URT1: The Recap

Basically, the original Ultimate Road Trip (URT) was intended to be an isolated incident. Two great friends, 12 days, 6,000 miles for a once-in-a-lifetime trek across God's green United States.

It started with an innocent drive from central Ohio to Chicago, which led us toward Saint Louis for a Cardinals game just outside the arch on the 4th of July. An intense and quite literal buckle-down ensued with a 24-hour romp to Flagstaff, Arizona leaving us a short detour shy of the marvelous Grand Canyon. With SoCal slated as the next destination, fate (or stupidity) would intercept us, hurling us toward Vegas, where our wallets hemorrhaged for the 14-hour low-point of the vacation. Without regret, we darted southwest as Los Angeles beckoned, blessing us with the beauty of beaches, palm trees, stunning sunsets and miles of majesty also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. Superb seafood and pageantry at AT&T Park greeted us in San Francisco with Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. A 20-hour stroll through treacherous duststorms and jagged terrain landed us at Mount Crested Butte, Colorado, the junction of Heaven and hilltop.

A 24-hour drive returned us to Columbus exhausted and exhilarated, forever changed. We decided our URT would be the first of many, eventually leading us through all 49 drivable states by age 30, with a deadline of 12/18/2011 for the elder Mr. Nolan's birthday. This obviously includes Alaska, agreed upon as the grand finale of our grandiose adventure. But hitting the rest of the country would take planning.

Football season sent us southward to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Auburn, Alabama. At some point, the great northwest will be necessary. A slide down the southeast coast is eventually needed, as well.

But for now, it's URT2: a ten day travel to and from the northeastern extremities of the U.S.A. It's a touch-'em-all trip to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine involving great live music and Great Uncle Stanley; an oceanside 5,000-meter race and a hike 5,000 feet above ocean level. The return includes multiple stops, gazing at such sights as the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell.

Some people wait all year for Christmas or the Super Bowl or their birthdays. We wait all year for another Ultimate Road Trip. Now, it's here. As far as the summer goes, sure we'll have fun at get togethers and cookouts and celebrations galore. But out of all the festivities, this is the one Blake and I have been waiting for. It's URT2: the Maine attraction.