Backpack? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Water bottle? Check.

We’re almost ready for the trip of a lifetime! Over the next 365 days we will travel across North America, fleeing alligators in the Louisiana bayou; munching on chocolate from Hershey, Pennsylvania; and cleaning fish with the Inuit in Alaska. We will experience the excitement of Western rodeos and swim with beluga whales from the Arctic Ocean. But our final destination lies far beyond the North American continent, the earth, or even our solar system.

We’re headed to heaven.

How can an awkward-looking Texas armadillo prepare you for the biggest trip of your life? How can Roanoke Island’s mysterious carvings get you ready for your home in the sky? Grab your boarding pass for a yearlong tour of America—and an eternal trip to heaven.

Bible? Check.