About seven years ago, my father moved from California to Dillsboro, Indiana, just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. He had always wanted to try small town life, and chose Dillsboro since one of his closest friends lived there with her family. The town was good to him. He made some amazing friends, and formed a wonderful community, and – though I hate to admit it sometimes – it wasn’t at all a bad place, even for a city guy like me.

Well, some health issues have made it seem more attractive for Dad to be closer to my sister and me, so he will be moving to the Bay Area next week. While he will be flying, I will be driving his car out, giving me a few exciting stops to make, as well as several long flat days of driving through the Plains.

For the most part, my route follows Interstate 80. It is the most direct, and actually hits some interesting places. Here is my itinerary:

Day One – Cincinnati to Champaign, IL

Dad has an early morning flight, so I have a short day of driving, and an early night near the University of Illinois.

Day Two – Champaign to Des Moines, IA

Iowa is the last state I haven’t yet set foot in, and this is my chance to finally cross that huge item off my travel bucket list. I’ll be staying with a longtime friend, and am excited to see what her hometown looks like.

Day Three – Des Moines to Lincoln, NE

Lincoln is just where I will sleep, and hopefully see the capital building. Omaha is where I will spend much of the day, exploring what is considered to be the world’s finest zoo.

Day Four – Lincoln to Cheyenne, WY

A long and flat day of driving from one capital city to another.

Day Five – Cheyenne to Salt Lake City, UT

Another long day, though less flat.

Day Six – Salt Lake City

A day to explore! I will visit the Mormon Tabernacle, where in theory I am interviewing some of the higher-ups for The Royal Tour: Salt Lake City. I am staying right downtown and will get a feel for what SLC has to offer visitors.

Day Seven – Salt Lake City to Reno, NV

A long drive through the Great Basin to mini-Vegas.

Day Eight – Reno to Palo Alto, CA

After a long week on the road, I will arrive at my dad’s new place.

Here is a map of the journey. If you have any suggestions of things to see or eat in any of the above places, let me know!