Miami · June 3, 2026
This trip was never just about driving from Chicago to Santa Monica.
It was about chasing something I had dreamed about since I was a kid. It was about proving to myself that I could set out to do something massive, scary, and uncertain, and actually finish it. It was about faith, freedom, old trucks, America, friends, family, and the kind of memories you only make when the plan falls apart and you keep going anyway.
The Doubt
There were moments I thought we were done.
There were days where Brownie fought us with fuel problems, heat, coolant scares, vapor lock, and roadside repairs. There were times I felt overwhelmed. There were times I was worried I was letting people down. There were times I wondered if we were going to have to put the truck on a trailer and admit defeat.
The People
But every time I felt like giving up, someone stepped in.
Lou would not let me quit. Dan and Jack helped keep the trucks moving. Michael, Shelly, and Broadie brought the kind of excitement and energy that reminded me how special this was. Ryan, Josh, and Nick helped capture the story. Chris and Jeff helped keep me on track. My wife held everything down at home with our four kids while I chased this dream across the country.
The Faith
And through all of it, I felt God guiding the trip.
The mountains, the deserts, the small towns, the strangers who became friends, the timing of certain fixes, the moments where we thought we were stuck and then found a way forward — all of it reminded me that this life is a blessing.
Santa Monica · June 19, 2026
When we finally reached Santa Monica, I could not fully compose myself. We had to film the outro several times because it hit me so hard.
We actually did it.
We drove historic Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica in a 1978 Ford F-150. We celebrated 100 years of Route 66 and 250 years of America the best way I know how: behind the wheel of an old Ford truck, with friends, faith, sponsors, cameras, tools, coolant, oil, and a dream that was too big to ignore.