INTENSITY²

Start here => Free For ALL => Topic started by: Parts on May 08, 2010, 08:10:07 AM

Title: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 08, 2010, 08:10:07 AM
I am planning a trip across country for a wedding.  It is in Las Vegas this summer in July.  I plan to drive I 80 to I 76 to I 70 to I 15.  Anybody ever do this and have a better route?  Also I have never driven so far and not sure how much to plan on making it per day realistically.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 08, 2010, 11:11:12 AM
That sounds like a good route.

How far you want to go each day depends on how much you want to "push it".

You should be able to do a minimum of 600 miles a day, it starts to get rough after about 800 miles.

But it depends if you have someone to swap driving duties with. With 2 drivers, you should be able to do 1,000+ per day.  8)
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 08, 2010, 07:30:34 PM
Are you planning to do all the driving yourself, Parts?

What is the longest drive you have ever made before and how many hours a day were you able to drive then?

I think that your route sounds reasonable, but if you drive ten hours a day it will take about four days to drive that distance, so I think you might want to plan for five days to drive it just in case, if it's going to be just you doing the driving and you aren't going to be travelling with kids.

I think Scrapheap's estimate about the maximum distance you would want to drive per day sounds about right, somewhere around 600 and 700 miles. 
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 08, 2010, 07:38:42 PM
It will probably be going with my oldest son and that's it that way we both can drive.  It will be his high school graduation present
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 08, 2010, 07:47:53 PM
You can often get good deals on airline tickets to Las Vegas.  Do you hate to fly?
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 08, 2010, 08:36:06 PM
You can often get good deals on airline tickets to Las Vegas.  Do you hate to fly?

Yes,  I have done it many time though but have never driven that far
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 08, 2010, 11:03:29 PM
You can often get good deals on airline tickets to Las Vegas.  Do you hate to fly?

Yes,  I have done it many time though but have never driven that far

It's usually a lot cheaper to fly. You end up spending a lot of money eating at restaraunts. Figure $10-15 per person per meal, and that's nothing fancy. $90 a day for food + Hotel + gas + pecan log from Stuckey's= $$$$
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Eclair on May 09, 2010, 12:03:47 AM
You can often get good deals on airline tickets to Las Vegas.  Do you hate to fly?

Yes,  I have done it many time though but have never driven that far

It's usually a lot cheaper to fly. You end up spending a lot of money eating at restaraunts. Figure $10-15 per person per meal, and that's nothing fancy. $90 a day for food + Hotel + gas + pecan log from Stuckey's= $$$$

Plus you'll probably arrive tired, and on top of that be at a wedding around lots of potentially annoying relatives. Fly in, fly out. I imagine the plane trip wouldn't take very long anyway.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: "couldbecousin" on May 09, 2010, 06:07:17 AM
You can often get good deals on airline tickets to Las Vegas.  Do you hate to fly?

Yes,  I have done it many time though but have never driven that far

It's usually a lot cheaper to fly. You end up spending a lot of money eating at restaraunts. Figure $10-15 per person per meal, and that's nothing fancy. $90 a day for food + Hotel + gas + pecan log from Stuckey's= $$$$

Plus you'll probably arrive tired, and on top of that be at a wedding around lots of potentially annoying relatives. Fly in, fly out. I imagine the plane trip wouldn't take very long anyway.

And then, if the relatives are getting on your nerves, you can make your escape by saying you don't want to miss your :plane: !
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 09, 2010, 01:06:59 PM
I really don't want to fly.  Driving at least you get to see stuff and I have never been further west than Atlanta Ga and that was only the airport.  I don't want another state that I see is from the air
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 09, 2010, 01:35:20 PM
I really don't want to fly.  Driving at least you get to see stuff and I have never been further west than Atlanta Ga and that was only the airport.  I don't want another state that I see is from the air

Just be prepared to spend $350 a day getting there and back. You can probably do it for less, I'd just plan for that as a worst case scenario.

What kind of gas mileage does your car/truck (whatever vehicle you're taking) get??
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 09, 2010, 03:17:31 PM
I really don't want to fly.  Driving at least you get to see stuff and I have never been further west than Atlanta Ga and that was only the airport.  I don't want another state that I see is from the air

Maybe you should plan to take longer for the trip and stop and see lots of stuff along the way then.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 09, 2010, 06:23:34 PM
I really don't want to fly.  Driving at least you get to see stuff and I have never been further west than Atlanta Ga and that was only the airport.  I don't want another state that I see is from the air

Just be prepared to spend $350 a day getting there and back. You can probably do it for less, I'd just plan for that as a worst case scenario.

What kind of gas mileage does your car/truck (whatever vehicle you're taking) get??

About 30 mpg on the car

I really don't want to fly.  Driving at least you get to see stuff and I have never been further west than Atlanta Ga and that was only the airport.  I don't want another state that I see is from the air

Maybe you should plan to take longer for the trip and stop and see lots of stuff along the way then.

