SAMMJTTIHOAOC

Day Twelve and Thirteen

2009-06-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

(We here at SAMMJTTIHOAOC once more are caring about the virtual environment and are compressing two days into one. We care, and since we lost some money in Vegas, we are trying to conserve money as well.)

Today, we arrive in Las Vegas. After a breakfast fit for kings at the local Denny’s (let’s just say the Grand Slamwich is as fun to say as it is good to eat), we headed out to the desert again. One of the shorter jaunts of our trip, it only took us five (!) hours to get to Vegas from San Diego. We arrived in the evening and checked into our room at the Excalibur.

Our view was absolutely breathtaking. We could see the maintenance areas of the Excalibur roof and some air conditioning units. Just over the tip of the building we could see the top of the Luxor. The beacon on top of this pyramid served as a north star on our first night in town, guiding us home from the Hard Rock Casino. By the way Hard Rock, Katy Perry’s clothes do not belong next to Red Hot Chili Peppers memorabilia.

First night of gambling went well for Shawn on the roulette table, who lost $160 and then made it all back from his last $20 in chips. The second day was spent walking the strip from the Excalibur all the way to Ceasar’s Palace, hitting all the major casinos on the way down. New York New York, Paris, the Belagio and Planet Hollywood all took turns at taking our money. Still, the drinks were free. Any gains from the night before were reclaimed by the end of the day. But we gambled at all the major casinos of the Las Vegas strip.

The sights are truly amazing, but we had to dodge a lot of construction. An absolutely gigantic new hotel is being built next the Belagio. And right next to the gigantic new hotel? A giant pile of dirt with the wind blowing it right in our faces! Good thing we both don’t have allergies...wait yes we do.

Las Vegas is just one of those cities you can’t help but love. It takes three carnal urges (sex, drinking, and gambling) and instead of fighting them like most good Judeo-Christians, the city embraces them. And yet people still bring their kids to Vegas…People complain about sex on TV; in Vegas, Mexicans hand out trading cards with prostitutes on them.

As far as bonus points on our trip, Marcus receives them for being asked to buy cocaine, and Shawn receives them for being solicited by a pimp drug dealer. FUN FACT: no matter how pissed off a prostitute is, she cannot charge herself to your room. Apparently, this is a common scare tactic used by them when they arrive at men’s rooms and they send the hooker away after seeing how ugly and strung out she is in real life. We found this fun tid-bit out from the information desk woman while she was faxing something for Marcus and Shawn was unsuccessfully trying to convey to her he didn’t actually order from the pimp.

As far as anything else that went on that isn’t coming to mind right now…well what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…as did our money.

Shawn and Marcus
Quote of the Day(s): “Yo, you got everything you need?"---Pimp to Shawn

Day Eleven

2009-06-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Breathe that in. It’s San Diego; well not quite yet. First, we need a little more LA. In the morning, we saw a little more of LA.

::Content deleted. Content available on Extra Special DVD Bonus Super Ultra Mega Edition Hugely Secret Unrated Additional More Material!!!::

We got on the road soon enough to avoid another bout with LA motorists. Arriving in San Diego we found the traffic to be much less offensive to 4 out of 5 of our senses but with the same desirable warm climate. Here we were staying with Marcus’ friend and old work chum Ameya on the campus of UCSD.

After clearing out the back seat of the Sentra for the first time all trip, we headed into Pacific Beach for some grub. Now having driven 4000 miles to get to see San Diego, we decided to go for Philly cheese steaks. Usually Marcus is weary of any place outside Philly that claims to have “Philly” cheese steaks, but he was soothed by the promise of being able to order a wiz wit’ on an Amaroso’s roll.

Hitting up a local pub, Moondoggy’s, reminiscing of antics of Merck summers’ past and shenanigans since continued into the night. Pacific Beach has it right, though. Happy hour there goes well until 9 or 10 PM. Bars realize that our happiness doesn’t end when it’s time for dinner.

Socializing with some of Ameya’s other friends continued back at the apartment. While it hadn’t been a day filled completely with sight seeing, we turned in having enjoyed another relaxing day complete with beautiful CA weather. We needed our rest. Tomorrow begins Vegas, baby!!!

