Alright, so, while I've gotten good responses on the idea of going, as a group, to Australia, the particulars, such as the "date" and the "cost" have raised more than a few issues with more than a few people who were otherwise quite pumped about the whole thing. So, I've worked out a few other ideas, with more flexible dates / iteneraries. These are just ideas I've been kicking around with various people, so if you don't like any of them, feel free to suggest your own. Maybe we'll rock your trip this spring/summer. So, read on! (Personally, I think e looks pretty good. But that's me.)

a) Australia, as elucidated before. About 1500$ to see three of the largest, coolest metropolitan areas in Australia, staying in hostels and getting around by train, more or less. Downside: perhaps restricted to May, when some of you have conflicts. Also: fairly expensive. That 1500$ figure doesn't include food (which none of these cost estimates will, because food is a bullshit cost for me to try to include) or much of the "things we'd actually do in Australia that aren't free." Could be pushed to June, at a probable surplus of 150$ and the fact that it'd be 10 or 15 degrees colder there by then (that's their winter, you know). Food for thought.

b) The US Pacific coast. Starting south of San Diego, travel the entire US Pacific coastline up to Vancouver. Travel the scenic Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), and see the wonders of California (Northern and Southern) as well as Oregon (they make delicious beer and wine there) and Washington (apples, more beer, more wine, coffee and the Experience Music Project).  Cap it off with a jaunt into beautiful British Columbia to see the wooded wonderland that surrounds Vancouver. Headlining cities include Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Eureka, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver.
Amongt the bunch of us, we know a lot of people up and down the Pacific coast, so if we could trick some of them into letting us stay with them for a night or two, that would bring costs signficantly down. This also has the benefit of being supremely flexible, time and itenerary-wise. Some of you are already familiar with some of the stuff up and down this coast-line, but seeing it all from sunny Mexico straight up to wooded Canada? That's something you don't get to do every day.

c) The coast-to-coast in 36hrs trip. An old idea, I know, but I'm still interested in doing it. We start in at the Pacific just outside LA early in the morning then get in the car and drive straight down I-10 to Florida, arriving before dark the next day at the Atlantic near Jacksonville. We see what there is to see, and slowly work our way back, hitting up New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Las Cruces and Tucson on our way back. Mmmm... BisonWitches.

d) Trans-Canada by rail.
Just kidding. Maybe.

e) Great Lakes-ish. Start in Minneapolis, spend three days exploring the coolest city ever. Then bus or drive to Chicago, where Michelle will show us why it's cool and hopefully let us stay with her (days 5-9). Day 10 we fly to Winnipeg and check it out (it's boss, trust me). And then on day 12 we hop a train that runs the length of Lake Superior to Toronto. Day 13 and 14 are in Toronto and day 15 is to Buffalo / flying out of Buffalo (so it's a far cheaper domestic flight home). I really like this idea. Plus, the train runs through Thunder Bay. How cool is that? Appx cost for planes (to MPLs, Chi to Winnipeg, Buf to home) + train (Winnipeg to Toronto) + rooms (8 nights): 1100$.

e2) Chicago-->West. Start in Chicago and head west. See Mount Rushmore, the Badlands and Black Hills in South Dakota, see North Dakota, hit up Saskatchewan and Alberta (Calgary is like San Antonio but small and clean) then travel down through Glacier National Park (which is FUCKING GORGEOUS) and into Montana, which has some of the best country in the world. Or, alternately, Chicago, MPLS, Winnepeg, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary then either Montana or Vancouver. The Canadian canola fields are amazing in summer.

f) Some trip involving Iceland. Airfare in May/June to Iceland can be had for 550$ right now out of Minneapolis or Boston or New York or DC. So, Chicago, then MPLS, then Reykjavik? The upper-midwest then the tiny island nation with a love of disco dancing and hot sex?

g) Your idea! Leave it in the comments! We're looking at about two weeks in late May or June and we're trying to keep the whole thing under 1500$ (sans food, as stated above). Other than that, go nuts.