READY with your Road Trip Planner? SET up your itinerary...you could choose a HUT HUT HUT, but I'd recommend a hotel. HIKE up the stairs and claim your ticketed seat and watch some LIVE FOOTBALL!

I'm a 49ER fan and don't need a road trip planner to drive the 37 miles to Candlestick Park in San Francisco to watch my men in red & gold. I didn't go to their Superbowl games either because I always held a huge party at home with TVs in every room (including the bathrooms). And when their 5-time winning streak ended & the 49ers slipped on their Astroturf, I turned to Fantasy Football.

But now I'm thinking maybe it's time to enter the next level of Football Fandom. I use my trusty road trip planner to plan my summer vacations, weekend getaways, anniversary trips, family gatherings, even my girlfriend getaways...why not a Football Road Trip?

AWAY GAMES: It would be a blast to go on a road trip to cheer my team on against one of their historical rivals. In my case, it would mean traveling to St. Louis, Missouri to battle the Rams, which would actually be a great road trip choice because I could stay with family there & could bunk with them. Plus, St. Louis is a great destination offering many things to do. So check your own team's schedules; a football road trip may be the perfect excuse to visit a city you've always wanted to explore anyway. Here's your chance to visit the homes of the Seattle Seahawks, the Philadelphia Eagles, or the Miami Dolphins.

YOUR FAVORITE TEAM IS IN ANOTHER STATE: I'm within one hour's drive of my team's home field but I have friends whose favorite teams are the Dallas Cowboys or the Green Bay Packers (go figure). It's lonely to shout out your team's name in a sea of opposite-minded fans. Or be the only Cheesehead in your section. So plan a road trip there and be surrounded by fans who will actually return a High-5 when your team scores.

SPECIAL FOOTBALL DESTINATIONS: Actually, now that I think on it, I'm not restricted to just my team's away games. I could use my road trip planner to plot out my route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Canton, Ohio. Or visit the home city of the ONLY OTHER two 5-Time Superbowl Champions, Dallas or Pittsburgh (sorry, couldn't resist that little nod to the 49er Glory Days).

SPECIAL EVENT GAMES: A group of friends, or a football-oriented family like my own would have a great time planning a road trip to one of the following events:
* The Super Bowl XLIII will be in Tampa Bay, Florida on February 1, 2009
* The 2009 Pro Bowl is in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009

FOR THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL ENTHUSIASTS: Do your road trip planning around these events:
* 2009 Rose Bowl is in Pasadena, California, on January 1, 2009
* 2009 Orange Bowl is at the Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida on January 1, 2009
* 2009 Sugar Bowl is at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on January 2, 2009
* 2009 Fiesta Bowl will be at the University of Phoenix Stadium (a $450 million state-of-the-art complex ) in Glendale, Arizona on January 5, 2009
* 2009 BCS Championship Game will be held in Miami, Florida on January 8, 2009

All this talk of football road trips is revving me up! In fact, I'm making a commitment right here and now. If the 49ers make it back to the Superbowl again, wherever it is, I'll use my road trip planner to get me there. Ready, set, hut, hut, hike!