31/08/2026
So my wife and I are considering flying to the **US for a road trip**, with the main idea being to drive **US-50** from coast to coast. 🇺🇸🚗
Weirdly, out of dozens of American friends I’ve mentioned it to, only **two** even knew the route existed — and that’s probably because they both live close to it.
US-50 runs about **3,019 miles**, from **West Sacramento, California** all the way to **Ocean City, Maryland**.
I also have friends in **Richmond, Virginia**, so I’m tempted to detour south through Richmond and Virginia Beach, then head back up toward Ocean City via the long bridge route near Cape Charles.
A few stops I’m especially looking forward to:
1. **Route 66**
Part of the appeal is getting to overlap with Route 66. I’ve been warned by my American friends that some stretches are remote enough that carrying extra fuel might be wise. Route 66 has been on my bucket list anyway, so this feels like two birds with one stone.
2. **Lawrence, Kansas**
I have a few friends there, and it’s just north of the Kansas section of the route.
3. **St. Louis**
BBQ rib city. I will almost certainly spend far too much time here.
4. **Cincinnati**
I have a friend or two there, and if the timing works out, I may even get dragged to a **Bengals game**.
5. **Virginia**
Detouring to see friends would mean skipping **Washington, D.C.** From a tourist point of view, that’s probably a questionable trade. From a driving point of view… maybe not. 😅
But here’s the dull question:
If I leave US-50 for a detour through Virginia and then rejoin it later, **can I still claim I’ve driven US-50 coast to coast?** 🤔
I feel like there may be rules about this, and I’m prepared to take them far too seriously.