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  • Driving cross-country...advice needed!

    Have any of you ever done this?

    So here's the deal -- a very good friend of mine decided to move to Hawaii next June. Instead of shipping her stuff over and flying from home, she's decided to drive her car from New Jersey to California, either to SF/Oakland or LA, ship her car, and fly over.

    Since driving cross-country has been an item on my "things to do before I die" list, I'll most likely join her. Fly from HNL-EWR, drive west, then fly back to HNL from wherever she decides to ship her car.

    My initial research brought up two routes: Northern Route (I-80) and Route 66. I've heard from people that we should avoid the 4 corners altogether, so Route 66 might not be an option. Still, we haven't really ruled it out because it might be fun driving that historic route. What would you recommend as far as sights go? Chicago and Pittsburgh are mandatory as we'll be meeting up with friends for a day.

    For those who have done it, how long did it take? I know of people who have done it comfortably in about 5 days, having about 8 hours of sleep per day.

    Also, what kind of accomodations did you have? My friend and I probably won't be able to afford hotels (as much of our budget will go to gas), so we're definitely looking into KOA campgrounds/cabins and motels. Are there chains you'd suggest or avoid altogether?

    Any suggestions or posting your own personal experiences would be much appreciated!
    Tessie, "Nuf Ced" McGreevey shouted
    We're not here to mess around
    Boston, you know we love you madly
    Hear the crowd roar to your sound
    Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
    You know we couldn't live without you
    Tessie, you are the only only only

  • #2
    Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

    Aloha, Lei Liko!
    I have driven across the USA four times, and I always love a road trip! I much prefer the southern route. It's a more interesting adventure. The scenery changes are more exciting to see. Some of my favs were the rolling hills of Missouri, the friendliest people I ever met were in Oklahoma and Texas, the barron earth of the Texas Panhandle, then...all of the cool mountain areas in New Mexico and Arizona. (not to mention the awesome bowl of cowboy stew I ate in New Mexico!)

    If you go the northern route, Iowa and Nebraska will bore you half to death! Nebraska is a flat, flat platt, miles and miles of nothing...borrrrring!

    Iowa is corn field after corn field....after corn field, another boring state to pass through. (did I mention the corn fields?) However, Colorado and Utah are amazing to see if you take this route.

    The last time I drove it, I just had to see Colorado, one state I'd never seen before. This was awesome, and I'd never seen more majestic mountains and huge, lush, tall trees.

    So, it really depends on what kind of adventure you'd like. I left from Detroit, several times, en route to AZ and NV, it took me four days via either route, so I'd say five from NJ is probably about right. I did drive ten hours some days, and eight on others, since I made the drive by myself. I lodged at the little cheapie motels, fine for just passin' through.

    You may NOT want to pitch a tent in AZ...there's lotsa' critters n' bugs that are out at night...and they ain't so hospitible. There's rattlers, scorpions, and spiders....and when I say spiders, I mean THOUSANDS of them come out at night in the AZ desert, lol.

    Bring your entire cd or mp3 collection, there's nothin' like a lot of great road music to "soundtrack" your trip. I still remember some of the stuff I listened to in different states, very cool to put the whole thing to music.

    Going on a road trip across the USA is just awesome! You get to see all of the places that you'd only heard about now puts a "face" on the place! Enjoy the trip, I highly recommend it

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    • #3
      Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

      PS-Don't speed in Ohio or Indiana, worst speed trap states I've ever been to!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

        Originally posted by Hope View Post
        Aloha, Lei Liko!
        I have driven across the USA four times, and I always love a road trip! I much prefer the southern route. It's a more interesting adventure. The scenery changes are more exciting to see. Some of my favs were the rolling hills of Missouri, the friendliest people I ever met were in Oklahoma and Texas, the barron earth of the Texas Panhandle, then...all of the cool mountain areas in New Mexico and Arizona. (not to mention the awesome bowl of cowboy stew I ate in New Mexico!)
        I didn't think about that! No wonder most of the blogs/pictures/websites I've seen were that of the Southern Route. I'm already salivating at the mere thought of the foooood!

        If you go the northern route, Iowa and Nebraska will bore you half to death! Nebraska is a flat, flat platt, miles and miles of nothing...borrrrring!

        Iowa is corn field after corn field....after corn field, another boring state to pass through. (did I mention the corn fields?) However, Colorado and Utah are amazing to see if you take this route.

        The last time I drove it, I just had to see Colorado, one state I'd never seen before. This was awesome, and I'd never seen more majestic mountains and huge, lush, tall trees.
        I've never been to Colorado or Utah, but maybe they can wait.

