Driving Cross Country. Alone. I'm Crazy, right?

My dad and I have done Chicago-Providence in 15-16 hours on several occassions, and he's done it alone. I would say know your limits, be willing to stop and sightsee a little bit, sleep a fair amount. Driving while tired is incredibly dangerous. But the trip can be fun and exciting. Obviously LA-NY is longer, but 5 days is do-able.

Have a great trip!

As long as you have your necessities (cell, snacks, tunes) you should be good to go. Just remember to pull off if you get tired.

+ What everyone said. If you have the time and the resources, definitely do it. And be sure to check out the out-of-the-way places along the way. It'll make for some great memories.

And once you get to NYC, sell the car. You won't need it as an everyday thing (unless you have an unusual commute). And you can always rent.

JoeH said:

+ What everyone said. If you have the time and the resources, definitely do it. And be sure to check out the out-of-the-way places along the way. It'll make for some great memories.

And once you get to NYC, sell the car. You won't need it as an everyday thing (unless you have an unusual commute). And you can always rent.

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That is one thing that bugged me about the thought of living in the city. Everyone I knew that lived there sold their cars when they moved there. I could never imagine myself being without a vehicle, and it is natural to them. If I knew that I did not have the option to walk outside, get in my car, and go where ever I felt like going, it would drive me insane. Then again, if I lived in a concrete jungle, it would be just as bad.

take a camera! take lots of pictures!

My last job as a Thermographer kept me on the road 300 days a year for 2.5 years. I have a VW TDI and drove 100K miles in 18 months. Only 4 states I didn't visit.

Be sure to have plenty of water, not only for the trip but for the hotel at night. Some hotel water just taste nasty.

Also, I always avoided the off brand hotels, stick to a chain even if your talking motel 6.

Have enough tunes, I suspect your crossing the desert and there is nothing out there.

Have fun, enjoy it. I'd do it all over again.

Well I drove long haul for a few years so I have way more stories of solo road trips than my fingers could handle on this keyboard.....

*Road Trip: Day 1 (I'm a neurotic New Yorker, so I of course I didn't get a wink of sleep last night in anticipation for today's trip)

Los Angeles, CA to Scipito, UT. 570 miles.

After a leisurely breakfast with SWMBO, I hit the road at 10:00. My lack of sleep completely set the tone for today's ride. Music was fast and loud, and I was determined to cover some serious ground. The only times I stopped was to fill up on gas and a $4.99 Prime Rib dinner (in Mesquite, NV).

I was in the Zone.

Unfortunately, my determination prevented me from really "taking it all in". At one point, as I was breezing past Vegas, it occurred to me that I'm on a one way trip and I won't be returing to the city I called home for the past four years. At another point, I thought that the red bluffs surrounding St. George, UT are beautiful. That's about all the reflecting I got today.

Hopefully I'll be well rested and take things a bit slower tomorrow. Maybe I'll stop and take a picture or two.

I've done it several times. Driving cross country alone is awesome. Take your time and take the backroads and you'll have an amazing experience. Get lost every now and then

Or, alternately, I know from experience that Boston, MA to Portland, OR takes about 54 hours in a Nissan minivan

Hope you're enjoying the trip. Would love to see some pix!

My dad's best friend moved from Michigan to Tuscon AZ. He picked my dad up, the first night, and the two of them headed west. It sounded like they had a amazing trip. I wanted so bad to tag along, but could not get off of work.

I am jealous, its something I always waned to do.

Go for it dude. I cruised all summer ranging from New England to N.Y.C. in a $100 Plymouth Volare (you know, the kind with Corinthian leather). I picked it up off of a penny saver I found in some Mass. town I visited. That car was a good steed for a traveling boy from the islands. I ended up leaving it to a girlfriend in Manhattan before I left. I heard she never put oil in it and it seized up one day. Grab a simple to use video camera to take along with you!

Wait a minute...I see you've already gone for it. Good deal. I'll be checking in on this thread!

Please post pictures if your up to it. If not, we can wait.

bigred90gt said:

That is one thing that bugged me about the thought of living in the city. Everyone I knew that lived there sold their cars when they moved there. I could never imagine myself being without a vehicle, and it is natural to them. If I knew that I did not have the option to walk outside, get in my car, and go where ever I felt like going, it would drive me insane. Then again, if I lived in a concrete jungle, it would be just as bad.

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If you choose to live in Brooklyn, it'll be a bit easier having a car...there's more space, and you're more likely to find parking. I have some friends in NYC, and the general rule is Manhattan=take public transit Brooklyn=drive. I live in northern NJ, and getting into the city by transit is quick and easy (and cheap! Bus fare to Port Authority is $2.55). If you end up in Manhattan, I'd say ditch the car...you'll spend more to park it than anything else, not worth it.

Of course, the option not mentioned is to settle down on the other side of the Hudson, in northern NJ. Rents are cheaper, it's easy to get into NY, and easier to own a car. Worth considering, if nothing else.

*Road Trip: Day 2

Scipito, UT to North Platte, NE. 771 miles.

Alright, so I'm obviously not taking my time. However, today's drive was very relaxing because nobody was on the road. Since I have to be in Chicago on Saturday, I'll be able to take my time tomorrow and check out the sites. The agenda includes Bailey Yard (the largest train yard in the world), Omaha's Old Market, and Des Moines' East Village.

On another note, I used a Mach 3 today because my safety razors are all neatly packed up with bubble wrap. First time in 6 months. What an awkward and ultimately unsatisfying experience.

Cities said:

*Road Trip: Day 2

Scipito, UT to North Platte, NE. 771 miles.

Alright, so I'm obviously not taking my time. However, today's drive was very relaxing because nobody was on the road. Since I have to be in Chicago on Saturday, I'll be able to take my time tomorrow and check out the sites. The agenda includes Bailey Yard (the largest train yard in the world), Omaha's Old Market, and Des Moines' East Village.

On another note, I used a Mach 3 today because my safety razors are all neatly packed up with bubble wrap. First time in 6 months. What an awkward and ultimately unsatisfying experience.

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I sent you a PM and I hope you get it in time. Omaha's Old Market is ok. Its not that awesome. Lincoln also has one called New Market. Its ok as well. In Omaha, you have Mr Toads in the Old Market. Its a pretty nice bar.

As for Chicago...try the University of Chicago area. They used to have some nice places to eat in the area. The Sears Tower is cool if the weather is nice and plenty of places to eat there in the area.

Funny thing is you missed Carhenge. hahahaha!!!

Also if you enjoy cigars, try Jack Schwartz in Chicago down by the Chicago Board of Trades. Its a great little smoke shop and excellent employees.

Today, the Heartland. Tomorrow, Chicago.

Almost home.

Cities said:

Maybe I'll stop and take a picture or two.

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Interesting story. I like the photo updates. Are you loggin on via a laptop or your phone? I presume laptop if you are going cross country.

One last thing, don't forget to change your location on your profile from Los Angeles, CA to Brooklyn, NY.

VR6ofpain said:

Are you loggin on via a laptop or your phone? I presume laptop if you are going cross country.

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A laptop indeed. I was pleased to discover that even the dumpiest of motels provide free Wi-Fi.

An update to a story on another note: I have shaved with the Mach 3 twice now, and have developed a case of the little white bumps.