After working like a dog for five years without a real vacation, it is time to hit the road with my dog and leave the craziness behind for a spell. A tour of all 50 United States in an electric car with sufficient range and sufficient charging network (Tesla)  should be the answer. If you’ve ever wished to toss aside the grind for months at a time and hit the open road, please join us for this tour of America. The sidebar will group articles depending upon focus: Road trip, traveling with your pet, electric vehicle car camping, Tesla-specific discoveries, and other topics. Read what interests you.

Iceman and Papafox (I’m Papafox, the furry fellow with four legs is Iceman) plan to launch the adventure soon in a 2015 Tesla Model S 70D with autopilot (Tesla-speak for advanced cruise control and lane-keeping). The car is a big step forward from my previous Model S (a 40 kwh version) and has an advertised range of 240 miles. Our most challenging leg? That will be to Alaska and back!

A confession: I have driven across the country twice in internal combustion cars and found the effort tedious. A funny thing happened after I owned a Tesla, though. The driving is far more fun, with sports-car handling and acceleration. During the long commute to work and home each day, I found the car’s quiet interior to be a big plus that reduced fatigue. I love to read but hadn’t done much during the 5 years of crazy work schedule. Then I discovered audio books and I’ve gone nuts catching up on my reading, er listening. My favorite hours of the day became the commute to and from work. Since Iceman, a 10 year old Portuguese Water Dog, loves riding in a car, the idea of an extended road trip began to germinate. Will we remain enthusiastic as the trip progresses or fall prey to the relentless demands of the road? Stay tuned!