Road Trip!

Michaell · April 2021

cdnpinhead said:
Not sure -- haven't run that stretch in quite awhile. Texas, though, has a solid 80 mph limit on I-10 on the western section, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be ticketed for anything under 88. Sadly, the areas where it's safest to run fast aren't the most scenic, but hey, at least you get through them quicker on the way to the pretty bits.

Haven't driven that part of I-10 - I mostly did the LA-PHX stretch when I was in college (55 MPH - yay!).

I'm in need of a good road trip.

tjc78 · April 2021

I saw 80 in Idaho a few years back. Parked the cruise on 89 most of the ride from Idaho Falls to Rexburg

Michaell · April 2021

Great vistas out west. But, I also appreciate the trees you see on the east coast.

xwesx · April 2021

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and selected areas of other western states offer 80+ mph cruise control opportunities aplenty. Good times.
Aren't there stretches of I-15 in Utah where the limit is 85?

I cannot remember if it was 85 or 80 on I15 when we were through there in 2017 with the Q7. It may have been 85, because I recall that US89, which we were taking between Arizona and where we joined with I15, was 70, and it wasn't infrequent for someone to pass us. We took SR20 to jog over to I15, then I was quite happy with the interstate's speed limit because we were already running way behind. It was about 8pm, and we still needed to drive quite a while to reach Twin Falls, Idaho, where my wife had already paid for our stop.

Of course, it was only about 20 minutes after we merged onto the highway that the first snowflake fell, and I've told that story a time or two already.

Michaell · April 2021

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and selected areas of other western states offer 80+ mph cruise control opportunities aplenty. Good times.
Aren't there stretches of I-15 in Utah where the limit is 85?
I cannot remember if it was 85 or 80 on I15 when we were through there in 2017 with the Q7. It may have been 85, because I recall that US89, which we were taking between Arizona and where we joined with I15, was 70, and it wasn't infrequent for someone to pass us. We took SR20 to jog over to I15, then I was quite happy with the interstate's speed limit because we were already running way behind. It was about 8pm, and we still needed to drive quite a while to reach Twin Falls, Idaho, where my wife had already paid for our stop.

Of course, it was only about 20 minutes after we merged onto the highway that the first snowflake fell, and I've told that story a time or two already.

Oh, that's right. Weather can impact anybody's timetable.

And, that 85 MPH limit is reduced to 65 when you go through the various towns, and UHP was pretty serious about enforcement.

xwesx · April 2021

Michaell said:

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and selected areas of other western states offer 80+ mph cruise control opportunities aplenty. Good times.
Aren't there stretches of I-15 in Utah where the limit is 85?
I cannot remember if it was 85 or 80 on I15 when we were through there in 2017 with the Q7. It may have been 85, because I recall that US89, which we were taking between Arizona and where we joined with I15, was 70, and it wasn't infrequent for someone to pass us. We took SR20 to jog over to I15, then I was quite happy with the interstate's speed limit because we were already running way behind. It was about 8pm, and we still needed to drive quite a while to reach Twin Falls, Idaho, where my wife had already paid for our stop.

Of course, it was only about 20 minutes after we merged onto the highway that the first snowflake fell, and I've told that story a time or two already.
Oh, that's right. Weather can impact anybody's timetable.

And, that 85 MPH limit is reduced to 65 when you go through the various towns, and UHP was pretty serious about enforcement.

True. Good news, though is that there aren't many towns outside of the Salt Lake / Provo / Ogden area, and even that was a pretty fast clip (comparatively). Faster, anyway, than I could drive on that particular trip. When we picked up my friend's Nissan van in Sat Lake (2018), I was surprised at how quickly we made it to Twin Falls (only three or four hours) in decent weather!

andres3 · April 2021

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and selected areas of other western states offer 80+ mph cruise control opportunities aplenty. Good times.
Aren't there stretches of I-15 in Utah where the limit is 85?
I cannot remember if it was 85 or 80 on I15 when we were through there in 2017 with the Q7. It may have been 85, because I recall that US89, which we were taking between Arizona and where we joined with I15, was 70, and it wasn't infrequent for someone to pass us. We took SR20 to jog over to I15, then I was quite happy with the interstate's speed limit because we were already running way behind. It was about 8pm, and we still needed to drive quite a while to reach Twin Falls, Idaho, where my wife had already paid for our stop.

