All good things must come to an end

The journey back home to Finland started insanely early, so early that our travellers actually managed to be at the airport before any sort of check-in was open. After waiting over half an hour (which at four in the morning felt more like half a day), the agricultural checkpoint for check-in baggage was finally opened. …

Alooooooha!

The final stop of the Epic Journey was finally at hand, Honolulu. After a short flight from Kona and 20 minutes in a cab, the travellers was transported into the heart of Waikiki, a totally different type of island paradise, a much less quiet and calm version. The amount of people and traffic was a …

Can you say humuhumunukunukuāpua’a?

It took a full day of flying to get from San Francisco via Los Angeles to Honolulu, where the night was spent at an airport hotel with a small lounge bar and quite a nice pool. Dinner was Domino's Philly cheesesteak pizza, unbelievably cheesy and soooooo good! Then on to the Big Island, where the …

Last days on the continent

San Francisco was reached in the early evening. The surprisingly cool weather and strong winds led to jeans and jackets being pulled out of storage before heading out for a Friday night on the town: it was Midsummer's day after all. The first stop was a little brewpub, Woods Polk Station, which served nice little …

Winding roads and giant trees

Leaving the hustle and bustle (meaning the insane traffic) of Los Angeles behind was not as quick and easy as all had hoped: just getting out of the area took close to two hours on more and less congested freeways. Then it was finally time to start enjoying more natural views as the car headed …

Reaching the West Coast

The deserts of Nevada changed quickly into the dry, hilly landscape of southern California. Soon after crossing the state border, the second giant electricity production plant of the day (the first being the Hoover Dam) was spotted as the car sped by the Ivanpah solar power facility, a massive construction literally in the middle of …

Weekend in Sin City

Las Vegas was reached on a Friday evening as the sun was setting, giving our travellers a first glimpse of the flashy lights on the Strip. To avoid too much of a culture shock, the first evening was spent off the Strip at the Gold Coast bowling alley which boasts 70 lanes. Three games and …

Grand outdoors of the Southwest

The first stop on leaving Colorado was naturally Four Corners National Monument, where fun photos of people reaching Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico at once were taken. The trip continued south toward Gallup, NM, for a short bit of Route 66 and then onto the interstate heading west again. On the way, a visit …

Mountains, ghosts and a few microbreweries

The first stop in Colorado was Colorado Springs, where our travelling bunch had a nice break from long days of driving. Three nights were spent in the welcoming home of a local friend, who was also nice enough to act as a tour guide. After a long day of driving, it was great to just …

Heatwave in oil territory

An early morning start had Hattivatti and friends out of San Antonio by nine a.m. The car headed west again along I-10 in sunny weather. The first stop was around lunchtime in Menard, a small town with surprisingly good food in the only restaurant that could be found, Sideoats. Then on deeper into West Texas, …

Entering cowboy country

The swamps and marshes of Louisiana were soon forgotten when the skyline of Houston came into view. The heat and humidity still remained, but the view from the car windows was something completely different: wide highways, gleaming glass buildings and more cars than would seem necessary. Dinner was had at Arby's, known for their roast …

Rainy days in NOLA

Three nights and two full days filled with sudden torrential rains passed by incredibly fast in the heart of Southern partying, New Orleans. The first evening was spent at the Avenue Pub, where good local beers and interesting versions of chili cheese fries were heartily enjoyed. The first full day started off with some cajun …

On the Road

After a night in Miami Beach, it was finally time to put the road in roadtrip and start some serious driving. The goal was to make it to New Orleans in two days with minimal stopping on the way. That's a total of about 1400 km plus random stops and detours to sights. The first …

Gators, Airboats, and the South Beach

Although a week could have easily been spent in Key West, it was time to move on towards the north and meet some wildlife. A few hours drive led to the Everglades and with some trepidation, Hattivatti and friends boarded an airboat at Gator Park. The following forty minutes contained some sightings of turtles, fish, heron …

Keys, Keys, Keys

After a night's sleep at a Miami airport hotel, it was time for an early start (thanks to jetlag). Shopping at Walmart and breakfast at McDonald's were done by 10 am and then it was time to start off towards the south. With unbelievable luck and perfect timing, the four last places on a snorkeling …

Across the Atlantic

Getting up insanely early in the morning is never a treat, but it doesn't feel that bad when you have something as great as SIX WEEKS OF VACATION beginning. So off to the airport we went, panicking slightly about things possibly left at home, and then panicking a bit more when realizing that something semi-important …

Almost ready to go!

About eight months ago, talk was finally replaced by action. With the help of a patient and ingenious travel agent, flight tickets and a rental car booking were arranged at quite a reasonable sum. Now, with less than 36 h to takeoff, the situation is the following: check in is done, newspapers are cancelled, necessary …