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the Day: “You brought Yuengling? Can…can I have one?” Ameya, upon opening the cooler.

Day Nine and Ten

2009-06-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

THE GREAT LA CAPER BEGINS!!!!

(In an effort to conserve virtual paper and since we were in LA both days, we've decided to combine days nine and ten. Here at SAMMJTTIHOAOC we care about our virtual environment because our virtual environment cares about us!)

After playing another fun game of "Find the Signage" at Yosemite, we were on our way to Los Angels. Home of the Angels, Lakers, and (most importantly for our housing sake) Shawn's brother Bill. Now I think we have all heard of the jokes about how bad LA's traffic is. The fact they need 8 lane highways didn't bode well. The truth is....yeah it's that bad. We were about 10 miles away from the exit when everyone else decided it would be a good time to drive, and I mean EVERYBODY.

An hour and much profanity later, we arrived at Hermosa Beach, a nice beach city close enough to LA to work there but far enough away not to have to have it as part of your mailing address. After much needed showers, Bill treated us to dinner at a local Mexican restuarant as part of a birthday dinner for one of his coworkers. Going to dinner with a number of television sports production people, it was good that we were both incredibly knowledgable about professional sports...wait we're not knowledgable about professional sports....Oh, well, we managed to survive and good times were had by all.

Now, the next day could have been action packed full of seeing Hollywood and the like, but by this time in the trip we were both ready for an easy, relaxing day at the beach. We slept in and then decided to go take a walk around town. Some might consider Hermosa Beach to be a very self image focused place with all the tans and thin people. Well, that one fat man with his shirt off will prove you wrong, not to mention possibly feel slightly nasueated.

After dinner at the west coast's hoppin' fast food joint In 'n' Out aka delicious, like old people that we are slowly becoming (seeing the hoardes of high school students at the beach didn't make us any younger by comparison), we settled in to do some much needed laundry and watch the Dark Knight. It might be lame, but damnit we like sleep in places that don't have nylon walls.

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the Day(s): "The parade for the champion Lakers created the worst traffic jam in LA history since...well yesterday." ---Conan O'Brien

*More pictures have been added to Day Five

Day Eight

2009-06-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

MANIFEST DESTINY AHOY!!!!

We don't care what Katy Perry says (mainly because she's in idiot), but waking up in San Francisco in a real bed was awesome, especially two nights in the arctic tundra known as Yellowstone. After a quick bit to eat at the local tea and coffee-ery, off to Fisherman's Wharf we went a-wassailing...mainly horrible attempts at the Full House theme.

Since we didn't know exactly where we were going, we kind of accidentally drove by a lot of the sights like China Town and Lombard Street. Go accidents! Down at the pier we walked by all different types of shops and overpriced souvenirs to get to the bay outlook. From there we could see Alcatraz (see picture), Angel Island (Ellis Island of the West) and wee bits of the Golden Gate bridge poking through the famous, dense San Francisco fog.

Walking further along the pier we came across a site we had not expected at all---part of the dock entirely taken over by sea lions! Apparently, after an earthquake in the 90's, the sea lions just starting appearing there and since California's marine animal laws protected them and prevented any kind of action to remove them, they decided to make camp there for the long term. We almost continued our record of viewing animal fornication, but apparently the one wasn't in mood which resulted in much fighting. (Since questioning people's apparent casual use of the name sea lion is a natural response, here's a fun fact for you: one of the main differences between seals and sea lions is that seals do not have ear flaps!!! And now you know!!!!)

Being in San Francisco, we had two more things we had to do before leaving. So hiking it down along the bay we caught ourselves a ride on a good old fashioned cable car! Slightly pricey, but taking a cable car up to the top of Lombard St sure beat the hell out of trudging up the massive hill. There at the top, we gazed down on the famous crazy curved switched back road that is known as Lombard St.

