Cross Country Tour From Va To Seattle!

[LuvyourShoes]

Hi people!

I'm planning a cross country tour to see the country for the first time! I am planning to pass through the northern most states on the way to Seattle.

The itinerary currently looks like this:

Western PA

Northern Ohio

Southern Michigan

Northern Indiana

Chicago, Illinois

Wisconsin

Minnesota

North Dakota

Montana

The Top of Idaho

Washington

Seattle!! Yay!

I will be posting heeling pictures here and I would love to see as many of you as possible.

The trip there will be From July 31 to August 2/3. I'm stopping for rest and tourism in Philadelphia (Hey Jeff!) and Reading, PA, Chicago (friends and family), Minneapolis, and maybe once more in Montana.

I'll be in Seattle for that first whole week of August.

I'll be coming back through from the 8th through the 10th.

Anyone interested in meeting up, please let me know so we can plan it out. No need for anything elaborate. A simple meet at a coffee shop or something would be excellent.

I'm very interested in meeting you all face to face and enjoying a good time and our passion for heels!

Tech, I will be posting pics here at the appropriate time, however, if you feel that this is more appropriate at in the High Heel meets section, kindly slide this on over.

[Steve63130]

Wait! You're going to leave July 31 and arrive in Seattle August 3? Four days driving? And 3 days coming back? You really need to rethink that. It's a 5 or 6 day trip (500 miles a day) and that won't allow you any tourism or visiting with people. I don't think your timing is realistic. Study the map (and Google Maps is your friend) a little more carefully so you can gauge the mileage better. From Philly to Seattle is 41 hours, and over 2800 miles.

 

You're most welcome to visit here in central Ohio if you can swing past Columbus instead of going through the northern part of the Buckeye State. I'm in Granville, about 25 miles east of Columbus and 9 miles north of I-70, at exit 126. I always like to meet other heelers! Let me know if you can alter your itinerary and when you'd be through here.

 

Steve

[Heelster]

Wait! You're going to leave July 31 and arrive in Seattle August 3? Four days driving? And 3 days coming back? You really need to rethink that. It's a 5 or 6 day trip (500 miles a day) and that won't allow you any tourism or visiting with people. I don't think your timing is realistic. Study the map (and Google Maps is your friend) a little more carefully so you can gauge the mileage better. From Philly to Seattle is 41 hours, and over 2800 miles.

 

You're most welcome to visit here in central Ohio if you can swing past Columbus instead of going through the northern part of the Buckeye State. I'm in Granville, about 25 miles east of Columbus and 9 miles north of I-70, at exit 126. I always like to meet other heelers! Let me know if you can alter your itinerary and when you'd be through here.

 

Steve

 

Have to agree with Steve - - - That's a hell of a push for a "trip to see the country".

 

Google will help, but my experience says google is usually very low in the hours. They seem to figure top speed, none stop, and no construction - - which means I'm doing 10 to 15 0ver, and still late.

 

If your doing Philly, then your most likely coming through Ohio on the turnpike - - keep me advised. I'm nearby - - - Maybe we will connect, but given my usual schedule - - - - - 

[LuvyourShoes]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll recalculate and see where we stand. That doesn't change the fact that I still am interested in meeting up.

I appreciate the support!

Message me here and I'll give my number so we can further plan things out.

Thanks Steve and Heelster.

I think I'll skip PA for this trip (sorry Jeff!) and go from VA Straight to Ohio, then Indianapolis, then Chicago... that cuts a little time.

I may do less tourism than I thought! Lol

[maninpumps]

Just wear tennis shoes in Gary , Indiana . You may need to move pretty quick . Be safe in your travels.

[Heelster]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll recalculate and see where we stand. That doesn't change the fact that I still am interested in meeting up.

I appreciate the support!

Message me here and I'll give my number so we can further plan things out.

Thanks Steve and Heelster.

I think I'll skip PA for this trip (sorry Jeff!) and go from VA Straight to Ohio, then Indianapolis, then Chicago... that cuts a little time.

