Kickaha and Amorph couldn't moderate themselves out of a paper bag. Abdicate responsibility and succumb to idiocy. Two years of letting a member make personal attacks against others, then stepping aside when someone won't put up with it. Not only that but go ahead and shut down my posting priviledges but not the one making the attacks. Not even the common decency to abide by their warning (afer three days of absorbing personal attacks with no mods in sight), just shut my posting down and then say it might happen later if a certian line is crossed. Bullshit flag is flying, I won't abide by lying and coddling of liars who go off-site, create accounts differing in a single letter from my handle with the express purpose to decieve and then claim here that I did it. Everyone be warned, kim kap sol is a lying, deceitful poster.
Now I guess they should have banned me rather than just shut off posting priviledges, because kickaha and Amorph definitely aren't going to like being called to task when they thought they had it all ignored *cough* *cough* I mean under control. Just a couple o' tools.
Don't worry, as soon as my work resetting my posts is done I'll disappear forever.
Take 80 all the way to Nebraska then 76 to Denver. If you make good time the first day with little traffic, from NY to somewhere West of Chicago then you can make it to Denver easily the next day. There's little worth seeing in between unless you want to hit Chicago up regardless of which route you take.
Then take 70 into Utah and go down via 128 to Moab. Hit up Arches. It's like going to Mars. Then back up to 70 and past Green River and then down along 24 and then 12 through Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon. Then take 89 or 89A down and around through the canyons and ridges to the Painted Desert and then GCNP. North Rim is better (67) but if you want to go SOuth Rim (64) more power to you. It's all good either way. Then down to 40 via either 89 (North Rim) or 180 and 64 (South Rim). Take 40 West to Kingman and then up along 93 to the Hoover Dam. Wackest part of The Fugitive, no fucking way Harrison Ford could have gone off that dam and lived. Continue on along 93/95 and you're in Vegas. After that you still ahve many options. Either go down to LA on 15 and then up the Pacific Coast or go up to Area 51, through Death Valley, then 395 North and then 120 across Yosemite. Too many good options.
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i've heard that the rockies could be a bigger problem. how would you handle that? do you make stops every so often to cool down or not use AC or....?
Depends on your car. If you've got an old junker then that is a reasonable idea. If your car is modern then don't sweat it. Even the Rockies are tame though if you are on the interstates.
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also, any tips for lodging? i figure just nap in the car..... but, a night or two in a bed wouldn't be the worst thing.
Go for smaller cities. Generally cheaper. Motel 6 is the cheapest of the chains and it is usually fine in small towns. Looking at maybe 40 bucks. Avoid it in big cities as it may or may not tolerate locals (ie dealers and prostitutes).
If you really wanna be cheap, some states let you sleep at rest areas legally. Once you get to Iowa that is, East of there it would not be adviseable. You can do it at others, if not legally then with little risk of polizei problems. Do so at your own risk but I've done it dozens of times and never had a problem. Park in a lit area by truckers but not too close to the shitter.
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If you feel too tired to drive, pull over immediately. Don't convince yourself "I'm okay", play the radio, shake you head and slap yourself to stay awake. It won't work and you'll end up in a ditch, or worse. If you've got someone traveling with you, and everyone's too tired, just sleep on the side of the road.
Agree with the part about pulling over. It's probably obvious but if you're gonna sleep on the side of the road, get off and stop by a ramp, never stop on the shoulder if possible. People get killed all the time along shoulders.
Personally I would skip LA. You can get there in six hours, making it easily doable from the Bay Area on a three day weekend. Spend your time somewhere in between that is less accessible from SF or NY.
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it's a 2002 dodge dakota quad cab....so... i would think it would do fine....
You'll be fine. Desert is hot but not that much hotter. Don't try to go up a mtn at 90 miles an hour and keep your RPMs midrange. Any new car should be fine at any temp that you'll see in North American. You could drive through Death Valley if you want, no problem.
It sucks to have a car break down in the middle of nowhere. I was assraped for $600 for tires in Needles CA this February. I got stuck in Kansas once for nine days when my car broke down. But altogether I've driven cross country at least 25 times and usually it is all good. Keep a good spare, not a donut, pay attention to your oil, tire pressure and radiator and you'll be OK.
If you need to make time, the key is to not stop for long. Don't push yourself too hard, or drive too fast, just stop long enough to fuel and then jump back on the road. A diet of water (enough to stay hydrated), salt (to retain the water) and protein will keep you going without having to stop much at all. This is why every truck stop is full of various nut mixes and jerky. Of course, if you have family in tow, stops for actual meals and real food might be inevitable.
Definitely stop and nap anytime you get drowsy, if there isn't anyone who can take over. This is *really* important once you hit the western states, because you'll be driving through vast, thinly populated expanses.
