Outlined against the fading glow of a Midwest autumn, for 15 years friends have loaded up and set their sights on South Bend.
In legend, they are travelers, fans, friends, and self-proclaimed idiots. Those are just aliases. Their real names have been Adam Gore, Brandon Speck, Brad Campbell, Matthew Little, Spencer Speck, Steven Criss, Ceburn Gray, Andy Strickland, John Speck, Jessica Speck, Finley Speck, Danny Thrasher, CJ Adams, Cade Adams, and Michael Upton. They formed the vanguard of a pilgrimage before which small towns, highways, and stadiums alike would yield their secrets, chaos, and absurdities to the unrelenting curiosity of devoted men (and a couple of ladies).
From the sizzling aroma of bacon in Kentucky to frozen tin foil blankets in the shadow of Notre Dame Stadium, from Chicago traffic to towns that vanished like smoke from a microwave, these were the moments that marked their journey. As the van roared northward through the fall dusk, it carried the promise of stories that would outlast any scoreboard.
For 15 years, our #NDTrip has been a moving chaos machine… small groups and large, vans and planes… all carrying the same mix of mischief, laughter, and questionable decisions.
These are the top 15 stories from our adventures.
Bacon in Kentucky
Potter still talks about my Waffle House order in Kentucky. We stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. While everyone else ran inside for snacks, I said I’d grab some bacon from a Waffle House up the hill. I came back with a catering-sized to-go container, they only thing they had for me to carry it with me, and five strips of bacon.
The Golden Rule
Some rules are sacred. One rule on these trips: do not fart in the vehicle. One passenger, that will remain nameless, had a close call in Chicago traffic. Sweating, squirming, clearly in distress, he said in the group chat, “Gore didn’t even look up from his computer and said, ‘Don’t do it!’”
Lost in Chicago
Downtown Chicago can swallow you whole. One year, Speck lost his car and had no idea which garage it was in. He later called it the loneliest 90 minutes of his life. Luckily, Spencer decided he rather sleep in instead of going with his dad.
Yip’n at Strangers
Traffic jams can have their moments. Stuck after a game, I decided it was the perfect time to teach everyone, especially a young Spencer, the fine art of yip’n. It quickly escalated into Spencer yip’n at strangers as they walked by the car, with his dad reluctantly joining in. Chaos on wheels was guaranteed.
Mexican Independence Day
Cities can surprise you. CJ remembered stumbling upon a Mexican Independence Day celebration in downtown Chicago. Colorful, loud, and vanished suddenly. Chicago apparently had a curfew on how late they could be on the roads, and when time was up, the celebration was gone like Thanos snapped his fingers.
Microwave Lesson
Some lessons come from fast food. Potter and I were walking down a hall when he asked if I smelled smoke. It turned out you cannot warm a Wendy’s hamburger in the microwave without removing the wrapper. Spencer learned that the hard way.
Heroic Push
Brains sometimes matter more than brawn. Before Spencer nearly caused a disaster, we all helped pushed a broken-down vehicle up a small hill in the rain. We couldn’t get it out of park until CJ looked up a YouTube video on how to open the cover to the gear shift. We kept pushing until Speck realized Spencer was still in the car. After rushing down the hill, Spencer had locked the doors… proving once again, he was the most mature person on our trips.
Metropolis, Illinois
Superheroes exist, at least in one town. We found Metropolis, Illinois, fully dedicated to Superman. Eight random southerners ran around town taking photos without the police showing up. Maybe Superman was actually on guard.
Santa Claus, Indiana
Holiday spirit is not guaranteed. One year, we found Santa Claus, Indiana. It was more about a water park and ATV trails than Christmas. Speck noted, “I’ve seen more Christmas decorations on Main Street Baldwyn than here.”
EZPass Fiasco
Technology can fail anywhere. Brad recalled the time Speck didn’t know how to use an EZPass and had to call the 800 number to give them a 32-digit code for a few tolls. Speck swore he’d never use EZPass again. He used it on the next trip.
BYU Game Survival
Some games require extreme preparation. Speck bought a tin foil blanket from Elmo’s Military Supply to survive the BYU game. Ceburn bought pink socks. We all bought hot chocolate that was cold before we got back to our seats. Wind chill was minus five degrees or colder. Dedication comes in many forms. We were all gone by halftime.
Home Alone Locations
Film locations make great pit stops. We visited several Home Alone locations. After walking around town for about an hour, we came back to find Andy had left the car door wide open. Classic.
Hotel Nightmares
Not every stop is comfortable. One hotel had tire tracks on the pillow and smelled like cat pee and cinnamon. Domino’s laughed when we gave them our location because they didn’t deliver that area. Speck lost hotel booking privileges for the next three trips.
Michael Jackson’s Childhood Home
Curiosity does not always pay off. On a random side trip, we drove to Michael Jackson’s childhood home in Gary, Indiana, and almost got a front-row seat to disaster. A car riding on a rim drove by shooting sparks. We all got back in the vehicle without hesitation. After looking up details on Gary, we quickly determined the risk was not worth the reward.
Golic’s Restraining Order on Speck
After one game, we ended up where all the players and families gathered outside the locker room. Mike Golic was signing autographs. Speck did not just get one autograph; he followed him around the concourse AND outside the stadium for multiple ones. He even got one on a dollar that he later accidentally used to tip the bus driver after taking us back to the vehicle.
After 15 years, thousands of miles, countless detours, and more questionable decisions than anyone can count, another chapter will be written this weekend with #NDTrip2025.
These stories are evidence of our madness, souvenirs of chaos, and proof that some trips are about more than football. They’re about friendship, laughter, and a tradition that refuses to end unless there is another worldwide pandemic.
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