It’s Time: Resuming My Walk Across the USA

In 2019, I set out to walk across the USA on the American Discovery Trail. Well, really, I set out to walk across the USA one-and-a-half times. The ADT splits between Cincinnati, Ohio and Denver, Colorado, so my plan was to follow the southern route through Missouri and Kansas in the fall, then fly to Delaware in February and make the full coast-to-coast trek via the northern route over the following six months.

Perhaps you remember that something else happened in February 2020. It all started innocuously enough. Some concerns about an illness in China. Then March Madness was canceled. Schools shut down “for a couple weeks.” And then… they never reopened, at least not for that school year.

I was in West Virginia when the crisis became fully established. As it happens, WV was the last state in the country without a diagnosed case. That made it easy to continue a little bit longer. Eventually, though, I threw in the towel, feeling like it would be utterly irresponsible to continue. Months later, when we knew a little more about COVID, I tried to resume, but it still wasn’t right.

This unfinished business has been on my mind ever since. On June 28, I’m flying to Cincinnati to finish the job, and I hope you’ll follow along. Before then, you can catch up on the journey thus far. All of my posts from the road are linked below.

Part 1: Cincinnati to Denver on the American Discovery Trail – Fall 2019

Ohio / Kentucky

• • Day 1: Cincinnati, OH to Lawrenceburg, IN

Indiana

• • • Day 2 – Lawrenceburg to Friendship, IN
    • Day 3 – Friendship to Clifty Falls State Park, IN
    • Day 4 – Clifty Falls to After Lexington, IN
    • Day 5 – Lexington to After Bennettsville, IN
    • Day 6 – After Bennettsville to New Albany, IN
    • Day 7 – New Albany to After Corydon, IN
    • Day 8 – After Corydon to After Leavenworth, IN
    • Day 9 – After Leavenworth to St Meinrad, IN
    • Day 10 – St Meinrad to Santa Claus, IN
    • Day 11 – Santa Claus to After Boonville, IN
    • Day 12 – After Boonville to Evansville, IN

Illinois

• • • Day 13 – Evansville, IN to Wabash River, IL
    • Day 14 – Wabash River to Shawneetown, IL
    • Days 15-17 – Shawneetown to Goreville, IL
    • Day 18 – Goreville to Giant City State Park, IL
    • Day 19 – Giant City State Park to Murphysboro, IL
    • Day 20 – Murphysboro to Chester, IL
    • Day 21 – Chester to Red Bud, IL
    • Day 22 – Red Bud to Waterloo, IL

Missouri

• • • Day 23 – Waterloo, IL to St. Louis, Missouri
    • Day 24 – St. Louis to… St. Louis
    • Day 25 – St. Louis to Weldon Spring, MO
    • Days 26-28 – Katy Trail Through Marthasville, Bluffton, Jeff City
    • Day 29 – Jeff City to Huntsdale, MO
    • Day 30 – Huntsdale to Boonville, MO
    • Day 31 – Boonville to Sedalia, MO
    • Day 32 – Sedalia to Windsor, MO
    • Days 33 and 34 – Windsor to Kansas City, MO

Kansas

• • • Day 35 – Kansas City, MO to Olathe, KS
    • Day 36 – Olathe to Eudora, KS
    • Day 37 – Eudora to Lawrence, KS
    • Days 38 & 39 – Lawrence to Admire, KS
    • Day 40 – Admire to Council Grove, KS
    • Day 41 – Council Grove to Herington, KS
    • Days 42 & 43 – Herington to McPherson, KS
    • Day 44 – McPherson to Lyons, KS
    • Day 45 – Lyons to Great Bend, KS
    • Day 46 – Great Bend to Larned, KS
    • Days 47 & 48 – Fort Larned & Dodge City
    • Days 49 & 50 – Ingalls & Garden City
    • Day 51 – Garden City to Lakin, KS
    • Day 52 – Lakin to Syracuse, KS