I may do less tourism than I thought! Lol

 

 

Then your route through Ohio will be on Route 70 - - straight through Steve's neck of the woods. (Columbus area) and Steve is only a few miles off of 70 - -  

 

Then 70 to Indy, North to Chicago, Pick up 80 west and head to Cheyenne. May pick up 20 to Yellowstone (up through Cody Flatland again) and off to Oregon / Seatle.

 

Note, lots of construction on 70 west of Columbus, and they slow you down to 45 mph in places.

 

You could just stay on 80 west and go south of the Tetons - may be faster. Last time I was on 20 west of Cody, it was two lane road with lots of small towns.

 

Once you get west of the Mississippi, speed limits are more of a recommendation. We used to do 80 / 85 when the limit was still 55 mph. Get into a fast moving bunch and stay in the middle of the pack.

 

Last time I drove that far west, we did Lorain / Elyria to Cheyenne, in under 26 hours, and we were pushing for a deadline. I have never driven past the Tetons without flying into an area.

 

If you have never driven cross country, you have no idea how big and open this country is. New York To Miami is just traffic, East Coast to West Coast is a whole differnt ball game.

[pebblesf]

Sounds very exciting, I wish Boston was on your route, oh well.

[LuvyourShoes]

Thanks again to everyone for their input. Due to everyone's input, I may alter this trip tremendously. I'll keep you posted.

[Steve63130]

Decide what you really want to see. Then look at a map (or Google Maps) and take the distance and divide by 50 for the number of hours it will take, including rest stops and eating. If you have only 11 days of vacation time for travel, go to places much closer to home and see them more thoroughly. Put Philly back on your itinerary. It's well worth visiting. If you get no further west than Chicago or St. Louis, you'll still have a very satisfying trip. And do pay attention to where construction constrictions are. It's no fun to spend your vacation sitting in traffic waiting to get through a bottleneck that you could have avoided with better planning!

 

Steve

[LuvyourShoes]

More great advice Steve! Thanks so much!

I think I'm going to make it separate trips. I'm going to try to visit family in Reading, PA and Harrisburg, PA the last weekend in July, with which I can hit Philly and Columbus in an order that makes sense of course.

I'm looking for a way to fly across to the west coast at this point. Those tix are expensive! I think it'll be worth it... gas would probably end up being the same price, if not more.

[Heelster]

Gas prices  being what they are, driving may be less expensive, plus you can take along more shoes. Time is your factor.

 

Gas prices are probably going to be less expensive west of Virginia.

[Logjam]

Time available, and travel cost are of course major factors. But if you did decide to drive, I'd suggest alternate routes going to and from. The American west is chock full of amazing places and things to see.

Regards, Logjam

[HappyinHeels]

LuvyourShoes,

 

Steve63130 is exactly on target, as usual, and you should recalculate time and distance on your upcoming trip. I live in SE Wisconsin and may or may not be on your route since one travelling VA-Seattle could follow I-70 to Indy then take I-65 to Chicago then I-90 west to Madison which bypasses where I live even I am just five miles west of I-94. His request for you to reconsider is telling of what faces you. For example, if you stayed the night in the Kenosha area, met with me, then continued your journey west say to Fargo, ND you would have covered 615 miles and crossed Wisconsin and Minnesota but this would be  an entire day and is only 1/5 to 1/6 of the time actually needed to make the trip from VA-Seattle.

Take Steve in Ohio for example. I visited him and his wife in central Ohio in 2013 on a return trip from Charleston, SC but meticulously planned when I'd leave CHarelston, how far I'd get and where I'd stay the night so I could arrive early enough in Granville to enjoy a pedicure at a salon where Steve goes. I made it work but only because I had a plan and stuck to it. Steve would be easy to visit, exit 126 of I-70 to Granville. If you visited Jeff you could make it to Granville the same day. I left Hershey last January at 6:45 am and made it to Granville by 12:30 in time to get a pedicure before the salon closed at 2 p.m. on a Saturday. Philadelphia would require leaving at least an hour earlier than that and clear traffic. If you were able to even see two or three of us along the way it will ehnace your trip but the trip will go much smoother with some more calculation. We'll help you plan a good trip!

HappyinHeels

[Rick24]

I wish that would happen where Im from, but the people are dull and boring,

[SF]

Sounds like a fun summer "road trip." Spontaneous itineraries are the best. Have fun.

