Event Coverage UPDATED WITH PHOTOS! Going For Broke...50 day Cross-Country Road Trip Family Style

In January of 2014 our family sold our house in Santa Maria, loaded up a moving truck, and moved an hour south to Santa Barbara. On paper the move made sense, better paying job, more people with money for my wife’s business, and amazing surf. A year and a half later, the move hasn’t worked out for our family like we thought it would, and we made the tough decision to move our kids (Cormac 6 and Birdie 3) once again, this time back to the South Bay of Los Angeles.

As Kenna and I started talking about the let down of the last year, how hard it had been on our family and our marriage, we began to talk crazy talk: "if neither of us has a job lined up in L.A., and we have some money we made from the sale of our house in Santa Maria, and our kids are out of school for the summer, why don't we just go on a ROAD TRIP!!"

(We Love Road Trips. If you didn’t see our last family road trip to the Lonestar Roundup in 2013 you can check it out here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...maria-to-austin-roadtrip-family-style.791211/)

As we started getting excited and planning the trip, it just kept escalating in distance and duration, until we agreed on 50 days on the road. Since I am a pastor for work and my wife runs her own small business, we are far from wealthy. So, we took out a map and started highlighting everyplace we thought we had friends we could spend a night with. If we don’t have friends we decide we will camp or stay in a cheap hotel (pool being mandatory). We will be leaving on July 12 after Cormac's school year ends. Here is our basic route and some places we are still looking for friends to crash with:




Let's just say most of our friends don't get why we would think this is fun...so I hope some Hambers will.

The Car: 1959 Chevy Parkwood Wagon I built 11 years ago and drive everyday rain or shine. 350ci, turbo 350, with less than 15k on each (after our Texas trip I sold the 327 and stole the 350 from my father in laws nova wagon)


So i'll hope you enjoy following along as we get ready to Go For Broke (in all the ways that can be interpreted!)...

 

Very kool, enjoy the trip.....

 

Good luck. We think a small RV would help a lot.

 

Sounds like family fun to me. What I would do is at Part 2 stop I is drop further south and visit some of the USA's best beaches and enjoy the great sea food in the Florida Pan Handle.

Gary

 

That sounds like an awesome trip! I would love to do that! Maybe next year, after I retire.

 

Do it while your young! Go for it. I'll come along for the ride. Cool car too. Trip of a life time.
Good luck.

 

You are building some awesome memories for the kiddies (and you too!). It looks like you will but photo document the trip like there is no tomorrow.

 

Looks like a ton of fun but, having just made two 3-day trips I'd advise avoiding Indiana's crumbling interstates at all cost, especially in a lowered car. They were so bad on our trip south we re-routed through Illinois to avoid having the rest of our teeth fall out.
Your wagon is righteous! Enjoy the drive!

 

Let the games begin.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

I look forward to following this trip as I thoroughly enjoyed the Texas trip.

Safe travels

 

Do It!

 

It looks like you have a great trip planned. I can't wait to see all of your updates !! Color me very envious. Loads of memories , coming right up !! A sweet ride to make the trip in also. Have fun .

 

good luck and have fun .

 

I`m in! Too bad there isn`t a Northwest loop.....

Or a Bonneville Speed Week Loop....

Or a Mt Rushmore Loop......

Let`s face it, kids, we are living this trip through you guys already.....

 

Man, what a great trip! With 6 kids I just couldn't do it.....I am envious though.

Looking forward to following along.

 

I can't think of a reason not to do it.
I'll be watching for the updates
GodSpeed!

 

Can't wait to follow along on this trip! I would love to do the same if I had the time. Look me up if you make it through Oklahoma. I would love to meet you and your family. Looks like you might run right by me on your way back. I am sure this will be a trip you and your family will remember forever!

 

You have a great trip planned -- best of luck, looks like fun!

When you come through Omaha on June 19th, we'll be in the middle of the College World Series baseball tournament. If you and your family want to catch a ball game, that would be the perfect time to do it. Besides that, there are a ton of great things to see and do here, with the Omaha Zoo being towards the top of the list.

If you need any assistance while in the area or would like to meet up with a few like-minded car/HAMB folks while visiting, please look me up!

Malcolm

 

Looks like a fantastic trip. (you should get some friends on the east coast.) Have a blast, I'll be following along.

 

We enjoyed following your 1st trip- surely this will be as entertaining- We printed a picture from the 1st trip and it's been on the bulletin board since- come to Northern MI- you can stay with us-

We love our road trips and I plan them out similiar to what you've done-

Have a safe trip- we'll be watching-

 

Holy cow! You guys are the Griswold's Summer Vacation part 2.

 

Sounds Awesome, something I have been wanting to do with my family. I know there are plenty of HAMBers in NW Arkansas and SW Missouri if you need anything. Looking forward to seeing this

 

Not sure if you want suggestions on places to see or eat at or not, but I can help you in the FL panhandle. PM me if you want suggestions.

 

Part 2 stop "O" we'll be looking for you!

 

That looks like a dream trip. I'll be following this thread.

 

Looks like you're passing right by my house(south ms) before your stop in New Orleans, more than welcome to stay at my place

 

after looking at your agenda on #3 leg.you should look into a neat camp just south of El Vada lake
(between your D & E marks..) they have cabins along the river..plus a little general store in their office...
Was run by the Cooper family and probably still is...closest town is Chama,N Mex.

 

Wow. So jealous. Have a safe and fun trip!!!

 

Some of my favorite memories were summer trips in the car with Dad.
Mom stayed home and had a vacation from us.
Youre gonna have a ball,,,in a bitchen car no less.

 

I live on the North side of Houston and would be glad to have your family stop by. My wife passed away six years ago and my children and grandchildren are scattered around the country so I have an empty house and plenty of room. No pool but a 60" flat screen TV. I have a large shop so if you need to service the wagon you are welcome .