I've compiled some of the stats for the first 14 days of this 80-day trip. At the end of the trip, I'll have a more complete breakdown, including data like time spent and miles driven for all 50 states.

Sun, Jan 24 - Sat, Feb 6

Total Miles Driven: ~5,250*
Average Gas Mileage: 30.92 mpg
Total Expenses: $1,659.80

* Total miles is approximate because I didn't check the mileage when I parked for the ferry to Alaska. At the last fuel fillup in central Washington, the figure was 5,040 miles.

Here's a breakdown of expenses by category:

Gas: $425.48
Food: $179.85
Ferry to Juneau, AK: $506.00
Broken Window Replaced: $248.14**
Dog Crate & Pillow Pad: $102.67
Rhapsody's Pet-Sitting: $60.00
Rhapsody's Certificate of Health: $50.00
Parking: $36.00
Yellowstone Entry Fee: $25.00
Gambling: $20.00
Souvenirs: $4.16
Lockers & Towel Rental (Boat): $2.50

** Maria Ho graciously saved my ass by paying for the repair of the broken window, since it may have been enough to bankrupt my budget. Thanks, Maria!

I know some of you are curious, so I broke down the food expenses for a few of my favorites:

McDonald's (x5): $29.20
Waffle House (x3): $33.00
BBQ Places (x3): $30.00

There was actually a fourth Waffle House meal, but it was paid for by Daniel Negreanu. (Thanks!) There was also a fourth BBQ meal, but that was paid for by an anonymous friend. (Thanks!) Finally, I received a few free meals while I stayed with Donna Lawton's family for 24 hours in Ogden, Utah. (BIG Thanks!)

I should also note that this accounting only includes costs incurred after the trip began. I bought a few road-trip groceries before the trip, and spent about $300 at REI (which included cold-weather gear). Recurring expenses that aren't directly related to the trip (cellphone bill, rent, etc.) aren't included among the costs of the trip. Also, the round-trip boat ticket to Alaska is on a friend's credit card, to be paid back when I receive my next WPT paycheck.

I'll conclude this statistics-heavy post with a list of the states I've visited so far, in order:

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Mississippi
5. Tennessee
6. Arkansas
7. Missouri
8. Iowa
9. Minnesota
10. North Dakota
11. South Dakota
12. Nebraska
13. Colorado
14. Utah
15. Idaho
16. Montana
17. Wyoming
18. Washington
19. Alaska

If you have any questions about Rhapsody & BJ's Epic 50-State Road Trip, leave me a comment below.

I apologize that my blog has fallen behind the last few days, but I ran into a few problems (shattered car window and closed Yellowstone entrance), and was cutting it close as to whether or not I'd reach Bellingham, Washington (north of Seattle) in time to catch the ferry to Alaska.

I had one shot on this entire trip to get to Alaska, and this was it. The boat only runs in e a week, and this is the only week I could fit it around WPT events. It was do or die.

I'm typing this from the boat before we get too far from shore, so we made it! I'll have some time over the next few days to catch up on old blogs as I type new ones. (I've taken notes for the days I missed.) i'll post them all when I arrive in Juneau on Monday, cell signals permitting.

While I get to walk around the ship, Rhapsody is trapped in a kennel on the car deck -- it was the only option. I'll get to visit her every six hours or so to feed her and walk her, & then we'll get to spend a full day (20 hours) in Juneau together.

PHOTOS: (1) View from the guest room at Donna Lawton's house, (2) Rhapsody turns her back as Donna tries to take a photo, (3) Rhapsody at the Golden Spike historic site at Promontory Point, (4) Rhapsody and I at the last railroad tie of the transcontinental railroad, (5) Rhapsody on the last railroad tie, (6) Donna and Rhapsody, and (7) a replica of the golden spike. (The original is at Stanford University.)

I woke up on Day 11 (Feb 3rd) the most refreshed I've been on the trip yet. Going to bed early and sleeping in a warm bed will do that for you. At 10:00 am, Donna Lawton (@Cure_MTM) and I took my car to a dealership to get the window fixed. They estimated it would take 2-3 hours, so Donna offered to show Rhapsody and I around Ogden.

It's not a big city, so it didn't take long. So I asked about Promontory Point, which is where the first U.S. transcontinental railroad was completed. It was about an hour away, but we had the time. Promontory Point might not excite many people, but I've always wanted to see it. If I had a time machine that could go back that far (1868), I'd definitely be there for the golden spike ceremony.

The historic site was covered in snow, with a small path cleared away to get to the final railroad tie and the plaque commemorating the golden spike. But the weather was sunny and gorgeous, and I got some fun videos playing with Rhapsody in the snow.

As we headed back to Ogden, I got a call from the dealership and the wrong window was delivered, and my car would be a few more hours (at best). If the car wouldn't be ready today, it would throw off the rest of my shedule. Even if it were fixed, I'd be cutting it close without much time to spend in Yellowstone National Park.