        So, it really depends on what kind of adventure you'd like. I left from Detroit, several times, en route to AZ and NV, it took me four days via either route, so I'd say five from NJ is probably about right. I did drive ten hours some days, and eight on others, since I made the drive by myself. I lodged at the little cheapie motels, fine for just passin' through.
        If we do take Route 66, we'll probably just split the cost of an el cheapo motel. As long as the room has a clean bed/bathroom, I'm okay. Now that you mention it, the southern route is beginning to look better! Cara and I are both excited because, dare I say it, we hope our adventure's just like the one Britney Spears had in Crossroads.

        Going on a road trip across the USA is just awesome! You get to see all of the places that you'd only heard about now puts a "face" on the place! Enjoy the trip, I highly recommend it
        Thanks so much for all your help so far! I'll be sure to pass this info on to my friend. We're still in the very initial stages of planning, but things are slowly coming together! Better to get all the logistics figured out in advance, right?

        Mothers should lock their doors and windows and protect their sons because once us two 20-somethings get out there...watch out!
        Tessie, "Nuf Ced" McGreevey shouted
        We're not here to mess around
        Boston, you know we love you madly
        Hear the crowd roar to your sound
        Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
        You know we couldn't live without you
        Tessie, you are the only only only

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

          Originally posted by Hope View Post
          ....Going on a road trip across the USA is just awesome! You get to see all of the places that you'd only heard about now puts a "face" on the place! Enjoy the trip, I highly recommend it
          Wow, Hope, your full description makes even ME want to take the trip. I think what you have actually described is what "island fever" is all about (a question that comes up often) - the wanting to get in the car for a week and driving and seeing new things and people. Heck, even here on the "Big" Island, if you spend a whole week driving you'll have seen ... the island 7 times.

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          • #6
            Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

            I've driven cross country from Boston to Seattle (by myself) and from PA to Seattle (with my DH). We've taken the northern route both times, even in the middle of winter the second time! The first time, I stopped in Chicago and Salt Lake City to visit people. The second time, we only stopped in Minneapolis to visit friends and then drove pretty much straight to Seattle.

            AAA was my best friend in both cases because I could get these books of maps called "TripTiks" which help you plan your intinerary into driveable chunks. You also can find out where the not-too-seedy motels are along the way and get discounts on the rooms.

            Not counting the times we spent visiting with our friends, each trip took about 5 days on the road (but that was also driving 12 hour days sometimes). The hardest part was driving through MT. Who woulda thunk that that state was so huge that it would take 2 days to cross? And Kansas isn't as flat as most people think it is...it has rolling hills. Iowa has great steaks. I love the Rockies (make sure the car is weatherized for high altitudes).

            Definitely stop in Salt Lake City. If you go south from Salt Lake City to get to LA, you would go through Las Vegas, too, which is always fun.

            Drivers in Illinois and Ohio especially don't know what turn signals are for. There are some pretty amusing billboards all along Route 80.

            If you're not planning to reserve motel rooms ahead of time, make sure you stop driving at dusk (i.e., no later than about 5 or 6 p.m.); especially during the summer, when lots of people are driving the interstates, you stand a better chance of finding a decent room if you check in early.

            I really enjoyed driving cross country and the next time I do it, it won't be because I'm in a rush to get somewhere. I'd love to see Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. One thing you do get from a trip like this is a genuine appreciation for the variety and the immensity of America.

            Miulang
            "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

              Ah, yes, the Grand Canyon! I lived in AZ for 8 years, and didn't go to the Canyon until I lived in Nevada. What a place to see! Has to be da biggest ditch you'll ever see! The condors circled as we ate lunch, and watching them glide over the canyon was like seeing a documentary on these graceful birds! The scenery takes your breath away!

              I guess I've always had a "nomadic" nature, and now, Oahu is next on my "move to" list, as soon as this condo sells. I have suffered huge losses of family in the past three years, and am highly traumatized by it. When I told my older brother I was moving to Hawaii, he laughed...said, "Well, I guess you just might have another move in ya'"!

              When folks ask me "why Hawaii"? I tell them: "Why not"? lol! They ask if I have friends/family there, and I tell them nope, as a matter of fact, I can't even pronounce the street names! I need everything in my life to be new and different, as I am now finding myself "isolating", and that is never good.
              I am ready to "get busy" with learning another new place, and all the beauty that will surround me.

              Yes, the little cheapie motels are the best way to go, after all, all you need is a bed n' a shower to continue your journey. The food all throughout the south is just wonderful! The best way to determine good grub places, is to go to the ones that have the most semi trucks in the parking lot! Those truckers know where all the good food is. lol!

