We start in Adelaide,South Australia. On Air New Zealand , we fly to Auckland, changing planes in Melbourne (401 miles) then continuing to Auckland, New Zealand (1638 miles).
Our next stop is Nagoya, Japan. So, it's back on the plane and, thanks to Expedia's routing, it's off to Taipei on Air New Zealand, then a change of planes and airlines and we're off to Nagoya on JAA. Auckland to Taipei is 5519 miles and Taipei to Nagoya is 1162 miles.
By the way, the airlines that happen to get mentioned did not pay anything for the free advertisements. It's just a way to make the trip more realistic, and to help anyone so inclined to follow this Tuberous Sclerosis World Tour!
Our next stop? The Land of the Maple Leaf!
From Nagoya, it's off to Canada. We board an Canadian airlines flight for a 4825 mile flight to Vancouver. While in Vancouver, we zip out to North Vancouver, British Columbia for a quick visit. Then we board another Canadian airlines flight for another 425 miles to Calgary, Alberta. With any luck, we'll be in Calgary in time for the Stampede.
Now that we've made it to Calgary, Alberta, we've got some choices regarding our direction...Do we head for the Pacific Northwest (Washington State and then down through Oregon to California), or do we head for Quebec and the New England States of the United States? Either way, we eventually have to find a major international airport so we can catch our flights to the United Kingdom, then on to Sweden. Let's just start by getting back on the plane and heading for Washington State and Marysville, Washington.
And so, we get on a 427 mile Air Canada flight from Calgary to Vancouver, then changing planes for a 127 mile flight to Seattle. Then we hit the road and head for our first USA stop in Marysville, Washington. It's a quick 33 mile drive north on Interstate 5 to our destination. But we can't leave Washington without a stop in the mountians -- Mt. Rainer National Park is just to the east. Then we head 325 miles further south on Interstate 5 to Eugene, Oregon. Then south to California.
We're going to be on Interstate 5 quite a bit. Our final California city is San Diego, 986 south of Eugene on Interstate 5. But before arriving in San Diego, we need to stop in at Arbuckle, Azusa, Hayward, Long Beach, North Hollywood, Piedmont, West Covina, Westminster and San Jose.
So, let's start heading south on Interstate 5. Better get comfortable, it's a long trip. Arbuckle is located on Interstate 5 a quick 427miles to the south.
From Arbuckle, it's off to Piedmont, California. It's an easy drive, south on Interstate 5 for 14 miles, then south on Interstate 505 for 33 miles, then west on Interstate 80 (remember that number, you'll be seeing it again.) for 49 miles then east on Interstate 580 for 2 miles and you're in Piedmont.
Hayward is next. Just 14 miles away, it's a quick 13 miles Southeast on Interstate 580 then southeast for 2 miles on California Route 238 to Hayward.
On the road again, we're heading south to the Los Angeles area, with a quick stop in San Jose. It's a quick 27 miles south on Interstate 880. We're heading south on US 101 (Hey Californians, isn't 101 the Pacific Coast Highway?). We take 101 for 33 miles before heading east on Route 152 to catch Interstate 5. Two hundred fifty-three miles later, it's a quick 5 miles on the Hollywood Freeway to North Hollywood. Azusa, Long Beach, West Covina, and Westminster are all within 40 miles, as the crow flies, of North Hollywood. Let's see what the odometer has to say about that. So from North Hollywood, we head to Azusa, a quick jaunt of 15 miles on the Ventura Freeway, then 14 miles on Interstate 210. In what promises to be the shortest distance of the trip, West Covina is just four miles down Azusa Avenue.
But getting to Long Beach is a little more difficult. It's back on Interstate 10 for four miles, then southwest on Interstate 605 for 15 to the Artesia Freeway. Then just 3 miles to Lakewood Boulevard. Then a quick 6 miles to Long Beach.
But we can't leave Long Beach without visiting the Queen Mary.
Westminster is a quick 9 miles to the east on State Route 22.
Before we continue south, it's time for a quick trip to the mountians, and up to Big Bear Lake. To get there, just pretend you're opening a safe. The directions are 22 W to the 55 N to 91 E which will turn into the 210N, then 210N to 10E (Redlands) Exit Hwy 30/330. Then following the Signs! It takes about 2 Hours from Westminster
Then it's back on Interstate 5 for 100 miles to San Diego. While here, there is no way that we can skip the World Famous Zoo. If you don't hit any of the other attractions on this trip, you have to hit the San Diego Zoo. You've gotta check out the eye. You'll know what I mean when you see it!
San Diego is our last California and, as we continue the Tuberous Sclerosis World Tour, we head to Arizona. And it's back on the Superslab, Interstate 8 and heading east for 343 miles to Interstate 10 and another 60 miles further east to Tucson. From there to Phoenix it's 116 miles west (and north) on Interstate 10.
Scottsdale is a short drive (5 miles) down McDowell Road. Scottsdale needs a little more than a one liner about being five miles down the road from Phoenix!
City Slogan: The West's Most Western Town
Average % of sunny days per year: 86%
Official food: Chili
Population: 175,000 Tourism
Highlights: Barrett Jackson Auto Auction, "Phoenix" Open Golf Tournament, Parada del Sol(largest horsedrawn parade in the world & PRCA rodeo), All Arabian Horse Show, Cactus League Baseball (Spring training for: Giants, Angels, Cubs, Brewers, Oakland A's, Padres, Rockies and Mariners), National Festival of the West, NORDSTROM's shopping, more shopping, jeep tours of the desert, hot air balloon rides, more shopping and coming soon the only Smithsonian branch museum exhibits! So, let me know approximate dates of the pass through Scottsdale and I can let you know what's happening in "the Most Livable City in America"!
