Minimal Spanning Tree Road TripChristina Renshaw

IntroductionI was given the task out of my friends to plan our road trip. I decided we were going to start in Murray, UT and visit the following locations: • Big Sandy, Montana• Hollywood, California• Las Vegas, Nevada• Grand Canyon, Arizona• Seattle, Washington

Minimal Spanning Tree

1. Between Seattle and Big Sandy: 756 miles, 11 hours and 15 minutes roughly

1. Between Murray and The Grand Canyon: 512 Miles, 8 hours and 16 minutes roughly2. Between Murray and Las Vegas: 414 miles, 5 hours and 46 minutes roughly3. Between Murray and Hollywood: 688 miles, 9 hours and 46 minutes roughly4. Between Murray and Seattle: 848 miles, 12 hours and 17 min roughly5. Between Murray and Big Sandy: 657 miles, 9 hours and 21 minutes roughly6. Between Grand Canyon and Las Vegas: 264 miles, 4 hours and 15 minutes roughly7. Between Grand Canyon and Hollywood: 514 miles, 8 hours and 20 minutes roughly8. Between Grand Canyon and Seattle: 1,230 miles, 18 hours and 13 minutes roughly9. Between Grand Canyon and Big Sandy: 1,040 miles, 15 hours and 16 minutes roughly10. Between Las Vegas and Hollywood: 280 miles, 4 hours and 23 minutes roughly11. Between Las Vegas and Seattle: 1,130 miles, 16 hours and 51 minutes roughly12. Between Las Vegas and Big Sandy: 1,070 miles, 14 hours and 56 minutes roughly13. Between Hollywood and Seattle: 1,130 miles, 16 hours and 59 minutes roughly14. Between Hollywood and Big Sandy: 1,350 miles, 19 hours and 19 minutes roughly15. Between Seattle and Big Sandy: 756 miles, 11 hours and 15 minutes roughly

My Strategies• In order to find the shortest route the strategy I

used was more of an eyeballing technique at first. I looked at my minimal spanning tree and decided just by looking at it which routes were the shortest. After deciding which routes were the shortest I did the math. Once the math of each of the short route was done I was able to clearly pick the shortest route.

• In order to find the fastest route I used my options for the shortest routes and calculated the difference in time to see which one was the fastest.

The Shortest Route1. Between Seattle and Big Sandy: 756 miles, 11 hours and 15 minutes roughly

My shortest route was starting from Murray, UT to the Grand Canyon, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada to Hollywood, California to Seattle, Washington to the final destination Big Sandy, Montana. My fastest was the same as my shortest route. The only way I can think of is if they were different it was because of something like traffic, construction, or a natural disaster along the road.

Grand Canyon, Arizona• The Grand Canyon is 277 miles in length.• The rock found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon

(schist) is around 2 billion years old.• John Wesley Powell led the first expedition down

the Grand Canyon in 1869. He was the first to use the name “Grand Canyon” after it had previous been known as the “Big Canyon” or “Great Canyon”.

Las Vegas, Nevada• It would take 288 years for one person to spend

one night in every hotel room in Las Vegas.• More than 41 million people visit Las Vegas each

year.• The Moulin Rouge, the city’s first racially

integrated hotel, opened in 1955.

Hollywood, California• The huge ‘Hollywood’ sign was put up in 1923 and originally

spelt out the word ‘Hollywoodland’.• The first movie to be made in Hollywood was 'In Old

California' in 1910. This was a 17-minute short film by legendary director D. W. Griffith, who was also responsible for the groundbreaking 'Birth Of A Nation.

• Prior to 1910, there were no movie theaters in the Hollywood district--because they were banned!

Seattle, Washington• During World War II, Seattle was the point of departure for

many soldiers sent to the Pacific. Many of these soldiers quartered at Golden Gardens Park.

• Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain. You can buy a unique mug (if you collect them) at the original Starbucks in Pike Place Market, first opened in 1971.

• When the Space Needle was built in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

Big Sandy, Montana• The population in Big Sandy is 769!• Compared to the rest of the country, Big Sandy's

cost of living is 17.70% Lower than the U.S. average.

• Average Commute time is 13 minutes. The National Average is 25 minutes.

Totals!• Total Distance: 2942 Miles• Total Time: 45 hours 8 Minutes (that is without

breaks)• Between Murray and The Grand Canyon: 512 Miles, 8 hours

and 16 minutes roughly• Between Grand Canyon and Las Vegas: 264 miles, 4 hours

and 15 minutes roughly• Between Las Vegas and Hollywood: 280 miles, 4 hours and

23 minutes roughly• Between Hollywood and Seattle: 1,130 miles, 16 hours and

59 minutes roughly• Between Seattle and Big Sandy: 756 miles, 11 hours and 15

minutes roughly