Essentially, I want to get across the midwest and to Denver and the mountains as fast as humanly possible. Both midwest stops (Chicago, Knob Noster) were planned just for free places to stay and opportunities to visit with friends.
If I had my druthers, I'd want to take a month or two or twelve to do the trip and meander my way across the country. It's just not feasible. And I don't want to give my employer the idea that they can do without me! For a first-time cross-country, I want to get there and back, see some cool stuff, and then tweak the itinerary for future trips.