Riding the Golden Gate bridge out of town, we headed towards Muir Woods. Apparently, people visiting San Fran are quite the tree lovers as we arrived the nearest parking was about two miles away. Shaking our fist in a PG-13 manor at the arboreal minded friends, we decided to just book it out to Yosemite. After all, surely there were trees there too.

Arriving at Yosemite, we expected a similar experience to Yellowstone: easily navigable roads with plenty of signage to reassure you against your descent into the heart of darkness. We were wrong. After driving an hour and a half into the heart of the park, we were informed our campsite was an hour and a half back the other way by a park employee who seemed quite at a loss of words when asked what we should go see while we were there. Eventually, we were able to discern the water falls were the places to see and so we trekked off to them before heading to our campsite.

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the Day: "Where are you headed in LA? Hermosa Beach? Don't leave." A positive omen from man from LA

Day Seven

2009-06-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

A 17 hour grueling drive from Yellowstone to San Francisco. We crossed Montana, Idaho, Nevada and then into California. Yellowstone continued to astound us, and the last thing we saw before leaving the park was a lone bison walking down the center of the street and past our car. At one point we thought it was going to walk into us, but then it saw the car and plodded around. Thank God.
Entering Nevada was really cool because there was a small casino town marking the border. The gas stations had slot machines. And we preformed our first bit of auto repair; a blown fuse shut down the cigarette lighter we depend on to charge our phones, GPS and laptop. We replaced the fuse and life was good. Truly, we are manly men and we fix machines. Manly machines. Like a '94 Sentra.
Reno is near the border to California so we decided to stop for a bit and stretch our legs out. The self titled biggest little city in the world, Reno serves as a Las Vegas Jr. Smaller bets, cheaper hotels, less attractive escorts. You get the idea. We went into a casino and donated a few dollars to the video poker, and then we were on our way again.
Night into California was pretty boring. We were sure there was a hell of a view, but it was night. By the end of it we were half delirious. We planned ahead for this particular part of the trip, so Marcus napped in the morning while Shawn napped at night. Shawn thought he grew out of talking in his sleep but it turns out he haven't. Which was a problem because he thought he could give directions to Marcus, or sometimes cursing other drivers who were conspicuously absent.
Still, we made it to San Fran by 1:30 in the morning, and immediately crashed. It was a hell of a drive but we finally made it to the west coast.

Shawn and Marcus

Quote of the day: "Okay, go, wait. No, wait. That doesn't make any sense. Google maps says we have to do a couple of circles around Wyoming." Shawn giving directions in his sleep in California

Day Six

2009-06-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone is gigantic. So large that we had to drive another two hours to reach our campsite situated halfway into the park. Another interesting fact about Yellowstone: spring begins in July. We missed heavy snowstorms by about a week, but there was still snow on the ground and cold nights. It should be Coldstone…you know except for that whole trademark infringement thing…

In the morning we made our way into an information center and bluntly asked what should we see, given that we only had one full day in the park. Thankfully most of the great sights were on one loop of highway, so everything flowed pretty evenly. Until the end, and we drove about forty miles out of the way to see the Mammoth Hot Springs.

First we went to the Yellowstone Grand Canyon. It’s pretty big, as you can see. This was the closest to our campsite. The walk back up the hill from the canyon was a bitch thanks to a sedentary lifestyle, but definitely worth. The upper falls are about 100 feet tall, and the lower falls are 300 feet. To help put things into perspective, you should know that the green topping the cliffs are full grown pine trees. In case you are wondering the white chunk on the opposing cliff is snow/ice.

Next stop; mud pots and sulfur volcanoes. The air immediately smelled of hardboiled eggs. The ‘mud’ pots are actually sulfuric acid and special types of bacteria that eat away solid rock into the mud substance. The sulfur volcanoes are similar, but without the mud mixed in. The air around these things was much warmer than our campsite. When we left our car smelled of cheap Caesar salad. It didn’t take long to figure out it was us.

Yellowstone Lake was an easy stop as the road directly followed it for miles. We chose a perfect place to stop and snap some photos. Not much to say here, just a really big and absolutely beautiful lake.

