I did this a few years after graduating college.

Drove a '65 Chevy II around the country for four months, spending time
with friends and relatives, camping, staying with new friends.

The two items I brought with me of note: my complete stereo and record
collection, and my cat.

My 'who' is easy. Benjamin Franklin.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

In article
<8e118857-9825-4520-9d46-a7469d3d52f8@s33g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,

I would go solo and take the usual stuff such as my car, clothes,
camping gear, folding bike, my laptop, camera gear, and my credit cards.
Although I would go solo, I would love to meat people on the way who
know the local areas and who would be willing to spend time showing me
around their community. I have no interest in meeting a "high profile"
person on such a trip.

I'd leave the car home and fly my Beech Sundowner from small field to
small field, across the US and Canada.

My companion would be my wife, who in a perfect world would be as
comfortable flying as I am.

A nice cushy Bentley or Rolls Royce convertible, my laptop with one of
those Verizon (or ATT or whomever) cards that connect to the cellular
network so I wouldn't be at the mercy of wifi hotspots, a refrigerator
full of mountain dew to keep me going, a GPS unit that has accurate
maps and the locations of every mom and pop pizza joint on my route
programmed in, the best police radar/lidar detection/jamming unit
money could buy, maps to bypass the states of VA, DC and anywhere else
that radar detectors are banned and Paris Hilton's credit cards to pay
for it all.

Ginger *and* Mary Ann....  ;-P

--
"The record run in oil prices is related more to
speculation and a weakening dollar than supply
and demand in the market. In terms of fundamentals,
fear of supply reliability is overblown."

          --Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson

To answer "What" I would take, it would be the usual stuff needed to
make a long trip, but the particulars would depend on the locales
visited.  No snoeshoes needed on a trip to death valley.  Binoculars
and camera would be nice, etc.

To answer "Who" I would take, it would likely be my spouse and
possible the kids and grandkids depending on the location.  Or maybe
my spouse and brother-in-law and sister-in-law.  I can't imagine why
anyone would want to take a "High Profile" person who they presumably
had never met on an extended trip like that.  How dull for both...

A good supply of parts for the 44 years old car I'd be driving and my
meds, including Viagra in case I'm lucky.

Easy,

1 - My collection of audiobooks on CD-ROM - (Can drive for hours with a good
book)
2 - 427 Cobra (with MP3 capable CD player to play the cdroms)
3 - Digital Camera and PC (for recording my trip and downloading pictures at
the end of each day.)
4 - NOBODY ELSE

I'd go with a 2005 Miata Turbo if a 4276 cobra is not available (not as sexy
or fast but probably more reliable in the long run)

Squat (ex 99 miata owner - yes, I miss that car.)

After a devastating injury 20yrs ago, that even gave me some brain
damage, I planned a trip all around the country, wanting to take as
long as it would take, and seeing anything that I wanted to, mainly
scenic and interesting places. It helped a lot with cognitive therapy
that I needed, and kept me looking forward instead of backward. Being
more into nature than conviences, I wanted to be able to go off road,
and also camp. I still haven't decided on the perfect vehicle. Sube's
probably can't go that far off road, but then I'm not into climbing
rocks. I have problem with fatigue,
and pains, so being able to pull over and rest or sleep at any time
would be a plus, and a trailer or RV would be better than camping in a
tent, but with gas prices climbing all the time, a tent might better
than an RV or towing a trailer.

 I bought an Impreza wagon last year, but think a Legacy wagon would
be a better choice, for the size, and a trip I planed would take a
year, and 15K mi. Trying to pick a route that the weather would be
mild, as much as can be planned for, and see things I wanted to,
seemed like the thing to do.

 When I planned the trip I had an oder full sized wagon, with a lot
of miles. Figuring on that I planned to put in a new motor, and carry
parts like belts and simple things. With an older motor I'd carry a
water pump and anything that could fail,  that was small, and I might
not want to wait to get parts for, like maybe a master cyl. Ease of
getting parts would determine what I would carry.

 Don't think I would go alone, and even a dog would give something to
talk to. At the time I had 2, that would have made the trip more
interesting, since the female liked to rest her muzzle on my shoulder
while I drove, and the male would get into trouble anytime we stopped.
A companion who wanted to take the trip as much as me, and was
compatible would make it more interesting. At the time I had a friend
who had a stroke, and he wanted to take the trip. I don't think he
shared my interests, but the trip would have helped him with the
depression. An interesting woman who wasn't afraid of challenges,
which I once had, would have been ideal. I can't think of any high
profile person who would make the trip as interesting, than someone
who likes an adventure. I gave up making plans long ago, since things
never turned out the way imagined, and being open to what happens or I
ran into, was a Lot more interesting. When I saw something I wanted to
see, I would stop and check it out. If I saw a road that looked
interesting, I turned onto it, to see what it lead to.

 I still have the dream, but still am not able, so toned down my plan
to interesting places not as far, though they haven't seemed
interesting enough to get me past my limits. I figure when I am able
to, I will Just Go.

VF