@ThatsHeadly I’ve actually been to Jerome. Unfortunately it was on 4 wheels. Been discussing a tour through Utah with some friends. Round trip from Salt Lake, down to Moab, across to Zion, and back. I don’t like riding around here anymore, the people are just too ignorant on the roads.
@cinoclav@ThatsHeadly Make sure you hit Utah 12! It runs from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef.
The Hogsback section is amazing or terrifying, depending on your point of view. It runs along the crest of a ridge with no guardrails, and little or no shoulder.
I’d recommend turning around and running it a couple of times!
I would like it, but not my thing because I tend to drowse so I have to stop every 45 minutes (I can’t have caffeine due to it causes me migraines and shortness of breathe). While I can usually make 2-3 of those stops interesting (tourist site/lunch), more often it is me doing jumping jacks and other spastic-looking things in a rest stop/random parking lot.
@thewindsofsong have you ever been checked for narcolepsy? It’s not about crash-falling asleep like many think. It’s about EDS excessive daytime sleepiness. I finally got diagnosed and it’s life changing. I used to have the same problem with long drives as well.
I do it fairly frequently. I enjoy it. Sometimes stopping for a meal on your own isn’t as much fun but many times I’ve not sat alone anyway. Many times (happened even just 2 wks ago) when being seated someone will come up and say… “hey, I’m sitting alone and you’re sitting alone, do you mind if I join you?” And I’m like… sure, why not. Always some interesting conversations with some interesting strangers.
I’ve driven from NC to TX; from Alaska to CA (tho this one wasn’t alone-you don’t want to drive the Al-Can highway alone in January); FL to Maine and back; CA to TX; TX to FL; FL to SC then to TN; TN to Hot Springs AR and back with a detour to Graceland for two days! And several trips from TN to NC and back to see family-this is a great drive through the Smoky Mountains. In two years I want to full time RV by myself (plus two little dogs). I love the road hence the Gypsi in my screen name.
long is of course relative, but for this RI native i did enjoy the 4-5 hour trips to see a friend in vermont for awhile. back then no podcasts or even ipods, but rather a fat book of cds to choose from
@jerk_nugget also as long as it’s during daylight. hate driving at night as i seem to be part of a dying breed that doesn’t drive an SUV and/or a vehicle with high beam level LED headlights. been several times where i basically couldn’t see at all. protip: lights like that in a city atmosphere are actually more dangerous, not safer, doubly so if you’re gonna tailgate or drive alongside someone.
@jerk_nugget Yeah, I really hate those ultra-bright headlights, too. They’re almost as bad as actually having your high beams on.
Fortunately, past a certain hour of the night traffic thins out significantly and it becomes less of an issue.
@Limewater exactly. i also appreciate the stretches of highway where there’s a tall barrier between northbound & southbound, so i don’t have to be blinded from the front and back.
unfortunately in boston there’s rarely a time where there isn’t traffic, but these days the only time i’m on the highway at night is coming to or from visiting my parents in RI so there’s a nice stretch around foxboro where it’s pretty empty. nice to get a breather in between.
@jerk_nugget@Limewater And if you have to go by a cop car at night with his blue light going off the side of the road it’s absolutely blinding. Ticks me off. I was slowly passing by one at night at a wreck and thought I saw something and hit my brakes (country road) and they yelled and waved me on… I could barely see at all… and I saw in my side view mirror… I ran over a kitten because of that. I was sooooo upset and pissed. I hope to one day get that picture out of my brain.
@jerk_nugget@Limewater Active LED headlights are amazing. I don’t know if they’re available/legal over here (we’ve got some dumb, antiquated laws), but my son-in-law has them on his Mercedes in England.
In use, it looks like they are painting black boxes around other cars on the road. I had a hard time convincing my eyes that it was projecting light, and not projecting black.
@f00l@Limewater@lseeber yeah, that’s a tough one because you want to have lights warning people that vehicles are pulled over to avoid an accident, but of course you want the right type of lights. regular hazards would be better than police lights, but they might not be enough in certain areas.
country/back roads are such a pain too because they’re so dark and wind-y and often populated with locals flying down them because they’re used to them, they know them like the back of their hand. and then there’s me, inching along because i can’t see worth a damn because one of them is so close up behind me with their headlights blinding me that i can’t even see the hood of their car. they don’t seem to get that blinding me will only make me go slower, not faster.