Donna and her husband took me toast late lunch, and we finally got word at 5:00 that the car window was fixed. Phew! Picked up the car, repacked, and got back on the road almost exactly 24 hours after arriving at Donna's house.

If it hadn't been for the hospitality of Donna's family, I might have missed my one shot at visiting Alaska on this trip. Regardless of what she says, I owe her one.

I was originally planning to drive to Jackson, Wyoming and entering Yellowstone from the south. But with the delays, I headed toward the West Entrance, which would put me in a better position to head to Seattle the next day.

It was Wednesday night, so I called into the Poker Road studio to listen in on the recording of Two Jacks in the Hole as I drove through Idaho. (Without internet access, it was my only option to hear the show.) Scott Huff put me on the air twice (briefly), the first time unexpectedly.

As I neared Montana, I got caught in a snowstorm and lost cellphone reception. It was dark, the roads were icy, and visibility was minimal with the falling snow. I was driving 20-30 mph, and even those speeds didn't feel particularly safe. But if I stopped, things were likely to get worse long before they got better. I had to get through.

I finally made it to West Yellowstone with a sigh of relief after midnight. The roads were covered with snow, but drivable, so I parked at McDonald's to sleep for the night.

States traveled on Day 11: Utah, Idaho, Montana

Day 10: Ogden, Utah

PHOTOS: (1) Rhapsody sees her shadow in the snow on Groundhog Day, (2) Hickory House Ribs for breakfast, (3) Leaving Colorado, (4) Rhapsody pokes her head out the broken window, and (5) Rhapsody bundled up in the comforter to protect from the cold.

I've already driven thru an ice storm and slept in my car in subzero temperatures -- twice. But Day 10 was the toughest day so far, and there are still 70 days to go.

The day started promising, as a very-cold-but-very-sunny day in Aspen. It's a gorgeous little town, and even has a BBQ restaurant that serves ribs for breakfast. (I wasn't hungry enough to justify the cost, so I got a ham-egg-and-cheese sandwich -- delicious!)

Rhapsody and I spent nearly two hours in Aspen before heading back to the interstate so we could drive to Utah.

We hadn't been in Utah long when I heard a loud "Bang!" as the driver's-side window shattered next to my ear. The safety glass held together in a single piece, but it was vibrating wildly in the wind. (After a minute or so, I rolled down the window so it wouldn't break apart and send glass shards into the car.)

With no cars or trucks in front of me to potentially kick up a rock, my first instinct was that someone shot a gun at the car. I'm proud that I never swerved, but tightly clenched the steering wheel and floored the gas pedal to separate us from any potential danger.

My car got up to about 97 mph, and I kept it there for a few minutes until I knew that nobody could be following us. I then continued on until the next town so I could stop and check the damage. The window fell apart inside the door and couldn't roll up, but I thought things through and realized there was no bullet hole or impact point -- nobody was shooting at us. My guess is that it was caused by extreme temperature variations from the past few days.

It was 22^ F, and with no window it was going to be a chilly drive. I put on all of my winter gear, and wrapped up Rhapsody in the comforter in the back seat. We only had to make it to Donna Lawton's house in Ogden, Utah, and she was already making an appointment for me to get my window fixed.

The drive wasn't pleasant for me, but Rhapsody seemed very comfortable. We made it to Ogden in one piece, where Donna and her family set us up in a guest room (where I took a long-overdue shower) and fed us an excellent pot roast. (Rhapsody got some too.)

With a nice warm bed waiting, this will be the first night of the trip that we get to sleep before midnight, and I could certainly use the rest. Goodnight!

PHOTOS: Rhapsody's "I Want Food" face in the front seat, a rest stop in the Rockies, and the sub-zero temps we woke up to in Aspen

Day 9 was a very important leg of the trip, but for personal reasons -- mending a broken friendship. It's not completely fixed, but the first step is key.

As a result, Rhapsody and I spent longer than expected in the area of Boulder, Colorado, and didn't enter the Rockies until the sun was disappearing behind the mountains. That was a shame, because I really wanted to make that drive in daylight to enjoy the spectacular views.

That's why there aren't many photos for Day 9.

A friend of a friend was offering a place to spend the night in the Salt Lake City area, and there was no way to make it that far last night. So if we slept in the mountains, we could make it in a fairly easy drive the next day (today). I've driven the Rockies nearly a dozen times but had never seen Aspen, which is about an hour away from I-70. This seemed like the perfect opportunity, and I could enjoy views of Aspen in the morning sun.

We parked the car a little ways out of town to sleep, and of course we woke up once again to subzero temps (-1^ F). This road trip has been much colder than expected, and we haven't even reached Alaska or the Winter Olympics yet.

For updates during the day, be sure to follow me on Twitter: @BJNemeth.