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              • #8
                Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                I've done a lot of cross country driving in the past and a few tips come to mind

                Start early, before sunrise. You'll miss any local traffic for rush hour and you'll miss out on a couple more hours of the heat of the day.

                Stock a small cooler of drinks & food in the car, in the long run you'll save money over fast-food and you'll possibly eat better (healthier).

                In that cooler keep water and stay hydrated.

                Pack loose fitting, comfortable clothes for the time at the wheel.

                Get more than one map, it's amazing how different they can be and what important roads get left out.

                Never try and stretch a tank of gas, refill at a 1/4 tank and never experience the thrill of running out of gas.

                Needless to say, make sure the car is checked out prior to leaving. Keep an eye on tire pressure, it's the easiest way to improve mileage and handling.

                Be sure your cell phone plan has free roaming, those roaming rates are murder. Most plans will let you change for a month so you can have it for a trip.

                Never leave the car unlocked. Some rest stops & truck stops are teaming with low life's who'll be after any goodies they can see through your windows.

                Take lots of pictures, maybe even blog the experience...document what could well be a once in a lifetime trip.

                And last, and this is probably just good for me...keep the car uncluttered. Don't pack it unless it fits in the trunk. A cluttered car ads to the claustrophobia that can set in after a couple days on the road.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                  Originally posted by Hope View Post
                  PS-Don't speed in Ohio or Indiana, worst speed trap states I've ever been to!
                  Agreed! I make the trek almost yearly from Eastern PA (NJ border) to Illinois close to the Wisconsin border.

                  The span between the border of Ohio and PA and Indiana/Illinois is UBER boring!!!! UBER!!! My father has made the trip from PA to CA before although they just stayed in motels along the way. Took them a week with no stopping for sight seeing.
                  -kp!

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                  • #10
                    Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                    Never across the whole country, but certainly some REAL long trips of 2500+ miles.

                    1) Push the speed limit at all times when rolling, and stay a little longer at the good stops. I try to be the second fastest vehicle and stay under the vision of the local constable, though I did get ticketed in Northern Arizona by the spitting image of Dudley Doright with a Gomer Pyle drawl. He clocked me at 59 in a 35 on a deserted, straight backroad at 730am on a Sunday and gave me a $24 civic fine for "waste of a finite resource". Same ticket you get for watering the lawn in a drought. I was respectful and he gave me a break.

                    2) Carry a couple gallons of gas in a small gas can, and stay rolling for as long as you dare. If the kids are asleep, DON'T STOP ! You can hold it for a little longer.

                    3) Cooler, Cooler, Cooler. Gotta have it. For me, sandwiches & lot's of fruits you get at the various roadside attractions nearly everywhere. Couple cervezas, lotsa H20, some bottled frappucino, and as little ice as possible. Saves on the mess. I like to use frozen water bottle as ice, but that's hard to do on the road.

                    4) Warm enough Clothes. Can't stress this one enough. When it's hot, it's pretty easy to cool off no matter what. Won't kill you for at least a few days. When it's too cold, situations can turn bad - fast. Always keep an eye to the weather ahead when going west, and the weather behind when going east.

                    5) Please check engine fluids or have the nice boy at the station do it for you. EVERYDAY !! If you run as fast as I do, the engine is getting a workout. Take care of it, and it will take care of you.

                    6) Don't forget to drive a little after sunset / rush hour. Most folks are awake and alert from about 6 pm to 10 or 11pm, or even longer for us nightowls. Driving at night is less crowded, and if you get off the road by 11pm you can avoid most of the bar crowd drunks.


                    I try to make about 650 miles a day when I have a destination, or 500 if I'm sightseeing.
                    FutureNewsNetwork.com
                    Energy answers are already here.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                      Originally posted by Lei Liko View Post
                      Have any of you ever done this?

                      So here's the deal -- a very good friend of mine decided to move to Hawaii next June. Instead of shipping her stuff over and flying from home, she's decided to drive her car from New Jersey to California, either to SF/Oakland or LA, ship her car, and fly over.


                      Any suggestions or posting your own personal experiences would be much appreciated!
                      I dunno about cross-country, but I did go up-country, Ulupalakua on Maui.
                      Kinda hard to give advice, when I live on an island, where you can drive anywhere and get there at least within the hour, unless some military driver hits another overpass, than that could take a 5-8 hours.