To get to our next destination, Taylorsville Utah we will be passing through some of the most desolate and yet beautiful parts of the contiguous 48 states. We'll be driving by the Grand Canyon (worth a stop) and Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks - both worth stopping at.
We also lose an hour as we pass from Pacific Time to Mountain Time when we cross from Arizona to Utah.
Taylorsville Utah is a mere 640 miles north of Scottsdale. So, let's get comfortable. And put some good tunes on the radio. And head north on Interstate 17 for 139 miles, then east on Interstate 40 for six miles before taking US Route 89 north for 275 miles. Then we'll hop on Interstate 15 for 223 miles to Interstate 215 for another mile to Taylorsville Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City.
The Headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is in Salt Lake City. If you ever want to research your geneology, this is the place to go!
Our next drive is the longest between two cities yet...over 1230 miles from Taylorsville to Bartlesville Oklahoma. From Scottsdale to Taylorsville may have been the most interesting, this will be the most boring. Passing through Wyoming, eastern Colorado, and Kansas, it's flat. (Once you get east of the Rockies.)
And someplace on the Great Plains, we'll lose another hour as we pass from Mountain Time to Central Time.
And so we head east on Interstate 80 (we've already taken this road before), but now we're heading east 425 miles to Interstate 25. We'll take I-25 92 miles south to Denver, Colorado. While we're in Denver, we have to make a couple of side trips. The first one is to Rocky Mountian National Park.
When we leave Denver, we'll hop onto Interstate 76 for 2 miles before taking I-70 east into Kansas. 430 miles later, we take I-135 south around Wichita. We stay on I-135 for 96 miles to the Kansas Turnpike. We take that for 42 miles to I-35. After 43 miles, we leave I-35 for the Cimarron Turnpike. 60 miles later, we move over to US Highway 64. But that's only for 24 miles when we find Interstate 244. A mile later we take US Route 75, then after 5 miles, we take Mohawk and 6 miles later, and we're in Bartlesville Oklahoma. 26 miles south of Bartlesville on US Route 75 is our next destination, Owasso Oklahoma.
It's time to leave the Land of the Sooners and move to the Land of the Bayou and Mardi Gras. No, we're not heading for New Orleans, we're heading to Maurice Louisiana. This is a full day's of driving at 589 miles. Although Maurice is East of Owasso, our first direction is to the WEST for 10 miles on Interstate 44 to get to US Route 75, which we take south for 49 miles to get to the Indian Nation Turnpike. I love the names of some of the streets!
We'll stay on Indian Nation for 110 miles until State Route 271 and US Route 271. Heading south/southeast on either 271 after about 3 miles we enter the Lone Star State of Texas. Sixty-eight miles later, we head further south on State Route 49. It's been a while since we've been on a Superslab. And after 49 miles on Rte 49, we keep heading south, this time on CR-134 for 27 miles, when we return to an Interstate (I-20). We'll be staying on I-20 for 3 miles before entering Louisiana. A dozen more miles and we head south on the Inner Loop Expressway. (Is there an Outer Loop Expressway around Shreveport?) We can only stand the Inner Loop for 8 miles before heading south on Interstate 49 for 198 miles. Maurice is located 16 miles south of I-49 on US route 167.
On the road again, we're heading to Coral Springs, Florida and this leg will be 972 miles long! And 601 miles of it, is with an old friend Interstate 10. Interstate 10 first took us part of the way from San Diego to Tucson. Now it takes us from Maurice, through Alabama, Mississippi and the panhandle of Florida (and into the Eastern Time Zone.) Somewhere east of Gainesville, we exit Interstate 10 and head south for 238 miles on Florida's Turnpike. (Ok, Floridians, isn't part of this turnpike also known as Alligator Alley?) Florida's Turnpike takes us to the Sawgrass Expressway and 10 miles later, we're in Coral Springs Florida. While we're down here, let's take a sidetrip to the Everglades.
Atlanta Georgia was the host of the Centennial Olympic Games. It's also our next destination. It's also about 680 miles to the north. We're putting the miles on the car in this part of the journey!
We start out heading north on Florida's Turnpike for 238 miles. Then we pick up Interstate 75 heading north 144 miles to Georgia, but we keep heading north on I 75 for another 234 miles to Atlanta. Cartersville Georgia is just another 30 miles further north, so while we're comfortable, let's just keep driving.
Our next leg, to Baltimore Maryland takes us through South and North Carolina, Virginia and the District of Columbia. And get used to Interstate 85, we'll be on it for 418 miles through the Carolinas to Petersburg, Virginia. Then we switch to Interstate 95 and head towards Richmond, Virginia. For the history buffs, Richmond was the capital city for the Confederate States of America.
Interstate 95
forms part of the Beltway around Washington DC. Landover MD
is located just outside of the District, and just off of
Interstate 95 on the John Hanson Highway. Landover is the
location for the headquarters for The National Tuberous
Sclerosis Association. But we still haven't made it to our
destination. Baltimore is 45 miles further north on
Interstate 95.
Don't leave yet, we
still have all these cities to visit!