Photos: (1) Rare sunset with "sundogs" visible on both sides (and my car eclipsing the sun), (2) Rhapsody is welcomed to Watertown, SD, (3) Pelican Lake, (4) Rhapsody walking on the frozen Pelican Lake, (5) Rhapsody at the Lewis & Clark Memorial, (6) The iPhone Stopwatch Paradox, where my iPhone's stopwatch has been running for a longer period of time (88,000+ hours, or 10+ years) than the iPhone itself has existed (3 years, or ~27,000 hours).

Day 8 began in South Dakota with the coldest temperatures of the trip (-9^F), as I mentioned yesterday. But they may have provided me with the coolest photo, as I got to see (and photograph) the rare "sundog" effect, which I originally called "triple sunrise" until my Twitter followers clued me in. The effect come from sunlight refracting off tiny ice crystals in the atmosphere, and it is a very cool sight.

Rhapsody and I spent the morning in Watertown, and the temperature never got above -4^F while we were there. We drove around Pelican Lake, which appeared to be frozen solid. Anytime I see tire tracks in the snow, with more fresh snow on top of that, I think it's safe enough for me and Rhapsody. I dug down about 18 inches before I reached ice, and it was hard as a rock. I didn't even feel nervous, and it was fun to be "out on the lake" with Rhapsody even if it has a completely different meaning in sub-zero weather.

We traveled down to Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska, which ate side by side across the border. We drove around and explored a bit, found the Lewis & Clark Memorial, and ended up ordering a $6.00 Papa John's pepperoni pizza for dinner. It's not traditional road-trip food, and I had to give Rhapsody her own piece to keep her out of my food. Still, 10 years from now, eating an entire pizza in the car with Rhapsody is probably what I'll remember.

We reached Lincoln, Nebraska after dark, but it's an interesting city and we spent more than an hour driving and walking around. I assumed Lincoln would be relatively boring (like Fargo or Omaha), but it's actually a cool city that seems to mix the best qualities of a big city and a small town. I'd love to visit on a big football weekend in September or October when it's not too chilly.

Rhapsody and I eventually made it into Colorado before stopping to sleep for the night at the I-76 Welcome Center (which is where I write this).

If you were following my Twitter feed, you know the sundogs weren't the only strange phenomenon that I experienced on Day 8. My iPhone had several instances where the time and dated instantly rolled back to January 4, 2000.

The iPhone gets its time from the cellular towers, but for some reason they were sending out a time signal representing over 10 years ago. What is most curious to me is that the effect happened three different times (in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska), but the time signal from 2000 continues to move forward the same rate as the present. So two nights ago, in North Dakota, it slipped to the night of Jan 3, 2000. Yesterday morning, it slipped to the morning of Jan 4, 2000. And last night it slipped to the night of Jan 4, 2000. If it happens today, I expect it to show me Jan 5, 2000.

So the effect has appeared from multiple cell towers across multiple states, and it's exactly the same error. I know the time signal comes from the cell towers, but I have no idea what is causing this specific glitch in the matrix. I'll research it in depth the next time I have my laptop hooked up to the Internet. (Probably when I get to LA in three weeks.)

So if you see me twittering about time travel, dual timelines, or the fact that this road trip now includes all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and the nexus of the space-time continuum -- now you'll know what I'm referring to.

Today's goal is to get through the Rocky Mountains before sunset. Shouldn't be too hard, but we plan to stop in the Boulder area to visit some old friends.

Photos: My odometer flips to 150,000, my car parked on Exit 180 (where I slept most of the night), and the morning weather report

Day 7 was hopefully the coldest leg of this 80-day road trip, as I started in Iowa, went up through Minnesota, over to North Dakota, and down into South Dakota. As I write this, the sun is starting to rise at 7:30 am, and it's -9^F.

There was a big milestone for my car on Day 7, and this is the tweet I sent out to commemorate the moment:

"My car just flipped over to 150,000 miles on the odometer at 9:05 pm CT on Exit #24 of I-94 West in Minnesota: http://twitpic.com/10mcly "

You may have already noticed the flaw. Many of my Twitter followers read the first five words and thought I had crashed. (My iPhone's Twitter app, Tweetie 2, put only those five words on the first line, highlighting them even more.)

So I got more than a few messages from friends who briefly thought I had crashed, and they asked me to avoid accident-sounding tweets while I'm on a cross-country road trip. Noted.

A poker blogger named Tim (@OhCaptain on Twitter) noticed I was heading toward his home in Minnesota, and offered me a place to rest and relax if I wanted it. What I really needed was a shower after two days in the car. So he graciously offered the guest bathroom to me while his two adorable daughters played with Rhapsody. Tim is a photographer and both of his girls have cameras of their own to learn with. His youngest probably took more than 50 photos of Rhapsody. She won't be forgetting our visit anytime soon.

While I had never met or spoken to Tim before, we had mutual friends in the poker media, because he was a regular at the WPBT (World Poker Bloggers Tournament) in Las Vegas. Me? I've never been. I promised Tim I would try to make it to WPBT this December.

It was -2^F as I was driving through Fargo, North Dakota around 11:00 pm CT, and I thought that might be the coldest point of my trip. Nope.