[Steve63130]

More great advice Steve! Thanks so much!

I think I'm going to make it separate trips. I'm going to try to visit family in Reading, PA and Harrisburg, PA the last weekend in July, with which I can hit Philly and Columbus in an order that makes sense of course.

I'm looking for a way to fly across to the west coast at this point. Those tix are expensive! I think it'll be worth it... gas would probably end up being the same price, if not more.

I think making two separate trips is a good idea. We are a day's ride from Philly (a long day). Anyway, let us know when you plan your itinerary and we can help you by suggesting things you might want to visit on the trip.

 

Flying is not too bad if you plan ahead. We got tickets to fly to Seattle for about $650 each, round trip. While gas for driving is less expensive, by the time you add wear and tear on the car plus hotels/motels, driving is much more expensive and it eats up limited vacation time.

 

Steve

[estar]

@luvyourshoes, when you make it out to the PNW, let me know.

[LuvyourShoes]

Hey Estar,

I'm planning to touch down on Tuesday, August 5th. I'll keep you posted!

[HappyinHeels]

LuvYourSHoes,    So how far west were you going to go on the one trip?  As far as Chicago and maybe I could see you or just as far as Ohio and you could see Steve63130??  Inquiring minds want to know     HappyinHeels

[LuvyourShoes]

Lol! Hey!

So here's my new plans:

I'm looking at plane tickets now for Seattle for the 3rd through the 8th. I may have an overnight layover in Minnesota at this point, but that's still in the air at this point. Seattle is a definite go.

The second trip to Pennsylvania / Ohio will probably be the 3rd or 4th weekend in August. I really want to visit and see several of you good people during that time. This trip is still somewhat in planning and is not concrete yet. I will keep you posted.

The third trip is to Chicago for sure, as I am going to be attending a wedding. This will be on the 4th of September. Let me know if that's close to you. I'll be driving so that gives me a little more flexibility to visit people along the way.

Let me know!

[HappyinHeels]

The 4th is Labor Day weekend and we probably will be Up North at our 40 acres there so probably not UNLESS you get to CHicago on the 3rd which then makes it a definite possibility. I live just 63 miles NW of the downtown area (I use either the Willis Tower or the intersection of State and Madison Streets as my definition of the center of the city) so it is close. But you may be headed to a suburb which may be further or closer yet to me. Most of Chicagoland is within my reach on a short-notice basis so I am not too concerned. Let me know if you'll be around the 3rd and exactly where you'll be. HappyinHeels

[LuvyourShoes]

Alright good people,

The time has arrived! I will be heading out to Seattle via plane tomorrow morning. I should be in Seattle by noon PST. I'll be getting situated mostly on Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday are very flexible for any meet ups.

I'm excited and happy about this trip. If we cross paths, it should make for a great time!

To all my Northern and Midwestern fellow heelers, thanks for your wisdom and support. I'll make a shorter trip up that way soon and keep you all posted. Pics will be coming soon!

[SF]

Have fun!!!  It is good to get out and see the world. If the weather is nice, Seattle is a pretty place.  

As for heeling, I always travel with at least one pair of heels.  Wearing heels away from home can be easier to do, since there is not the "fear" of being seen by someone you know.  

As for me, I don't care, wearing heels is fun and I enjoy it.   

If you ever get down to CA, let me know, maybe we can meet up….   

Enjoy yourself!!!   sf

[LuvyourShoes]

I would love to do a trip out there! So many places to visit!

Here's a bonus pic to kick off the journey.

A beautiful young woman I met at a party broke out the stripper heels for fun. We started talking about them and she asked the question "Do you want to wear them?"...

Little did she know... lol.

I became the hit of the party due to my excellent stride and grace. She and I became great friends and chatted endlessly about shoes! My shoe size was only slightly larger than hers, despite the massive cliffhanger toes you see. Lol. The shoes were a 10, she wore a 12, and I wear a 13.

She has the common "can't find shoes in my size" problem. I didn't have time to go into the details of where to find shoes just then though.

Anyway, I think this is a positive start to a great week!

