Thanks for the emails

As I start to mull over what to bring and what not to bring, many of you have written in about the same dilemma. The giant foam #1 finger is a given, but do I really have room for the 10-ft inflatable Gator?

Most of you lucky ones have written in that you are flying out there. The luckier ones are turning it into more of a vacation. Like Sharon from Jacksonville who said she's flying into Vegas, visiting the Grand Canyon and taking a Jeep tour. In fact, many of you are flying in and out of Las Vegas, which I didn't realize was a viable option until after I booked my flight home.

We still want to hear about your plans. And once you are out there, email us your pics and we'll post them on Jacksonville.com. You can reach us at desertdash@jacksonville.com.

Ready to Launch

When the top brass at the Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville.com agreed to fund a road trip to the National Championship game I had to be pinched.

I seriously could not believe that such a wild idea was embraced by every decision-maker at the T-U.

So Times-Union writer Jeff Brumley and Jacksonville.com sports editor Ryan Garfat will leave first thing in the morning on Jan. 2 on an adventure of a lifetime, blogging the whole way.

We will post at least three times a day with video, photos and some slideshows, so keep coming back.

Also, we want to hear from you. Are you taking the same route we are? Going to the game? You can post comments here or email us at desertdash@jacksonville.com. Tell us your stories; send us your pics!

-Ryan and Jeff, the Desert Dash Team