I drove down into South Dakota before stopping at a rest stop to get some sleep. I got fully bundled up in my winter clothes (jacket, hat that covers my ears) and got under my comforter in the back seat with Rhapsody. I set my alarm for two hours so I could make sure it wasn't getting too cold.

It got too cold.

I woke up around 2:30 am and it was -3^F -- and I was shivering. (Rhapsody seemed fine under the comforter in her natural fur coat.) I started the car to get the heater going, and decided to drive further south. I was still sleepy, so I stopped at Exit 180 near Watertown, South Dakota. (Where I am now.)

I went back to sleep, this time doing it in one-hour shifts. I'd sleep for one hour with the engine/heater running (with windows cracked an inch for oxygen), and another hour with the engine off and windows rolled up. Back and forth, switching every hour.

I woke up for good around 7:00 am, with the temperature at -9^F. Thankfully it hasn't been too windy (wind chill seems to be the biggest problem at these temperatures), but exposed skin starts to hurt in just a minute or two. I've been taking some cool sunrise photos this morning (which will be posted in tomorrow's blog), and I'll go outside, shoot for two minutes, and rush back to the car to warm up. I have gloves, of course, but the iPhone's touchscreen is capacitive, so it doesn't react to pressure -- it needs contact with the skin.

Well, Rhapsody and I survived the night, and our goal for today is Denver. Follow me on Twitter for updates during the day, and I promise not to post anything that sounds like an accident. (Unless I actually get into an accident, of course.)

Photos: Rhapsody at the St. Louis Arch, Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ, and the weather in Iowa City where I slept overnight in the car.

I managed to get ahead of the worst of the storm, but the roads in southern Missouri were still messy enough to slow down my progress -- I didn't go faster than 30 mph for the first 2.5 hours, just to be on the safe side. (I saw several cars that had slid off the road, so some level of caution was justified.)

My progress was also slowed by lack of sleep -- I stopped to nap several different times. I never felt dangerously tired, but thought I could use the sleep.

The delays cost me, because I didn't arrive in St. Louis until the sun was setting, and the light was less than ideal for photos of Rhapsody in front of the St. Louis Arch. But with a dreary grey sky all day, the photos weren't going to be fantastic anyway. The good news is that Rhapsody and I plan to hit St. Louis again on the return trip in March. The weather should be warmer, and we'll spend a full day in St. Louis to enjoy the city.

We got some BBQ suggestions via Twitter, and I picked up takeout from Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ. It was Friday evening and they were very busy, and sold out of a few items. The guy in front of me got the last of the chicken, and the ribs were long gone. I had the pulled pork, which was quite good, but I look forward to trying their chicken & ribs when we return in the spring.

After dinner, we drove north to Iowa, the 8th state of this trip. It was my first time in the state, bringing my lifelong total to 45. (The 5 states I haven't been to yet? Alaska, Nebraska, West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Maine.)

I slept for the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Iowa City, Iowa, when the temps were in the single digits. I was thinking about delaying this leg of the trip when the projected temps were below zero, but the weather warmed up a bit to a level I consider safe. The 50-state road trip will look a lot nicer (with less back-and-forth and zig-zagging) if I get Minnesota and the Dakotas out of the way now. So that's where we're headed today.

Throughout this trip, I'll update this blog once per day. For more frequent updates, check my Twitter feed.

After four straight days in Biloxi, the road trip is definitely underway!

I'm posting this entry from my iPhone, so photos will be grouped together at the top until I can use my laptop to mix them in with the text.

Photos above: Rhapsody at Scenic Hills Vet Hospital, Rhapsody waiting for her health exam, Rhapsody at the entrance to The Shed (BBQ place), the inside of my frozen car w/ice covering the windows.

After the WPT final table ended (Congratulations, Hoyt Corkins!), I never went to sleep. I did a little repacking to get my cold weather gear ready, and took care of some things while I had Internet access on my laptop (like invoice the WPT so I can get paid and finish this trip!).

Then I backtracked part of my Day 1 route and returned to Pensacola, FL to pick up Rhapsody. Jonathan Little's brother (and the rest of the Little family) did a great job watching Rhapsody, and she was the least anxious I've seen her when picking her up somewhere. She wasn't too eager to leave, but when I got in the car, she quickly took her spot in the back seat.

I had set up a vet appointment so she could get a certificate of good health (necessary to get to Alaska). The day before, I called her vet in Vegas (where she had her shots last summer during the WSOP) to have them fax her health records over. I told them how important it was, especially with the time difference.

They didn't fax the records.

I showed up for my appointment and her records weren't there. And the vet in Vegas wouldn't be open for another hour. When they finally opened, they told me it would take another hour. I pressed for sooner (Rhapsody's record was in her hand!), but no luck.

After an hour, they sent Rhapsody's health record from 2004. Um, what? Obviously, those shots were out of date. At that point, the vet in Florida got on the phone, made them feel like idiots, and the proper records were faxed 15 minutes later.

