Another road trip is complete:

30 days, 26 states, 9,426 miles. Our journey took us from California across to Florida and up to Virginia, then through Midwest and plains states and over the Continental Divide back home.

More trip stats: four national parks, two national grasslands, a national parkway, a national military park, a World Heritage Site, a Civil War museum, four wineries in four different states and two Major League Baseball games.

In mid-May my husband and I loaded up the Subaru in Northern California and hit the road. It’s one of our favorite ways to travel. We had several reasons for this trip – we conducted some business (we’re both freelance writers, so we work from virtually anywhere), we got together with family for a few delightful days and we visited friends. And always, we opened ourselves to whatever we encountered.

When the time frame dictated, we traveled on interstate highways, but whenever we could, we got off the frenzied, truck-laden cross-country arteries and opted for U.S. or state highways or even county roads.

Part of our road trip financial strategy included saving up hotel and credit card points and bringing along the gift cards we exchanged them for. We also brought a tent and sleeping bags for camping when it makes sense. Unless it’s raining, it feels great to sleep out in the open and hear the actual sounds of a place – crickets, birds, distant train whistles, for example.

Some of the trip’s itinerary was planned and some was not. That created a framework, but also allowed for a lot of flexibility. Serendipitous, spontaneous encounters along the way help create balance and make things fun during what could otherwise be very long driving days.

I look forward to sharing discoveries from around the country in future posts.

As this trip ended I felt happy to be home and at the same time, ready to go again!