Posted by Peter.
Apr
17
Posted by Peter.
It’s all happening so fast…
It’s crazy to think we have less than six weeks left! Then Janet and I get to spend 4 days traveling over 2,000 miles. We spent a good amount of time picking when and where we wanted to stop for each days worth of driving. Our thought’s were that our first and second day we would be the most excited about our trip, the third day we would pretty much be sick of driving, but that last day would be better because it’s the last one. Knowing that, we decided to get most of the trip out of our way on the first two days.
This works out nicely because those first two days are nothing but flat terrain. Since I will be hauling Janet’s vehicle (and our two scooters in the bed) with my truck, we won’t have to worry about those long hours being to much of a strain on my truck. The last two days we intentionally left short. For one, we will pretty much be sick of driving, and the other, the terrain becomes more mountainous. Shorter drive times will be much better for my engine :)
One of the main factors we had to consider for this trip is that we needed to be able to spend the night at a place that was dog friendly. So our thoughts were to try to stick to the bigger cities to increase our chances to find such places. Good news is that since we are insane planners, we have already found places to stay and booked our reservations for each night online. I then personally called each one to verify they had our reservation, confirm the acceptance of our dog and determine where the best place to park would be for our convoy.
Now it’s close to 5AM CST (I am up really late) and I just spent the past hour mapping out our entire travel in a Rand McNally Road Atlas. Tomorrow I will input the same info into my GPS device… you know, just in case. If anyone has any tips on how not to go crazy for this long of a drive, or perhaps cool things to look out for along the way, let us know ;)
Here is a quick overview of our travel plans…
A » B = 673 mi (~ 10 hrs) B » C = 657 mi (~ 9 hrs) C » D = 367 mi (~ 5 hrs) D » E = 673 mi (~ 6 hrs)
There are 7 comments to this post.
Hans had this to say,
Apr 22, 2009 @ 11:27 am
I recommend finding a theme: http://www.yelp.com/list/2400-miles-of-sushi-salt-lake-city
AJ had this to say,
Apr 22, 2009 @ 10:03 pm
This made me smile to think of all the time you spent on it Peter! Janet is lucky to have you. I can’t wait til you guys are closer to me…West is Best!
Janet had this to say,
Apr 23, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
Hans, that is awesome.
Irene had this to say,
Apr 23, 2009 @ 8:25 pm
I have gotten hooked on audio books when driving on long trips. You have to be careful not get so involved that you forget to watch for the correct road signs though. They really help pass the time while driving. Good luck on your move.
Don K had this to say,
Apr 28, 2009 @ 11:24 am
When I helped my brother move to Seattle in 2005, we took 3 days and a northerly route and had a great time (first day was 18 hours). We didn’t have trouble finding hotels for his dog off the road, as it was pretty commonplace we found for cross-country travelers. Try to figure in sightseeing stops (for an hour or less) to appreciate the trip and stretch your legs at the same time. For instance, Chimney Rock in Scottsbluff, NE or the Snake River in Idaho. Music is also key, as I am not ashamed to admit that driving across South Dakota singing Neil Diamond at the top of our lungs certainly broke up the monotony. But I digress…
We towed a two-axle Uhaul trailer behind his SUV and the one thing that you have to be mindful of is the extra speed and kinetic energy a loaded trailer has on your speed going downhill. Once you start down a steep hill, the trailer will want to get out from behind you and even sway in the road. The key is to apply slow braking, not jam on them. Furthemore, in the mountain passes you’ll likely alternative quickly between uphill and downhill, if you go into a climb fast the trailer may literally ‘bang’ backwards as you start up, further stressing the load. It’s all about subtle changes in speed.
Oh, and as always, pics for views: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doncolleen/sets/1004424/
Peter had this to say,
Apr 29, 2009 @ 6:52 am
Don,
Thanks for the driving tip. I will make sure to look out for these things. We already have one thing working for us, which Janet can attest to… I drive like an old man.
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Very cool Peter! Nathan might have some ideas of what to look for as he has taken a similar trip a few times when he used to live in Montana. I am excited for yall. And, even though it is a lot of driving it’s awesome that you can say, Hey I drove across the country! LOL