@2many2no I did that last year. Bad idea. Long boring road and I knew I needed an exit soon but a limited “turnpike” meant miles before next exit. Luckily no injuries and a bit of damage. Just to the truck. Luckily didn’t hit anyone or anything (except grazing a center divider fence)
I am not sure if it was lack of sufficient coffee, just getting old, or I have a theory that the timed-release melatonin I was taking night before finally kicked in. I don’t normally do those. So just to be safe, don’t do that!
The two day drive to see family can be a real pita at times when there is road construction, delays, accidents, bad weather… 1084 miles doesn’t get any shorter. Sigh. I do that drive alone
The longest drive I have ever done is nearly 2500 miles in 4 days with a kid who should have, at times, been strapped on the roof rack with her mouth open, facing forward, forced to collect bugs. And another one that was nearly 2700 miles (alone) done in 4 days.
On the other hand both were better than 3.5 days on a Greyhound bus (especially knowing I’d have to repeat that to get home) when they’d kick you off for an hour at 3am to clean the bus.
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
Road trips are how I have spent my vacations for the last thirty years ago or so. I started off visiting roadside attractions and checking off states, but after I finished 50 states in 2001 and 10 provinces (and 1 territory) in 2002, the trips evolved into just driving, with some planned but mostly unplanned stops along with way.
I don’t drive at night when I can avoid it, because there’s nothing to see. I don’t plan to be places at specific times, because that changes the focus from where I am to “what time will I get there”, and it precludes making changes en route.
@craigthom
Some of my favorite road trips have been spur of the moment, stop on the fly, visit unexpected places style. Highly recommended process.
Used to love it back in the day when they had coupon books and dispensers at rest stops on the interstate (as well as gas stations and diners etc) in other places. Got some great motel/hotel deals that way.
@craigthom As kids all our month long vacations were road trips, first 5 of us sleeping in the station wagon and then in a tent top apache trailer. They were a lot of fun although on occasion some of the “get to the destination now” drives were long. Usually my parents would drive no more than a day, stay somewhere for a while, go to the next place, stop along the way to do things… Those trips left us with nice memories.
@craigthom@Kidsandliz how fast do you have to get going to make it to Hawaii? I had the stick-on-states inside door of my old motorhome. Missed North Dakota and a few of those Northeast tiny states. decided I could claim Hawaii. And AK was a 10000 mi trip in a previous camper.
@craigthom@Kidsandliz oh and the Canada addition to the stick-on states. Missed the middle 2 or 3 which I understand are just Northern North Dakota. Will get some unfriendly mail there, Eh?
Yukon Territory was cool; not sure if we hit Northwest. And on later trip all the “Maritime Provinces” except Newfoundland which was a 1 day ferry trip. I have to go there. I hear there are sheep.
@craigthom@Kidsandliz CA to Colorado, N to Yellowstone and Glacier, Alberta to Dawson Creek (official start or AK highway.) AK: Anchorage, Homer Peninsula, Denali National Park, Fairbanks. Then N on “pipeline road” also called the “Haul road”
Then Yukon. Down into BC on different road, not fully paved. Ferry to Vancouver Island. Back-road exploring. Whidbey Island WA, Mt Rainier.
It was great. But I was 1/2 my current age.
@craigthom@Kidsandliz At the time there was a book about 2 guys that outfitted a 4WD truck with gear and the challenge was to drive from Southermost point of South America, to Northernmost driveable destination in Alaska. Also about 10000 miles. At the time there was part of Central America not passable. Also lots of guys with guns in many countries. Maybe not a lot has changed. I will stick to U.S., thank you, plus our 51st state (they hate that!)
@Kidsandliz@pmarin I flew to Hawaii a decade earlier for work (on the way to Australia). I drove to Alaska.
My initial get ride to Newfoundland was supposed to be a day and a half from Goose Bay, but when I got to Labrador City I checked my answering machine and found it had been cancelled due to ice. At the end of June. I had booked a cabin on the ferry and everything.
I’m glad I didn’t find out earlier, because I would have missed the day each way drive to Labrador City.
So I had to change my plans and drive back south, cross the St Lawrence Seaway, and take a get from North Sydney. I think that ferry was only about four hours. It was calm and sunny and beautiful on the way over. I was rainy and rough on the way back, and I’m amazed I didn’t puke, since I thought I was about to for hours.
@Star2236 there are to many roadside attractions to pick the coolest. I like quirky museums, especially in the middle of nowhere. Max Nordeen’s was great, but he died and everything was auctioned off. There’s a little one in Galena, Kansas, and one in Platteville, Wisconsin. I also like outsider art installations made of concrete and glass and rocks.
Many tourist attractions have closed. Of those still open, I like Clark’s Trading Post in New Hampshire, House on the Rock in Wisconsin, the Corn Palace in South Dakota, the Titan Missile Museum in Arizona, and Gatorland Zoo in Florida. There are so many.
