If summer is around the corner, it means it’s almost time to hit the road and explore the land. So, feel free to be slightly jealous (and inspired) by a summer-long trip that has already begun while the rest of us are still in vacation-dreamin’ mode.

All-things-travel blog Gadling and Visa have teamed up for the road trip to end all road trips, “Traveling the American Road.” Gadling blogger Paul Brady began his journey at the Chicago Assembly Plant, home of the Ford Explorer, to pay tribute to a company that made the American road trip possible more than 100 years ago.

Paul, a world-class traveler, is a veteran road-tripper and claims an interest in minor league baseball and sandwiches (we are totally with him on the sandwich front). His series will spotlight resurgent towns and cities across the country, with Paul going to the farthest corners of all 50 states to give you an insider’s look at the greatest American attractions, landscapes and people behind these tourism experiences.

“We look forward to sharing stories of American resilience, while also highlighting the country’s incredible diversity and sense of adventure. And we hope to inspire people to also hit the road,” Paul said at the Windy City launch. “While the country’s seen some challenging economic times, America is back.”

And what better way to explore America than in a 2011 Ford Explorer? As he travels across the country, Paul will use the features and technology in the Explorer, including MyFord Touch™, to help him find his destinations.

Other tools Paul will utilize will be the Visa Memory Mapper, which is available at www.facebook.com/visa, and allows users to upload photos and videos, input the locations in which each image originated, write captions and add music to create a virtual keepsake of adventures to share with family and friends via Facebook, e-mail and Twitter. To locate Paul’s next stop, followers can track itinerary illustrated by MapQuest Map Builder at www.travelingtheamericanroad.com.

After Chicago, Paul drives to Detroit to check out the Motor City, followed by visits to cities and states throughout the U.S, which are projected to include Austin, Nashville, New York, St. Louis and others. Come back to see if your city is up next and follow the series on Twitter with the hashtag #AmericanRoad.