That was the idea for the way back

As much as I don't want to fly thinking more about it.  Then renting a car and driving around out there for a week to see stuff
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 09, 2010, 06:33:58 PM
You would pay somewhere around $300 just for the gasoline to drive that far, so you would probably come out cheaper to fly and rent a car there.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: normal_impaired on May 09, 2010, 06:44:24 PM
I am planning a trip across country for a wedding.  It is in Las Vegas this summer in July.  I plan to drive I 80 to I 76 to I 70 to I 15.  Anybody ever do this and have a better route?  Also I have never driven so far and not sure how much to plan on making it per day realistically.

Where are you driving from?  It's kind of hard to say if that's a good route if we don't know your starting point.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 09, 2010, 08:42:09 PM
Connecticut, I believe.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 10, 2010, 08:23:21 AM
I know how much the gas would be.  There are many reasons for doing what I am doing one of which driving cross country was something I have always wanted to do and this time it had come with the blessing of my wife not an easy thing to get for something like this. Another is I do not travel well without my things if I flew taking enough to be comfortable for me would limit the trip to only a couple days. I was not planing on staying in Vegas long at all it was more about the trip than being there I was only staying the day of the wedding and sight seeing the rest of the time.  My alternative plan was to fly out rent a car go to the wedding and go see the Grand Canyon or drive to California for the rest of the time out there.  I don't really see the attraction in Vegas after the initial seeing of the sights as I only gamble by playing the occasional lottery ticket. Other plans are just going for two days to go to the wedding then in the fall or spring getting my long distance fix driving to my mom's in Florida 
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Icequeen on May 15, 2010, 08:53:13 PM
Haven't done a good road trip in years. :zombiefuck:

Just give yourself plenty of time, use caution if selecting "local" eateries, some locals have cast iron stomachs from years of eating bad food.

Have a couple of credit cards or a backup plan in case of unforseen problems...normally if you break down your at least 300 miles from home and in a godforsaken area that doesn't take your prefered brand of credit card or have good cell phone coverage.  :laugh:

The best drives are normally the ones without a planned destination.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Queen Victoria on May 15, 2010, 09:03:54 PM
AAA has a plan for about $70 for a year's coverage where you can get either 100 or 200 miles of free towing if needed.  :thumbup:   And they'll find someone rather than you having to find a local someone who's reputable.  It may also include free hotel if needed, but my memory is shaky on that.  I think you need to buy it about a week or 2 in advance, but it's worth looking into.  You could be naughty  :evillaugh: and cancel it after the trip.   
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 22, 2010, 10:51:54 PM
Have AAA. It looks like it is a go, Anyone along the route it welcome for a meet up a brief one lunch of breakfast type thing. Probably going to continue to California also at least of a day or two
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 24, 2010, 12:04:04 PM
Have AAA. It looks like it is a go, Anyone along the route it welcome for a meet up a brief one lunch of breakfast type thing. Probably going to continue to California also at least of a day or two

It depands on which part of California you're going to go to.

I'll give you a word of warning driving from Nevada to Cali. I-15 southbound on a sunday is a 200 mile long traffic jam. Try to drive into California on a weekday or saturday.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Parts on May 24, 2010, 02:33:25 PM
All I want to see is the ocean
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 24, 2010, 04:44:03 PM
All I want to see is the ocean

In which case, the quickest way to get to the beach would be I-15 to the 91 west and 55 south. That will dump you off in Newport Beach. You can then drive up Highway 1 (Pacific Cast Highway) up through Huntington Beach, Long Beach, and up to Venice Beach and beyond.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 24, 2010, 04:52:34 PM
When we drove from Las Vegas to the beach, we drove down I 15 to Oceanside, which is about 40 miles north of San Diego.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 24, 2010, 05:07:40 PM
When we drove from Las Vegas to the beach, we drove down I 15 to Oceanside, which is about 40 miles north of San Diego.

You can get to the water sooner by heading off to Orange County. I-15 has to snake aroung the backside of Camp Pendleton.

Besides, Oceanside is full of fucking Jarheads! :rofl:
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Callaway on May 24, 2010, 05:56:45 PM
When we drove from Las Vegas to the beach, we drove down I 15 to Oceanside, which is about 40 miles north of San Diego.

You can get to the water sooner by heading off to Orange County. I-15 has to snake aroung the backside of Camp Pendleton.

Besides, Oceanside is full of fucking Jarheads! :rofl:

We saw the sun set over the ocean and there were beautiful round black rocks on the beach there.
Title: Re: Driving cross country
Post by: Scrapheap on May 24, 2010, 06:11:19 PM
When we drove from Las Vegas to the beach, we drove down I 15 to Oceanside, which is about 40 miles north of San Diego.

You can get to the water sooner by heading off to Orange County. I-15 has to snake aroung the backside of Camp Pendleton.

Besides, Oceanside is full of fucking Jarheads! :rofl:

We saw the sun set over the ocean and there were beautiful round black rocks on the beach there.

 Yeah, there's some nice beaches in the Oceanside area. I used to hang out there when I was going to Infantry school in Camp Pendleton.  8)