Also, keep a good supply of water on board, and sunscreen. Your truck should have no trouble getting through the southern desert - my little Saturn's done it easily - but in the remote case where something breaks, you'll want those. Also, do not crank the A/C in the desert. First, it heats up your engine. Second, stepping out of a cold car into a desert noon can hurt you. Your body doesn't take shocks like that well. Keep the temperature in the car on the warm side of bearable.
If you take I-80 through Nebraska before heading south, give me a heads-up. I'm right off the highway in Iowa City.
Good luck! It should be uneventful. And 5 days should be plenty of time. I can make San Diego in 2 days from here.
If you take I-80 through Nebraska before heading south, give me a heads-up. I'm right off the highway in Iowa City.
Good luck! It should be uneventful. And 5 days should be plenty of time. I can make San Diego in 2 days from here.
thanks everyone for the great advice. has definitely given me some ideas and a little bit more excitement about the trip.
so you think i could do the route CoplanderofDeath described in 5 days? I looked into it and it looks like it'd be a fun trip using his suggestions I just really have a hard time grasping a realistic time frame of doing it in.
I figure we'll stop as little and short as possible, stock up the cooler, make sure we have snacks and good tunes.
I'm hoping that it may turn out I actually have an extra day or two. I have to found out what day my first practice is.
I think you could do it. My first trip across (in 1984) was from New York to Los Angeles (via San Francisco), and it took five days in a '79 Toyota Land Cruiser that couldn't break 60mph due to it having all of the aerodynamic efficency of a medium sized public library. We stopped everywhere and it was great.
Now that I think about it, you may want to skip LA. As much as I love it, you can get here in 5 of 6 hours on the 5 or take a plane here for 50 bucks. Spend the extra time in Yosemite of Tahoe.
I think you could do it. My first trip across (in 1984) was from New York to Los Angeles (via San Francisco), and it took five days in a '79 Toyota Land Cruiser that couldn't break 60mph due to it having all of the aerodynamic efficency of a medium sized public library. We stopped everywhere and it was great.
Now that I think about it, you may want to skip LA. As much as I love it, you can get here in 5 of 6 hours on the 5 or take a plane here for 50 bucks. Spend the extra time in Yosemite of Tahoe.
yea. it depends if the brother comes along. if so, my mom wants him to see USC, CalTech and San Louis Obispo. \
Damn I'm jealous, for far too long now I've wanted to drive coast to coast in the States, it's really not such an impressive undertaking in my small island. I would want to take my time and allow for " what's that place like? " moments along the way. I'm also impressed that Scott tried it in an MG, may I ask you what model?
thanks everyone for the great advice. has definitely given me some ideas and a little bit more excitement about the trip.
so you think i could do the route CoplanderofDeath described in 5 days? I looked into it and it looks like it'd be a fun trip using his suggestions I just really have a hard time grasping a realistic time frame of doing it in.
Well, it depends on a lot of things. Left to my own devices, I tend to straight-line to places, stopping only when necessary, and I put in 12-16 hour drives. If you want to stop for sit-down meals, or if you can't do more than 8 or 9 hours, or if you decide to stop and sightsee, or if you hit the Rockies at about the same time that a storm does (if you take the northern route) then obviously things will take longer.
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I'm hoping that it may turn out I actually have an extra day or two. I have to found out what day my first practice is.
You should have at least one extra day, even if you stop in I.C.
go down via 128 to Moab. Hit up Arches. ... North Rim is better (67) but if you want to go SOuth Rim (64) more power to you. It's all good either way.
If you want to go to the south rim, you might want to check out the route from Arches via Canyonlands, Monument Valley as an alternative to the capitol reef / bryce canyon route.
If you want to go to the south rim, you might want to check out the route from Arches via Canyonlands, Monument Valley as an alternative to the capitol reef / bryce canyon route.
advantages/disadvantages?
yea, amorph, i hear what you're saying. we're more fast food, eat while you drive kinda people when we're on a roadtrip and we're used to driving long distances....so, i think we'll hold up alright and keep the stop lengths to a minimum unless we see some cool stuff that's worth the time.
I drove a UHaul from central Jersey to central Florida about 2 months ago. 18 hours straight, left at 9PM, got here at 3PM. It sucked, especially since the AC was broken.
I was the dude sweating his ass off somewhere south of Savannah, on I-95, in a beat up truck with no shirt on.
Good times. I was almost hallucinating at the end of it. I stopped at South of the Border, too, at for a second thought it was a halluciantion itself.
yea, amorph, i hear what you're saying. we're more fast food, eat while you drive kinda people when we're on a roadtrip and we're used to driving long distances....so, i think we'll hold up alright and keep the stop lengths to a minimum unless we see some cool stuff that's worth the time.
Actually, fast food is lethal in my experience. Too much food, too many carbs and sugars, and soda just goes right through you.