Old Faithful started exactly when it was predicted to, after a few false starts. The geyser is spectacular, and a must see when going to Yellowstone. Also spectacular was the uniformed family we encountered. Imagine five brown haired kids of varying ages and genders, and a typical mom hovering nearby. They are all in matching jeans and dark blue sweatshirts with ‘Mineral Rails’ written on them. Poor bastards. But the best part was the man of the house, wearing a special red jacket and baseball hat. I guess he was the coach, and the family was the team? Or maybe someone just needed to feel like a big, special man in charge.

Here are a few shots of the Artists’ Paintpots. Bacteria gave the water here odd colors. At the top of the hill there was a chalk white boiling pile. The rim was hardened goop, but the center was a bubbling mess of white fluid. A man nearby refused to go up the hill with his wife, dismissing the attraction as being more of the same. Marcus and Shawn no likely spoiled assholes, so on the way down we talked about how awesome the chalk white goop volcano was. Yellowstone is no place for the lazy. Our aching joints are proof.

Finally we went to the Mammoth Hot Springs. A terrace effect was created here, so there are multiple levels of flat rock with the spring flowing down. One of the best moments observed here was when Shawn had to tell a young man not to reach into the steaming, brown water. He was lying on the boardwalk, and his fingertips were inches from the water. All Shawn could say was ‘yeah, you don’t want to do that.’

This is especially incredible because there are sings like this EVERYWHERE at Yellowstone. Multiple others make it very clear that the spring water is super hot. Also most of the time ‘water’ is a loose term to describe a highly acidic, poisonous, boiling and probably cancerous fluid pushed by the volcanic activity below the park. Apparently some people don’t read the signs. On the plus side, they took a picture of us and wished us good luck. So hey, they’re okay people. They just need to read more.

Throughout the park we saw animals, unexpected given we were in some kind of national park and wildlife refuge. One rabbit and more than a few mule deer. In some places we saw bison. These things are mean looking. There are pamphlets and signs warning that they will charge and kill human beings, and have done this pretty often through history. Seeing one close is pretty daunting, but luckily they seemed preoccupied with eating, or standing still with no real purpose. Truly majestic creatures.

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the Day: “This place gives new meaning to the floor is lava game.” Marcus, referring to the sulfur volcano boardwalk.

**Again...pictures to come when we have a solid internet in connection, hopefully in LA

Day Five

2009-06-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore that’s to say the least. We’re in Colorado and Wyoming, aka the World’s Largest Dead Zone! Can I hear you now? Not a chance.

Building on the seething hate for a certain infant sound named “artist”, we decided to expand our previous list from three days last.

People Who Should Not Be Famous (or at least anymore)
-Lady Gaga---Thank you for indulging America’s love for two word phrases and imperative statements. Just die.
-Katy Perry---So you kissed a girl? Wow, ok. You went to college. You also set gay rights back about 10 years.
-Flavor Flav: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/bob_blog/flavorflav.jpg
A picture is worth a thousand words. Too bad he only knows about 3 of them.
-Michael Cera---When you were a teenager, it was called being awkward. Now it’s called a social disorder
-Paris Hilton---No one that rich should be that ugly. A face only a scrunched up cow’s ass could resemble.

Now, while driving across the diagonal of Wyoming was one of our longest drives and driving on the road into Yellowstone in a down pour is more unnerving than watching an entire episode of the George Lopez show, the landscape is simply gorgeous. I would go as far as to say incredibly gorgeous. Since nothing else happened on the drive, we’re just going to post a bunch of pictures. Hopefully they do the scenery justice.

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the Day:
::mumbling in the distance::
Us- “What?”
“Just shut the hell up!” ---Mr. Grumpy-pants unprovoked to us on how the rustling of us setting up our tent up was keeping him awake.

