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I love to travel. I love craft beer. I love donuts. Sounds like three ingredients for a new book concept. As of this blog post, there are 17 states that I haven't visited. I'd like to knock off at least 8 more this summer. Very doable since I already have a vacation scheduled that takes me to six states.
As I looked at a map of the United States the other day, I thought to myself that it would be an awesome road trip to drive the perimeter of the continental US. From my home base in Florida, across the southern border to the Pacific Ocean, north to Washington, turning east across the northern border, through the Great Lakes and onward to the Atlantic Ocean at Maine's eastern most point. Turning back south through Boston to Cape May in New Jersey and then crossing the Chesapeake Bay before setting my sights on Key West, FL, then returning to the Gulf Coast, I'd complete a drive of over 10,000 miles in a month, or less. But, aside from saying I've been to a few more states, what is the purpose of this trip. I can say I set a goal and I completed it. Cool, but not enough. I can journal my experiences on the road. Sweet, I love writing. I can turn my journal into a memoir. Yes, but what makes it different from other travel memoirs aside from the fact that I've never heard of anyone making this "perimeter" trip? What do I like and have fun doing. I love photography. I love craft beer and the stories behind each unique brew. I love donuts. That's it, I'll shoot and write about The Longest Beer & Donut Run in History. I'll document brewery and donut shop stops, meet the masters behind the flavors, and share the sweet stories in a book. Isn't it interesting how the mind of a writer works? From eating donuts and drinking craft beer to a road trip of over 10,000 miles. I still have much planning to do and funds to raise, but come September, I'd like to be on the road to new places and new tastes. Stay tuned!
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The road is an addiction,
Hot asphalt and dusty billows. Driving along a broken line To an unfamiliar destination, No pins, no maps required. The scenery changes with every mile, The weather bright, cloudy, and stormy, Ever changing like your mental state, Your mind wandering to and fro, Where you’ve been, where you’re going. In the isolation of a four door vehicle Trapped, yet protected, with a seat belt, Secure in knowing the road is open, Gripping your tires, your imagination, Taking you on a trip, without tripping. |
Robert StanhopeWriter and photographer. Archives
July 2024
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