Okay...we revised the map.
And apparently decided to make this project a little more intense.
What started as roughly a 5,000-mile trip has officially grown by another 2,500 miles, because once we really started mapping everything out, there were just too many iconic places we couldn't imagine driving across the country without photographing.
So, The Journey is now looking more like 7,500 miles across the United States.
The whole idea behind this project is to build one photo set into the back of our Toyota Tacoma, keep the set essentially the same, and photograph it against completely different landscapes across the country. Same set. Same truck. Same little world we've built. Completely different reality outside of it.
And now we have a much better idea of where we're actually going.
The New Route
The Journey kicks off in our hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and from there we're heading north along the East Coast.
We'll make our way through Washington, DC, New York City, Connecticut and Massachusetts, eventually heading all the way up to Cape Cod.
I've never been to Cape Cod and have always wanted to go, so I am VERY excited about this addition. I also fully intend to eat a lobster roll while we're there. If anyone has a Cape Cod lobster roll recommendation, please send it my way.
NYC friends, we could also use your help. We'd love to find somewhere we can park the truck and photograph the set with the city skyline in the background. I'm wondering if somewhere across the river in New Jersey might actually give us the best view? If you know a spot that could work, tell us!
From Cape Cod, we'll start working our way west toward Ohio and Michigan, where we're planning to photograph at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and get some shots along the Great Lakes.
Then we head south toward the Ozark National Forest before cutting back west through Nebraska and into Colorado.
From there things start getting BIG.
Great Sand Dunes National Park. The Grand Canyon. Utah. The Bonneville Salt Flats.
Then we'll continue all the way up toward Oregon before turning south and driving the California coast, through Big Sur and eventually all the way down to Los Angeles.
And Now We Have to Build This Thing
The set build starts this week, which makes all of this suddenly feel very real.
David designed a pretty wild reverse forced-perspective set for the back of the Tacoma. The entire thing is designed around revealing as much of the landscape as possible while still creating this surreal little world inside the truck.
It's one of those designs that makes complete sense when David explains it and also makes me think, Okay...but how exactly are we going to build this into a truck and drive it 7,500 miles?
We'll find out.
Our presenting partner, Adorama, is also helping us lock in the camera and lighting gear that's going to make these photographs possible. We're trying to build a setup that can handle everything from beaches and forests to deserts, mountains and salt flats, while still giving the entire series a consistent look.
There are a lot of moving pieces, but it's exciting to finally see everything starting to come together.
We Have a Route. Now We Need Your Help.
It feels really good to finally have a loose route locked in, but there is still so much to figure out.
We've never taken a trip quite like this before. We'll be on the road for weeks, driving thousands of miles with a photo set built into the back of our truck and our golden retriever Joey along for the entire adventure.
So this is where we need you.
If you've been to any of these places, send us your tips. We want the weird roadside stops, overlooked landscapes, insane views, great places to eat, dog-friendly stops, and especially locations where you look at the scenery and immediately think, you HAVE to photograph the set there.
And if you've done a long road trip with a dog, we will happily take those tips too.
Most importantly...
Which stop are you most excited to see us photograph?
The Journey officially kicks off mid-September.
Until then, we're building, planning, testing, packing and figuring out all the little details that come with attempting something we've never done before.
Just wanted to share a little update as we keep moving through the planning process.
It's getting real.