@blaineg@Limewater now those are cool. that would improve my driving anxiety at night immensely, and make for a safer driving environment for everyone.
Audiobooks
@jst1ofknd Silence
Kinda depends why you’re going the trip, no?
For going somewhere new, a road trip is often as enjoyable as the destination.
For going to someone, then it’s hurryhurryhurry.
For going to somewhere or to do something you don’t like, then… grrrrriiiiind.
I prefer to have a companion on my long, solo car trips.
Sometimes, you just have to get away…
They are fine-especially if there is an excellent bakery at the end (or sometimes in the middle).
Twisty back roads, 300 HP and Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires. Oh, and a radar detector.
@ThatsHeadly I’d prefer something that says Ducati on the side of it.
@cinoclav Yeah… Me and motorcycles don’t get along. I see the appeal, and I like watching MotoGP, but I like most of my bones in one piece. Check out the slice of heaven that is 89A: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jerome,+AZ+86331/@34.7414018,-112.1365212,13.9z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x872d0f906de9e79b:0xf663f24f2b55668b!8m2!3d34.7489107!4d-112.1137716
@ThatsHeadly I’ve actually been to Jerome. Unfortunately it was on 4 wheels. Been discussing a tour through Utah with some friends. Round trip from Salt Lake, down to Moab, across to Zion, and back. I don’t like riding around here anymore, the people are just too ignorant on the roads.
@cinoclav @ThatsHeadly Make sure you hit Utah 12! It runs from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef.
The Hogsback section is amazing or terrifying, depending on your point of view. It runs along the crest of a ridge with no guardrails, and little or no shoulder.
I’d recommend turning around and running it a couple of times!
And 72 north of Torrey has some amazing sweepers.
Drove from Massachusetts to Dallas. Saw some nice scenery along the way. Memphis was pretty awesome.
DIPLOMAT! RAT-A-TAT! FAT CAT! AWESOME!
@Targaryen Memphis is a great town. If you want a life changing experience, visit the National Civil Rights Museum. Then go feast on Corky’s BBQ.
@Targaryen Crossing the river at Memphis last weekend.
@Targaryen but the drive from Nashville to Memphis can be SOOOOO long, miles and miles of coniferous trees right up against the interstate.
@cinoclav @Targaryen If I never visited Memphis again it would be too soon.
@cinoclav @Targaryen There is SO much good BBQ in Memphis. We like Cozy Corner: a true dive, but with great food
@enville Yeah I made sure to sleep plenty so I didn’t drive off the road asleep.
I act like an insane person and talk/sing aloud, but I kind of like them. At about the 8 hour mark I get super hyper for some reason
Probably my favorite way to travel. If I can, I try to budget an extra few hours a day for exploring along the way.
I would like it, but not my thing because I tend to drowse so I have to stop every 45 minutes (I can’t have caffeine due to it causes me migraines and shortness of breathe). While I can usually make 2-3 of those stops interesting (tourist site/lunch), more often it is me doing jumping jacks and other spastic-looking things in a rest stop/random parking lot.
driving for more than an hour at a time makes me so sleepy. i literally cannot drive long distances by myself; i’ll drive myself off the road
@thewindsofsong have you ever been checked for narcolepsy? It’s not about crash-falling asleep like many think. It’s about EDS excessive daytime sleepiness. I finally got diagnosed and it’s life changing. I used to have the same problem with long drives as well.
Just pick up a Hitchhiker.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_the_Hatchet-Wielding_Hitchhiker
I do it fairly frequently. I enjoy it. Sometimes stopping for a meal on your own isn’t as much fun but many times I’ve not sat alone anyway. Many times (happened even just 2 wks ago) when being seated someone will come up and say… “hey, I’m sitting alone and you’re sitting alone, do you mind if I join you?” And I’m like… sure, why not. Always some interesting conversations with some interesting strangers.
I drove from Ohio to Seattle via San Diego. I’d do it again.