Day Four

2009-06-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

ROCK CITY!!!!! Waking up in the morning we both knew what we must do. Drive an hour out of our way, following vague promises of the wonders of ROCK CITY (!!!!!). Leaving Salina, Kansas we drove for about a half hour towards Minneapolis. Once we reached the small town we had to figure out where to go. Thankfully, the people of Minneapolis have their priorities, as evidenced in the photo to the left. Note the low ranking of school on their list. Apparently we were to cut through Minneapolis and into the country again. Signs continued to guide our path until we reached Ivy Lane. Do you know what you never want to hear when driving across the country? “Then you turn off the paved road.” A simple dirt road followed a line of trees across a field and up a hill.
Driving carefully and slowly sliding left and right, we came to ROCK CITY (!!!!!). In the admissions office we were greeted by a woman asking if we came seeking adventure. We signed the guest book, paid the three dollar entrance fee, and pinned our hometowns on the map of the U.S. After listening to a five minute tape recording featuring a man who could be too excited about the sandstone deposits we expected to be free to walk the small park and check out the giant rocks littering the hillside. Instead we were cornered by small talk. A half hour later, and knowing far too much about this particular woman’s life, we finally walked around.

ROCK CITY (!!!!!) was totally worth the trip. Giant rocks are actually pretty cool. Marcus spent almost twenty minutes trying to carve his initials into one of the rocks. Then he moved to a different rock and had a much easier time. From now on, everyone will know that MLA 09 came to ROCK CITY (!!!!!) and wrote his initials.

Leaving ROCK CITY (!!!!!) we were followed by our gracious host to the car. We kept nodding while she discussed college and her career in accounting. Meanwhile we wouldn’t stop walking to the car, opening the doors and starting the engine.
Hours later we arrived in Boulder, Colorado. Mike, Melissa and Brian were great hosts. We had so much fun before finally crashing for the night that we actually forgot to take pictures with them. A great home cooked meal and a very relaxed atmosphere was the perfect way to end the night. Also noteworthy is their furniture. I know. I know. You’re probably thinking “Well I shop at IKEA, too.” My question to you is does your furniture include a hand made coffee table, a dinning room mirror set crafted with scores of soda cans, and a bathroom mirror with a frame carved with song lyrics? Also, have you heard about the rock, ROCK CITY (!!!!!) that is?!!! But seriously about the furniture…

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the Day: “You guys should stay at the Green Turtle Hostile. I had sex with an Australian man in the bathroom there.” ---Anonymous on where we should stay in San Francisco

***More Photos will be posted once we find a better Internet connection

Day Three

2009-06-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

We left Pekin, Illinois after eating breakfast with Marcus’ grandparents, who are incredibly friendly people. The plan for the day didn’t seem especially promising; simply drive through Missouri to Kansas, and then stay the night in a campground near Selina, Kansas. We figured that it would be a fairly boring drive, and that we’d have to work to find something worth writing about.

We were wrong.

Not far from the Missouri border we cut through a small rural town without any intention of stopping. Until we saw this sign. We knew we had to turn around and get a decent photo. What do they mean by work camp? A simple tasteless description of an industrial area? A construction site? Or something sinister? We didn’t stay to find out, and we remain concerned.

Five minutes into Missouri we were bombarded with advertisements for fireworks. Numerous stores lay on our path, ranging from a simple shack to a large, wal-mart like warehouse of loud noises and flashing lights. Most places claimed to be the world’s largest fireworks provider. Obviously there is no formal regulatory committee for such statements. Someone should do something. UN? EU? FBI? iPhone (all hail iPhone)?

The crossing from Missouri to Kansas was immediately characterized by the stark transition of the billboards. In Missouri we saw tons of signs proclaiming Jesus’ love for all of us, or warning of eternal damnation for one sin or another. Kansas offered an alternative to the spiritual in the form of adult entertainment. We’re not sure if there was a chain of stores or if the 100 miles after Topeka were dedicated to one shop, but one thing was certain; Kansas was home to at least one adult superstore. The billboards were plain black with yellow text, and just about everywhere. Eventually the state flattened out and the billboards appeared more often, until finally pointing to a single building on the Kansas horizon.

When you hear the term superstore, a couple things come to mind. Since we had over an hour to think about this place, we eventually expected something on scale to a department store. Maybe a mini-mall of sorts? The answer is no. Imagine a blacked out building slightly larger than one of those super gas station/sandwich shops. We were disappointed, but still entertained. Adding to the experience is the crowd of cars in the parking lot outside. Apparently the place is hopping on a Thursday night.

