Hi from SUNNY Albuquerque!

I’ve alluded to the trip changing a bit, so here goes with what that means.

Firstly, I’m staying an extra day in Albuquerque. I’ll leave for Gallup on Tuesday afternoon.

I’ll roll into Flagstaff on Thursday (5/22).

As for the four-day loop trip through AZ, UT, CO and NM, I’m saving that for later, wanting to do all of 66 at once.

I’ll be heading into LA on Monday (5/26) afternoon, which is not something I really wanted to do, but so be it.

Berkeley will happen from 5/28 (a Wednesday) to the morning of 6/3 (a Tuesday) when I leave for Donner Pass on my way to Salt Lake City, which will happen 6/6 (a Friday). I’ll be stationed in SLC until, I believe, Sunday 6/15.

Now, why so much time in SLC? Well I won’t be in SLC all that much. On 6/10 (a Tuesday), Sarah is showing up and we’ll be seeing the Spiral Jetty just north of SLC. Then, on Wednesday, we’ll be doing most of that AZ, UT, CO, NM loop in a rental car. So yeah, not on a scooter, but by that time, I could probably use a break. She’ll leave that Saturday, I think and then that Sunday I’ll be heading off to …. SEATTLE!

Yeah, it seems dumb to do Portland and Seattle *after* SLC, but that’s how it’s going to work out.

I should get to Portland around June 18, a Wednesday (at this point the dates are fairly tentative). I’ll spend a day or two there and then ride up to Seattle around June 20, a Friday. I will probably be in Seattle until June 27 (a Friday, I figure about a week – and the Portland thing could happen somewhere in between all of that).

So if I leave Seattle around the 27th, that would get me to Wheeling around July 9. Which brings me to central PA in mid-July. Again, at this point, it’s wild speculation.

I also have thoughts of New England to visit Jen and Ned. And South to visit Michael. I’ve done the math, if I do all that I want to this summer, I’ll have hit 46 of the lower 48 (Nebraska and Wyoming would be missing). So it’s possible that I’ll even ride out to Nebraska and Wyoming before all is said and done (though I’m doubting this last part).

Because of this, Scoot 66 has taking on a whole new perspective. It started with just Route 66, but has turned into what could possibly be a tour of the entire country.

But for now, let’s just make it through Albuquerque.

Right now I’m about to head out the door to Wheeling, WV, my last stop on the trip. I’ll be there for but a day. On Friday morning I’ll be heading out to New Berlin, PA.

But how will I get there?

You, dear readers, should pick it.

The choices are (everything starts with US 40)

-US 40/National Road to US 522 North (goes into Maryland )
-US 40/National Road to US 30/Lincoln Highway to US 522 North (basically how I got to Wheeling at the start of my trip)
-US 40/National Road to US 11 through Shippensburg and Carlise.
-US 40/National Road to US 22 to PA 45 (hilly and rural)
-Or some other fun combination.

Anyone? I plan on making a day of it. Interstates are not out of the question to quickly change routes, but I’d rather keep off of them for longer stints.

So check out a map and get back to me. I’ll be leaving Wheeling on Friday morning.

Howdy.

And on this, the next to last day of the trip, I have decided upon the route which I will take back to central Pennsylvania.

Ready?

Ok. I will leave Wheeling via National Road (US 40). I’ll take it east into Pennsylvania, through Brownsville and Uniontown into Maryland. In Maryland, I’ll continue on National Road (US 40) to US 219. I’ve never been on US 219 before. I shall take it north to Berlin.

And then PA 160 will connect me to the Lincoln Highway (US 30) east, which will take me to US 522 north and then PA 35 north. Woo!

Thanks to mom and Calder. Prepare for a bunch of pics (I hope).

Calder, when do you return to the land of the free, home of the brave? WHEN?!