ROAD TRIP!
Hi --
I'm getting ready to attend my 40-yr high school reunion in the midwest. I WAS going to fly from my home (Bellingham, WA) to Kansas City, MO; attend the reunion; then go to St. Louis to visit family, and fly home from STL.
In the past 5 weeks, Northwest Airlines has changed my flight schedule *8* times, to such an extent that the current itinerary bears no resemblance to the original plan.
SOooooooo ... I got mad, decided to forego the airlines altogether, and DRIVE instead. I'll be traveling alone ---
I guess I need a sanity check. Please let me know if you see any "holes" in the following:
1. My car -- it's a 2003 Prius, with relatively low mileage (56000 miles). I just had the oil changed in June, and the tires have only 20000 miles on them (they're guaranteed for 50000 miles). I have an appt. at the dealer tomorrow for a check up and assuming they don't find anything wrong, I think I'll be good to go. I have AAA, etc. - even have the AAA iPhone application that will automagically send a service request with one button. Since I'll be on interstates the entire way, I'll have easy access to gas, and most reasonably sized towns have a toyota dealership should I need service.
2. I think I'll be good for 500-600 miles per day -- I did a cross-country road trip in 2001 -- eastbound was all on 2-lane roads; westbound was interstate -- and that was absolutely the max mileage I could handle per day. That means driving 7-8 hrs, with stops (I have a bad back, so need to stop and stretch every 90 minutes or so).
3. I'll have my laptop and iPhone with me -- and will be checking in daily with family and friends.
4. I'm planning to stay in Best Westerns along the way -- I'm a "gold club" member and currently have a couple of free days coming. They're always comfortable, clean, and predictable -- and relatively inexpensive. The current plan calls for stops in Missoula MT, Casper WY, and Hays KS on the way to KC. Coming home, I haven't decided yet -- I'll have more flexibility w/r/t schedule, so we'll see.
5. One of the things I'm a little concerned about is just the sheer physical exhaustion. In the past 4 years, I've had two incidents where I nearly dozed off at the wheel. I know enough to get off the road when I start feeling drowsy and stretch / eat something / etc. But it is still a concern.
6. I'm not bringing a huge amount of luggage -- all will fit easily in the trunk, which means there won't be "stuff" in the car to tempt anyone to break in.
Can any of you think of anything else I should consider?
I'm getting ready to attend my 40-yr high school reunion in the midwest. I WAS going to fly from my home (Bellingham, WA) to Kansas City, MO; attend the reunion; then go to St. Louis to visit family, and fly home from STL.
In the past 5 weeks, Northwest Airlines has changed my flight schedule *8* times, to such an extent that the current itinerary bears no resemblance to the original plan.
SOooooooo ... I got mad, decided to forego the airlines altogether, and DRIVE instead. I'll be traveling alone ---
I guess I need a sanity check. Please let me know if you see any "holes" in the following:
1. My car -- it's a 2003 Prius, with relatively low mileage (56000 miles). I just had the oil changed in June, and the tires have only 20000 miles on them (they're guaranteed for 50000 miles). I have an appt. at the dealer tomorrow for a check up and assuming they don't find anything wrong, I think I'll be good to go. I have AAA, etc. - even have the AAA iPhone application that will automagically send a service request with one button. Since I'll be on interstates the entire way, I'll have easy access to gas, and most reasonably sized towns have a toyota dealership should I need service.
2. I think I'll be good for 500-600 miles per day -- I did a cross-country road trip in 2001 -- eastbound was all on 2-lane roads; westbound was interstate -- and that was absolutely the max mileage I could handle per day. That means driving 7-8 hrs, with stops (I have a bad back, so need to stop and stretch every 90 minutes or so).
3. I'll have my laptop and iPhone with me -- and will be checking in daily with family and friends.
4. I'm planning to stay in Best Westerns along the way -- I'm a "gold club" member and currently have a couple of free days coming. They're always comfortable, clean, and predictable -- and relatively inexpensive. The current plan calls for stops in Missoula MT, Casper WY, and Hays KS on the way to KC. Coming home, I haven't decided yet -- I'll have more flexibility w/r/t schedule, so we'll see.
5. One of the things I'm a little concerned about is just the sheer physical exhaustion. In the past 4 years, I've had two incidents where I nearly dozed off at the wheel. I know enough to get off the road when I start feeling drowsy and stretch / eat something / etc. But it is still a concern.
6. I'm not bringing a huge amount of luggage -- all will fit easily in the trunk, which means there won't be "stuff" in the car to tempt anyone to break in.
Can any of you think of anything else I should consider?
