Getting There.

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

Another vague prompt to generate myriad replies.

Am I visiting Granny on the West Coast, traveling from the East Coast? If so, time is of the essence.

Is this a journey of discovery? Is time a factor? All of these things are important in choosing the correct transportation.

Let’s take a look at our options.

The Joy of Flying.

If I need to be somewhere far away, and time is of the essence, then I will have to choose air travel. Mind you, this a last resort.

Let’s be clear up front. There is no pleasure in flying if you’re the average Joe.

After being thoroughly searched, vetted and queued through endless security, you shall enter the cattle chute to board. Stuffed into a tiny seat with shared armrests the size of hot dog buns, you’ll receive a postage stamp size bag of pretzels and be delivered to your destination. Now stripped of all dignity, you’ll disembark hoping  your luggage made the trip, and no one mistook your bag for theirs and is in a hotel somewhere inspecting your toiletries and underwear.

Verdict: The first choice for speed. The last choice for comfort.

All Aboard the Train

I actually enjoy train travel, but the U.S. has limited options, and doesn’t compare to Europe in quality or scope. It is a nice commuter option, when you prefer not to drive, but breakdowns are common, and sometimes the trains don’t run on time. Trains running north to south on the East Coast rarely deliver outstanding scenery, but instead travel through some of the less spectacular landscapes in the industrialized northeast. For a cross country voyage of discovery, we are going to need something more flexible.

Bicycle

The U.S. is BIG. It’s a long way to California from New York, and I’ll have the sexiest legs (or at least the biggest) when I get there – If I arrive.

I commute by bicycle most of the year in a small town. The U.S. is not bike friendly and doesn’t care to be. It’s a car-centric society. Drivers often act aggressively when being forced to share the road with cyclists. Been there, Just sayin’. You won’t find the lovely bike lanes of Europe in the United States.

If you are not run down by a road raging motorist, you’ll need a serious support staff making it across the width of the U.S. on a bike.

You’re also going to need to request all your vacation time to make the trip, too. It will take two weeks without getting off the bicycle at all to make the 2900+ miles.

It will be a fantastic adventure if you survive. If I was a younger man, with time and without strings, I would do it in a minute. Unfortunately, I am not a young Lance Armstrong and time is limited.

The Automobile

Welcome to the United States, land of the automobile. We have designed the country around the love of, and reliance on cars. Drive to work. Stop at the drive thru for lunch. Eat in your car, live in your car!

“Another working day has ended 
Only the rush hour hell to face 
Packed like lemmings into shiny metal boxes 
Contestants in a suicidal race”

The Police, Synchronicity II

If you want to get there with the greatest flexibility, the auto is king.

When it comes to cross country driving by car, I’m not a big fan. I’d rather be up high above the fray in a semi, but that’s a story for another time. Long distance car rides are rather boring, and the views are limited from the vehicle.

Given the choices above, I have always made my choice based on the amount of time it will require to travel, to make my decision as to what mode is chosen.

The limit of travel in a car for me is five hours. Usually if it’s going to take longer than that, I’m going to take a train, or plane. As trains rarely go in the direction I need to travel with time constraints taken into your account, I’m usually forced to take a flight.

If I can truly have my own way, I am going to choose the option not offered above.

It’s not practical. It’s downright dangerous. It’s going to be fabulous, frightening, uncomfortable and thrilling.

A cross country trip by motorcycle? Yes indeed.

In fact, I’ve already done it, many times.

I’ve traveled from New England to Key West, the literal “end of the road” on the East Coast.

Across the Panhandle in the Lone Star State.

Past the bayous into the Big Easy.

It can be cold and wet, or scorching hot. It can be deadly.

In the United States, the chances of being killed in a motorcycle accident are 28 times higher than that of an automobile occupant.

It is also an experience incomparable to the other forms of travel. If I want a cross country travel experience where the trip is the destination, this is it.

When I write that letter to my 100 year old self, I want to be able to quote Mark Twain.