Between August 15 and September 22, An traveled more than 20,000 kilometers across 30 of all 50 U.S. states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Texas, and New Mexico, among others.
“I was picked up by a friend on August 12 at Los Angeles International Airport,” An recounted.
“My younger brother, who shares my passion for travel, gave me his BMW R1200GSA motorcycle, which I used to ride across the U.S..
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| Nguyen Thanh An at Mount Saint Helens in Washington. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
“I had initially considered renting a motorcycle for a few quick tours with friends, but then I had the idea to take a trip across the entire country.
“I made the decision to travel the west-north-east-south route.”
An left Santa Ana, California on August 15 with only a few basic belongings, including three outfits, a motorcycle repair kit, credit cards, and a few personal items.
He also made sure he had proper insurance, that his vehicle was correctly registered, and that he had a driver’s license permitting him to operate a motorcycle in the U.S..
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| Nguyen Thanh An stops at the state of Washington on the northern border where the U.S. meets Canada’s Vancouver. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
An’s first day on the road ended in San Diego.
It was his first experience driving long distances at high speed on U.S. roads, and luckily, he was accompanied by a group of friends who helped him acclimate to the new driving environment.
According to An, the heavy congestion and high speed on U.S. roads require a significantly higher level of caution and concentration than in Vietnam.
In contrast to Vietnam, highways in the U.S. typically feature massive rest stops with well-known restaurants, gas stations, and tourist booths where visitors can access information about the state they are in.
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| Nguyen Thanh An in Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
Gasoline prices in the U.S. also vary by state, with California having the highest prices at more than $6 per gallon and the southern U.S. having some of the lowest rates at around $4 per gallon.
In order to cover long distances, An occasionally spent more than 28 hours straight on the road, taking in remarkable changes in weather, stunning scenery, and desolate highways at night.
Many of these routes had no cellphone service and few gas stations, requiring him to fill his motorcycle every chance he got and keep a supply of food and water on hand in case of emergencies.
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| Nguyen Thanh An arrives in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
For food, he relied mainly on fast food for breakfast and the hospitality of friends and family he met up with along the way for dinner.
The stunning U.S. landscapes also left a deep impression on An, particularly the steppes of the west and midwest and the vast cornfields of middle America.
An was also stunned by the similarities between parts of the U.S. and Vietnam. Florida, for example, reminded him of the Mekong Delta with its tropical climate and variety of fruit trees.
The western United States, on the other hand, reminded An of Vietnam’s scorching heat.
“The northern, eastern, and southern states of the United States, in my perspective, are lush, but the western states are filled with deserts and have harsh weather,” An said.
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| Nguyen Thanh An adds a sticker on his motorbike, saying ‘Hi, I’m from Vietnam.’ Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
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| Nguyen Thanh An in Key West, the southernmost point of the U.S.. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
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| Nguyen Thanh An in Mississippi. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
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| Nguyen Thanh An in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
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| Nguyen Thanh An arrives in New York. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thanh An |
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