Of course, it was only about 20 minutes after we merged onto the highway that the first snowflake fell, and I've told that story a time or two already.
Oh, that's right. Weather can impact anybody's timetable.

And, that 85 MPH limit is reduced to 65 when you go through the various towns, and UHP was pretty serious about enforcement.
True. Good news, though is that there aren't many towns outside of the Salt Lake / Provo / Ogden area, and even that was a pretty fast clip (comparatively). Faster, anyway, than I could drive on that particular trip. When we picked up my friend's Nissan van in Sat Lake (2018), I was surprised at how quickly we made it to Twin Falls (only three or four hours) in decent weather!

That can't BE! The speed kills flat earth crowd always says you don't say any significant time going over 55 MPH. That they'll catch you at the first red light every time.

andres3 · April 2021

Michaell said:

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and selected areas of other western states offer 80+ mph cruise control opportunities aplenty. Good times.
Aren't there stretches of I-15 in Utah where the limit is 85?
I cannot remember if it was 85 or 80 on I15 when we were through there in 2017 with the Q7. It may have been 85, because I recall that US89, which we were taking between Arizona and where we joined with I15, was 70, and it wasn't infrequent for someone to pass us. We took SR20 to jog over to I15, then I was quite happy with the interstate's speed limit because we were already running way behind. It was about 8pm, and we still needed to drive quite a while to reach Twin Falls, Idaho, where my wife had already paid for our stop.

Of course, it was only about 20 minutes after we merged onto the highway that the first snowflake fell, and I've told that story a time or two already.
Oh, that's right. Weather can impact anybody's timetable.

And, that 85 MPH limit is reduced to 65 when you go through the various towns, and UHP was pretty serious about enforcement.

Isn't every State "serious" about enforcement these days?

xwesx · April 2021

andres3 said:

That can't BE! The speed kills flat earth crowd always says you don't say any significant time going over 55 MPH. That they'll catch you at the first red light every time.

Now, now. You're getting your "crowds" confused. The 'flat earth' crowd has no issues with speed because the flat surface makes for infinite sight distances.

Davidjackob_11 · April 2021

Karen_S said:
When I was a kid, our vacations were always a road trip to various state and national parks. All seven of us slept in my Dad's canvas tent that was only meant for four people. We had most of our meals at the campsite prepared over a wood fire or the camp stove. It was an inexpensive and fun time, even if my brother's feet always ended up in my face by morning.

Now? Who can afford the luxury of a road trip with gas prices pushing towards $5 a gallon? What are your vacation plans this summer?

the previous reign was good and cheap. Nowadays the inflation is very high level everyone is not egible to go for any trip, but the rich people is go for trip whole year in the different places.

xwesx · April 2021

Well, another round trip to Anchorage is complete. I went down on Sunday at around noon, arriving at 1900. No issues on the drive down: Just clear skies and a pleasant 13-15 degrees C. The Q5 yielded about 32 mpg on the run down there. I spent the evening with a friend, and we watched a few episodes of "The Mandalorian."

I arrived at the dealership at about 0630 this morning, waited until 0700 when they opened, then went in, retrieved the Q7, and started making my way home. Honestly, it felt like a bit of a lumbering beast in comparison to the Q5 - particularly the braking, so I might need to do a little work on that system this summer. I was feeling a little bit of pulsating in the front when I would start braking. I did make it home without any warning lights, though, so that's a win!

Once again, the skies were perfect and temperatures eventually climbed to 15C by the time I arrived home at 1430 this afternoon... just in time to get my son to work at 1500. It was a bit chilly in Anchorage this morning, maybe 2C.

andres3 · April 2021

xwesx said:
Well, another round trip to Anchorage is complete. I went down on Sunday at around noon, arriving at 1900. No issues on the drive down: Just clear skies and a pleasant 13-15 degrees C. The Q5 yielded about 32 mpg on the run down there. I spent the evening with a friend, and we watched a few episodes of "The Mandalorian."

I arrived at the dealership at about 0630 this morning, waited until 0700 when they opened, then went in, retrieved the Q7, and started making my way home. Honestly, it felt like a bit of a lumbering beast in comparison to the Q5 - particularly the braking, so I might need to do a little work on that system this summer. I was feeling a little bit of pulsating in the front when I would start braking. I did make it home without any warning lights, though, so that's a win!

