World Records are meant to be broken. Or, at least, attempts are expected. In 2015, a trio of world travelers set their sights on a record they thought they could beat: most U.S. states visited in 24 hours.
Led by Gunnar Garfors, the three-man crew used the cluster of smaller Northeastern states and the proximity of some bordering states to chart a course which would theoretically allow them to beat the existing 19 state record. Flights were prepared to jump from one place on the map to another as required, with cars ready to go at their new location.
Their journey was reported in many places such as the Daily Mail.
Norwegian adventurer, Gunnar Garfors, who previously managed to visit all 198 countries around the globe while maintaining a full-time job, started the incredible 24 hour challenge n Maine on September 20.
The three friends were successful. Impressively so, in that they boosted the record not to 20, but rather to 22 states.
This is not a story of adventurers, though. This is a story about math.
Specifically, it’s the story of a pair of engineers who graduated together from the University of Michigan.
Having heard of Garfors’ trip, Aaron Frantz and Eric Hausman decided to apply their skills to the problem of optimizing the pathway used. In May, 2018, they made their attempt. As did Garfors’ crew, they used three flights. They also used extra cars, relying on aid from friends around the country who wanted to see them break the record.
And they did. The bow tie-wearing pair managed to visit 23 states in 24 hours, tracking their progress with GPS, dashcam video and other devices. Thankfully, it allowed them to make this nice video for people to watch.
Bravery and boldness can carry you far. Math can carry you farther.
Question of the night: what’s your longest road trip?
