Recently, Randall Olson, a well-known data analyst, plotted the most efficient “Great American Road Trip” using an algorithm he designed to “find Waldo” as quickly as possible. In a nutshell, the algorithm finds the most direct route between a specific set of points. For Waldo, this means that the algorithm will track along pre-determined parameters each time until he has quickly been discovered. For a massive road trip, it means devising the most efficient and effective route between a set of points, while still allowing access to major landmarks or cities.
Will I be following Olson’s route? No. It is, however, a useful tool for my own planning purposes. He provides two different routes: one that travels to 50 national landmarks, the other traveling to 50 major cities. The routes themselves may be less useful than the lists of places. I have my lists of national parks, noteworthy state parks, national forests, friends to visit, but there are plenty of other worthwhile things to do in the United States. Both of his lists compliment my own. They provide insight into things I might want to do in each state, or things that I should seek out.
Not every state has a national park. In fact, most don’t. Every state has a national landmark or major city worth visiting. These lists and maps provide both categorized information, as well as a visualization of a truly epic road trip route. I am excited.
If you are a curious about Olson’s work, check out his blog or his original article. He has plenty of other routes worth checking out. I also attribute all images/algorithm-related material in this post to him!
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