Detour #324: A Little Lotus in a Big Country, USA
Ross Robbins took his tiny Elan on a massive journey of discovery, to reach the furthest points in the Contiguous Continental United States.
The whole concept of my Cross Country Elan trip germinated in the fall of 2020 in the midst of the Covid restrictions; the darkest days of the pandemic. Feeling trapped by the lockdown, I started thinking of an escape route.
I’d take my 1965 Lotus Elan and plan the trip as if it was the day it was originally delivered. No satellites to guide me and fewer Interstates to speed along.
I consulted my trusty road atlas and sought out the best driving roads that were available back in the Sixties. It was a beacon of hope when hope was hard to find and, as it turned out, doing it was even better.
I thought of a perimeter loop as Steinbeck did in Travels with Charley, but starting from my home in Colorado, it’s a long way to the perimeter and back. As I looked further, a huge dip was required to get south of the Great Lakes to avoid going through Canada, which was prohibited due to Covid. So it was, that I came up with the cross-country plan to hit the four furthest points in the Contiguous Continental USA which are reachable by public road:
• Card Sound Road, Florida: At the base of the bridge to Key Largo, it is the most Southeast point in the contiguous United States.
• Near Madawaska, Maine: A point along the river is the most Northeast point in the contiguous United States.
• Jalama Beach County Park, California: While Point Arguello is the most Southwest point in the contiguous United States, it sits on Vandenburg Space Force Base and access is prohibited, so Jalama Beach is the closest publicly accessible point.
• Cape Flattery Washington; Located on the Makah Indian Reservation, this is the most Northwest point in the contiguous United States.
I also discovered some other extreme geographical gems and added them, to the route:
• The highest elevation incorporated town in the USA, Alma, Colorado at 10,578 feet above sea level
• The lowest elevation incorporated town in the USA, Furnace Creek, California at 190 feet below sea level
• The geographic center of the 50 States near Belle Fourche, South Dakota
• The geographic center of the 48 contiguous States, at AA Road, near Lebanon, Kansas
I estimated about 350 miles per day based on seven hours of driving at 50 miles per hour. Since weather was critical in my planning to drive my classic convertible, I settled on a start date of mid-April and a finish around the end of May and chose to head southeast first on the theory that I’d not be too warm at first nor too cold later. Once I reached Card Sound road, I could work my way north as the season warmed, avoiding all the built-up cities on the coast by heading inland. I reasoned that, after passing through the center of the Continental USA, by the time I got home, it should be nice there as well.
After a night or two at home to rest, repair and do laundry, I’d then head west with a short but risky run over the Rockies. And then, after braving the heat of Death Valley, Furnace Creek and over the Sierras, I’d have smooth, comfortable sailing all the way up the west coast to Cape Flattery. As the season warmed and days got longer the trek across Idaho and Montana should be just fine, then the last run, Belle Fourche to Alma near the Continental Divide, should be temperate as well. Note the frequent use of the word “should.” Mother Nature could throw a wrench into all these assumptions at any time or place yet I immediately felt more hopeful. When I presented my nascent plant to my wife Ann, she said, “That looks amazing! You call me every night and let me know you’re safe.”
Then, on April 11, 2021, spring in Colorado, yet in the autumn of my life, I finally began the drive of my dreams.
And, you know what, I did it…I made it home after touching all eight points. Of course, my path and my timing didn’t exactly match my plan though I came pretty close! I was told by a friend before leaving that he thought I was nuts and that I would never make it all the way. After the trip he told me he was glad he was only half right!
As a 77-year-old man in a tiny 56-year-old car, I had travelled 11,544 miles, used 385.8 gallons of fuel, touched 34 states and had only two significant mechanical issues. I had no major storms or violent weather and was top down more than not, the Elan still running sweetly all the way into my garage. As for me, while I had perhaps overrated my stamina, I was still grinning!
Words & Photography Ross Robbins
ROADBOOK
CLASS: Epic Drive
NAME: All Across America
ROUTE: Colorado to Colorado
COUNTRY: USA
Distance: 11,500 Miles
Ross Robbins took his tiny Elan on a massive journey of discovery, to reach the furthest points in the contiguous Continental United States.