#50: Global Nation

We all plan vacations but sometimes the logistics of it can be overwhelming. Others can just say "Hey lets go to New York City" and when they get there it's a free for all in terms of sight seeing.

But what about the road trip? This used to be an American past time when gas was cheap and the freeways/highways connected all of us together. You would pack some clothes, ready snacks, pile into the station wagon and be on your way.

You would visit different monuments or landmarks along the way to your final destination. It wasn't how fast you got to where you were going it's how you got there. Did you take the scenic route through the mountains? Take the highway through the desert or drive through a country road where you could see all the farms.

There is a great website called Simpatigo that's a great help in planning different places to visit on your way to final destination.

You basically type in your address and type in end address. This will draw out a map for you of the fastest way to get there. Of course you don't need to take this route but when you zoom in on any routes to the end address it will show you interesting landmarks, dineries, locations for you to visit on your way over there.

So you don't need to know the locals to find a great place you can just use Simpatigo to plan the different stops easily.

Our beginning destination is going to be Houston, TX of course. Our ending destination will be the Grand Canyon in Arizona. In between we are going to stop at Denver, Colorado to visit friends and family.

Before we get to Denver we are going to stop at Dallas and checkout the Japanese Tranquility Garden with a beautiful assortment of Japanese plants. Then after hit up the Brooklyn Jazz Cafe for some live Jazz music. We'll be staying there for the night but after refueling we'll head out to Oklahoma City and stay there and stay the night. We're going to try out the "Go for the Steak" restaurant as we drive up north for lunch which I think should hold us over until the next state. Then it's a long drive to Denver Colorado which we'll be staying there for 2-3 days. Our family friends are going to take us out to some great spots in Denver and in Boulder. After that it's straight for the Grand Canyon which of course is what we've been wanting to see.

It's a great program that allows you to make a different route depending on what you want to see in each state and city. Try it out for your next vacation.