Shortly before reaching our campground we saw a billboard with pop out text advertising a certain ROCK CITY, near Minneapolis, Kansas. We wanted to see the world’s first man made diamond on Day Four, but this new option was intriguing. What could they offer us at ROCK CITY? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT if we go there instead.

Shawn and Marcus

Quote of the day: “I thought if we got far enough away from Jersey the radio would stop playing Bon Jovi.” Shawn

P.S. We saw cows having sex from the interstate. Seemed noteworthy.

Day Two

2009-06-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Captain’s log, star date 6-10-09, (sorry it had to be done) we awoke this morning to what did our ears deceive us? No, rain it was. Lightning and rain. Big thunderous, pounding, lightning and rain. Being the cheery southern gentlemen that we are and holding true to our promise to our scores of fans (approximately 2 scores), we trudged to office to get the password for the campsite’s Wifi. Now, who ever invented kampgrounds of America must have some sick fetish k’s because can you guess what the password was? “Kamping” That’s right. Let that one soak in.

After some how almost losing three separate items in an 8’ x 8’ tent, we were off on the road by 11:00. Digging into our fan mail bag (that’s right we have fan mail), we had an email from Shawn’s friend Shawna (no relation). They had met while in Peru last summer and here we were a year later, after probably thinking they would never actually see each other again in person, and we were literally driving right past where she lived. Thinking quickly sitting down and with the help of facebook messaging and the I-Phone (all hail I-Phone), we met up with her on the lovely campus of the University of Illinois. Unfortunately, she only had a short time to sit down with us while we grabbed lunch, but good times ensued none the less. +100 bonus random side trip!!!

DO YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES??? HAVE YOU NOT SEEN US IN 1-5 YEARS? OR EVER? DO YOU ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A MORE THAN HEALTHY APPRECIATION FOR FART JOKES???!!!! THEN SEND YOUR ENTRY TO US AND YOU MAY JUST BECOME A PART OF sammjttihoaoc!!!!@ YOU HAVE A MULTIPLE WAYS TO CONTACT US:

-EMAIL!

-FACEBOOK MESSAGING!!

-PHONE!!!

- OR CARRIER FOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (preferred method)

On our journey, we have many sources of music. We have traditional radio, Shawn’s laptop, Shawn’s I-Phone (praised be to I-Phone), Marcus’ I-Touch (blessed be the son), and Sirius radio. Now after surfing through the channels on Sirius for the past two days, we have comprised the following list:

Top Five People Who Should Not Be Famous

5. Lady Gaga

4. Lady Gaga

3. Lady Gaga

2. Lady Gaga

1. Lady Gaga

Our special thanks goes out to the Lady Gaga station (formerly The Pulse) on Sirius radio—for when you don’t want to listen to good music and you want that overwhelming sense your brain’s grey matter is deteriorating at an accelerated pace. (Literally, the station one time had the same Lady Gaga song on twice in 15 minutes)

We arrived at Marcus’ grandparent’s house in the mid afternoon to warm smiles, hugs, and ice cold Diet Pepsi. After a tasty dinner, (which would have been quicker had we not had to wait for Shawn’s pork chops) (Marcus had the ribs, that’s probably took so long) (No, the ribs had been cooking all day, it was definitely Shawn’s pork chops) (Well, Marcus had the applesauce so I don’t know why you would be complaining) (You didn’t even order applesauce with your pork chops, did you learn nothing from Homer) (I did thank you and it’s a sensitive subject. I thank you not to discuss it on the blog) (Fine) (Fine), we played a rousing game of Tripoli (a card game combining poker and Michigan rummy), which Marcus thoroughly trounced everyone, though he didn’t compulsively have the need.

Marcus and Shawn

Quote of the day: “Obeying traffic laws is not a wrong turn, Shawn.” Marcus, defending his decision to turn around due to a sign reading bus lane only.