Rhapsody finally got her checkup, which took about 10 minutes, and she was certified healthy. The vet was very impressed with Rhapsody's condition, and was surprised that she had an inconsistent eating schedule and no regular brand of food. The vet started to lecture me when I told her I also give Rhapsody some of whatever I'm eating (with a few exceptions, like chocolate), though her concerns fell on deaf ears. That's just the way that Rhaps and I roll.

At the end of it all, the 10-minute health exam took nearly three hours and cost $50. But we could finally get on the road.

We stopped at the same BBQ restaurant where I ate two days ago (The Shed), and picked up lunch to go. The pulled chicken sandwich was one of the best I ever had. I should have bought two.

I parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Biloxi to eat lunch and prepare to record The Poker Beat. For those who haven't heard, we won the Bluff Magazine Readers' Choice Award for Best Poker Podcast! I feel so much more proud than I would have imagined, because we all work so hard to make the show work. I am so proud to be part of the show and work with the Scott Huff (who deserves the moat credit), Dan Michalski, Gary Wise, Joe Stapleton, and former co-host John Caldwell.

After recording the radio show, it was around 4:00 pm CT, and I was finally about to make some forward progress on this road trip. About time!

Rhapsody and I drove up through Mississippi, and fortunately made it through Memphis, TN before a big winter storm hit. In Arkansas, we weren't so lucky, and I was one of the first to arrive on the scene of a bad accident on an overpass. One cop was already there handling the situation, so I parked my car sideways to block any more vehicles from coming and used my flashlight to divert traffic to take the exit. (They got right back on the highway on the other side.) It was literally freezing out, and this is where prepping my cold-weather gear paid off, because I had bundled up in about two minutes rather than digging through my packed trunk.

An ambulance arrived, followed by two more cop cars, and one of the
relieved me. (Flashing police lights are so much more effective than a guy with a flashlight.)

The road conditions only got worse from there, and there was another bridge accident I passed in Arkansas.

By the time I entered Missouri, the road was covered with ice and slush, and everyone was doing less than 30 mph. My lack of sleep was catching up with me, and I got off I-55 at Exit 8 and parked at a gas station -- time to sleep.

I wore my insulated jacket and climbed in the backseat with Rhapsody and the comforter to stay warm. I woke up about two hours later, and my car was covered with a layer of ice. (That's the weird-looking photo, taken from inside the dark car.) I couldn't even open the door without a hard shove. So I turned on the engine to heat up the car, and most of the ice melted.

I slept for a few more hours, and that brings me to this moment -- 9:15 am CT on Day 6. Today is a key day of the trip, because I might reroute myself and skip the absurdly cold temperatures in North and South Dakota. I'd have to hit them on the return trip, which won't be east, but I might not have another choice.

I might not be able to make it to North Dakota today anyway. When I woke up in the middle of the night, I could see that the entire parking lot was covered with ice. Now, that ice is covered by a layer of snow. I have no idea what the highway is like yet, but it was pretty hazardous when I stopped driving, and there had been a lot of preciptation since then (freezing rain followed by snow).

I plan to post a blog entry for each day of the trip, but if you want updates during the day, check out my Twitter feed (Twitter.com/BJNemeth). Comments are always appreciated, both here and on Twitter. I read all the comments, and the next time I get my laptop set up with an Internet connection, I'll respond to the blog comments.

New states traveled on Day 5: Tennessee (#5), Arkansas (#6), and Missouri (#7)

Today started earlier than expected when the fire alarm went off in the Beau Rivage around 9:00 am. I wasn't nervous (no smoke visible out the window or in the hallway), but I figured I'd follow the announcements and evacuate the building. I did spent about five minutes gathering my most valuable things (especially my iPhone and my MacBook Air) and packing a backpack. I even put on fresh socks as I got dressed. It took me about 15 minutes to evacuate from the 23rd floor, though I was leisurely walking down the stairs with an elderly couple so I could keep them company and allay their fears.

I heard rumors that there was an actual fire on the ninth floor, but it was a small one. I ran into some coworkers and poker players outside, took a few photos, and eventually went to my car in the parking garage to take a nap. The evacuation probably lasted about 60-90 minutes, and it threw off my plan for the morning.

I missed the live coverage of Apple's new product announcement while I was sleeping in my car, but returned to my room to learn that Steve Jobs released the iPad. I look forward to seeing in-depth reviews of it in the coming weeks, but for the most part, it's what I expected when I blogged my predictions a few weeks ago. Right now, it looks like I could do my entire job as a poker reporter with that tablet, and it's extremely tempting. I'm certain that I'll have one by the time the WSOP begins in late May. (I may be broke now while I take this road trip, but I'll eventually be paid for covering these WPT events.)

