Christmas Vacation

To get back to Michigan, I decided to drive. It wasn't as fast as flying or as cheap as the train, but I wasn't in a hurry and wanted to afford myself the flexibility of traveling on my own schedule. It took me two full days to drive each way. The fastest way is to take I-80 pretty much the whole way so of course, I avoided that route. I stayed mostly off the interstates entirely. I didn't make many major stops along the way, but where something intrigued me I didn't hesitate to investigate. These stops are marked on the map below.

On the drive east, I entered Nebraska, the final state I needed to visit all fifty in 2011. I spent altoghether too long in McCook Nebraska. They have a rich history for a rural, Nebraska town, which I enjoyed, but it put me behind the chains for the rest of the day. The next day, I didn't spend too long at any one place, except maybe Eureka, Illinois, home to Reagan's Alma Matre. I ate dinner at a Pizza Hut in town, rather than grab something at a drive through.

Full Screen Version


I have lot of good memories from the two weeks I was home. I already blogged about the trip my dad and I made to the Pizza Bowl, which was fun despite the unfortunate outcome. Happily, I when I drove to Ann Arbor to watch the Sugar Bowl with Barry Deatrick, the game's outcome was much better.

On the drive back to Colorado, I didn't do much more than stop for some pictures as opportunities presented themselves. The most notable stop was Lebanon, Kansas, the geographic center of the Lower 48 States. I did spend about an hour at Prairie Dog State Park in Kansas, but by then I was pretty sure I'd make in to Denver at a decent hour.

Trip Statistics
Length: 2,413.2 miles
Total Counties: 122
New Counties: 86
Fuel: 70.7 Gallons
Fuel Economy: 34.1 MPG
Cost: $427.72

Entering my Fiftieth State for the Year.

In the Center of the Lower 48 States

Phillips County, Kansas