Indeed. I just drove diagonally across the continent twice for a one minute show - a Shuttle launch. It was a great drive.
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I agree, it's so much easier to pack all of the stuff that you "might" need and not worry about the airlines. I just spent a couple of weeks driving around the West, ie. AR, OK, Texas, NM, AZ CO, UT, WY, ID, NV, CA (North to South on 1), ~7.5k miles. This time of year and later, SUV with 4wd may be useful if planning to travel in snow regions but as you say, most photo areas are car accessible.
Steve