What's in a Name?

People may not know why we chose the name "Carnny Confessions" for our blog. The name Carnny is a hollywoodized version of Carl's name and my name (Jenny). Our friend Kirstin came up with the name during a brainstorming session.

As for the second part of our name, confessions... We thought the word would flow well with Carnny and be very telling of some of Carl's more witty actions and comments. I have a lot to confess, but I do that kind of confession on my other blog... Carl on the other hand let's the wit flow, and sometimes that in itself leads to a confession. For example, while enjoying our champagne breakfast after the balloon flight, Carl asked me if I would like to see some of the video footage he took. I said yes. Instead of pulling our the Flip Video camera, he pulled out a pill bottle. I instantly asked what I was saying yes to, exactly with a sure face full of confusion. He laughed and asked if I was expecting a ring. Yes, he got a smack for that one. He'll do anything to make me blush.... and that leads to a need for confessions.

So now you all know how and why our blog came to be named.

Carl Just Had a Birthday... Here's How We Celebrated

Thinking About Supplies and Comfort

Over the last couple of months, Carl and I have been thinking about what we'll pack for our trip. We have a significant amount of camping gear (mainly because Carl and I like to backpack and camp and we've been building up our supply over the last three years). Aside from the general supplies one packs for life on the road, we've discovered that there is always room for improvement regarding comfort, effectiveness, and packability.

Finding the perfect Camping gear can be a long game of trial and error. It's a challenge to pack light and yet get everything you might need to manage a trip comfortably and safely. That's how we came to the decision to buy a table.

Over the last few years, we've done road trips in which we found ourselves cooking meals on the hood of the car. While this works, a better option is to have a light weight, small, and packable table... and we found one. It's a small table, 24x 24 inches and packs to practically nothing.



This table is going to be a godsend when we light up our 3oz stoves in a monsoon (Florida in August). In the past, we've found that during rain and wind, It's almost imperative to have a flat service on which to cook. And of course, as we learned in Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons, a 10x10 easy up canopy can pay off during these storms. Though this may sound like a large piece of equipment, it's not really; 4ft x 6 inches folded up. In our VW Golf TDI, we can fit it nicely behind the driver and front passenger seats with plenty of room to spare... and a dry place to hangout when the weather inevitably challenges our decision to live outdoors... is priceless.

Mentioning Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons reminded me of our battery powered chainsaw. If you have ever been to Yellowstone, you know that gas chainsaws are not allowed due to the risk of sparks creating a fire and because they violate the noise ordinance. However, battery operated chainsaws are allowed there and in other National forests and parks as the pose no risk to fire and make exceptionally little noise (they are quieter than a car engine). We happen to have a Ryobi battery operated chainsaw. Firewood gets expensive and is not always available for sale, so one can see how this piece of equipment can add to a comfortable adventure.

Traveling the country one finds that there are several national parks and forests. For a mere $50 a year, you can buy a parks pass that will waive the entrance fees to these parks. This is invaluable because the entrance fees can be as much $25 for one vehicle for ten days. Do the math and you'll discover how cost effective a parks pass can be.

The other invaluable supplies I have previously mentioned in the blog about being Wireless on the go. A GPS for those times you find yourself lost after missing street signs that have been deliberately removed, and laptops in which to download video, photos, and of course, to blog from while on the road.

Our most important supply is our vehicle. As I mentioned, we have a VW Golf TDI. The gas mileage is fantastic at 42-50 MPG. Also, The turbo diesel engine makes for a fast ride. The maneuverability is almost unreal. And as for comfort, the German's know their stuff. Google this puppy, it's worth learning more about...



The most impressive quality about the Golf has to do with how well this vehicle suits the needs of Carl and I while on the road, and that is what makes this a perfect vehicle, and a perfect supply.

I'm sure as the trip nears, Carl will inevitably think of at least one more perfect supply that we simply must get for our trip. I find this refreshing because as I discovered long ago, Carl is prepared for anything and everything.

Planning The Route

The Florida Everglades

The Grand Canyon

Planning the route for our 30 day trip involved a lot of footwork. We started of with an internet search for websites that contained road trip routes. After much research, we found a fairly good website with routes throughout the US on the old two lane highways. You can get info about off he main drag routes, things to see, places to eat, and activities that are a must. Check it out.

Once we got the Road Trip USA book that goes along with the website, we decided that we were going to change our route by personalizing it in order to make it more magical for us. While researching this new magical route, we found a road book that has a list of every business one might need for EVERY exit off of ANY interstate in the US. If you ever decide to travel the US for any road trip, you need to get this guide. I forgot the name, but I will add it later.

Carl and I like to plan our trip in legs. Our first route, we planned for a Northern venture through Mt Rushmore over to Chicago, Niagara Falls, and then Boston. However, that route was deleted from the plan the moment we discovered that our path would cross Mt Rushmore during the heart of Sturgis 2009. We don't really care to be in the middle of hundreds of thousands of motorcycles...

This past weekend, Carl and I finally had to time to sit down and re route our trip. The first thirteen days we will go through SLC, UT, The Grand Canyon, Dallas, TX, New Orelans, LA... drive along the gulf coast line to Florida then down to the Everglades and over to Miami. From there we drive north along the Eastern Seaboard toward Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and then Washington DC. I'll post a map of the route and where we'll be staying once it is finalized.

We'll have 17 more days to go following our arrival in Washington DC.

Let the planning continue....

Preparing To Maintain Our Connections

Carl and I have decided that while traveling, we want to have internet accessibility at our fingertips whether we are in the Everglades or in New York City. In order to do this, we both needed netbooks (laptops) that will travel and pack nicely. I made a purchase to keep up with Carl... check it out it's an Eee pc 900 series.

8.9 inch screen
2.2 pounds

It's super small, highly portable, and the right price for an on the go notebook ($250 USD).

Now, we are set up with two netbooks, a VPN wireless card that works where ever cell service is available, an inverter in which to charge it all, and of course, our smart phones which do everything a netbook can do! Carl even has a stand alone bluetooth GPS that can connect to either of our cell phones.

Electronically, we are set.

Let The Fun begin!

This blog is dedicated to our travels together (literally and figuratively). This coming August, we are taking a 30 day road trip across the United States! Initially, this blog will be a place to record our planning and travel adventures so that family and friends will know where we are at along the way!