The price of the tablet is pretty unbelievable -- though I kept my price prediction broad ($400-$999) for a reason. With Apple pricing the entry-level model at $499, there's not much room for competition. Can anyone imagine one of Google's hardware partners selling a tablet running the Android operating system for $500? I can't. Apple can do things like that because they create the hardware, the software, and also control the iTunes store for content. The Amazon Kindle just joined the rotary phone and the VHS camcorder on the list of endangered technologies.

The Apple iPad won't be released for another two months, when I will be in the late stages of this road trip. So let's focus on the present -- the WPT final table. It was perhaps one of the least interesting WPT final tables I ever covered. It wasn't the players -- the players were all fairly interesting to me. But there were very, very few big hands. Hoyt Corkins managed to outlast the other five players to take the title, and I like Hoyt so I'm pleased with the result.

During the final table, Eric Harkins (poker photographer who owns ImageMasters) told me about an ice storm headed toward the center of the country around Memphis. That was right in line with my planned route, so I checked the weather reports and decided to fast-track my schedule for tomorrow. I'm going to skip New Orleans (and Louisiana) so I can make better time and hopefully get north of Memphis ahead of the storm. The storm may still hit me, but further north it'll fall entirely as snow rather than an icy mixture. To make things worse, Memphis is like Atlanta -- a Southern city that isn't equipped to handle a winter storm. I have no idea what to expect on Thursday and Friday, but I'll do my best to keep my options open, remain flexible, and do my best to keep safe and warm.

After four days in Biloxi, I'll be back on the road tomorrow for a pretty major leg of this road trip as I wind my way to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and visit Alaska. But first, I need to get what sleep I can before waking up at 6:00 am CT.

There are also two big presentations tomorrow. One of them will be closely watched by analysts and regular people alike to see if they can look forward to a better future. The other will be the President's State of the Union speech.

I am definitely looking forward to Steve Jobs unveiling Apple's latest product tomorrow, because it has been such a closely-kept secret. The State of the Union will be far more predictable, and will likely have less of an effect on my life. (Yes, I know politics is important, blah, blah, blah, but seriously, tomorrow's speech to Congress won't really change anything.) Normally I'd watch the State of the Union (I love politics, just less than I love cool new Apple products), but I'll be working the final table so it's not an option. I'll catch up on Obama's legislative goals for 2010 on some of the podcasts I listen to while driving.

Two pieces of Rhapsody news -- (1) she has a vet appointment set for Thursday morning in Pensacola (she needs a certificate of good health to get into Alaska), and (2) she has a nice place to stay in the San Francisco area in March while I'm working the WPT Bay 101 tournament. Rhapsody will be staying with fellow poker writer Matt Waldron.

Hopefully the vet won't take long (or cost too much), because I'd like to reach New Orleans before the sun sets and reach St. Louis before stopping for the night. I'd like to photograph the St. Louis Arch on Friday morning and drive up to Minnesota and North Dakota where I will experience sub-freezing temperatures. I didn't think I'd need to break out the hard-core cold weather gear until I drove across the Rockies or hit Canada and Alaska, but there appears to be a cold wave in that part of the country. I'm a little nervous that if I stop my car for the night, I won't be able to restart it in the morning. (Which would screw up my schedule for the rest of the trip.)

In fun news, a small group of friends took Daniel Negreanu to Waffle House for the first time in his life. As a vegan, it's not really his style of restaurant, and he wasn't too excited about the salad he got. (Which was the only thing on the menu that didn't contain animal products -- and even with the salad we weren't certain.) But Daniel had a lot of fun with the staff, giving them a chance to win $100 each by successfully passing riddle games. Two out of three of them succeeded, though the third ended up getting a pretty huge tip from Daniel, so there were no jealous feelings. There was only one other customer in the restaurant, a guy in his 20s or 30s who actually recognized Daniel, saying, "You look like that famous poker player. David Negreanu." My friend Andy did a literal spit-take when he heard that, and I was barely able to keep my sweet tea in my mouth. Daniel assumed a fake identity for a few minutes before coming clean to the guy, who was a fan of Daniel's, saying his friends would never believe he was at a Waffle House with Negreanu. So Daniel sent out a tweet in a mock Southern accent identifying the guy by name (Will Shaw) so his friends would believe him.

After we finished eating, Daniel gave Andy a freeroll prop bet -- eat 10 saltine crackers in one minute and win $5,000. That is more than two months' salary for Andy, so he gave it his best shot but didn't even come close. That's Andy in the picture shoving the first five crackers in his mouth. He chewed up easily enough, but couldn't create enough saliva to swallow them -- they just lingered in his mouth, unable to go down no matter how hard he tried. It ended up taking him several minutes to finally do it.

That was yesterday. Earlier tonight we talked Daniel into visiting a highly-recommended BBQ restaurant a few town's over, The Shed. Once again, Daniel got the salad, but we had a limited dinner break due to the poker tournament, so there were no crazy prop bets -- just eating. (The meal was fantastic, by the way, with some of the best BBQ chicken and potato salad I've ever had.) Daniel was fascinated by the casual country atmosphere, and at one point said he felt like he was on a different planet. As a native of that planet, I told him that on average, BBQ restaurants were probably more "fun" than vegan restaurants.

