Lemondrop

48 states in 50 days -- why the heck not?! Actually, we can think of about 12 million reasons why not, but road-tripper extraordinaire Greg Lockwood apparently was able to come up with 12 million and one reasons why. He's currently chronicling his journey on at 48 States, 50 Days. We caught up with him somewhere between Vermont and New York to ask a few questions. See what he told us (and why you should avoid Delaware at all costs) after the jump.

Lemondrop: What inspired your trip?
Greg Lockwood: It really was an amalgamation of things. I think the seed was first planted back in 2008. I saw "Into the Wild," which is the story of Christopher McCandless's post-graduation travels, which ultimately led to his unfortunate death. Now, obviously I wasn't interested in doing anything as extreme as he did, but just the idea of sort of leaving everything behind for a while in exchange for a transient experience resonated with me. But as I said, that only really planted the idea, I never really thought much more about it until August 2009.

I was at one of my best friend's weddings and I met this guy there, and he had just purchased a Chinook recreational vehicle, and was kind of randomly driving around the country, just going wherever the wind blew him. That was when I realized that cross-country travels might be a realistic option for me, that it didn't have to be just something from a movie. Add to that the fact that I was graduating from Texas A&M University in May 2010, didn't have a job lined up, and didn't particularly care for a job right after college. So September 2009 is when I really started planning the trip, and here I am today.

What's the best place you've been so far, and what's the worst?
The best place is a little difficult to pick. I would say New York, but that would be my cop-out answer, because who can compete with New York City? It's impossible. So if I didn't say New York, I would probably say Connecticut. The entirety of Connecticut is beautiful, and despite its age, it somehow seems well-preserved. What I mean by that is, everywhere in Texas has seen the touch of human development. If there's land that hasn't been developed on, it's being cleared and readied for whatever commercial enterprises are planning on resting there. In Connecticut, it seems like the people there have really trod lightly on the land, and beautiful, untouched landscapes are the rule rather than the exception.

I really don't like to be negative about places I've been, because I know everywhere in the country there are people who love where they live, but since you asked, I would definitely have to say that Delaware is the worst place I've been so far. They call Delaware "The First State," because it was the first state to ratify the Constitution, but really it was just the first state that I wanted to get the hell out of. Did you know that Delaware is the only state in the U.S. without at least one National Park Service area? There is virtually nothing there. And they try to play it off by not having a state sales tax or property tax, which sounds awesome, but it's just not worth having to be in Delaware to take advantage of.

Any crazy experiences you've had so far?
I wouldn't say that I've had any "crazy" experiences in, say, the "Fear and Loathing" sense, but I have had some really awesome surreal experiences. I would say my favorite one would be visiting the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta Hindu temple in Georgia. It's the largest temple of its kind outside of India, and something you really don't expect to find in Atlanta. I went there with the intentions of only taking pictures of the outside, as I heard it wasn't open to the non-worshiping, but when I got there they said it was OK for me to go inside. Before you enter past the first room, you have to take off your shoes, and since I had shorts on that day and shorts are forbidden, I had to wear a leg wrap, which is called a dhoti. Actually going inside was a really powerful experience, as I was walking around, exploring this temple while people are there on their stomachs and knees actively praying and worshiping. So I would say that was one of the more intense experiences I've had so far.

What tips would you give for future one-state-in-one-day attemptees?
Don't go by yourself. I was told this by a friend who had gone on a trip somewhat similar to mine a year ago, but I shrugged it off and didn't think anything of it. And while I don't regret doing this solo at all, the solitude really does get to you after a few weeks. I mean, of course you see people along the way, and have a basic level of human interaction, but it would definitely be nice to have someone to talk to on long drives and boring periods. To paraphrase Bill Bryson, "It must be lonely to have a truly unique experience," and I now see the truth in that. People will ask you about your trip, and you can try to explain what travels of this magnitude are like, but unless they were with you or have done something very similar, it's impossible for them to completely relate.

What are you looking forward to most?
I try to look forward to everything with equal passion as to be nondiscriminatory towards the different states, but there are definitely some noteworthy ones. I am really excited to see Mount Rushmore, as that's one of the nation's biggest landmarks. I'm really looking forward to San Francisco, since I've never been and I hear a lot of good things. And, of course, as amazing as this journey I'm on is, and as much as I love every day of it, I would be lying if I didn't say I was looking forward to being back in Dallas with my friends and family.