# WALKING from Indiana to California



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

Crazy, right? I've recently began thinking about doing this. I LOVE to travel and explore. Originally I thought of riding a bike across America, but realized, “Hey, I have legs,” and doing it by foot would be an even more challenge and the reward at the end would be even better. Several people have done this including an 80 something year old woman. Usually they do the east coast to west coast trip of about 3000 miles from the personal stories I‘ve read. Starting out in Indiana would be about 2,400 miles. I would love to do this next summer but since I’d be in school, I’d have only 3 ½ months between spring and fall semester to do it, which sucks cause I’d be pressured to do more walking each day. I read a story about a guy starting from the state of Delaware and walked to San Francisco and that took him 6 ½ months to accomplish. I probably should wait til after I graduate in 2 years to do this. I would have to average about 30 miles a day to get there in 3 months. There’s a city in California called Santa Barbara, which is about an hour and a half north of Los Angeles that would be my ending location since I know of someone who lives there and I know she’d be down to meet me there when I do arrive. I still got plenty of time to decide on this and research the entire trip. I’d rather start from the east coast, but starting from the heartland is still going to be a daunting task. As far as this relating to social anxiety, when I’m away from my home environment, I seem to be more social and confident. Big goal indeed but if I really set my mind to it I'll do it.


----------



## rdrr (Dec 31, 2008)

Google maps has walking directions, which can greatly help your trip.


----------



## whatdapointyo (Mar 27, 2012)

Dude, you gotta do it. Accomplishing something like that would deal a big boost to ones confidence.


----------



## BoringBum (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm curious how this works. Do you spend the night in hotels? Where do you sleep?


----------



## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Probably best to go in fall or spring. You don't want to be walking through the desert in summer.


----------



## Selbbin (Aug 10, 2010)

do it


----------



## viv (Feb 8, 2009)

Sounds like a cool adventure!

Like BoringBum, I'm curious about the logistics. Would you be roadside tenting? Packing a small stove? How much gear would you carry for something like this?


----------



## Xtraneous (Oct 18, 2011)

Good luck & have fun


----------



## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

I've heard of people doing this but I can't imagine how boring it would be walking through the desert. I've driven through it several times and there are barren stretches that go for hundreds of miles to get to the LA area. Even in spring, you can get storms or heavy downpours and there's just nowhere to take cover. Once even saw a small tornado.

The northern route to Cali sounds much more interesting. I've driven that also and it's absolutely beautiful. Colorado & Wyoming have some of the most stunning views I've ever seen. I suppose you have to deal with the mountains but it's so beautiful I'd probably want to take my time.


----------



## ArcheKoeln (Mar 28, 2012)

That sounds awesome. If I lived in the US, I would love to do something like that. Maybe you could raise money for charity. That will really raise your status with people who see you.


----------



## viv (Feb 8, 2009)

coldmorning said:


> The northern route to Cali sounds much more interesting. I've driven that also and it's absolutely beautiful. Colorado & Wyoming have some of the most stunning views I've ever seen. I suppose you have to deal with the mountains but it's so beautiful I'd probably want to take my time.


I was thinking the same thing but I wasn't sure about the mountains.


----------



## viv (Feb 8, 2009)

ArcheKoeln said:


> That sounds awesome. If I lived in the US, I would love to do something like that. Maybe you could raise money for charity. That will really raise your status with people who see you.


Why not do part of the Trans Can?


----------



## ArcheKoeln (Mar 28, 2012)

viv said:


> Why not do part of the Trans Can?


That's a good idea. Perhaps when school is over I could arrange something.


----------



## VC132 (Sep 1, 2010)

walking...? wow


----------



## Summer Moon (Jan 19, 2012)

That sounds like it would be an amazing experience! I hope you'll be able to do it! 
If you're more comfortable outside of your normal environment, I'm sure this would be a great thing for you to do. You might even find that when you return home from such a life changing adventure, that your anxiety levels will have gone down with all you have seen, and all the people you have met!
Good luck on completing your goal! It sounds like you've got a lot of self motivation to make it all a reality. =)


----------



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

viv said:


> Sounds like a cool adventure!
> 
> Like BoringBum, I'm curious about the logistics. Would you be roadside tenting? Packing a small stove? How much gear would you carry for something like this?


For the most part yes I would be pitching a tent most nights with occasional motel stays. No stove. I would bring peanutbutter, oatmeal, and tuna and basically eat more of those things than anything. I would just but more food at gas stations or stores in the towns I'd pass through. I'm sure I'd stop at fast food places as well. I would just bring one big hikers backpack that could carry all the items I'd bring along with me.