Day One

2009-06-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Of note: The second 'M' in SAMMJTTIHOAOC now stands for magical, and no longer for mystical as originally planned. This is because our friend Rob created a banner for us and either used the wrong word by accident, or decided to improve our journey in his own way. We were going to make our banner ourselves but it turns out we're really not into photoshop. You win this round, Rob.
So yesterday in our haste and desire to make blintzes, we may have not fully explained the spirit/rules of SAMMJTTIHOAOC.

Rule 1: SAMMJTTIHOAOC is fun.
Rule 2: No, really it is.
Rule 3: Journey may or may not be magical pending the direct, written consent of the Disney Corporation and the National Football League.

The plan was to wake up and leave at 9:30 in the morning. What actually happened: we slept in because we were up late (watching cartoons), and then woke up to severe lightning (this completely bodes well). We were very brave and that's why we sat down and ate breakfast. After the storm passed we began our trip!

We drove through five states and entertained ourselves with Disney music and 50 Cent's "In Da Club." First missed turn of the trip belongs to Marcus! First speeding ticket, Shawn. Second missed turn also belongs to Shawn, taking an early 2-1 lead.

Shawn, catching up with everyone else, learned that Ohio is well....boring, i.e. Ohio. In the true West Virginian fashion we stopped at a gas station and stocked up on some hooch. Yuengling, in case you northern folk were done wonderin'.

Special round of applause towards mother nature for being manic depressive. As can be seen in these lovely pictures we first have rain :( then sunshine :) then rain again :( then sunshine lollipops :) Over night in Indianapolis, guesses anyone? It rained! And rain darn tootin' it did, boy howdy!

Shawn and Marcus

Quote of the day: "Do you have anything illegal in the car? ...and there's nothing illegal in the car? ....You would be okay with me searching your car? ...you said there was nothing illegal in the car, right? ...and you're sure there's nothing illegal in the car?" --West Virginia state trooper

Pictures:
1) Exit for Laboratory, PA
2) Lewes, DE
3) Bay Bridge in MD
4) Western MD
5) Eastern WV

Day Zero

2009-06-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Location: Lewes, Delaware

Here's the plan. Drive from the beach in Delaware out to California, and then back again in three weeks. We have a small sedan packed full of our crap, a cooler full of food and a fairly good idea of where we will sleep every night.

Our contestants!

Shawn Cullin is awesome. He is 24, has a bachelors of arts in biology from the University of Delaware. On weekends he rides his horse, much like weekdays when he rides his horse. Interests include photography and harnessing the power of telekinesis. One day hopes to have streets in seedy neighborhoods named after him. Do not store in areas of extreme heat.

Marcus Adams is more awesomer. He is 22 and does not have to win at everything, even though he does. He has a bachelors of engineering from the University of Delaware where he once played a doctor on TV. On weekdays, when not found feeding the local orphan kids, he is found...well not feeding the local orphan kids. His interests include ultimate frisbee, camping, long walks on short beaches, and air budding (similar to water budding). One day he hopes to hope. The future looks bleak....

Tomorrow is the first leg of our trip. At 9:30 we will hit the beach here in Lewes and then drive 11 hours to a campground in Indianapolis! They promise wifi. If they're telling the truth, we can upload our first round of photos and write an update. If they lie, you get to wait. Congratulations! Waiting makes everything better.

Our plan:
6/9 - Indianopolis, IN
6/10 - Pekin, IL
6/11 - Selina, KS
6/12 - Boulder, CO
6/13. 14 - Yellowstone, WY
6/15 - San Francisco, CA
6/16 - Yosemite, CA
6/17, 18 - Los Angeles, CA
6/19 - San Diego, CA
6/20, 21 - Las Vegas, NV
6/22 - Grand Canyon, AZ
6/23 - Tucumcari, NM
6/24 - Joplin, MO
6/25 - Pekin, IL
6/26 - Harrisburg, PA
6/27 - END

Shawn and Marcus

Quote of the Day: "I have these bolt cutters because I can't remember the combination to my bike lock, and I'm telling you this because I realize how shady this looks." Shawn to Newark police officer.