A little bit about the technology that is making this trip possible.
All I really need for this trip is a car, some money, and an atlas. Hmm, I suppose the car and the atlas are debatably unnecessary as long as I have enough money. But I love gadgets! Most importantly, I want to conveniently maintain my blog about my journey along the way.
Internet Access … I am bringing my computer with me. It is a small (12.1” screen), lightweight (4.6 lbs) laptop. While shopping for Internet access options, my goal was to gain as geographically broad mobile Internet coverage as possible (within monetary reason). I found it with T-Mobile. (T-Mobile, please credit my account for this free advertising.) I upgraded my cell phone so I can run a cable from it to my laptop and obtain approximately 3x dial-up speed access wherever I have cell phone coverage. T-Mobile’s network is broad, so I expect to have Internet access in all the states I pass through, as well as the Vancouver area in British Columbia.
Power … I bought a power inverter. I don’t know what it means to “invert” power, but I do know that when I plug it into my car’s cigarette lighter, I can then plug my iPod, laptop, and cell phone into the inverter and they will charge.
Navigation … Imagine Mapquest or Yahoo Maps on growth hormones and you have Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006. I purchased this software to: 1) Help track my progress on the trip, and; 2) Help me locate any amenities I might need along the way. I used it to calculate my total mileage (8,856 mi.). I can use it to find ATMs, gas stations, restaurants and most importantly campsites (more about that later) along the way. All I do is click on a point on the map, select a radius distance and the software will show all desired amenities within the radius, including their addresses and phone numbers if applicable.
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