Here's what I'd have on me. I'm sure I'll add more to it as time goes on but this is all I can think of at the moment.

Backpack
Small tent
Sleeping bag
Couple sets of clothing 
First aid kit
Durable knife
Bear pepper spray
Food (jars of peanutbutter and canned tuna like mentioned above)
1 gallon water jug
And of course I'd have my phone and wallet on me


----------



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

I think I'd much rather start from the Atlantic Ocean shoreline and end at the Pacific. If I were to walk from Indiana, it would only be like 4/5 of America walked so it wouldn't exactly be a complete WALK ACROSS AMERICA journey. I wanna be able to say I did the whole 3000+ mile walk, coast to coast.


----------



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

coldmorning said:


> I've heard of people doing this but I can't imagine how boring it would be walking through the desert. I've driven through it several times and there are barren stretches that go for hundreds of miles to get to the LA area. Even in spring, you can get storms or heavy downpours and there's just nowhere to take cover. Once even saw a small tornado.
> 
> The northern route to Cali sounds much more interesting. I've driven that also and it's absolutely beautiful. Colorado & Wyoming have some of the most stunning views I've ever seen. I suppose you have to deal with the mountains but it's so beautiful I'd probably want to take my time.


If I were to go to San Fransisco intead, I know my route would be much more scenic. I could easily change my mind over the next few years and go there as oppossed to LA. Why I thought of LA first was because I know of some people who live out there who would probably let me stay with them for a few nights if I did make the journey plus the Grand Canyon would be along the way too, but I'm not sure how close I could get to it with out drastically adding more miles to my walk if its out of my way.


----------



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

I've also thought about this which would end up taking me to San Fransisco. 
http://www.discoverytrail.org/


----------



## DAM71392 (Jan 28, 2012)

Swaqq


----------



## Selbbin (Aug 10, 2010)

Daylight said:


> For the most part yes I would be pitching a tent most nights with occasional motel stays. No stove. I would bring peanutbutter, oatmeal, and tuna and basically eat more of those things than anything. I would just but more food at gas stations or stores in the towns I'd pass through. I'm sure I'd stop at fast food places as well. I would just bring one big hikers backpack that could carry all the items I'd bring along with me.
> 
> Here's what I'd have on me. I'm sure I'll add more to it as time goes on but this is all I can think of at the moment.
> 
> ...


Whoa whoa. Don't take cans of Tuna, OR peanut butter. They do provide excellent nutrition, but are heavy. I'd recommend lots of water soluable stuff, like mashed potato, pasta etc, and take packet tuna instead of canned tuna. Any extra weight like metal packaging and water within food is a complete waste of energy. You can also take a bit of rice (although heavy), and also dried peas and vegetables. I've carried up to 14 days food like this. If you insist on peanut butter get it in a plastic container.

Oh, and something sweet! You'll need it. Best bet are marshmallows. Light and tasty.

Don't forget lighting, wet weather gear, and lots of socks. First aid kit will need lots of supplies to look after your feet.

One spare set of clothing should do. one for walking, and one for in camp/hotel. While wearing the clean set you can wash the walking set.

I'd also recommend a small inflatable mattress. Much more comfortable than a sleeping mat and if you get the right one, actually half the size and weight!

But the longest I've gone in one walk is 980 kms. (what's that, 600 miles?)


----------



## tiredgal (Mar 30, 2012)

This is your adventure and I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do. You will certainly learn on your path, so I'm not going to get into specifics of advice. But I do recommend that if you put in the time and energy and money to do this, you might as well select a combination of routes around the US like the Appalachian Trail or the PCT. It would save you money, put you in great company and also show you some of the most beautiful places in the country. Walking across the US off trails sounds romantic, but really it just means many many many days on the road, staring at streets and flat sky lines. Also it's way cheaper (and easier to carry) to bring a small stove and some dehydrated meals. Healthier too. Stopping in at gas stations is going to add up really fast. Just my advice, as I spent some time on the AT and it was a wonderful experience. Good luck and enjoy your adventure.


