Road Trip Redux

Well, folks, Randy Olson has done it again. Added something to my bucket list that I can’t not do. Randy is the doctoral candidate at MSU (that’s *Michigan* State University, for those of you not from The Mitten) who used an algorithm to determine the best-fit route to see the Lower 48 in a singular (epic) road trip. (See my earlier blog post on same.)

What Randy did for his road trip of US greatest hits (and covers all of the Lower 48 in one fell swoop) he has now done for Europe. From Randy’s website on his European Vacation:

Here’s the full list of stops in order:

  1. Innsbruck, Austria
  2. Munich, Germany
  3. Pag, Croatia
  4. Venice, Italy
  5. Tuscany, Italy
  6. Florence, Italy
  7. Rome, Italy
  8. Vatican City
  9. Amalfi, Italy
  10. Gozo, Malta
  11. Dubrovnik, Croatia
  12. Santorini, Thira, Greece
  13. Rila Monastery, Rilski manastir, Bulgaria
  14. Istanbul, Turkey
  15. Sighisoara, Mures County, Romania
  16. Budapest, Hungary
  17. Vienna, Austria
  18. Prague, Czech Republic
  19. Krakow, Poland
  20. Jägala Waterfall, 74205 Harjumaa, Estonia
  21. Lapland, Finland
  22. ICEBAR, Marknadsvägen, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
  23. Bergen, Norway
  24. Copenhagen, Denmark
  25. Berlin, Germany
  26. Amsterdam, Netherlands
  27. Keukenhof, Stationsweg, Lisse, Netherlands
  28. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  29. Inverness, United Kingdom
  30. Ballybunion, Ireland
  31. Cliffs of Moher, Clare, Ireland
  32. Cornwall, England
  33. Stonehenge, Amesbury, United Kingdom
  34. London, United Kingdom
  35. Brussels, Belgium
  36. Paris, France
  37. Pamplona, Spain
  38. Lagos, Portugal
  39. Granada, Spain
  40. Ibiza, Spain
  41. Barcelona, Spain
  42. Luberone, Bonnieux, France
  43. Nice, France
  44. Monte Carlo, Monaco
  45. Interlaken, Switzerland

Check out Randy’s full account at http://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/10/computing-the-optimal-road-trip-across-europe/. I would love to take a summer and do this trip, after my US Lower 48 tour, of course.

Incredibly helpfully, Randy has also included the Python algorithm that he did his computations with, so you and I can plan and optimize our next road trips. In fact, I am dreaming about (and starting to plan) a road trip from Boston to the Calgary Stampede a couple summers from now. This will allow me to hit a few more sites, states and provinces, while minimizing gas and time on the road. Thanks, Randy!

Wishing you a happy Life in the Car!

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