Sojourn Superlatives

After nearly 70 days on the road, we spent a few days reflecting on our journey. Below are some of our favorite memories from the trip.

The Numbers:
Miles Driven - 11,775.9
Gallons of Gas Used - TBD
Average Miles Per Gallon - TBD
Interstates Travelled - 39
States Visited - 34
Countries Visited - 6

Hotel Room:
Best - MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
Worst - Economy Inn, Las Cruces, NM

Meal:
Best Overall - Via Cavour Ristorante, Rome, ITA
Worst Overall - JB's, Hurricane, UT
Best Value - Spaghetti Warehouse, San Antonio, TX
& Waffle House, any Interstate exit in the South
Worst Value - Sharky's, Waikoloa, HI

Dessert:
Best - Brownie Sundae, Ghiradelli's, San Francisco, CA
Worst - Ice Cream and Cookies, Golden Buffet, Carlsbad, NM

Cocktail:
Best - Strawberry Margarita, Margaritaville, Las Vegas, NV (Bonus points awarded for being to-go)
Worst - Fuller's Beer, London, ENG (Negative points awarded for being warm)

Natural Attraction:
Best - Carlsbad Cavern, Carlsbad, NM
Worst - Volcanoes National Park, Volcano, HI (Negative points awarded for inactivity)

Historical Attraction:
Best - Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA
Worst - Spanish Governor's Palace, San Antonio, TX

Best Free Attraction:
St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican, Vatican City (Free only on the last Sunday of every month)
Best U.S. - The Alamo, San Antonio, TX

Worst Value Attraction:
Westminster Abbey, London, ENG (Though it was fascinating and we are glad we went, the cost was an astronomical $30 apiece)

Museum:
Best - Vatican, Vatican City
Best U.S. - Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Worst - Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL

Wildlife Experience:
Best - Everglades National Park, FL
Worst - St. James Park, London, ENG (Home to hundreds of fearless pigeons)

Beach:
Best - Puako, HI
Worst - Santa Monica, CA

Attraction Surprises:
Most Pleasant Surprise - Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX
Most Disappointing - Central Market, San Antonio, TX

City Hall:
Best - Montreal City Hall, QC
Worst - Rapid City City Hall, SD

Public Transportation:
Best - Denver, CO
Worst - Toronto, ON

Drive:
Best - Pacific Coast Highway, CA
Worst - Interstate 69, MI

Traffic:
Easiest - Ranch Route 652, West TX
Worst - Malibu, CA to Westwood, CA (An hour and a half to go 10 miles)

Billboard:
Best - Wall Drug's 100+ billboards on Interstate 90, SD
Worst - "Support Hunters, Wear Fur", Interstate 90, SD

Gas Prices:
Best - $1.74, Upstate SC
Worst - $2.69, Northern CA

Elevation:
Highest - 11,013 ft above sea level, Eisenhower Tunnel, Interstate 70, CO
Lowest - 6 ft below sea level, 9th Ward, New Orleans, LA

State Sign:
Best - Wyoming
Worst - New Hampshire

Road Trip Item:
Most Useful - 2007 Rand McNally Atlas
Least Useful - Collapsible snow shovel

Road Trip Snack:
Best - Trail Mix (Unsalted peanuts, raisins, reeces pieces)
Worst - Bananas (Too temperature sensitive)

Weather:
Best - Big Island, HI
Worst - Grand Canyon, AZ (Camping in 19 degrees made for a long night)

Temperature:
Coldest - -9 degrees, Caribou, ME
Warmest - 80 degrees, Miami Beach, FL (Bonus degrees awarded for humidity, edging out Hawaii)

Best Sunset:
Hapuna Beach, HI

Skyline:
Best - New York, NY
Worst - San Diego, CA

Timing:
Best - Happening upon the Changing of the Guard, Buckingham Palace, London, ENG
Worst - Just missing the Three Kings Day Parade, Little Havana, Miami, FL

Overall City/Town:
Best - San Francisco, CA
Worst - Los Angeles, CA