I stick to water, salted nuts and jerky. It's the ultimate road food. Drink and eat enough to keep the edge off, and you won't need to stop for hours. Of course, as I said initially, the family might not appreciate it. But if you want to make time, there's nothing better.
... Also, do not crank the A/C in the desert. First, it heats up your engine. Second, stepping out of a cold car into a desert noon can hurt you. Your body doesn't take shocks like that well. Keep the temperature in the car on the warm side of bearable.
I had this happen to me in reverse. I went to Fairbanks, Alaska, in February for my brother's wedding. I walked out of the 70F airport to the -15F outdoors and it was like being slammed into a brick wall, the change was so drastic!
Comments
Now I guess they should have banned me rather than just shut off posting priviledges, because kickaha and Amorph definitely aren't going to like being called to task when they thought they had it all ignored *cough* *cough* I mean under control. Just a couple o' tools.
Don't worry, as soon as my work resetting my posts is done I'll disappear forever.
Then take 70 into Utah and go down via 128 to Moab. Hit up Arches. It's like going to Mars. Then back up to 70 and past Green River and then down along 24 and then 12 through Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon. Then take 89 or 89A down and around through the canyons and ridges to the Painted Desert and then GCNP. North Rim is better (67) but if you want to go SOuth Rim (64) more power to you. It's all good either way. Then down to 40 via either 89 (North Rim) or 180 and 64 (South Rim). Take 40 West to Kingman and then up along 93 to the Hoover Dam. Wackest part of The Fugitive, no fucking way Harrison Ford could have gone off that dam and lived. Continue on along 93/95 and you're in Vegas. After that you still ahve many options. Either go down to LA on 15 and then up the Pacific Coast or go up to Area 51, through Death Valley, then 395 North and then 120 across Yosemite. Too many good options.
i've heard that the rockies could be a bigger problem. how would you handle that? do you make stops every so often to cool down or not use AC or....?
Depends on your car. If you've got an old junker then that is a reasonable idea. If your car is modern then don't sweat it. Even the Rockies are tame though if you are on the interstates.
also, any tips for lodging? i figure just nap in the car..... but, a night or two in a bed wouldn't be the worst thing.
Go for smaller cities. Generally cheaper. Motel 6 is the cheapest of the chains and it is usually fine in small towns. Looking at maybe 40 bucks. Avoid it in big cities as it may or may not tolerate locals (ie dealers and prostitutes).
If you really wanna be cheap, some states let you sleep at rest areas legally. Once you get to Iowa that is, East of there it would not be adviseable. You can do it at others, if not legally then with little risk of polizei problems. Do so at your own risk but I've done it dozens of times and never had a problem. Park in a lit area by truckers but not too close to the shitter.
If you feel too tired to drive, pull over immediately. Don't convince yourself "I'm okay", play the radio, shake you head and slap yourself to stay awake. It won't work and you'll end up in a ditch, or worse. If you've got someone traveling with you, and everyone's too tired, just sleep on the side of the road.
Agree with the part about pulling over. It's probably obvious but if you're gonna sleep on the side of the road, get off and stop by a ramp, never stop on the shoulder if possible. People get killed all the time along shoulders.
Personally I would skip LA. You can get there in six hours, making it easily doable from the Bay Area on a three day weekend. Spend your time somewhere in between that is less accessible from SF or NY.
it's a 2002 dodge dakota quad cab....so... i would think it would do fine....
You'll be fine. Desert is hot but not that much hotter. Don't try to go up a mtn at 90 miles an hour and keep your RPMs midrange. Any new car should be fine at any temp that you'll see in North American. You could drive through Death Valley if you want, no problem.
It sucks to have a car break down in the middle of nowhere. I was assraped for $600 for tires in Needles CA this February. I got stuck in Kansas once for nine days when my car broke down. But altogether I've driven cross country at least 25 times and usually it is all good. Keep a good spare, not a donut, pay attention to your oil, tire pressure and radiator and you'll be OK.
If you need to make time, the key is to not stop for long. Don't push yourself too hard, or drive too fast, just stop long enough to fuel and then jump back on the road. A diet of water (enough to stay hydrated), salt (to retain the water) and protein will keep you going without having to stop much at all. This is why every truck stop is full of various nut mixes and jerky.
Definitely stop and nap anytime you get drowsy, if there isn't anyone who can take over. This is *really* important once you hit the western states, because you'll be driving through vast, thinly populated expanses.
Also, keep a good supply of water on board, and sunscreen. Your truck should have no trouble getting through the southern desert - my little Saturn's done it easily - but in the remote case where something breaks, you'll want those. Also, do not crank the A/C in the desert. First, it heats up your engine. Second, stepping out of a cold car into a desert noon can hurt you. Your body doesn't take shocks like that well. Keep the temperature in the car on the warm side of bearable.