Once again, the skies were perfect and temperatures eventually climbed to 15C by the time I arrived home at 1430 this afternoon... just in time to get my son to work at 1500. It was a bit chilly in Anchorage this morning, maybe 2C.

My Audi's don't get anywhere near that mileage.... maybe I'm going too fast.

xwesx · April 2021

andres3 said:

My Audi's don't get anywhere near that mileage.... maybe I'm going too fast.

I think yours both have much larger engines, different gearing, different purpose. And, of course, when I'm out on a long run like this, I'm not going to be pushing it like I *might* if I was just making a short run on a twisty road. This is a pretty laid-back run unless there is regular traffic that requires overtaking.

Funny enough, I only overtook maybe a handful of cars on this trip, and, without fail, every single one of them took offense to me passing and eventually overtook me again. As I told them at the time (as if they could hear me).... "I care not if you want to pass, but you better not hold me up again!" Happily, I didn't need to overtake any of them a second time.

Once the roads dry off, I tend not to be in the top 10% of driving speeds any longer because I usually drive 70 on that road year round.

fintail · May 2021

Speaking of being on the road, looks like I will be commuting again by July, as the office is slated to open. Vaccinations are rolling along strong here. Apparently some of the establishment likes office "culture", and I suspect there could be some sunk cost fallacy at work as a building bought 7 years ago for ~$10MM needs to be utilized. I am not too upset, as I took the position during the pandemic, and have yet to meet any co-workers in person, it will be interesting. and I need to get over a couple bad WFH habits. At the same time, I've heard chatter that some people are quite displeased, and a couple have even resigned and taken permanent remote positions. The old guard will need to tread carefully on this, the world is changing. My boss, who is not entirely thrilled with returning, already predicts a negative impact to productivity.

My commute will be twice the distance, but roughly the same amount of time. The car has been kind of wasting away anyway, it'll be nice to use it and get out a little more.

cdnpinhead · May 2021

Maybe they'll come up with a hybrid thing where you go in a couple of times a week and WFH the rest of the time.

fintail · May 2021

I am hoping we have exactly that. A few days a week for the in-person schmoozing and getting out of the house, and a day or two where I don't have to drive, and will probably get more actual work done. I think some more open minded leadership types will realize the benefits.

cdnpinhead said:
Maybe they'll come up with a hybrid thing where you go in a couple of times a week and WFH the rest of the time.

Sandman6472 · June 2021

I'd think a hybrid schedule would be the best of both worlds and would definitely help with any traffic issues going forward. And possibly getting a longer weekend would indeed improve productivity. I know I'd like to go into the office mid week while WFH those other days. Just a better and more relaxed schedule.

xwesx · June 2021

Sandman6472 said:
I'd think a hybrid schedule would be the best of both worlds and would definitely help with any traffic issues going forward. And possibly getting a longer weekend would indeed improve productivity. I know I'd like to go into the office mid week while WFH those other days. Just a better and more relaxed schedule.

I hate to break it to you, Sandy, but your jobs don't lend themselves well to a WFH schedule.

xwesx · June 2021

I have two weeks to go until I leave on my trip. I'm actually getting a little nervous about this. Three months away, about 6,000 miles each way to travel. The trip south and east will be solo.

Michaell · June 2021

xwesx said:
I have two weeks to go until I leave on my trip. I'm actually getting a little nervous about this. Three months away, about 6,000 miles each way to travel. The trip south and east will be solo.

You still planning to come across on I-70? The Denver crew would love to set up a meet and greet.

xwesx · June 2021

Michaell said:

xwesx said:
I have two weeks to go until I leave on my trip. I'm actually getting a little nervous about this. Three months away, about 6,000 miles each way to travel. The trip south and east will be solo.
You still planning to come across on I-70? The Denver crew would love to set up a meet and greet.

Yes, I am! I even got myself set up with an EZpass to hopefully make the whole toll system thing much less of a pain. From what I can tell, I'll start hitting toll areas as early as eastern Kansas, and cash tolls are mostly a thing of the past.

I'm not super-fantastic at the whole scheduling specific times/places when I'm traveling.... I prefer to just wing it. However, we should definitely set up with contact info and whatnot so that I can share ballpark timing information and keep you posted as I narrow in.