                      Outties,

                      KaYa T.
                      sigpic

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                      • #12
                        Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                        Unless you really intend to stop inside any city for a reason (like Chicago and Minneapolis, for example) plan your route so that you avoid having to go through it. You'll save lots of aggravation if you just take one of the arterials that circles around the city. Plus, if you take the northern route and go around Minneapolis-St. Paul instead of through it, you'll eventually hit the Mall of America!

                        If you can afford it, a GPS system (wish they had been available the last time I drove cross country) would come in handy, too. That and something like the AAA Triptiks will keep you on the route you planned. The reason I like AAA is not only do you get the maps for free, but they'll come rescue you if you have a flat tire, your battery dies (mine did outside Chicago), or you get locked out of your car.

                        If you want to save some gas, get behind a big rig and "draft" (staying a safe distance behind, of course). If you stick near the big rigs, they know when it's safe to go over the speed limit and when it's not (they also know where the good grub is). And I never let my gas gauge go below 1/2 before a refill because you never know if you're going to get caught in a traffic tie up on the interstate (especially in desolate areas) and have to idle for hours. It's also good to use that time at the gas station for your bathroom stops and to stretch your legs anyway (you don't need to get "airplane legs"---thrombosis---from sitting in one position for too long). I've driven nonstop from Seattle to Salt Lake City by myself (took about 14 hours) but I doubt I'd ever want to do it again!

                        If you see one highway patrol car sitting by the side of the interstate, you can bet there's probably another one hiding nearby with a radar gun. One of their favorite tactics is to hide behind an overpass that's right at the bottom of a hill and nab people who don't hit their brakes coming down the hill to get back down to the speed limit. The small little towns are the worst (I swear they make their money from traffic fines because they know people driving through don't want to come back to contest the fines and will just pay up then and there).

                        Take a bunch of quarters with you too. Lots of the roads back East are toll roads (the TripTik will tell you which are toll roads and how much the tolls are).

                        Miulang

                        P.S. One of my favorite truck stops is in Little America, WY. It was at one time billed as the largest truck stop in the country. Their women's restroom had this red flocked wallpaper that looked like it belonged in a French bordello.
                        Last edited by Miulang; November 29, 2006, 03:48 PM.
                        "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                        • #13
                          Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                          If you GoogleMap your route, the intersections will be overly complicated. It counts the on- and off-ramps as separate stretches.

                          Yes, get a cooler and fill it with ice, drinks and sandwich stuff. Eat while driving. Switch off every couple of hours.

                          Keep jackets, sweaters and covered shoes in the trunk for the colder stretches.

                          An iPod plugged into the car radio is a lifesaver.

                          Watch out for giant truck rigs. They can box you in, cutting your visibility to zero.

                          You'll find that Mainland drivers understand how to use the passing lane!
                          Burl Burlingame
                          "Art is never finished, only abandoned." -- Leonardo Da Vinci
                          honoluluagonizer.com

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                          • #14
                            Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                            I did this when I was 20. Took Route 40 out of Ashville, N.C., and across the South as this was late winter. Watch out for disgusting rest stops in Tennessee where there are peak holes that look into the ladies restroom. Arkansas is an incredibly beautiful little state. Texas takes forever to cross. I got my first speeding ticket (and only speeding ticket) in Arizona. What can I say? I was breaking in a Mazda RX7! I was happy to finally get to California. I can't remember how long it took, six or seven days.

                            We've also driven from Jersey to South Carolina, even with a 9-month-old baby! Road trips are fun as long as you can stay relaxed.
                            Aloha from Lavagal

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                            • #15
                              Re: Driving cross-country...advice needed!

                              I've driven CA-DC once, and DC-CA once after I was old enough to know what we were doing. Before that once from CA to the East Coast, too.

                              I also (when I took vacations on the Mainland) take driving vacations.

                              Nebraska is indeed flat. When I was 17 we drove from DC and kind of a central/northern route, through Iowa/Nebraska. We wanted to go up through the Black Hills in SD and then south to Yellowstone, which is why we wandered off into places like Sioux Falls.

                              When I was 12 we took the southern route; Texas lasted about three days. Then we went through Arkansas and into Tennessee (ah, Gatlinburg; if I never see you again it'll be too soon).

                              All the other hints make good sense; if you're planning to stop in the evenings then by all means find a motel by 5:00pm or so. I once got stuck looking for one on Pacific Coast Highway in Oregon west of Corvallis and it took me about seven more hours of driving until I got to Longview, Washington to find a motel at midnight. I'd forgotten it was Columbus Day weekend. PCH is not a road to drive on at night unless you have to.
                              Last edited by Linkmeister; November 29, 2006, 07:53 PM. Reason: get west/east straight
                              http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

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