Cross-country Driving

[emptym]

I've done it a couple times, both from DC, once to LV, once to SF.

If you take a least a week to drive each way, it would be worth it. If your friend is in the city though, you probably won't need a car while here. Does the house have parking?

+1 on the southern route in the winter.

 

[indesertum]

i've done nor cal to ny state. it's a lot of fun if you go with friends and you research before hand all the places you want to visit (famous restaraunts, diners, parks, museums, what have you) and take your time getting there. it took me about 28 days, but my friend who drove the same distance went straight, driving 12+ hours a day and made it in a couple of days.

 

[Piobaire]

I've done various long drives several times. There's really nothing like it. You start to realize how much of the US is still empty as hell. This time of year, I'd head southwest from DC, to avoid some of the more northern mountain passes. Also, there is nothing like driving through the desert southwest. Pick up I-10 into CA, and then swing north to SF. If you've never driven through the border region, that'll be a wake up for ya.

 

[Manton]

I've done it four times: Berkeley - Annapolis; DC-LA; Santa Cruz - DC, DC back to LA. Different route every time.

Blew a tire the first night of the first trip. The lug nuts were on so tight I could not get the wheel off to chage it. Ended up stripping them. This was the pre- or early cell phone era. By sheer luck, the accident happened within walking distance of a working pay phone. For some odd reason, the Nevada towing companies could not find me, or would not. I was apparently in a "dead zone" between two service areas. Waited hours and hours, finally rescued at 3 am, towed to Winnemuca, slept until 7 when the car was ready.

Other than that, no problems. Saw a lot of Presidential libraries.

On the first westbound trip, the car had no first gear. That made it interesting.

 

[gnatty8]

Drove from Atlanta to Concord, NH two summers ago. Was not awful, but also not cross country either. When I was in college, my GF and I took a semester off and drove from Seattle to upstate NY, but made the trip in a massive U shape manner, hitting OR, ID, UT, AZ, NM, TX, OK, KS and many many others before finally getting to Watertown, NY (no reason for Watertown, other than we ran out of steam and figured we'd head home, which we did exactly cross country through MN, ND, MT and so on and so forth). Very cool trip, but of course, we took 3 months to do it, and had great, hot pre-marital relations at every stop along the way, so its not like we pounded pavement 10 hours a day and ate at truck stops.

 

[GQgeek]

Have you seen those movies where the psycho killer tries killing the friendly, careless, people on a x-country drive? Buy a gun and lots of ammo.

 

[rdawson808]

I've done it three times. It was not fun any of those times. My suggestions include (if possible):

plan breaks (a couple days in Chicago, a stop in Mt. Rushmore, etc.) in places you want to see.
drive with a good friend--one with whom you've already spent extended alone time.


The only way I will do it again is if I'm on holiday with my wife and we're driving to see sites. Or sights I guess. Either way.

But I'm not a big driver or car guy. Maybe if you like driving and like cars you'd like it more.


b

 

[Piobaire]

The last time we did a big cross country drive, was in 2004. We bought a new Titan, the big four door, 4x4, with all the toys, for the trip. I highly recommend a similar vehicle and make sure you have XM or Sirius.

Completely agree about planning to actually get off the trail at some destination points.

 

[RJmanbearpig]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Have you seen those movies where the psycho killer tries killing the friendly, careless, people on a x-country drive? Buy a gun and lots of ammo.

Dude, you really need to leave the house more often.

The late RJman did it with the RJ cat. Everyone should drive cross country once in his life. The RJ cat wouldn't get into his carrier but generally behaved himself. Very amusing to see people's reactions as a cat drove by them at 85 miles an hour.

It's pretty amazing to see how dramatically the landscape changes -- crossing out of CA you enter into these moonscapes of rock, including some incredibly surreal balancing acts. We made Texas on the first day and spent most of the second crossing it. What stuck out were all the bizarre apocalyptic billboards as well as the suicidal freeway entrances.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by Manton

Other than that, no problems. Saw a lot of Presidential libraries.

.


have to ask, what do you do at a presidential library, if you are not doing specific research?

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by RJmanbearpig

Dude, you really need to leave the house more often.

The late RJman did it with the RJ cat. Everyone should drive cross country once in his life. The RJ cat wouldn't get into his carrier but generally behaved himself. Very amusing to see people's reactions as a cat drove by them at 85 miles an hour.

It's pretty amazing to see how dramatically the landscape changes -- crossing out of CA you enter into these moonscapes of rock, including some incredibly surreal balancing acts. We made Texas on the first day and spent most of the second crossing it. What stuck out were all the bizarre apocalyptic billboards as well as the suicidal freeway entrances.

I stand by my statement.

 

[RJmanbearpig]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

have to ask, what do you do at a presidential library, if you are not doing specific research?

They're like museums (and archives) of the particular president's life, with emphasis of course on his presidency.

 

[yerfdog]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Have you seen those movies where the psycho killer tries killing the friendly, careless, people on a x-country drive? Buy a gun and lots of ammo.
If you want to be scrupulous about legality, or avoid possible trouble if you get pulled over for speeding, it's probably better to not do this, because gun laws and licensing rules differ so much from state to state. (I'm assuming you are referring to carrying a handgun in easy reach of the driver's seat, since a rifle or a shotgun in the trunk probably won't do much in those very unlikely situations involving psycho killers) And I would assume you are probably more likely to get pulled over for speeding on these long trips compared to shorter ones, since you have out-of-state plates and you will be more tempted to speed to get to your destination sooner.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by RJmanbearpig

They're like museums (and archives) of the particular president's life, with emphasis of course on his presidency.

interesting, I always thought that they were for pure research.

 

[Tarmac]

I think the only thing worthwhile about driving across country is the food. You can try a lot of good southern fried food, southern and texas barbecue, Nawlins and creole food if you go south, or Chicago food if you go the north way.

If you are trying to get there with as few overnight stops as possible - not worth it.
If you are driving alone - IMHO not worth it.
If you are trying to see what cool sights you chance upon - not worth it.

If you are trying to hit some major tourist spots like the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, etc, then it might also be worth it. I have not tried that.

All I remember is Waffle House, Sonic, and armadillo road kill...