was fun but it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. With the allocated week plan, I thought there would be time to make side trip after side trip. There were several side trips, but not as many as expected. On more than one day, after completing the drive the most desirable action was to just stop and drive the next day. To really do this trip well would require much more time than one week. I would recommend at least a full month to allow entire days for side trips.

The trip was a blast.

One of the most interesting things about the trip was watching how the climate changes from state to state.

· Los Angeles is a concrete jungle with a beach.

· Leaving Los Angeles takes you through mountains and a desert.

· Las Vegas just pops out of nowhere as you exit the mountains.

· The next few states are beautiful but primarily deserts.

· Texas almost instantly becomes agriculture.

· Louisiana is the first place you see green.

· As you approach New Orleans, inland water finally appears. A lot of the water is swamps.

· Alabama and Mississippi are very green.

· Florida is where the temperature finally started to warm up.

Commentary: What is 2,726?

2,726 is the number of miles driven on the trip. This does not include extra miles for side trips. The picture is the route taken on this trip.

From Sea to Shining Sea and Back Again

I am back home in Indian Harbour Beach. The total drive from Bonifay, Florida to Indian Harbour Beach was 428 miles. It is good to be home again. The total time for the trip was 7 days. The trip was wonderful and I would recommend making this trip if you enjoy driving. Expect a few more commentary updates to follow soon.

Florida

I am currently in Bonifay, Florida. The total drive from New Orleans, Louisiana was 296 miles. This is the second shortest drive of the trip. A late start from New Orleans, it was Mardi Gras last night, and several stops along the way were contributing factors. This drive has helped my really understand how large of a state Florida is. Entering Florida via I-10 east from the westernmost point on the pan handle still leaves quite a few miles to go. The GPS registered 300+ miles to go from the Florida border to I-75 and begin the drive into the main part of the state.