Leg 1: Pittsburgh to Dayton

We started out on this journey with no plan whatsoever, and if all goes well, it will end that way. This road trip is the culmination of several promises made in the front seat of a stationary car many, many years ago. The goal of this trip, pure and simple, is to eat as much as possible, see as much as possible, and share as much as possible, so long as we don't plan anything more than about 6 hours in advance.

Road trip. Reactions are somewhat mixed when you hear those words. They range from: "Awesome! You guys are going to have so much fun!" (friend), to "How the hell are you morons going to get anywhere with no money and nowhere to stay?" (much more sensible Dad). Nevertheless, no amount of discord among our peers could dissuade us from embarking on our Lewis and Clarkian adventure. The trip was on.

We started with humble beginnings. Pier St., located in Oakland, Pa., is the place we call home. This would be the launching point for our journey. Unfortunately, there were no crowds bashing bottles of champagne against my 130,000 mile-ridden Camry while screaming "Bon voyage!" It was more along the lines of an unnamed landlord drearily staring at the back of my car while simultaneously thinking of ways to invade the apartment during our absence.

In essence, when we set out to plan this trip, we had a simple idea: head west. Knowing that we would likely not get out of Pittsburgh with two ADD-riddled minds and no direction, we decided to plan, if only a little bit. The first destination would be Memphis, Tn., via Dayton, Oh. Pittsburgh to Memphis is a bit of a haul (741.3 miles to be exact, hence the title), so we decided to make a layover in Marc's former alma mater.

The first leg of the trip was a familiar voyage for co-pilot Marc. Having attended the University of Dayton several years prior, he knew how to get there the same way David Hasselhoff knows how to get to the liquor store (low blow?).

We watched as the towering hills of Western Pennsylvania turned into the perfectly level planes of Ohio. We counted the billboards while eating Third-Degree Burn Doritos and listening to Lil' Wayne mixtapes. Never before have I been so far, but felt so close, to home.

There's something to be said for staring at an endless strip of dashed white lines. The road is a calm place, and I look forward to seeing as much of it on this trip as possible. 267.3 miles separate Pittsburgh and Dayton (give or take a few miles so I could figure out how to set the Trip counter on my odometer); plenty of time to relax and think about what we have seen, and more importantly, what we will see.

This is a road trip, meaning the importance of stopping at every road side attraction is an absolute must, but we were pressed for time. You see, Dayton is home to the first essential stop on our culinary quest: Dewey's Pizza. For those not familiar - get familiar damnit. Dewey's is little pizza shop located in the foodie district of Dayton's main strip. Dewey's BBQ Chicken Pizza is soft chicken interlaced with crisp vegetables, covered in delicious BBQ sauce, and resting calmy atop a pillow-like crust with a hint of sweetness. We managed to leave Pittsburgh at approximately 5:00pm, and woke up in pizza heaven around 9:35pm. In a rare moment of foresight, we called ahead and placed a pickup order, knowing the haven would close at 10:00pm.

Currently, I write this from a Flyer's house on the Dayton campus (thanks Steve!). Marc was lucky enough to secure us a place of rest for the night, but our rest will be short. Tomorrow we leave for the blues Mecca to see none other than the blues God: Eric Clapton. The trip starts at 8:00pm, and check-in to Bates Motel is at 4:00pm. Approximate time of travel: 8 hours. Approximate number of run-of-the-mill barbeque places we plan to stop at for what will likely be the best meal either of us has ever had: 3.

More updates to come soon, including pictures from the first leg of the trip.

No looking back,

CPS