It's 95 today in KCMO and, after yesterday's storms, it's positively steamy. Don't know if that'll affect your plans. If you were planning on swinging by the Venomous household you should know that VH is going to be gone for a month and I plan to spend at least a week visiting him in VA to ensure he's not having any fun.

I could find lots of things to do in KC for two weeks. Just visit the young-uns intermittently between various activities of your own choosing. You'll spend less on fuel that way too.

For useful suggestions, a couple more pieces of info would be helpful:

1) How many of the 14 days are driving days? and
2) How far, on average, do you drive in a day during the Tour?

Also, to avoid repetitions, a summary of past WT junkets might be helpful.

Having said all that, hit KC on your way north, swing through Iowa and Minnesota on the way up, and cruise down the east side of the Mississippi on the way home. A sort of Old Man River Tour.

Come to Savannah. :-)

I can't go to Savannah. Every time I've ever been to Savannah (and I have relatives on my dad's side there), I've expended a great deal of emotional energy on trying to come up with an excuse not to leave.

Brief recap:

World Tour '01: through Indiana to Cleveland to New Jersey, down the coast through Delaware and Virginia to South Carolina, westward into Texas.

World Tour '02: through Arkansas, Kentucky and West Virginia, upwards into Joisey again, into Connecticut and New Hampshire and back out again, through Pennsylvania and Ohio and Indiana and into Chicago before heading back.

World Tour '03: Up to the Twin Cities, back to KC to drop off the youngsters, winding upward to Detroit, around the lake to Cleveland (again) to Jersey (again again), down through the Virginias and back home via St Louis.

World Tour '04: Northwest to the Panhandle, western Kansas, eastern Colorado, Wyoming and Montana; lots of time in the Dakotas; back down through Omaha.

World Tour '05: The National Road, more or less, up to Philadelphia, across Jersey to New York and New England, back through upstate New York, and dropping southward through Ohio and Kentucky before turning back to the west.

World Tour '06: Aborted after 115 miles when car and deer fought to a draw (both died).

Determine which states you have and have not visited and then visit the ones you haven't....

At last count, I've been to 38. I'm missing all of New England and most of the Great Lakes States, Hawaii and Alaska.

I'm not seeing my Carolina on your list unless I'm missing something. For the record, I-40 can be (and should be) avoided at all costs. There are many a beautiful mountain drive to be had in the interest of by-passing it specifically.

Dad recently took the train from OKC to Chicago. He said it was terrific ... and 28 hours in length. From here the train only goes south, but once in Ft. Worth you can then head up toward KC or even St. Louis. With a private room, food is included and dad said it was on par with Chili's. (For what it's worth, he likes Chili's.) If you're in the mood to scenery-watch and slow it down a bit, that's one recommendation.

Driving to Hawaii is right out: driving to Alaska is conceivable but not likely this time around, even though it would help with picking up the remaining states I haven't seen: Utah, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. (I have certain reservations about showing up in Seattle these days with Oklahoma plates, if you know what I mean.)

And incidentally, all the World Tour logs are still accessible: '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, and what I was able to salvage from '06.

I've thought about the train, but I'm kind of saving that for the unlikely event that someday I get to go with someone.

What, no stop in Hoboken? All the vaudeville tours stopped in Hoboken. YOU'RE NOT BIGGER THAN VAUDEVILLE, FELLA.

Actually, the last time I was in North Bergen (which was during WT05) I drifted (via banged-up cab) into Hoboken to hobnob with Miss Eden, who has since relocated to D.C. for reasons quite unrelated. (We had dinner at the Gaslight, if you're curious.)

It's been this way all my life: no one comes to Florida.

The problem with Florida — okay, a problem with Florida — is that you can't go there on the way to somewhere else, unless you're bound for the Free Clinic in Havana. Admittedly, Mausplatz isn't quite as distant as some other points in the Sunshine State, but still, you gotta really want to go there.

OOOH CHAZ, I've been dying to take a train trip. That's what I'm planning next year, just to go...ANYWHERE. Let's go. ;)

Promise not to yawn? :)

You've got enough folks telling you where to go. And you're gonna go where you want to anyway. But I repeat my offer that IF your journey brings your through or close to Nashville, either purposely or because you missed a turn, I'm buying burgers and beers, or whatever...

Ditto the burgers-n-beer offer, if you're in the Iowa City / Cedar Rapids corridor area. Small repayment for the hours of entertainment you've provided over the last few years since I first stumbled onto Dustbury.

If you want to pick up those northwestern states, you could do the following: head north toward Mount Rushmore (or presidents park), then west through Montana, Idaho, and Washington, eventually turning south and hitting Oregon before heading back home. Lots of stuff to do along that route.