It was a lot of fun seeing my usual type of hangouts through his eyes, and Daniel paid for dinner both times, which saved me valuable funds for the rest of my road trip. (So far, I've only spent $21 on food this trip.)

That's it for my Day 3 update. I'll do my damnedest to update this blog every day of the 80-day road trip through all 50 states, even if it's not a travel day.

My epic road trip is only two days old, and I'm already at a standstill and separated from Rhapsody.

I warned you this trip would have a slow start.

I'm currently staying at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, reporting on a World Poker Tour event. This is the first of four WPT poker tournaments I'll be covering during this 80-day road trip. (I need to earn money to pay for this trip!) The final table is Wedesday night, and I'll resume driving on Thursday.

Since casinos don't allow dogs, Rhapsody is staying in Pensacola, Florida with Jonathan Little's family. For those who don't know, Jonathan is a professional poker player -- the youngest player in history to win two WPT titles. His younger brother runs a pet-sitting service, so Rhapsody gets to spend the next few days in a loving household with another dog to keep her company.

As I mentioned, we'll be back on the road Thursday morning, though the weather looks rough ahead. I'm not a cold-weather person, but take a look at the forecast for Fargo, ND, where I hope to spend Friday or Saturday night. Brrrrrrr!

It started out as a plan to drive out to California for the WPT Commerce LA Poker Classic, where I will be working from February 20 - March 4. I thought it would be a nice excuse for a road trip. Then I realized the Winter Olympics would be starting in Vancouver, Canada earlier that month, and thought it would be a lot of fun to drive up there, watch a few events, and then drive down to LA. I've been to the Olympics twice before (Atlanta in 1996 and Salt Lake City in 2002), and it's an extraordinary experience. 

That was the plan four days ago. 

As you can see by how much stuff I'm packing, the plan has grown.

Looking ahead on the schedule, I realized that the WPT Bay 101 tournament in the San Francisco area started just a few days after I finished the LA Poker Classic. Since there's no way I could drive home in time to catch a flight, I'd obviously need to extend the trip to include that tournament as well. 

At this point, the itinerary was getting pretty large. I looked over the route on a map, figuring I could visit Iowa and Nebraska on my way out (two of the six states I've never visited). Then I realized I would be as close to Alaska as I've ever been, and I started thinking about making the drive. Someone had told me it was only eight hours away from Vancouver, so I figured I'd take two days to cross Alaska off my list of life goals. 

I started drafting a rough schedule, and decided to add the WPT Indiana event to the trip. I'd have just enough time to make it back to Atlanta and fly to Indiana, but at that point, why not just keep driving? At that point, I will have hit most of the states west of the Mississippi, and I'd be staring straight at the eastern U.S. There would be three states left that I had never been to (West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Maine) -- so why not keep driving so I could knock them off my list too? 

At that point, if I'm driving up to Maine and back down the coast, I'd be hitting nearly every state in the union on this trip. That's when I first thought, "Would it be possible to hit all 50 states?" I didn't know how I'd handle Hawaii, but I sketched out a route that wouldn't have too many zig-zags that would take me through all of the lower 48.

I looked for boats or ferries to Hawaii, but they pretty much don't exist. (Cruiseline rules are a little weird, and there are no cruises from a U.S. port of call to Hawaii; you have to leave from a foreign port.) A boat would also take too long; the only way I could get to Hawaii would be to fly, but as you'd guess, flights aren't cheap. Fortunately, I've racked up a lot of frequent flier miles the last few years, and I actually have enough to cover a round-trip to Hawaii from California. I've been to Hawaii before, but there is a big difference between visiting 49 states on a single trip and visiting 50. 

As long as I'm visiting all 50 states and Canada, poking my head down into Tijuana, Mexico was a no-brainer. 

I originally planned to leave on February 3rd (when Rhapsody turns exactly 13 years, 6 months), but two days ago I decided to leave this weekend so I could include WPT Biloxi as part of the trip. It allows me to hit more states naturally. If there is too much random zig-zagging across the country, it just feels a little bit like cheating.

I started detailing my potential route across the United States, and that's when I hit a pretty major snag. Juneau, Alaska isn't eight hours away from Vancouver -- it's 39 hours away (1,811 miles on a deserted two-lane road). I already had it in my head that I would visit Alaska, so I started researching alternatives. There is a ferry service called the Alaska Marine Highway System, which provides access to the little towns along the coast that can only be accessed by air or water. After some online research and a phone call, I could catch a boat to Juneau for $450, plus another $50 for Rhapsody. This is no pleasure cruise -- I'm simply paying for a ride, and I don't even get a cabin. (The only cabins available would cost me an additional $1,000 or so.) The boat trip will take a week, and I'll be sleeping on deck chair. It's sure to be an interesting experience.