Michaell · June 2021

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

xwesx said:
I have two weeks to go until I leave on my trip. I'm actually getting a little nervous about this. Three months away, about 6,000 miles each way to travel. The trip south and east will be solo.
You still planning to come across on I-70? The Denver crew would love to set up a meet and greet.
Yes, I am! I even got myself set up with an EZpass to hopefully make the whole toll system thing much less of a pain. From what I can tell, I'll start hitting toll areas as early as eastern Kansas, and cash tolls are mostly a thing of the past.

I'm not super-fantastic at the whole scheduling specific times/places when I'm traveling.... I prefer to just wing it. However, we should definitely set up with contact info and whatnot so that I can share ballpark timing information and keep you posted as I narrow in.

I'll connect with you directly, and include @jpp75 and @breld as well.

kyfdx · June 2021

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

xwesx said:
I have two weeks to go until I leave on my trip. I'm actually getting a little nervous about this. Three months away, about 6,000 miles each way to travel. The trip south and east will be solo.
You still planning to come across on I-70? The Denver crew would love to set up a meet and greet.
Yes, I am! I even got myself set up with an EZpass to hopefully make the whole toll system thing much less of a pain. From what I can tell, I'll start hitting toll areas as early as eastern Kansas, and cash tolls are mostly a thing of the past.

I'm not super-fantastic at the whole scheduling specific times/places when I'm traveling.... I prefer to just wing it. However, we should definitely set up with contact info and whatnot so that I can share ballpark timing information and keep you posted as I narrow in.

Last year, on my trip from Denver through Indianapolis on I-70, I only hit one or two toll booths in Kansas City area, and they were quick with tollbooth operators that took cash. About $1.50 each, IIRC.

I certainly wouldn't get a pass for just that. Those were the only tolls on that whole stretch.

xwesx · June 2021

kyfdx said:
I certainly wouldn't get a pass for just that. Those were the only tolls on that whole stretch.

Thanks! It's possible that doing so is overkill, but I already spent all of the time researching and signing up through MA, which was the only state I found that didn't charge monthly service fees (which, I should add, are all extremely reasonable for folks who actually use the pass, but, for me, wouldn't be quite so reasonable compared to the price of the tolls).

That said, every single route I mapped out has a "this route has tolls" warning, and avoiding the tolls were, in some cases, adding significant time and/or distance, so I figured I would just cover my bases at once. This way, I don't have to care about tolls at all. And, in the cases of the areas that have gone cashless, the price for the mailed bill based on license plate is substantially more expensive.

andres3 · June 2021

Should we take the S4 or the Tiguan up to the Central Valley this 4th of July Weekend upcoming? The French Bulldog of 15 months of age will be coming along for the ride; so need to put a crate in the backseat.... doesn't quite fit in the trunk of the S4.

Michaell · June 2021

andres3 said:
Should we take the S4 or the Tiguan up to the Central Valley this 4th of July Weekend upcoming? The French Bulldog of 15 months of age will be coming along for the ride; so need to put a crate in the backseat.... doesn't quite fit in the trunk of the S4.

Tiguan

xwesx · July 2021

Ah, road trips.

Mine is delayed now. I wanted to leave tomorrow morning, but I *still* do not have my passport back from the feds. So much for "expedited." However, the word from them is that it is "in the mail," so I'm hoping I will have it by Wednesday (7/7). As such, I'm planning on that being my new earliest possible date of departure.

All that being said, I was able to check one thing off the list today: I have my license plate and registration in hand for my trailer (which I factory-ordered in North Carolina). I hope to pick it up at the end of August as we start to make our way back toward Alaska. Sadly, despite my very clear instructions/insistence with the manufacturer that I absolutely *must* receive the titling documentation no later than yesterday (7/1), they decided to mail it via USPS "first class" with a tracking label on it. I warned them that such a method was 7-10 days and would not get here in time, but they were confident. Instead, it arrived at about 10am this morning (7 days). I immediately took it to DMV, but DMV simply turned me out and told me, "nope, you missed your appointment (I was scheduled at 0930), too bad for you." What a-holes.

