Dear Jez,

I'd second ddw's suggestion about the Amtrak pass. An old friend and his daughter have just finished up a two- and-a-half-week stint doing just that. They covered about 4000 miles during their sojourn. Their itinerary took them from the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area to Seattle, Washington - not far from Vancouver, BC, by the way - Portland, Oregon; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, then back to Minnesota. My buddy is a stone blues and R&B fanatic, his daughter is more taken by modern sounds, but they both appreciate each others' musical taste - and they found plenty of live music to satisfy them in each place they stopped.

Wherever you go and in whatever manner you travel, remember this: Always leave room for the magic. If you feel your heart calling you in a particular direction, it nearly always pays to heed the call. "Follow your heart and keep your eyes open" is the advice I would give anyone setting out on an adventure such as yours. It's advice my wife and I have lived by all our married life and the rewards have been beyond price or description.

All the best on your journey!