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B.J. Barham's 28,000-Mile Cross-Country Road Trip

American Aquarium Frontman and Wife See America During Great 48 Tour

Getting up at 4 a.m. and driving five hours daily isn't how most people would want to spend a chunk of their summer, but for American Aquarium frontman B.J. Barham, it was the perfect way for him and his wife of three years, Rachael, to knock some things off their bucket list before starting a family.

Seated in a tiny patio area outside the Empty Glass in Charleston, West Virginia, the singer-songwriter reflected on how his Great 48 Tour, in which he would perform in every state in the continental U.S., was born.

"I made her list 30 things she wanted to see in the country, and I made a list of 30 things I wanted to see in the country, and we booked an entire 60-day tour around those 60 things," he said.

In the span of 59 days, Barham played 57 shows and drove a hefty 28,472 miles in a rented 2017 Dodge Caravan. CMT provided him with a camera to chronicle their adventures.

"We originally wanted to do 31 national parks. We only got 25 in," Barham chuckled after his sound check at Club Metronome in Burlington, Vermont, the final gig of the tour.

"I got to see good people this tour," he said. "I got to see people offer up their homes, offer to take me and my wife to dinner, offer an extra $20 for the gas tank to support the cause. It just reinstilled my faith in the human spirit."

Barham is back on the road with American Aquarium. The fall leg of their tour began this week with several stops Texas and ends Nov. 25 in Atlanta.

Go to www.americanaquarium.com for a complete list of dates.

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