This post covers the first 22 of 111 days of my departure from Florida as I venture toward a new life in the Pacific Northwest.
I depart Florida in 3 days. Though I did an extended trip in 2024, this one is different. While I had a home to return to last year, such is not the case this year. There is no loop. There is no out-and-back.
This is one way, and everything must be packed for storage, with a choice selection coming with me in my car. But what am I bringing? What plan is there, what goals do I have?
This trip is being broken into 5 major parts:
- The Journey to Idaho
- The i-STEM Conference “Road Show”
- The Visit Home
- The Arizona Conference
- Wandering the West
Monday the 19th through June 9th marks the first planned 20% of my trip. I’ll head west, crossing 9 states before ending at my first keynote speech in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Along the way, I’m staying with friends, camping, and hosting more than a week of sidewalk astronomy in Arizona.
I’m packing the basics: food, camping gear, clothes for hiking, general day-to-day living, and of course, slightly more formal attire to speak at conferences. But what else am I bringing?
Supplies on the Road:
- Celestron Evolution 9.25 inch motorized telescope (price increase/not in stock due to tariffs trade war)
- Celestron NexStar 4SE motorized telescope (price increase due to tariff trade war)
- My photography to sell on the road and at sidewalk astronomy
- My science-fiction books to sell on the road and at sidewalk astronomy
- Camping fan with cooling mist
- My Jackery solar generation, storage, and backup systems
- 2x 240W solar storage
- 2x 300W solar storage
- 1x 1000W Plus solar storage
- 1x 2000W v2 solar storage
- 3x 100W solar panels
- 1x 200W solar panel
- 1x solar panel connector
- 1x automobile jumping cables
- AstroAI electric cooler
- 5 gallon water storage
- Canon Rebel T7 w/ three lenses & four batteries
- Tripod
- DJI Mini 4k w/ four batteries
- 2 power strip boxes for a total of 28 outlets
- combined with all Jackery units, I have more than 50 outlets at my disposal
- Fairly bulky camping chair
- Day hiking pack with 3-liter water bag and 2-liter water bag
- Cleaning kit
- Hiking boots
- Waterproof trail runners
- Dress shoes
- Casual shoes
- Towels and general cleaning supplies
- First aid kits
- Tree hammock
- Toilet paper
There’s certainly more, but that’s a good chunk of what I’ll be traveling with for most of this trip! And to think it all fits in and on my little Kia Soul. With any luck, I’ll also be able to make space to sleep in the back of my car a few days as needed, just shifting some things around to the front.
What about my itinerary? After staying with friends in Mississippi on the 19th, and another friend in San Antonio on the 20th, I’ll be camping for three days, one site in western Texas, and twice in eastern Arizona, before staying with friends a few days in Phoenix.
Following Phoenix, I’ll be staying in Sedona for a little more than a week. Though I visited Sedona for a day in June 2024, I didn’t have a chance to explore or hike anywhere in the area, so will be taking advantage of the mornings before hosting sidewalk astronomy in the evenings.
On the evenings of June 6th and 7th, I’m hosting special sidewalk astronomy sessions as part of a global event called On the Moon Again, hosted during this week in June every year.
Daily Itinerary:
- May 19th: leave Florida, travel to Mississippi; staying with friends
- May 20th: travel to San Antonio; staying with friend
- May 21st: travel to western Texas; camp
- May 22nd: travel to eastern Arizona; camp
- May 23rd: drive to Superior, Arizona; camp
- May 24th: drive to Phoenix; staying with friends
- May 25th-29th: explore Phoenix and surrounding areas
- May 30th: drive to Sedona; host sidewalk astronomy
- May 31st-June 7th: explore Sedona and host nightly sidewalk astronomy
- June 8th: drive to Ogden, Utah: staying with friend
- June 9th: drive to Idaho Falls and prepare for my first three keynote speeches taking place June 10th, 11th, and 12th
This list covers 22 days and represents the first 20% of my planned trip, which currently ends after 111 days on September 6th, when I’ll be back in Sedona after speaking at another conference and hosting another week of sidewalk astronomy in Sedona from August 30th to September 6th.
Following September 6th, moving up to the PNW is a toss-up. Much will depend on how well my photography sales and income from sidewalk astronomy is doing. As the seasons will be transitioning into autumn, I may choose to get up to the PNW to live, or may decide to continue living on the road. We’ll see when the time comes where I stand, what I’m doing, what new job(s) I may have on the road.
Until then…
This world is beautiful.
Alex
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