If you take I-80 through Nebraska before heading south, give me a heads-up. I'm right off the highway in Iowa City.
Good luck! It should be uneventful. And 5 days should be plenty of time. I can make San Diego in 2 days from here.
Originally posted by Amorph
If you take I-80 through Nebraska before heading south, give me a heads-up. I'm right off the highway in Iowa City.
Good luck! It should be uneventful. And 5 days should be plenty of time. I can make San Diego in 2 days from here.
thanks everyone for the great advice. has definitely given me some ideas and a little bit more excitement about the trip.
so you think i could do the route CoplanderofDeath described in 5 days? I looked into it and it looks like it'd be a fun trip using his suggestions I just really have a hard time grasping a realistic time frame of doing it in.
I figure we'll stop as little and short as possible, stock up the cooler, make sure we have snacks and good tunes.
I'm hoping that it may turn out I actually have an extra day or two. I have to found out what day my first practice is.
Now that I think about it, you may want to skip LA. As much as I love it, you can get here in 5 of 6 hours on the 5 or take a plane here for 50 bucks. Spend the extra time in Yosemite of Tahoe.
Originally posted by tmp
I think you could do it. My first trip across (in 1984) was from New York to Los Angeles (via San Francisco), and it took five days in a '79 Toyota Land Cruiser that couldn't break 60mph due to it having all of the aerodynamic efficency of a medium sized public library. We stopped everywhere and it was great.
Now that I think about it, you may want to skip LA. As much as I love it, you can get here in 5 of 6 hours on the 5 or take a plane here for 50 bucks. Spend the extra time in Yosemite of Tahoe.
yea. it depends if the brother comes along. if so, my mom wants him to see USC, CalTech and San Louis Obispo.
Plus, US1 is a pretty drive.
Originally posted by applenut
thanks everyone for the great advice. has definitely given me some ideas and a little bit more excitement about the trip.
so you think i could do the route CoplanderofDeath described in 5 days? I looked into it and it looks like it'd be a fun trip using his suggestions I just really have a hard time grasping a realistic time frame of doing it in.
Well, it depends on a lot of things. Left to my own devices, I tend to straight-line to places, stopping only when necessary, and I put in 12-16 hour drives. If you want to stop for sit-down meals, or if you can't do more than 8 or 9 hours, or if you decide to stop and sightsee, or if you hit the Rockies at about the same time that a storm does (if you take the northern route) then obviously things will take longer.
I'm hoping that it may turn out I actually have an extra day or two. I have to found out what day my first practice is.
You should have at least one extra day, even if you stop in I.C.
Originally posted by ColanderOfDeath
go down via 128 to Moab. Hit up Arches. ... North Rim is better (67) but if you want to go SOuth Rim (64) more power to you. It's all good either way.
If you want to go to the south rim, you might want to check out the route from Arches via Canyonlands, Monument Valley as an alternative to the capitol reef / bryce canyon route.
Originally posted by GSpotter
If you want to go to the south rim, you might want to check out the route from Arches via Canyonlands, Monument Valley as an alternative to the capitol reef / bryce canyon route.
advantages/disadvantages?
yea, amorph, i hear what you're saying. we're more fast food, eat while you drive kinda people when we're on a roadtrip and we're used to driving long distances....so, i think we'll hold up alright and keep the stop lengths to a minimum unless we see some cool stuff that's worth the time.
I drove a UHaul from central Jersey to central Florida about 2 months ago. 18 hours straight, left at 9PM, got here at 3PM. It sucked, especially since the AC was broken.
I was the dude sweating his ass off somewhere south of Savannah, on I-95, in a beat up truck with no shirt on.
Good times. I was almost hallucinating at the end of it. I stopped at South of the Border, too, at for a second thought it was a halluciantion itself.
Originally posted by applenut
yea, amorph, i hear what you're saying. we're more fast food, eat while you drive kinda people when we're on a roadtrip and we're used to driving long distances....so, i think we'll hold up alright and keep the stop lengths to a minimum unless we see some cool stuff that's worth the time.
Actually, fast food is lethal in my experience. Too much food, too many carbs and sugars, and soda just goes right through you.
I stick to water, salted nuts and jerky. It's the ultimate road food. Drink and eat enough to keep the edge off, and you won't need to stop for hours. Of course, as I said initially, the family might not appreciate it. But if you want to make time, there's nothing better.
Originally posted by Amorph
... Also, do not crank the A/C in the desert. First, it heats up your engine. Second, stepping out of a cold car into a desert noon can hurt you. Your body doesn't take shocks like that well. Keep the temperature in the car on the warm side of bearable.
I had this happen to me in reverse. I went to Fairbanks, Alaska, in February for my brother's wedding. I walked out of the 70F airport to the -15F outdoors and it was like being slammed into a brick wall, the change was so drastic!