One more complication -- the shortest trip to Alaska is one week. And it only leaves once per week, so I have one shot to get to the departure point in time, or I won't be able to visit Alaska on this trip.

Now I know I won't be the first person to visit all 50 states on a single trip, and it's not difficult to hit them all in 80 days. But this isn't purely a vacation -- I'll be working for about 30 of those days. And there are several hard schedule points that I can't miss -- the Winter Olympics, the boat to Alaska, and the days I need to work for the World Poker Tour.

Another complication is money. It's gonna be tight. I'll be earning money on this trip, but most of the money won't start coming in until the trip is nearly complete. I had to spend some money up front, particularly on cold-weather gear, the boat to Alaska, and prepping my car, so I'll be penny-pinching as much as I can. I still plan to visit the cool sites, and definitely want to hit a few of the major National Parks that I love so much (the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone Park -- I hear Yellowstone is much more magical in the winter).

My dog Rhapsody will be along for the entire ride, except for Hawaii -- she's too big to fit in the cabin, and I refuse to check her as baggage. She'll stay with a friend while I spend a day and a half in Hawaii. Rhapsody is no puppy; she's 13 1/2 years old, and this will be a long, arduous trip. 

My car is also 13 years old, and has nearly 150,000 miles on the odometer. As you can see, there are a lot of things that could go wrong on this trip, but at this point, I'm optimistic. I'm ready to take whatever comes.

Looking at the calendar, it looks like the trip will take about 80 days -- so that's my target. I love the works of Jules Verne, and there's a nice parallel with the classic novel "Around the World in 80 Days." If Phileas Fogg could make his trip in (a fictional) 1872, then I should have no problem doing mine in a futuristic 2010.

Of course, I'll be blogging and twittering my journey the entire way, and taking plenty of photos for a book I'm planning. It's a specific idea I've had for a while (though I wasn't planning a 50-state road trip), although it won't really be about me or the road trip. I won't get into details of that book idea until I begin editing it together after the trip is complete.

For those of you following my progress, be prepared for a slow start as I spend four days in Biloxi, which is only about six hours away. (I'll be leaving in about an hour.) But once I finish working the WPT tournament this week, the epic part of the road trip will really begin.

The poll closes tonight at midnight. (Not sure of the time zone, so let's say midnight ET, 9:00 pm PT.) If you haven't voted yet, this link will get you started: 

Bluff Magazine's Readers Choice Awards

Instead of ending the post here, I figured I'd open up my ballot to let everyone know who and what I voted for. (I always told myself that if I ever got a ballot for the Poker Hall of Fame, I'd publicly reveal my votes.) For another perspective on the Bluff Awards, check out AlCantHang's picks over at the Full Tilt Poker blog -- I'm 75% certain I would have linked to his thoughts even if he didn't pick The Poker Beat as Best Podcast.

Favorite Player of 2009:  Phil Ivey

Top TV Poker Show for 2009:  World Series of Poker

Favorite Las Vegas Poker Room:  Bellagio

Favorite Poker Room Outside of Las Vegas:  The Borgata

Top Poker Blog for 2009:  Pokerati*

Favorite Online Poker Site:  Full Tilt Poker

Favorite Poker Forum:  TwoPlusTwo

Favorite Poker Podcast:  Poker Road - The Poker Beat

Best Poker Twitter:  Erik Seidel

Best Online Poker Player:  Tom "durrrr" Dwan

Favorite Poker Villain:  Phil Hellmuth

Favorite Poker Personality:  Jeffrey Pollack

Favorite Online Poker Resource:  SharkScope**

Top Story of 2009:  Phil Ivey Makes WSOP Main Event Final Table

- - - - - - - - - - - - 

* The toughest vote for me was Top Poker Blog. I don't usually think of Pokerati as a traditional blog, and I definitely don't think of PokerNewsDaily as a blog. If that site got a nomination, then why not Wicked Chops Poker? If I think of traditional blogs, the award goes to Tao of Poker (nominated) or Hard-Boiled Poker (not nominated). But given the choices, I went with Pokerati.com, because that's the one I frequent the most -- the comments are often as informative as the posts themselves. 

** I don't use any of the options listed for Favorite Online Poker Resource, but I have heard other people speak favorably about SharkScope, so I voted for it. 

If you have questions about any of my other votes, please leave a comment below.

But now we're back, and we recorded our first episode of 2010 earlier today. Here are the links:

Listen to The Poker Beat on PokerRoad.com

Subscribe to The Poker Beat on iTunes

We were a bit short-handed today with John Caldwell and Gary Wise down in the Bahamas, land of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and inconsistent internet access. So it was just Scott Huff, Dan Michalski, and myself, catching up on the major poker news stories since our last episode on December 17th. 

Today's topics included the new North American Poker Tour (NAPT), Isildur1's interview with PokerNews, and the Red Pro suspension of Brian Townsend on Full Tilt. It's an excellent episode with some interesting analysis (as always), and I highly recommend giving it a listen.