[Steve63130]

You look great in those heels! I can tell you're both having fun! Great pics, thanks for sharing!

 

Have fun on your trip!

 

Steve

[RonC]

She wears a 12!!!?  Wow, I'd love to find a woman like that - we could share shoes!

[LuvyourShoes]

Thanks Steve!

And yes Ron, she does wear a 12, but she isn't afraid to throw on a 10 or an 11... lol.

I've made it safely to Seattle! I plan on wearing a pair of Nine West Boots on my outing. I'll take a few pics as I go. Anyone in the area, please feel free to give me a shout!

Let me say that I have had one of the best days ever here in Seattle. It feels like a whole different atmosphere here compared to Virginia. Everyone seems to be way more relaxed (no weed references intended, lol) and friendly.

I didn't get to do much heeling today because I walked all over the place. I chose to not kill myself and wore flats ( and still killed myself anyway). I did however visit Nordstrom rack and found some beautiful bcbg heels.

I didn't buy them yesterday, and dreamt of them for the remainder of the day... and this morning.

I must go back and get them today!!!

I'm off to the aquarium and Space Needle today, then back for my heels!

[Steve63130]

Nice heels! I hope you enjoy them!

 

I was in Nordstrom's in Seattle a few years ago and met the late shoe designer Vince Camuto. We had a short conversation and I asked him whether he thought heels for guys would ever return as a fashion. He just laughed and we said good-bye.

 

Make sure you get to Pike Place Market. Not to be missed. The Athenian Greek restaurant is a big favorite; enjoy breakfast there, too. Have fun!

 

Steve

[HappyinHeels]

LuvYourShoes,  Looks like your trip to Seattle is as enjoyable as you imagined it might be. I agree what a cool woman to meet and share heels with! I think you could wear as high a heel out there as you could manage and be fine. Seattle is relaxed, not quite as cool as San Francisco, but then again I'm very preferential to that city. Enjoy the amazing scenery.  HappyinHeels

[LuvyourShoes]

U had an amazing day yesterday. It was a like a fresh breeze in my life, and it was much needed.

I set out to spend my day wearing shoes that I really want to wear. I've been terribly frustrated with the feeling of being confined in men's shoes, and being here in this area that doesn't seem to care about what you wear, has been very liberating. I'm so glad I made it to Seattle.

Yesterday's journey was very interesting. I decided to dress fashionably simple and chose to wear a charcoal H&M tshirt, Uniqlo slim fit men's jeans, a Blue relaxed blazer and my black Nine West boots! I felt amazing and I set out feeling very accomplished!

I rode the bus and train to get downtown and walked through downtown Seattle through all the major traffic. There were a few people who paid attention to me and gave quick looks. The ones I noticed were either confused or maybe thought, " he's wearing heels... ok" and kept it moving. No one outright mocked me. I did receive a fun comment from a young lady passing by. She said something along the lines of, "The swag is real" with a huge smile on her face. Lol. I'll take it as a major compliment.

I made it to Pike St. Market Steve, and watched them sing songs and toss fish like I imagine fishermen would. I also purchased fresh fruit from a stand. Very cool indeed!

By this time, I had been walking in heels for roughly 3 hours or so, and my feet were crying from all the steps and hills. I decided to switch to some flats! I took out my red snakeskin patterned MIA flats and slipped into them. Much better for all the walking ahead.

The aquarium was decent. I was expecting way more, but it was cool.

Next was Nordstrom Rack to claim the Bcbg heels I coveted so badly! On my way there, I met a young woman who was a part of the children's network. She said she stopped me because I looked like a really nice person... and of course she was right. We had a nice long conversation and I ended up setting a chill date with her for 6pm that evening!

I then went to Nordstrom and tried on multiple shoes again. I purchased my heels and some gold flats and just enjoyed myself.

At 6pm I went out with the young lady. She really was a beautiful person. I'll describe her further when I have more time to write. We stayed out til 10p then went our separate ways.

I made it back to my room at 12... a long day of walking... so my legs were sore, but I wore the shoes I wanted to wear, and that really matters alot to me.

Pics!

My outfit plus some awesome size 12s and 13s I saw on my journey.

Enjoy