Unchained across the USA
 

This Saturday I start a ride from Atlanta to Seattle avoiding interstates and not really going directly either. It's more of a 5500 mile approx meander, via places you probably wouldn't normally visit.
I've set myself the challenge of seeing if this trip can be made without visiting any chains, BK, KFC, McD, Hilton, Marriotts etc...the exception being petrol stations and the bank...oh yes and I'm a Brit who moved to Seattle two weeks ago, so it's all going to be an adventure.

What I hope to achieve is the experience of uniqueness at every stage of the crossing, no two places being the same, a grasp for individuality before corporations squeeze the last dregs of self determination out of society. Granted some places will be rough, but for every 10 of them I expect a gem.

I'm blogging this journey at

www.roughguidesintouch.com/lamble

email: lamble1@comcast.net
if you have any thoughts or if you think our paths might cross.

You will find that once you are away from the large cities the big chain places are easier to avoid. Middle America is very diffrent in both landscape and culture than Seattle. I have moved from the west coast to the midwest and back a couple of times in my liftime. I have driven back and forth a couple more and always enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy your jurney as much as I have mine. Welcome to the US btw.

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Large cities or small, I never eat at the places you mention in the US. You make it sound as if there are few other choices, as if this will be a difficult undertaking. Turn off your television and go enjoy the US, there's plenty to see and do and you don't have to visit a "chain" restaurant to do it. Julia Child said the US had eclipsed France as the epicenter of world cuisine, why don't you do her proud and figure out why? I live in a small town in Colorado, Starbucks put in a coffee shop in the heart of our town (population 16,000), this pissed quite a few folks off. There are 3 other coffee shops in town and none of them have closed. Few locals visit Starbuck's, we don't have to or want to. True, most Interstate exits have the usual chain restaurants, as they do even in Sweden last time I visited. You ALWAYS have a choice, simply use it. If I were you I'd put up a post asking for peoples favorite spots along your journey. Then I'd begin high-lighting those places in anticipation of what promises to be awesome ride!

I often give myself a general rule when travelling. I neither eat nor stay at any place I have heard of before. There is a lot of diversity out there, so it is actually pretty easy to do. It's more fun, too.

Matthew