----------



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

I had to resurrect this thread for good reason. I had read about this couple, about three weeks ago, who is currently walking across the U.S. I briefly checked out their website and saw that they were traveling through southwestern Ohio, a little over 200 miles away from where I'm living. Well two days ago on Friday, I was driving through my city when I spotted a couple, one of whom was pushing a cart. When I got closer I realized who they were. It was the couple I had seen and read about on the internet weeks earlier. I was blown away. I turned around and caught up to them. They gave me their card with their info on it and today the three of us got together and had lunch for a couple hours. They just kept going on and on about their travels and I was soaking up a lot of knowledge. I learned a lot from them and got plenty of advice. That friday they had hit the 800 mile mark on their journey so they're about a quarter of the way finished and they've been on the road for about 10 weeks now.

I was thinking about the odds of this happening. A person who is planning on walking across the America who just happens to run into people who are doing just that. I'm taking it as a sign. I really got to do this trek someday.


----------



## northstar1991 (Oct 4, 2011)

It would be awesome to do this!


----------



## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

That is too cool. 

I've walked/backpacked for 30 miles in Canada over two days to get from Banff to Lake Louise. It was fun, and I could have walked on a little longer. However, I couldn't walk to California. I could bike there, and would like to do that one day.


----------



## Roberto (Aug 16, 2004)

Selbbin said:


> But the longest I've gone in one walk is 980 kms. (what's that, 600 miles?)


That was a really informative post. And wow!


----------



## mvlgg (May 21, 2012)

all read all the posts from everyone. wowww that seems really cool. that really makes me want to do it. haha i live in north carolina so it would be easier from me to start on the coast and end up on the coast. could you also run on occasion to save time or would that be cheating? haha oh and would u take any sunscreen? i was walking outside the other day for like 20 minutes and i got a bad sun burn on my neck and a farmer's tan. or would you just have to get a safe tan first and then go on the journey to avoid sunburn?


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Daylight said:


> I had to resurrect this thread for good reason. I had read about this couple, about three weeks ago, who is currently walking across the U.S. I briefly checked out their website and saw that they were traveling through *southwestern Ohio*, a little over 200 miles away from where I'm living. Well two days ago on Friday, I was driving through my city when I spotted a couple, one of whom was pushing a cart. When I got closer I realized who they were. It was the couple I had seen and read about on the internet weeks earlier. I was blown away. I turned around and caught up to them. They gave me their card with their info on it and today the three of us got together and had lunch for a couple hours. They just kept going on and on about their travels and I was soaking up a lot of knowledge. I learned a lot from them and got plenty of advice. That friday they had hit the 800 mile mark on their journey so they're about a quarter of the way finished and they've been on the road for about 10 weeks now.
> 
> I was thinking about the odds of this happening. A person who is planning on walking across the America who just happens to run into people who are doing just that. I'm taking it as a sign. I really got to do this trek someday.


You're going to have to send me that link .


----------



## theJdogg (Sep 18, 2009)

Why not just do the Appalachian Trail? It's closer to Indiana than Cali, so if something comes up, you aren't too far away from home. My old roommate did it and had a blast. He said the culture around the trail had a lot of camaraderie.

Another thing you should consider is getting a food dehydrator. My old roommate fixed two dinners and dehydrated one every day for months before his trip. He then got family to mail his meals to the postoffices along the way, meaning he only carried a weeks worth of food at any given time. He only had to heat up some water.


----------



## Daylight (Jun 20, 2009)

millenniumman75 said:


> You're going to have to send me that link .


Actually I meant southeastern Ohio. I'll PM you the link.


----------



## river1 (Jan 12, 2012)

sounds like it would be a great experience.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Daylight said:


> Actually I meant southeastern Ohio. I'll PM you the link.


 You were right, it was southwest Ohio. They didn't have very nice things to say about Dayton. They were in some not so nice areas. The economy has made things worse than what even I remember.

They mentioned the VA hospital being one of the oldest in the country. Nice things were said about that, so it's not too bad.

I am just sorry their experience here wasn't better.


----------



## theJdogg (Sep 18, 2009)

Daylight said:


> If I were to go to San Fransisco intead, I know my route would be much more scenic. I could easily change my mind over the next few years and go there as oppossed to LA. Why I thought of LA first was because I know of some people who live out there who would probably let me stay with them for a few nights if I did make the journey plus the Grand Canyon would be along the way too, but I'm not sure how close I could get to it with out drastically adding more miles to my walk if its out of my way.


After all that walking, a short flight from San Fran to LA wouldn't be a big deal. I'd rather go with the scenic route.

I also forgot to mention Couchsurfing.com and other sites like that. I used it in Europe all the time. It's a great way to meet people, learn about the local area, and get a free place to stay.


----------

