Date: Summer 2008
The Aim of the Trip
To visit all 48 state capitals – in one road trip! I want to visit each capital, and take some photos there. I know not many people have the time to commit to a trip like this – that’s why I am posting my blog about it. The aim of collecting donations is to pay for the gas!
Click here to see the pictures of all the capitol buildings
The Car
A 1984 Volkswagen Scirocco with 240,000 miles on it. That’s right – I’m driving a 25 year old car around the country.
I’ve been modifying this car since I bought it in 2003. Many modifications have been added since with the aim of increasing MPG. The car got 28mpg on the sticker from the factory, now I can reliably get above 35mpg and up to 45 MPG on the highway. The Fuel Injection has been replaced with Megasquirt, a build-it-yourself EFI kit. I use a wideband oxygen sensor to measure the air/fuel ratio; this tells me how the engine is running. I installed a different 5th gear that lets the engine run lower RPMs on the highway. I installed skinny, low rolling resistance tires like those used on hybrid cars onto light steel wheels.
The Computer
The Computer is a Dell XPS M1210, it’s a couple of years old, and it has been through a lot. It has a built-in EVDO modem that lets me get online at broadband speeds wherever there is Cell coverage.
Throughout the trip, I will be connecting every couple of hours, and posting pictures, and sharing stories. It will be like you are here with me!
The Map
Here’s a map of the trip: Click to enlarge it.
The Stops
1. Dover, Delaware State Capital
2. Annapolis, Maryland State Capital
Special stop in Washington, D.C.
(Might as well get the nation’s capital, right?)
Stay the night in Phoenix, MD
3. Richmond, Virginia State Capital
4. Raleigh, North Carolina State Capital
Stay the night in Charlston, SC
5. Columbia, South Carolina State Capital
6. Atlanta, Georgia State Capital
Stay the night in Atlanta, GA
7. Tallahassee, Florida State Capital
(At this point, if I have the money, I will visit Orlando, the Miami area and Key West)
8. Montgomery, Alabama State Capital
Stay the night in Montgomery, AL
9. Jackson, Mississippi State Capital
10. Baton Rouge, Louisiana State Capital
Stay the night in Houston, TX
11. Austin, Texas State Capital
(I’ll be driving through Houston on the way there, and Dallas on the way up north)
Stay for a couple of nights in Austin, TX
12. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State Capital
Stay the night in Oklahoma City, OK
13. Little Rock, Arkansas State Capital
Stay the night in Memphis, TN
14. Nashville, Tennessee State Capital
15. Frankfort, Kentucky State Capital
(Also, I’ll pass through Louisville, KY)
Stay the night in Dayton, OH
16. Indianapolis, Indiana State Capital
17. Springfield, Illinois State Capital
(but I’ll be back in Illinois later in the trip for more…)
18. Jefferson City, Missouri State Capital
Stay the night in Kansas City, MO
19. Topeka, Kansas State Capital
Stay the night in Kansas City, MO, again
20. Des Moines, Iowa State Capital
21. Lincoln, Nebraska State Capital
Stay the night in Beatrice, NE
22. Cheyenne, Wyoming State Capital
23. Denver, Colorado State Capital
Stay the night in Aurora, CO
Stay a few more nights in my hometown of Divide, CO
24. Santa Fe, New Mexico State Capital
Stay the night in Alamogordo, NM
25. Phoenix, Arizona State Capital
Stay the night in Chandler, AZ
Special Stop in Los Angeles, CA
Stay for a while in Fullerton, CA
Special stop in San Fransisco, CA
Stay the night in San Jose
26. Carson City, Nevada State Capital
27. Sacramento, California State Capital
Stay the night in Sacramento, CA
28. Salem, Oregon State Capital
Stay the night in Vancouver, WA
29. Olympia, Washington State Capital
Stay the night in SeaTac, WA (yes, it’s technically a city)
Stay the night in Tacoma, WA
30. Boise, Idaho State Capital
Stay the night in Boise, ID
31. Salt Lake City, Utah State Capital
Stay the night in Salt Lake City, UT
32. Helena, Montana State Capital
Stay the night in Gillette, WY
33. Pierre, South Dakota State Capital
34. Bismark, North Dakota State Capita
Stay the night in Jamestown, ND
Stay for a while in Blaine, MN
35. St. Paul, Minnesota State Capital
36. Madison, Wisconsin State Capital
Special stop in Chicago
Stay a couple of nights in Chicago
37. Lansing, Michigan State Capital
Stay a night in Ann Arbor, MI
38. Columbus, Ohio State Capital
(I’ve driven through Columbus more than 20 times before, but I’ve never stopped there)
Stay a night in Dayton, OH
39. Charleston, West Virginia State Capital
40. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capital
(Odd that I don’t stop here first, right? Well, it’s quicker this way!)
Stay a couple of nights in Jenkintown, PA
Visit New York City
41. Albany, New York State Capital
Stay the night in Amsterdam, NY
42. Montpelier, Vermont State Capital
43. Concord, New Hampshire State Capital
Stay the night in Bucksport, ME
44. Agusta, Maine State Capital
(I’ll visit Portland too since it’s on the way)
45. Boston, Massachusetts State Capital
Stay the night in Falmouth, MA
46. Providence, Rhode Island State Capital
47. Hartford, Connecticut State Capital
Stay the night in Torrington, CT
Stay a couple of nights in Middlesex, NJ
48. Trenton, New Jersey State Capital
Final Destination:
Special trip to the H2o International VW/Audi Car show in Ocean City, Maryland