My view of TAR 26 or 'How can WRP dodge the various social, political, and health-related issues currently facing the world?':
STARTING LINE: Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois - not Los Angeles! (given this show's history, though, we know what this means for the Finish Line...) Lincoln Park is large and secluded enough so as not to have spoilers.
LEG 1: to Zaragoza, Spain (via Madrid) - we've had exactly 1 full leg in continental Spain and it sucked *shrugs* Bonus points for referencing potato Jesus.
LEG 2: to Ordino, Andorra - I mean there are only certain unused countries in Europe we can go to, and though I was tempted to have a Malaga / Gibraltar 1-2 punch Andorra sets up for the next leg
LEG 3: to Toulouse, France to Athens, Greece - RB in Toulouse at night involving rockets so as to set up for the early morning departures to Athens. Not only was the first, last, and only Greek leg of the race horrid but there's enough flights and potential for enough difficult tasks to shuffle the order via actual skills.
LEG 4: to Mumbai, India - given that both Russia and the Middle East are Not Great Travel Destinations right now, I'm left having to make a somewhat large leap somewhere in Asia, thus I chose the place with the greatest chance of someone getting assaulted on a train
LEG 5: to Luang Prabang, Laos - what better way to counter the hustle and bustle of Mumbai then a country that's inherently slow paced? I certainly don't know.
LEG 6: to Uluru, Australia (via Alice Springs) - yup, that's a giant rock.
LEG 7: to Perth, Australia - again, the last time we visited Perth it sucked and even though it seems like it I'm not *just* trying to trash TAR 9
LEG 8: to Cape Town, South Africa - how is it we haven't been here in
10 YEARS?
LEG 9: to Thaba Bosiu, Lesotho - I feel like everyone, self included, has slotted Lesotho in a fantasy route at least once. I think it's the hat dance, myself.
LEG 10: to Buenos Aires, Argentina (via various cities in Buenos Aires Province) - again, the legs here haven't been the best, but I think that's largely because it's mostly been used as a transit hub rather than a destination in it's own right)
LEG 11: to Ollantaytambo, Peru (via Cusco and Maachu Pichu) - still not over TAR 7 going to Cusco then taking random trucks and then...not going to Maachu Pichu.
LEG 12: to Chicago, Illinois (like I said, history repeats itself <3 granted, slightly better than JUST deep dish pizza at Gino's)
FINISH LINE: Salvage One rooftop terrace, Chicago, Illinois