/image nice scenery
@eonfifty That’s a hell of a detour.
@cinoclav
Technically, it wasn’t a detour as I had no destination in mind
I enjoy long road trips, but occasionally crossing over into a separate dimension kinda puts a damper on it.
Hasn’t happened since last November tho…
@conspiracy_anna As long as you don’t get caught in a time loop continuum.
I’ve driven from NC to TX; from Alaska to CA (tho this one wasn’t alone-you don’t want to drive the Al-Can highway alone in January); FL to Maine and back; CA to TX; TX to FL; FL to SC then to TN; TN to Hot Springs AR and back with a detour to Graceland for two days! And several trips from TN to NC and back to see family-this is a great drive through the Smoky Mountains. In two years I want to full time RV by myself (plus two little dogs). I love the road hence the Gypsi in my screen name.
I don’t think I’ve driven more than 3 hours by myself. So I don’t really know.
Some of those days I really enjoy it, sometimes I don’t.
@RiotDemon There are a lot of variables involved.
long is of course relative, but for this RI native i did enjoy the 4-5 hour trips to see a friend in vermont for awhile. back then no podcasts or even ipods, but rather a fat book of cds to choose from
@jerk_nugget also as long as it’s during daylight. hate driving at night as i seem to be part of a dying breed that doesn’t drive an SUV and/or a vehicle with high beam level LED headlights. been several times where i basically couldn’t see at all. protip: lights like that in a city atmosphere are actually more dangerous, not safer, doubly so if you’re gonna tailgate or drive alongside someone.
@jerk_nugget Yeah, I really hate those ultra-bright headlights, too. They’re almost as bad as actually having your high beams on.
Fortunately, past a certain hour of the night traffic thins out significantly and it becomes less of an issue.
@Limewater exactly. i also appreciate the stretches of highway where there’s a tall barrier between northbound & southbound, so i don’t have to be blinded from the front and back.
unfortunately in boston there’s rarely a time where there isn’t traffic, but these days the only time i’m on the highway at night is coming to or from visiting my parents in RI so there’s a nice stretch around foxboro where it’s pretty empty. nice to get a breather in between.
@jerk_nugget @Limewater And if you have to go by a cop car at night with his blue light going off the side of the road it’s absolutely blinding. Ticks me off. I was slowly passing by one at night at a wreck and thought I saw something and hit my brakes (country road) and they yelled and waved me on… I could barely see at all… and I saw in my side view mirror… I ran over a kitten because of that. I was sooooo upset and pissed. I hope to one day get that picture out of my brain.
@jerk_nugget @Limewater @lseeber
The white and blue cop car lights (at night on a dark road) are somewhat too bright. I can’t see anything else around them either.
The red light is ok.
@jerk_nugget @Limewater Active LED headlights are amazing. I don’t know if they’re available/legal over here (we’ve got some dumb, antiquated laws), but my son-in-law has them on his Mercedes in England.
In use, it looks like they are painting black boxes around other cars on the road. I had a hard time convincing my eyes that it was projecting light, and not projecting black.
@blaineg @jerk_nugget @Limewater Those look incredible!
Smart Headlights Inch Closer to American Roads
@f00l @Limewater @lseeber yeah, that’s a tough one because you want to have lights warning people that vehicles are pulled over to avoid an accident, but of course you want the right type of lights. regular hazards would be better than police lights, but they might not be enough in certain areas.
country/back roads are such a pain too because they’re so dark and wind-y and often populated with locals flying down them because they’re used to them, they know them like the back of their hand. and then there’s me, inching along because i can’t see worth a damn because one of them is so close up behind me with their headlights blinding me that i can’t even see the hood of their car. they don’t seem to get that blinding me will only make me go slower, not faster.
@blaineg @Limewater now those are cool. that would improve my driving anxiety at night immensely, and make for a safer driving environment for everyone.
@f00l @jerk_nugget @Limewater I can handle the red light but haven’t seen one of those in decades.
@blaineg @jerk_nugget @Limewater Dang! I need those!
A good motorcycle or car, and twisty roads are the way to go. Unfortunately, I’ve never found a twisty way across Nevada.