Est. 2019 • 3127 miles • 14 states • Live journal

Coast to Coast with a Cat & a Ghost 👻

We drove from the foggy Atlantic to the wild Pacific — with Miso, a rescue tabby who runs the back seat, and Boo, a 112-year-old ghost who never paid for gas. Diners, deserts, haunted motels, lighthouses and small-town kindness.

🐈 Pet-friendly guides👻 Cozy haunted history🚐 Route 66 + US-50 + PCH

Our story ↓ Latest dispatches

★ Featured in road-trip zines • 48k miles napped • 0 ghosts exorcised

★ Atlantic → Pacific ★

Road trip van crossing American desert - coast to coast with cat and ghost

Miso approves 😻

PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT ✦ ROUTE 66 ✦ MARFA LIGHTS ✦ BLUE RIDGE ✦ WHITE SANDS ✦ GRAND CANYON ✦ BIG SUR ✦ PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT ✦ ROUTE 66 ✦ MARFA LIGHTS ✦ BLUE RIDGE ✦ WHITE SANDS ✦ GRAND CANYON ✦ BIG SUR ✦

3127miles driven

14states

63diners tested

19haunted stays

About the project — Manifesto

One car. One cat. One ghost. All of America.

CoastToCoastWithACatAndAGhost.com started in 2019 as a joke scribbled on a gas receipt in Maine: what if we drive to California and bring everyone — even the ones who are dead?

Miso was adopted from a shelter in Bangor — 9 pounds, loud purr, hates closed doors. Boo joined us in Gettysburg, allegedly. A cold spot in Room 7, a flickering lamp, a laugh on the voice recorder. We offered him the passenger seat. He never left.

This site is part travel guide, part ghost-story archive, part love letter to slow travel. We document pet-friendly hotels, cat travel hacks, haunted-but-cozy motels, small-town diners, lighthouses, deserts and Pacific sunsets. No rush, no filters — just mile markers, paw prints and ectoplasm.

For cat people: litter-box road setups, vet lists by state, leash training, calm driving rituals.
For ghost people: respectful folklore, interviews with innkeepers, night walks, EVP fails.
For everyone: budgets ($78/day), maps, playlists, printable packing lists.

Meet Miso & Boo See the route

The Journey — Ocean to Ocean

How we crossed America without losing our minds (or cat)

We rejected interstates. We took US-1 down the Atlantic, cut west on US-50 — America’s Loneliest Road — kissed Route 66 in Tucumcari, then surfed the Pacific Coast Highway with windows down and Miso’s ears flapping.

Phase 01 • Maine → Virginia

Lighthouses & Lobster Rolls

Portland Head Light at sunrise, Acadia fog, Salem ghost tour where Boo got shy. Miso learned harness walking on the Freedom Trail.

Phase 02 • Blue Ridge → Nashville

Mountains & Music

Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks, Dollywood, hot chicken. Slept in a 1927 train caboose. Boo played piano at 3am. We have audio.

Phase 03 • Route 66 → Desert

Neon & Nowhere

Cadillac Ranch, White Sands, Marfa Lights (we saw them!), Grand Canyon sunrise. Cat-approved motel with cactus courtyard.

Phase 04 • Big Sur → Pacific

Fog & Finale

Bixby Bridge, sea otters, dipping paws in the Pacific at Pfeiffer Beach. Boo cried. Miso sneezed at salt water. Perfect ending.

Most loved leg

Route 66: Tucumcari to Flagstaff

412 miles of neon, turquoise shops, ghost motels and green-chile cheeseburgers. Miso’s favorite: warm hood naps at sunset stops.

Finale

Touching the Pacific

After 41 days we made it. Two oceans, one odometer, infinite crumbs in the cupholders. Read the full finale in the journal below.

The Crew

Cat vs Ghost: who’s the better co-pilot?

🐈 Miso • 5 y/o • Tabby • CEO of Naps

Miso the Cat

Rescued, leash-trained, professional biscuit-maker. Duties: morale, crumb inspection, screaming at 4am in Nebraska. Loves: tuna packets, heated seats, national park Junior Ranger booklets. Hates: fireworks, closed carrier zippers, Boo’s cold spots.

Miso’s travel tip: “Freeze Churu treats. Crack one open every 200 miles. Humans drive better when I’m licking.”

👻 Boo • 112 y/o • Friendly • Navigator of Lore

Boo the Ghost

Former traveling salesman, died 1912, now full-time backseat storyteller. Duties: finding haunted diners, cooling the car when AC dies, rattling motel ice machines for fun. Loves: harmonica, Route 66 museums, being believed. Hates: ghost hunters with night vision.

Boo’s rule: “Always ask permission before telling a town’s ghost story. Leave a dollar on the grave. Tip your waitress.”

Interactive-ish Route

Atlantic → Pacific in 41 days

🗺️ MAINE • PORTLAND HEAD→ 3127 MI →CALIFORNIA • BIG SUR 🌊

 Portland  Salem  Gettysburg  Blue Ridge  Nashville  Memphis  Tucumcari  Santa Fe  Grand Canyon  Vegas  Big Sur 

⛽ Budget
$3,198 total • $78/day • gas $1,120 • motels $1,340 • diners $738

🐾 Pet score
47/52 stays cat-welcome • best state: New Mexico • worst: late-night Texas (heat)

👻 Spook score
19 haunted stays • 7 cold spots • 3 EVPs • 1 piano ghost (Boo denies)

Postcards

Windows down, film camera out

Journal / News — Fresh from the glovebox

Latest dispatches & how-to guides

Every few days we empty the notebook: cat travel hacks, haunted motel reviews, budget breakdowns, small-town interviews. Click any story to read the full version.

Soon

First dispatch drops at sunrise in Maine!

Check back — Miso is currently napping on the keyboard.

Pack like Miso 🎒

Free checklist: carrier setup, litter hack for sedans, 12-state vet list, ghost-hunting kit (just a notebook + respect).

Get checklist

Sleep where Boo slept 👻

Our ranked list of 19 haunted-but-cozy stays — all cat-welcome, none with actual demons. Promise.

See stays

Good questions

FAQ from rest stops

🐈 Is it safe to road-trip with a cat?

Yes — if you prep. Miso is harness + carrier trained, microchipped, with a vet folder. We never leave him in a hot car (Boo stays as ghost AC + we take shifts). Start with 30-min drives, use Feliway spray, keep litter in footwell with high sides. Full guide in journal.

👻 Is Boo real?

As real as a good story needs to be. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, every town has a legend worth listening to. We treat folklore with respect, always ask locals, never provoke, never trespass. Boo insists he’s real. Miso is unconvinced.

🚐 What car did you use?

A 2016 Honda Fit named Sardine — 33 mpg, fits a litter box behind passenger seat, sleeps two in a pinch with seats down. Total gas $1,120. No sponsorship, just love + duct tape.

💰 How much did coast-to-coast cost?

$3,198 for 41 days for two humans + cat + ghost (ghosts travel free). Motels $1,340, gas $1,120, food $738. Camping 11 nights saved ~$900. Detailed sheet in journal.

📸 Can I follow the route?

Please do! Copy our GPX, steal our diner list, pet Miso (with permission). Start in Portland, Maine in May for lilacs, hit desert before heat, finish Big Sur at golden hour. Tag the glovebox — we repost.

Get postcards from the road

One email per week. No spam, no ads — just Miso’s nap locations and Boo’s ghost of the week. Unsubscribe when we hit the Pacific (we won’t).