I had done cross-country drives almost every year in a camper. With a cat while he was around. And in Winter so days were short. About 40 hours of driving, usually 6-7 days.
First hour or so was often silent quiet reflection #1. Kind-of an hour of Zen, often driving into a Sunrise.
Then, Main thing was audiobooks. Damn GRRR Martin for not finishing Game of Thrones and let HBO bastardize it. The existing 5 books covered a lot of miles. After that mostly historical stuff either early history of U.S., Navy history, or my other favorite topic, secret nuclear disasters (we generally never heard of for 40-50 years.) and some music people biographies.
@pmarin Elon Musk biography is also quite informative. Regardless of what you think of him, it does explain a lot about how he is and how he got there. And his company’s cultures.
Back in the 55mph interstate days I was driving from Boulder CO (school) to St. Louis (parent’s house) a few times a year. I would make the 18 hr trip so I never drove east into the sunrise or west into the sunset. Of course I was ahem, cough, cough younger then.
@AlienCookie I went through some of those long drives in a perhaps-depressed state (not clinically, I’ll claim). Various life stuff. Amazingly, Winter desolation of a place like Wyoming was very healing and empowering. No official therapy or self-help books (well, maybe one) but if you can do it, and this came organically, and it took a while: I am me
I am here
Here is beautiful
I have what I need
Down the road there will be new things too
Not saying driving in Wyoming in Winter is for everyone, and if you have depression issues please use one of the help lines.
Long drive w/ SWMBO= therapy for both, but also a lot of singing along to our favorite tunes.
When I was working and had paid leave for educational conferences, we’d drive to them all down the east coast- our favorites were in the middle Florida Keys or Daytona [in late winter/early spring preferably].
Haven’t had to do any lately, but for me, a long drive always seemed to be a great time to get a speeding ticket.
@phendrick So Very true! especially late at nite & you are trying to get to you hotel Before crash/ fall asleep!
I love long drives, especially by myself. I listen to music from my phone, radio news, lectures, podcasts and I think-basically the first 4 choices.
Am I by myself? My music playing loudly.
I only do long trips alone for Work, Or else I will NOT go alone!
Pretty much all of the above!
Long.
@yakkoTDI And drivey.
A bad time to catch up on sleep
@2many2no I did that last year. Bad idea. Long boring road and I knew I needed an exit soon but a limited “turnpike” meant miles before next exit. Luckily no injuries and a bit of damage. Just to the truck. Luckily didn’t hit anyone or anything (except grazing a center divider fence)
I am not sure if it was lack of sufficient coffee, just getting old, or I have a theory that the timed-release melatonin I was taking night before finally kicked in. I don’t normally do those. So just to be safe, don’t do that!
@2many2no
Are we there yet?
The two day drive to see family can be a real pita at times when there is road construction, delays, accidents, bad weather… 1084 miles doesn’t get any shorter. Sigh. I do that drive alone
The longest drive I have ever done is nearly 2500 miles in 4 days with a kid who should have, at times, been strapped on the roof rack with her mouth open, facing forward, forced to collect bugs. And another one that was nearly 2700 miles (alone) done in 4 days.
On the other hand both were better than 3.5 days on a Greyhound bus (especially knowing I’d have to repeat that to get home) when they’d kick you off for an hour at 3am to clean the bus.
@Kidsandliz
Please tell us more.
@yakkoTDI And now, we tune in for Parenting Tips From @Kidsandliz right after these messages
/giphy commercial
@yakkoTDI
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
@Kidsandliz guessing you don’t ever fly?
Road trips are how I have spent my vacations for the last thirty years ago or so. I started off visiting roadside attractions and checking off states, but after I finished 50 states in 2001 and 10 provinces (and 1 territory) in 2002, the trips evolved into just driving, with some planned but mostly unplanned stops along with way.
I don’t drive at night when I can avoid it, because there’s nothing to see. I don’t plan to be places at specific times, because that changes the focus from where I am to “what time will I get there”, and it precludes making changes en route.
@craigthom
Some of my favorite road trips have been spur of the moment, stop on the fly, visit unexpected places style. Highly recommended process.
Used to love it back in the day when they had coupon books and dispensers at rest stops on the interstate (as well as gas stations and diners etc) in other places. Got some great motel/hotel deals that way.
@craigthom As kids all our month long vacations were road trips, first 5 of us sleeping in the station wagon and then in a tent top apache trailer. They were a lot of fun although on occasion some of the “get to the destination now” drives were long. Usually my parents would drive no more than a day, stay somewhere for a while, go to the next place, stop along the way to do things… Those trips left us with nice memories.
@craigthom @Kidsandliz how fast do you have to get going to make it to Hawaii? I had the stick-on-states inside door of my old motorhome. Missed North Dakota and a few of those Northeast tiny states. decided I could claim Hawaii. And AK was a 10000 mi trip in a previous camper.
@craigthom @Kidsandliz oh and the Canada addition to the stick-on states. Missed the middle 2 or 3 which I understand are just Northern North Dakota. Will get some unfriendly mail there, Eh?
