Planning a little trip..from IL to SoCal...what to do, how to prepare.

[Mojorator]

I know a lot of you guys do a lot of driving....

The most miles I did was about 10 years ago from SoCal to Vancouver Canada..with my little nephew. I did not prepare much, just an ATM Card and some pillows and CDs...

This time, it is totally different as i think I might encounter some very cold wheather and i'm very unfamiliar with the route...

This will be a daytime drive (10-12 hours per) and spend the night and do it over again the next day ...IS THE PLAN...unless it is BETTER to do NIGHT DRIVES...

Fortunately, the vehicle will have NAV and should be a comfy ride..

Anyone ever done this route??
How many days/hours do you think this will take..it is approx. 2000 Miles!


Thanks
Mike

 

[ghost]

I drove from CA to WI (which is the same distance to IL-CA). I did in the nsx (flying fast lol)...in the summer as a vacation with my wife!

I did in around 28 hours straight !! Only stopping to fill for gas, and buy red bull. I must have drank about 6 redbulls to keep me alert, which they did their magic.

I left at 8 am and got home early afternoon the next day

Most of my driving was at night, the way i like it, no traffic, and i listened to cd's, books on tape (specially if you are into it, makes time fly faster), and talk radio. Also have premium AAA (cost about 60 bucks, which is less than one tow if you need it).

I would make sure the tires are good, fluids are good, get yourself a good radar (escort x50 or valentine) and cruise. Divide it into two days. Drive 12-16 hours and rest 8-10 hours. If your not comfortable at night, drive in the day maybe since your not in a hurry you can enjoy some scenery.

i am assuming your trip will have you going IL-IOWA-NEBRASKA-COLORADO-PART OF UTAH-NEVADA-CA. There is a stretch between UTAH/NEVADA where you drive for many miles with no gas station in sight.

You have to be careful around colorado, specially around this weather time , mountain roads up and down and around. utah-nevada-iowa-nebraska are flat, so not bad.


I would not do it again, because unless your making a vacation with someone (i.e vegas, colorado sites) it doesnt make sense. It makes better sense to ship the car, because it will cost you around $300 in gas, then if you stay in a hotel another $50-100, then food, then your airline ticket and your transportation...so at least $500-$600, not to mention 2 loooooooong days of driving, and you will put miles on the car (specially if its a exotic or special). You can have the car shipped to you for the same price if not less, without having to waste miles, money, time and risk having a broken down car.

Sorry i dont mean to point out these things, but you have to think about that. If you have time on your hand and you really want to do it , then no problems, go for it.

By the way, what kind of car are you driving back?


good luck

 

[Mojorator]

thanks for the tip...i need a roadtrip..i was planning on a 3 day event and in a Lexus LS430, it should be comfy and enjoyable and hopefully no breakdowns.

Mike

 

[ghost]

Well if you need a road trip ...then a trip it is... and if your doing down into 3 days you should be fine. Just give yourself some time around colorado to enjoy the mountain scenes along your drive.

Lexus LS430..(one of my favorite, smart luxury car choice)..Best and most reliable luxury sedan... and of course lexus navigation is awesome. Very comfortable car.. (and no worries about miles, or breakdowns, it doesnt matter on this kind of car).

Good luck

 

[steveny]

Last month my wife, her mother and myself drove back from S.Cali to NY. It took us a week but we stopped and visited friends along the way. I make this trip several times a year by car and several more by plane.

I have taken the Northern route once. If you are going to come down the coast of Cali. from the north be extra careful if you take route 12 in Idaho. It is a winding road through the mountains that has a mist of water on the road during the day which turns to ice after the sun goes down. Huge drop off on one side of the road into a ravine with a river at the bottom. No guard rail and about 2-3 inches of runoff space past the whitr line . I got stuck on this road after dark and had to crawl at low speed to make it to the other side.