Main fundraiser photo

Two Lane Gems Tour, Vol. 1

Theresa and Jim Goodrich took an epic road trip to discover two lane gems and the places in between. The Goodriches explored the roads that make up home from the Chicago area to San Diego and back, documenting every step of the way with video, audio, prose, and photos.


I'm Theresa, and our goal is to tell the stories of the road and its Two Lane Gems. We want to inspire your wanderlust as you virtually travel with us across plains and mountains, from deserts to forests, from cliff dwellings to a sub-sea level tavern. The journey will be shared with the publication of "Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1," a hardcover photo book documenting the experience and an ebook.

Our itinerary included:

*Four hour train ride in the canyons of Arizona
*Lighted Mardi Gras parade in the Ozarks
*Mingling with bison in Oklahoma
*Private tour of a 1903 courthouse
*Camping in Palo Duro Canyon
*Exploring cliff dwellings in Colorado
*Driving the original stretch of Route 66 in Missouri
*Visiting a ghost town that was home to a mountain lion zoo
*Following the Cherokee Hills Byway
*Touring a date farm

This has been an epic journey, filled with adventure and showcasing the vast breadth and depth of beauty. It's an uplifting love letter to America.


This American Journey was documented in real time (when possible) via social media, video, and on Drive By Towns . Now the stories continue long after the trip is over with multiple articles, photos, and videos.

I will also be fulfilling a life-long dream by turning this experience into a book, with vignettes of the places we visit, beautiful images, and advice for others who want to create their own “Two Lane Gems Tour.” There will also be a book signing and an exhibit of the photographs to be held in the Chicago area.

The book will be a high quality coffee table book with glossy heavy stock full color pages. If you prefer an electronic version an ebook will be offered, which will be available on Amazon. A paperback edition will also be available.

Want to see an example of my work? Here are some of my posts on Drive By Towns:

*Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve
*The Most Interesting Man in the Midwest
*Exploring America's Hometown: Charles City, Iowa


With Your Support
We need your help! A project of this magnitude is not inexpensive. By working with tourism boards and chambers of commerce we're keeping the cost of the trip itself to a minimum, but we will still had some out-of-pocket expenses including food, lodging, camping and park fees, and fuel.

The majority of the expense for this project, however, is for production and publication of the book. We were on the go constantly for an entire month, and now I'll need time to write articles for the websites, edit and select the images that will best illustrate this journey, and (the big one) write "Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1."  Production costs include a minimum of two months for writing and editing, photography selection and editing, and developing galleys that will be sent to print. There will also be formatting for the ebook version. Publication costs are for a high-quality hardbound full color book that will be suitable for any coffee table.

This is not a donation; instead, you can pre-order your copy of "Two Lane Gems, Vol. 1." You can choose from the e-book, digital and print photography, the hardcover or paperback book, or all of the above.

Our total funding goal is $9000.

While the minimum pre-order price of the e-book is $10, we realize that may not be doable. That's why everyone who contributes, even if it's $1, will receive an invitation to the book signing and photography exhibit we'll be hosting in the Chicago area (date and location TBD). A $5 contribution will cover a couple gallons of gas and will get us that much closer to the next Two Lane Gem.


About Theresa Goodrich
Theresa’s job is telling people where to go – literally. As the founder and publisher of The Local Tourist, she’s made a living out of finding and recommending the best places to go and things to do. After moving to Chicago in 2001 she turned her degree in Journalism and her passion for exploring her new home into a neighborhood-oriented website that would help people get the most out of the Windy City. This earned her a spot on the NBC Street Team and as one of the initial bloggers on the Chicago Tribune’s ChicagoNow network. She was the Answers.com Chicago expert and is a contributor to 1000TravelTips.com. She’s also won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement for Alternate Media/New Media Interactivity. Built from an idea and a need, The Local Tourist now receives thousands of visitors and businesses like Eataly, theWIT, Stars On Ice, and Broadway In Chicago are clients.

With the launch of Drive By Towns in late 2016, Theresa is following her life-long dream to explore lesser-known places and share their stories. The response has been more than she could have imagined, with a skyrocketing presence on Instagram and engagement on the site itself. She’s looking forward to expanding this passion project in 2017 with the first “Two Lane Gems Tour” and subsequent book.

About Jim Goodrich
Jim Goodrich is an accomplished musician and performer with a Master’s Degree in Vocal Pedagogy. He shares his talents, from opera to trade shows, through his company, With A Voice Like This. He’s half of the rock cover duo Jim & Tim and has recorded numerous voice-over scripts for clients as diverse as a small town in Kentucky, a manufacturer, a music school, a jewelry store, and an internationally-touring musical group. After 22 years as a professional Christmas caroler, in 2016 he launched The Caroling Connection. His group of professionally trained Dickensian carolers inaugurated the holiday season at the 25th Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and concluded with an appearance on ABC7 Chicago.

Jim has also shared his vocal and trade show talents with The Local Tourist, producing multiple podcasts and assisting at the Travel & Adventure Shows. His enthusiastic presence has guaranteed at least a 50% sign-up rate from guests to The Local Tourist’s booth.

Jim is also a web designer with both a design and a business background. He was the Manager of Internet Operations for a National Health Benefits Management Corporation and oversaw business, design and functionality aspects of over 1400 individual client websites. Jim is a Certified Usability Analyst, and he designs and builds websites for small businesses.


THANK YOU
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for making this love letter to America possible.

Organizer

Theresa Carter Goodrich
Organizer
Elgin, IL

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.