Yukon Territory was cool; not sure if we hit Northwest. And on later trip all the “Maritime Provinces” except Newfoundland which was a 1 day ferry trip. I have to go there. I hear there are sheep.
@craigthom @pmarin
What did you do? Go by way of Uruguay?
@craigthom @Kidsandliz CA to Colorado, N to Yellowstone and Glacier, Alberta to Dawson Creek (official start or AK highway.) AK: Anchorage, Homer Peninsula, Denali National Park, Fairbanks. Then N on “pipeline road” also called the “Haul road”
Then Yukon. Down into BC on different road, not fully paved. Ferry to Vancouver Island. Back-road exploring. Whidbey Island WA, Mt Rainier.
It was great. But I was 1/2 my current age.
@craigthom @Kidsandliz At the time there was a book about 2 guys that outfitted a 4WD truck with gear and the challenge was to drive from Southermost point of South America, to Northernmost driveable destination in Alaska. Also about 10000 miles. At the time there was part of Central America not passable. Also lots of guys with guns in many countries. Maybe not a lot has changed. I will stick to U.S., thank you, plus our 51st state (they hate that!)
@craigthom
What are some of the coolest roadside attraction you’ve stopped at?
@Kidsandliz @pmarin I flew to Hawaii a decade earlier for work (on the way to Australia). I drove to Alaska.
My initial get ride to Newfoundland was supposed to be a day and a half from Goose Bay, but when I got to Labrador City I checked my answering machine and found it had been cancelled due to ice. At the end of June. I had booked a cabin on the ferry and everything.
I’m glad I didn’t find out earlier, because I would have missed the day each way drive to Labrador City.
So I had to change my plans and drive back south, cross the St Lawrence Seaway, and take a get from North Sydney. I think that ferry was only about four hours. It was calm and sunny and beautiful on the way over. I was rainy and rough on the way back, and I’m amazed I didn’t puke, since I thought I was about to for hours.
@Star2236 there are to many roadside attractions to pick the coolest. I like quirky museums, especially in the middle of nowhere. Max Nordeen’s was great, but he died and everything was auctioned off. There’s a little one in Galena, Kansas, and one in Platteville, Wisconsin. I also like outsider art installations made of concrete and glass and rocks.
Many tourist attractions have closed. Of those still open, I like Clark’s Trading Post in New Hampshire, House on the Rock in Wisconsin, the Corn Palace in South Dakota, the Titan Missile Museum in Arizona, and Gatorland Zoo in Florida. There are so many.
@craigthom
It’s a shame so many of them have closed, that’s what makes driving fun.
@craigthom @Star2236 of those have only done Corn Palace. And around there Wall Drug.
Drove my malfunctioning RV back from Fisco to Central Alabama alone this summer in three and a half days. The radio blaring is what kept me sane.
@chienfou Fisco? There is a Frisco TX and CO and (they say don’t call it that) San Francisco.
@pmarin
Yeah… That one!
I ain’t driving, I so I’m sleepin’.
I had done cross-country drives almost every year in a camper. With a cat while he was around. And in Winter so days were short. About 40 hours of driving, usually 6-7 days.
First hour or so was often silent quiet reflection #1. Kind-of an hour of Zen, often driving into a Sunrise.
Then, Main thing was audiobooks. Damn GRRR Martin for not finishing Game of Thrones and let HBO bastardize it. The existing 5 books covered a lot of miles. After that mostly historical stuff either early history of U.S., Navy history, or my other favorite topic, secret nuclear disasters (we generally never heard of for 40-50 years.) and some music people biographies.
@pmarin Elon Musk biography is also quite informative. Regardless of what you think of him, it does explain a lot about how he is and how he got there. And his company’s cultures.
@pmarin
Back in the 55mph interstate days I was driving from Boulder CO (school) to St. Louis (parent’s house) a few times a year. I would make the 18 hr trip so I never drove east into the sunrise or west into the sunset. Of course I was ahem, cough, cough younger then.
It’s good to have a long think and cry in the car on a long trip, but I do love to rock out in the car.
@AlienCookie I went through some of those long drives in a perhaps-depressed state (not clinically, I’ll claim). Various life stuff. Amazingly, Winter desolation of a place like Wyoming was very healing and empowering. No official therapy or self-help books (well, maybe one) but if you can do it, and this came organically, and it took a while:
I am me
I am here
Here is beautiful
I have what I need
Down the road there will be new things too
Not saying driving in Wyoming in Winter is for everyone, and if you have depression issues please
use one of the help lines.
Long drive w/ SWMBO= therapy for both, but also a lot of singing along to our favorite tunes.
When I was working and had paid leave for educational conferences, we’d drive to them all down the east coast- our favorites were in the middle Florida Keys or Daytona [in late winter/early spring preferably].
a long drive is also landing on the green in one.
It depends on if I’m driving or passengering.