Colorado

• • • Day 53 – Syracuse, KS to Holly, CO
    • Day 54 – Holly to Lamar, CO
    • Days 55 & 56 – Las Animas & La Junta
    • Day 57 – La Junta to Fowler, CO
    • Day 58 – Fowler to Pueblo, CO
    • Days 59 & 60 – Florence & Cañon City
    • Day 61 – Cañon City to Cripple Creek, CO
    • Day 62 – Cripple Creek to Green Mountain Falls, CO
    • Day 63 – Green Mountain Falls to North Colorado Springs, CO
    • Days 64 & 65 – Finishing (For Now) In Denver, CO

Part 2: Lewes, Delaware to Pennsboro, WV on the ADT – Winter 2020

Delaware

• • Day 1 – Cape Henlopen to Lewes, DE – 3 Miles
  • Day 2 – Lewes to Milford, DE – 25 Miles

Maryland / DC

• • Day 3 – Milford, DE to Denton, MD – 25 Miles
  • Day 4 – Denton to Chester, MD – 33 Miles
  • Day 5 – Chester to Annapolis, MD – 11 Miles
  • Day 6 – Annapolis to Lanham, MD – 27 Miles
  • Day 7 – New Carrollton to Glen Echo / Washington DC – 26 Miles
  • Day 8 – Washington DC – 0 Miles
  • Days 9 & 10 – Washington DC to Harper’s Ferry, WV – 54 Miles
  • Day 11 – Harpers Ferry, WV to Williamsport, MD – 25 Miles
  • Day 12 – Williamsport to Hancock, MD – 27 Miles

West Virginia

• • Day 13 – Hancock, MD to Paw Paw, WV – 31 Miles
  • Days 14 & 15 – Paw Paw to Keyser, WV – 43.5 Miles
  • Days 16 & 17 – Keyser to Canaan Valley, WV
  • Days 18-20 – Canaan Valley to Clarksburg, WV – 85 Miles
  • Day 21 – Clarksburg to West Union, WV – 32 Miles
  • Day 22 – West Union to Pennsboro, WV – 12 Miles

Part 3: Pennsboro, WV to Logan, OH on the ADT, May 2020

West Virginia

• • Day 0 – Fear And Loathing
  • Day 1 – Pennsboro To Petroleum, WV – 20 Miles

Ohio

• • Day 2 – Petroleum, WV to Belpre, OH
  • Days 3 & 4 – Belpre to Glouster, OH – 61 Miles
  • Day 5 – 5/13 – Glouster to Logan – 24 Miles
  • On Being Unfinished

Part 4: Logan to Cincinnati, OH on the ADT, March 2021

Ohio (again)

• • Day 0 – Portland, OR To Logan, OH
  • Day 1 & 2 – Logan to Waverly, OH – 61 Miles
  • Day 3 – Waverly To Elm Grove, OH – 16 Miles
  • Day 4 – Elm Grove To Seaman, OH – 29 Miles
  • Days 5 & 6 – Seaman To Batavia, OH – 43 Miles
  • Day 7 – Batavia To Cincinnati, OH – 32 Miles

Part 5: Cincinnati to Lewellen, NE on the ADT, June 29 – Late August, 2024

As I return to the trail in Cincinnati, I will continue to follow the American Discovery Trail for the first couple months, walking through Northern Indiana, Northern Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.

Part 6: Lewellen, NE to Portland, OR (and onto the coast) on the Oregon Trail, Late August – October 2024

In Western Nebraska, I’ll bid farewell to the ADT. Instead, I’ll follow the historic Oregon Trail back home to Portland. This isn’t a waymarked route. I’ve pieced together a viable plan using important historic stops on the route, roads still carrying the “Oregon Trail” name, and other assorted sources. This will lead me through Wyoming, Idaho, and, of course, Oregon.

Please support my work! I have launched a Patreon in advance of the upcoming walk. Learn more here.