Thankfully, I was able to use a private place that summarily gouged the crap out of me on the cost. However, it is done, so the heck with the details.

explorerx4 · July 2021

Here's the Explorer loaded for the return home just before the final items were added. The cargo box is full and closed up already.

xwesx · July 2021

You're making good use of that space! Have a safe trip home.

explorerx4 · July 2021

@xwesx,
We are home now, 900 miles later.

You learn a lot about a vehicle on a 1900 mile trip.
Posted speed on I-75 was 75. We had no problem keeping up up with traffic or maybe a little better with 4 people and more than all the stuff in the picture.
Fuel mileage did suffer though, averaged 21.5 for the trip.

xwesx · July 2021

explorerx4 said:
@xwesx,
We are home now, 900 miles later.
You learn a lot about a vehicle on a 1900 mile trip.
Posted speed on I-75 was 75. We had no problem keeping up up with traffic or maybe a little better with 4 people and more than all the stuff in the picture.
Fuel mileage did suffer though, averaged 21.5 for the trip.

Nice! What is normal for the car (on the highway)? My fuel economy is suffering, too. I have a whole bunch of stuff mounted atop the car at the moment.

explorerx4 · July 2021

Although rated @27 mpg highway, the best I've gotten so far in 24+.
Only 4500 miles on it, so far from being broken in.
The tank before I left on the trip, mostly local driving, was 23.5.

andres3 · July 2021

The Tiguan performed admirably cruising anyWHERE from 80-90 MPH on I805/I5/I99 going northward in CA. Only problem is it doesn't have any guts or glory when you need to pass a bad driver or merge onto the freeway behind a bad driver.

You can't just "pick your spot" and ZOOM ZOOM into it like I can with my other vehicles.

andres3 · July 2021

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Not sure -- haven't run that stretch in quite awhile. Texas, though, has a solid 80 mph limit on I-10 on the western section, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be ticketed for anything under 88. Sadly, the areas where it's safest to run fast aren't the most scenic, but hey, at least you get through them quicker on the way to the pretty bits.
Haven't driven that part of I-10 - I mostly did the LA-PHX stretch when I was in college (55 MPH - yay!).

I'm in need of a good road trip.

No one in CA obeyed the 55 MPH speed limit though. I was a kid but I remember.

Michaell · July 2021

andres3 said:

Michaell said:

cdnpinhead said:
Not sure -- haven't run that stretch in quite awhile. Texas, though, has a solid 80 mph limit on I-10 on the western section, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be ticketed for anything under 88. Sadly, the areas where it's safest to run fast aren't the most scenic, but hey, at least you get through them quicker on the way to the pretty bits.
Haven't driven that part of I-10 - I mostly did the LA-PHX stretch when I was in college (55 MPH - yay!).

I'm in need of a good road trip.
No one in CA obeyed the 55 MPH speed limit though. I was a kid but I remember.

I did CA - MI - CA in the fall of 1986. The whole country was 55 at the time. Not sure we did even 5% of that trip at the limit, and I remember we touched 85 or 90 west of Phoenix on I-10

fintail · July 2021

My workplace is trying to get everyone back in the office in the next 2 weeks, at least for awhile, before a "flexible" solution is worked, as they know there will be a brain drain if the office-addicted types have complete say. I suspect the company will do the right thing, as the top brass seems to treat people well, I foresee being "flexible" a couple days a week, but one can come in anytime they want. I've already gone in several times to set up my desk and explore the facility, so I have been on the road a bit.

Commute is almost the same amount of time as my Seattle-area slog, but twice the distance. I get to be on the highway for a few miles, which is probably good for the car. And man, the drivers. Merging here is as iffy as on the west side, so few signals, people like to dawdle at 5 under on an interstate, and downtown Spokane has a couple of dicey highway interchanges. Add in some upper midwest-quality road surfaces for kicks - I sometimes feel like I am abusing the car on these roads, and would be better served in a heavier duty SUV, but we will see.

Michaell · July 2021

I see a G in your future

fintail · July 2021

It's going to be interesting to see what kind of equity might exist when the lease is up - maybe the market will normalize by then (March) and I won't be so far ahead. I feel bad when I try to avoid holes and bumps and still feel like I need new shocks and struts after a 10 mile drive, or I misjudge a road flaw and actively look for damage once I arrive at my destination.

