One of the goals of my trip is to drink as many different beers that I cannot get in Texas as possible; however, this does not mean that I don’t like Texas beers. In fact, I think Texas has some of the best craft brews around. I am a big fan of Live Oak, 512, and Real Ale, but the standard in Texas is still Shiner. Shiner Bock is the 4th best selling craft beer in America (according to an uncited wikipedia entry), but it is still not readily available to most of the country. As a personal Johnny Appleseed style quest, I am bringing a case of Shiner on my trip and giving away singles to the good people of the east coast and midwest who are deprived of this beer. Most of these beers will be gifts to our couchsurfing hosts, but if you feel like you deserve one and will be near us, let me know in the comments section.
I’ve put up a schedule of where we will be and what games we are seeing. The page is cleverly nicknamed Schedule.
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I had Arwen inspected today and changed her oil in preparation for the trip. I’ve had her break down on a road trip before; it is not awesome. I am hoping to avoid that this time, in part by keeping her immacuately maintained. I’m going to change the oil again in the middle of the trip after 3000 miles. I’m also not going to let gas get below 1/4 tank to help keep the fuel pump healthy. I also need to take vehicle wear and tear into account. I am happy to offer up my car to facilitate this trip, but 6000+ miles is a lot to put on any car in under a month. Several websites have suggested wear and tear, not including gas, is about 7.5-10 cents a mile. That sounds good to me. For now, lets just assume that each guy is responsible for 2000 miles at 8 cents a mile. That works out to about $160 each, or one Cubs SRO ticket. Make sure to check out the expenses page for vehicle maintenance updates.
One way we are cutting down on food costs, at least at the start: SAM’S CLUB. A pound of beef jerky for $9? Thank you, don’t mind if I do. 30 Nature Valley Oats and Honey Bars for $10? Are you kidding? Those cost $4 for 6 at the normal grocery store. For an itemized breakdown of our initial snacks, check out the expenses page. I tried to get primarily healthy snacks, or at least health neutral snacks to begin the journey. There will be plenty of time for gas station twinkies, but that doesn’t mean I should lead off with junk.
The Shoestring Catch 