Two pals determined to embark on a 500-mile journey in toy vehicles with their hearts set on reaching a brand new Guinness World Document within the longest distance traveled within the novelty automobiles.
Lauren Lee and Cassie Aran, of Florida, set about making the drive from Jacksonville to Key West in Freddo’s ‘Rocket’ convertible mannequin, branded because the ‘world’s quickest’ two-seat toy vehicles – with Lauren using a blue model, and Cassie in a crimson one.
The duo, each 29, who’ve been finest pals since kindergarten, aptly kicked off their journey on the Friendship Basis in Jacksonville in mid-March.
All of the whereas, the pair labored diligently to observe the numerous pointers established by the Guinness regulators to show that the document was made truthful and sq..
Lauren Lee and Cassie Aran, of Florida, set off on a 500-mile journey from Jacksonville to Key West in mid-March- traversing the route by toy convertible vehicles
The pair, who’ve been besties since kindergarten, got down to break the Guinness World Document for longest distance traveled by toy automotive. Cassie is pictured at left, Lauren is pictured at proper
As documented within the above {photograph}, the perfect pals appropriately kicked off the trek subsequent to Jacksonville’s Friendship Fountain
What’s extra, they made it so their journey doubled as a fundraiser with the aim of ending animal kill shelters
The toy automotive mannequin, by model Freddo, weighs 78 kilos and might transfer as much as 11 mph
The journey noticed them traverse down the east coast of Florida. On Could sixth, the official Fb web page for the town of Key West revealed they’d accomplished the trek
‘Enjoyable truth,’ Lauren shared. ‘We truly had been at this basis virtually a 12 months in the past, planning this route. And this fountain was underneath building. It was utterly blocked off and closed,’ she stated.
‘We had been right here as not too long ago as final week, planning the route nonetheless, and the fountain was nonetheless closed. However we figured that the Friendship Fountain was nonetheless an ideal place to begin, so we determined to return right here anyway.
‘And to our shock, it is open! Which is nothing if not a very good begin!’ enthused Lauren.
One of many key guidelines required by the reference establishment was that they doc each single cease, each single day.
With this, they’re anticipated to maintain meticulous data of each day common and max speeds in addition to actual distance traveled.
Among the many ‘morning’ guidelines objects was to establish ‘recognizable landmarks’ and doc alongside the deliberate route for the day.
In addition they should have their GPS trackers on always whereas touring.
Every evening, the duo dedicated to logging the ‘actual time’ they arrived at their lodge or campsite, together with recording the coordinates of the positioning.
As one of many guidelines established by the Guinness regulators, the 2 needed to totally doc every cease, together with placing down the rationale for it
The pair had been required by Guinness to totally doc every day on the street. Pictued is their entry for Day 6
As a enjoyable strategy to create a memento of the journey, the pair collected bumper stickers from every native they handed via, overlaying the hood of the toy vehicles
The uneven terrain proved a frequent nuisance, given the fragile nature of the vehicles’ interior workings, absolutely uncovered on the machine’s underside
They had been allowed to depart the automotive to take away obstacles of their method
When relevant, additionally they should ask any lodge staffers on responsibility to signal their ‘witness e book’ and ask them ‘for an announcement.’
Each step of the way in which, Lauren defined, Guinness anticipated them to ‘take pictures of all the pieces.’
A glimpse of their log for ‘Day 6’ in one among Cassie’s publish confirmed a max velocity of simply over 10 miles per hour, with 8.5 miles lined in whole for the day.
In accordance with Freddo’s person handbook, the vehicles can go at a tempo roughly between 6mph and 11mph – a spread wherein most individuals can briefly keep a operating tempo.
On the identical time, the journey doubled as a fundraiser to assist finish kill shelters, with choices to donate to the trigger on the journey’s web site.
The pair additionally dedicated to gathering bumper stickers from each city alongside their route, with the hopes of making a ‘murals’ on the hoods.
‘We wish to cowl our whole hood, and make it basically an entire street map of the place we have been on this journey.
‘So once we submit the vehicles to Guinness, we will hold the hood,’ Lauren defined in a single TikTok.
Yet one more hurdle the pair encountered many instances: becoming their toy vehicles into lodge elevators
In a vlog, Cassie admitted that not all the lodge staffers had been thrilled with the method of the pair ushering their toy vehicles throughout the resorts and into the rooms
When spending the evening at a lodge, Cassie and Lauren would take the vehicles with them to their room, storing them bedside
Whereas the 2 maintained upbeat, can-do attitudes, the journey has been plagued with technical difficulties – each within the toy-car upkeep and the logistics of safely storing the automobiles in a single day.
Any uneven terrain – which they often encountered on the less-than completely maintained sidewalks of Florida – posed a menace to the integrity of the vehicles, with the mechanics situated on the underside, with little safety.
In addition they typically struggled to get the vehicles out and in of lodge elevators on the finish and begin of every day.
‘Typically the particular person on the entrance desk loves us. Typically they do not! Right now, she positively did not!’ quipped Cassie in a Day 2 vlog.
Once they’d spend the evening in resorts, they’d retailer the vehicles of their room at their bedside.
The pair toted a bag of instruments to make repairs to the vehicles as wanted
The pair’s journey was certainly plagued with mechanical points – although the duo took every hurdle in stride
On Could 6, the town of Key West’s official Fb web page shared that the pair had made it – although the 2 have but to disclose the information on their very own channels
Every automotive alone, sans baggage, weighs in at 78 kilos, guaranteeing that Cassie and Lauren had been by no means with no problem to surmount each time it was essential to manually lug it from level A to level B.
Early on, Cassie additionally bemoaned that she was consistently getting face-fuls of filth from passing visitors, compelling the 2 to put money into sports activities glasses.
The vehicles, which run on rechargeable batteries, additionally broke down periodically, for a myriad of causes.
By no means discouraged – and all the time ready – the ladies got here with a bag filled with instruments to make the mandatory repairs, typically calling up Freddo’s customer support for steerage.
In some unspecified time in the future on the afternoon of Could 6, it appeared that the pair had lastly made it in a single piece to Key West, with the town triumphantly posting on its Fb web page: ‘The Metropolis of Key West on Saturday welcomed two 29-year-old Florida girls who simply full their document setting 500-mile journey in motorized toy vehicles.
‘Cassie Aran and Lauren Lee had been greeted by a supportive crowd on the Southernmost Level, together with Commissioner Clayton Lopez and Metropolis Supervisor Al Childress. They drove the toy vehicles from Jacksonville to Key West.’
The pair had made the journey in somewhat over 50 days.
Within the meantime, the pair’s many followers, numbering within the tens of millions between Cassie’s YouTube channel, their Instagram accounts, and their TikToks, are eagerly awaiting updates from the triumphant vacationers themselves.
