Driving to California

[Arethusa]

Damnit, I meant to get this thread up earlier.

On Monday, I'm leaving home, heading out West, and moving to Fountain Valley (temporarily, before I get a roommate).

This is possibly insane, as I have no idea what I am doing. Any tips for driving over? Anything I should go out of my way to see? I've never done this before, any advice, general or otherwise, would be appreciated.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Your best bet is just to get it done as quickly as possible. While a road trip cross country might sound a bit romantic, in the end it is huge pain **********. The extra days in California will be better than any side trips you make.

 

[skalogre]

I agree with Matt. Driving to San Diego (which I have done twice) sounded much better than it really was. Especially once you hit those stretches of long straight featurless roads.

 

[johnapril]

Don't speed in Kansas.

 

[Brian SD]

Road trips are fun with people in your car. Friends of mine were driving up to Seattle and brought a plastic bear mask in their car, and on the freeway someone would put on the mask and roar at passing cars. Eventually they did it to these two women and they started making out / sucking each others' breasts. My advice for any road trip: bring a bear mask. No but really. Don't come to California. My thermometer says it's 67 degrees outside. In this weather, if you spit it will freeze before it hits the ground. BRING SCARVES. okay... im done sauce..

 

[globetrotter]

where are you coming from, and which route are you taking? I've driven both by the south and by the north, and I had a lot of fun.

 

[kabert]

I'm with globetrotter -- driving cross country can be a fantastic experience provided you take good routes and have a reliable and comfortable car. I still consider the 3-week x-ctry drive I did in 1994 to be the best trip I've ever done.

Where are you starting from? If from the midatlantic or south, I'd suggest going Route 40. Once you get past Tennessee, the route is very scenic and the speed limit is 75 the whole way west. I've heard nothing but negative comments about taking Route 70 across the middle of the US -- that it's just very boring, at least until you get to Colorado.

 

[Arethusa]

I should've mentioned more about my current situation in the first post. I'm leaving from Connecticut (moving back to California after some time away, really) and heading to Fountain Valley because I know someone there who's offered to let me stay with her until I can find a room mate and a job. Once I do that, need to figure out what I'm doing with school (community college for a bit, then a transfer in the UC system is the plan).

As for the actual drive, I really have no idea what I'm doing. I've been looking over mapquest and google earth to try and plan for the last few days, and while I have some rough ideas, I'm sure there are routes to take and routes to avoid that I know nothing about. Definitely don't have money (perhaps you have gathered this from the community college), but I wouldn't mind stopping at less touristy places. In terms of actually, say, sleeping, I'm mainly planning on finding safeish places to park and sleeping in my car. It's not what I'd prefer, but it's cheap.

 

[Full Canvas]

Originally Posted by Brian SD

No but really. Don't come to California. My thermometer says it's 67 degrees outside. In this weather, if you spit it will freeze before it hits the ground. BRING SCARVES.

okay... im done sauce..

And Brian lives in the warm part of town. I still wearing that Ulster Coat in my avatar! As soon as the road ice melts, Mrs. FC and I are taking a taxi to the airport and heading to Cargese to warm up!

Now that Saucemaster has been baited once again

. . . Fountain Valley is not usually high on people's list of places to go in southern California. But, you must have a reason to make that your first stop. Fly-over country is generally regarded as drive-through country by coastal residents. Maybe you'll provide us with a Kerouac-like journal? Good luck and drive safely!
_________________________________

 

[DNW]

Valentine 1. Don't leave home without it (unless you're driving a huge ass Uhaul incapable of going over 65mph).

If you could make a detour anywhere, I'd say spend the night in Vegas.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Brian SD

Road trips are fun with people in your car. Friends of mine were driving up to Seattle and brought a plastic bear mask in their car, and on the freeway someone would put on the mask and roar at passing cars. Eventually they did it to these two women and they started making out / sucking each others' breasts.

My advice for any road trip: bring a bear mask.

Were they furries?

 

[Mute]

Vegas baby!

 

[skalogre]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

Were they furries?

 

[globetrotter]

I would probrably cut across to chicago and then take the old route 66 to LA and then down to southCal. you get to see the great lakes, you get to see the dessert, you get to see the prarie. you know, for $25 bucks at walmart/kmart/target you can get a tent and live like a king for the 4 or 5 nights you are on the road. damn, if this had been 2 weeks ago, I would have gone with you just for the fun of it.

 

[LabelKing]

There's a lot of old bizzare stuff on the Route 66.