Fuel economy of a G is what turns me off the most - maintenance costs on a non-AMG shouldn't be insane relative to other V8 MBs. I've also toyed with the idea of looking at a Landcruiser, as they are always worth something (as is a G), but it'd have to be after 2015 or so to have infotainment with higher tech than the fintail's radio.

Michaell said:
I see a G in your future

Michaell · July 2021

fintail said:
It's going to be interesting to see what kind of equity might exist when the lease is up - maybe the market will normalize by then (March) and I won't be so far ahead. I feel bad when I try to avoid holes and bumps and still feel like I need new shocks and struts after a 10 mile drive, or I misjudge a road flaw and actively look for damage once I arrive at my destination.

Fuel economy of a G is what turns me off the most - maintenance costs on a non-AMG shouldn't be insane relative to other V8 MBs. I've also toyed with the idea of looking at a Landcruiser, as they are always worth something (as is a G), but it'd have to be after 2015 or so to have infotainment with higher tech than the fintail's radio.

Michaell said:
I see a G in your future

I'll take a wild guess that the other SUV's from MB don't interest you...

fintail · July 2021

Maybe a top spec loaded GLS, but I worry about how they might age. I'd want something with legit heavy duty componentry - the GLS I think is strong, and I don't think the smaller ones are really ruggedly built. They are also kind of Stepfordian to me.

Amusingly, I low-key like the original ML (W163), and apparently they can be pretty solid if sorted, but can also be troublesome. Build quality was inconsistent. Early ones especially are kind of plain and honest for what they are, not like modern equivalents. I am not big on the bric a brac, maybe why I am not wanting to actually own a modern AMG as well.

I'd like to be able to drive and not weave around the endless road imperfections, and/or feel bad when a bump can't be avoided.

Michaell said:

fintail said:
It's going to be interesting to see what kind of equity might exist when the lease is up - maybe the market will normalize by then (March) and I won't be so far ahead. I feel bad when I try to avoid holes and bumps and still feel like I need new shocks and struts after a 10 mile drive, or I misjudge a road flaw and actively look for damage once I arrive at my destination.

Fuel economy of a G is what turns me off the most - maintenance costs on a non-AMG shouldn't be insane relative to other V8 MBs. I've also toyed with the idea of looking at a Landcruiser, as they are always worth something (as is a G), but it'd have to be after 2015 or so to have infotainment with higher tech than the fintail's radio.

Michaell said:
I see a G in your future

I'll take a wild guess that the other SUV's from MB don't interest you...

xwesx · August 2021

I feel a little bad about forgetting to follow up with my trip to Ohio. I left on Saturday, 7/24, and arrived on Saturday, 8/1.

Overall, no major issues, but I did need to detour significantly in order to make my destinations. Originally, the plan was to drive straight down the Cassiar and Cariboo highways, cross the border at Sumas (WA), and head to Salem, OR, to deal with some estate issues for my grandmother. Then, cross through central Oregon over to I-84, down to I-70 in Utah, and then cross I-70 all the way into Ohio, stopping in Denver for a brief visit with Edmunds friends there.

What I ended up doing was detouring around unprecedented fire activity in Western BC: I drove the entire length of the Alaska Highway to Dawson Creek, crossed down through Prince George and over on Highway 16 to then go south through the national parks (Jasper/Banff) in the middle of the night under heavy smoke to enter into the US in northern Idaho (Kingsgate). I then backtracked through Spokane and the Columbia River gorge to eventually hit I5 south to Salem. After leaving Oregon, I ended up getting stopped on I70 in the Glenn Canyon area where there was a road closure about 30 minutes before I arrived there due to landslides. However, the light show from the lightning storm in the mountains there was impressive. Unforgettable! I had to detour all the way to northern Colorado, so it didn't really make sense to push back south to Denver again since the guys were otherwise occupied into the weekend. Instead, I jumped onto I80 at Laramie, WY, and crossed over to Ohio from there.

I'll post a few photos next, because those are a little more fun!

Overall, 5,500 miles (almost exactly) covered.

xwesx · August 2021

Day 1: Fueling up in Fairbanks before heading down the road....

Day 2: Outside of Teslin, YT, overlooking Teslin Lake, which is absolutely huge (the highway runs along side it the entire length, for something like 60 miles.

Day 3: Stopped at a pullout outside Toad River, BC, which is a long-term favorite of mine after we stopped there in 2007 on the way home with our 2008 Outback when the kids were micro-pups.

This one is a very old beaver dam that, in 2007, was new and active. In the years since, it has gone from dilapidated like this to renewed, and back to dilapidated. I suspect that the dam causes flooding issues somewhere upriver, so the beavers get trapped periodically.

Day 7: Western Iowa, just outside of Omaha, NE. A crazy wind/rain storm, which apparently was a tornado a little further south, tipped over a pair of trucks in the westbound lane on I80. Don't worry; I planned ahead for this and was able to snap without the need to slow, etc., out the windshield.

Day 8: Morning rest stop, which I think was in Indiana. Amazing display on this hyacinth bush.

And, the morning after arriving at my destination (so, day 9?)

xwesx · August 2021

I'll be heading down to North Carolina on Sunday morning to pick up my trailer. It's about 600 miles, one way.

explorerx4 · August 2021

@xwesx,
I kind of feel like you should have just bought a Suburban.
You would look a lot less Beverly Hillbillies.

fintail · August 2021

I'd think that diesel is ideal for such a trip, range for days. That's a hell of a drive.

My mom just bought a different house and is downsizing, I will be headed out to the coast in about a month. What was a less than 3 hour drive will probably be more than 7, each way. Looking forward to it.

I've been going to the office a bit, nice to get out, but the drivers here can be as special as Seattle, just in their own way. And I've said it before, Idaho plates - watch out. We need to close that border

xwesx said:
I'll be heading down to North Carolina on Sunday morning to pick up my trailer. It's about 600 miles, one way.

explorerx4 · August 2021

How about that trip in an EV?

fintail · August 2021

He'd still be driving

explorerx4 said:
How about that trip in an EV?

cdnpinhead · August 2021

No, he'd still be sitting, waiting.

cdnpinhead · August 2021

While my wife was visiting her sister recently, I took the opportunity to do a little loop here in the Southwest. First day to Kingman, AZ, partly via the old 66 route that I hadn't been on since I was driving my truck in '78, before I-40 was completed. Second day up to Cedar City, UT, via Vegas and the Virgin River canyon in AZ, once again on a road I hadn't seen since I was driving the KW up and down I-15 regularly in the late '70s.

Third day was the best: up and over the Cedar Breaks east of Cedar City, then up the middle of Utah on roads I'd never been on before (there aren't too many of them anymore). Not much traffic, excellent scenery and an overall beautiful drive. Day four from Price, UT, to Fruita, CO, was partly on a new road to me but otherwise in high desert (boring), other than Douglas Pass, which was a real pleasure.

A couple of days in Fruita (near Grand Junction) to enjoy the Colorado National Monument (and the mud springs campground) and Grand Mesa, where I've been visiting since the mid '50s, plus visiting the various places I lived in GJ back in the '50s. The Grand Mesa day ended in Cortez, CO, (via Telluride) where I once again joined the land of beige and mostly flatness.

The trip was 1816 miles, which worked out to ~300 miles a day, a far cry from my marathon driving in the "old days." Averaging the car's MPG readings at each fill yielded 38.2 mpg, vs. the actual fill numbers at the pump which worked out to 34.1 mpg, an 11.4% difference, favoring the car's computer, as always. High elevation is very good for gas mileage for sure.

I think there are only a couple of us on Edmunds who actually drive somewhere from time to time, so thought XWESX might be interested, plus the nine other people who actually venture out of their home zip code.

Michaell · August 2021

@cdnpinhead - sounds like a good trip. Lots of empty country there.

I had a short road trip last week. Flew to CA to visit family. Sister picked me up from LAX and we went to my son's for his and his wife's baby shower. I stayed an extra day and drove my mom's 2003 Sonata from north of LA to SD, where my mom and sister live.

175 miles in roughly 3 hours (I left around 6-ish on a Sunday night, so no real traffic in/through LA). The Sonata has been getting quite a bit of repair and maintenance over the last year - it turned over 43,000 miles while I had it - and ran like a champ. Averaged about 25 MPG for 300+ miles, most of which were on the highway.

(I wanted to drive to CA, but I just didn't have enough time to dedicate 2 days either way)

Road Trip!

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