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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,178
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,178 |
Kathryn you may want your friend to go to www.mapquest.com That site will break down the drive step by step and tell him/her the fastest and easiest way to get to VA.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 266
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Posts: 266 |
The best thing for planning a trip is a program by MS called streets and trips, it tells you construction, tolls, everything, and the est. travelling time is quite accurate. It also gives you fuel costs, fill up stops, attractions along the way, etc.... I absolutely love it, use it all the time.
95 MIDNIGHT RED MTX 2.5L SE TOUR
HOMEMADE CAI, FOGS W/ PARKS,
F-STONE SH30'S, MYSTERY MOD
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 532
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Mapquest can plot your trip pretty well and you can make changes to their suggested route.
Also, I have made similar long trips (though not quite as long). My travel tips are:
- Take a cooler and stock with your favorite drinks. You don't have to stop to buy along the way and its a lot cheaper too.
- Bring along snacks like chips, apples, etc.
- Be sure to bring along plenty of tunes, CDs, tapes, whatever.
- Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
- Stop every three hours or so to take restroom breaks and to stretch.
- Take some simple tools and motor oil, etc.
Good luck and happy motoring!
Dan B.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 587
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Well.. I recently made MORE cross country trips than I planned..
I took the 95LX from San Antonio, Tx to Great Lakes, IL and back 3 times in one year...
Then:
Great Lakes, IL SOUTH to San Antonio...(the entire country)
San Antonio, Tx WEST to San Diego, CA (there's half the country)
San Diego, CA to NORTH to San Francisco, CA (another long trip)
San Francisco, CA back to San Diego, CA
then.. the kicker..
Los Angeles, CA (ALLLL the way across I-10) to Jacksonville, FL (not a single bit of I-10 I haven't seen)
The overall experience? GREAT! hardly ANY tolls.... Tolls add up quick when you do them both directions, or more than one day... just passing through won't add too much.. I carried two $10 rolls of quarters/dimes, and had about half left, even a year 1/2 later.
Worth it... lots to see.. lots of car time....
Hope you enjoy the drive.
East-West cross country... normal driving...
40 hours
MY time? 34 hours LOL
Sorry for the long post
Ray
EDIT: Bring along a CB (citizens band) radio... if you can... can be had for cheap, and REALLY make the time fly... I am not IN TO them, but east to west, there is NEVER a time when there isn't SOMETHING to be heard, or SOMEONE to talk to ... plus the "bear watch" helps... lol.. really eases the driving, on ya... the hours melt away, especially if you plan on driving at night.. really helps you keep awake..
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Wow, what a thread. I'm planning on driving with a friend from Philly to Denver at the end of the month. 
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,983
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Hehe. I am an ex truck driver. Been there. Done that! It got to the point that I could plan most routes without even looking at my road atlas. I have run I-80 from the San Francisco area to where it dead ends on I-95 just before you cross from NJ to NYC. I have run I-40 from California to NC. I-10 from California to Florida. I-35 from Minneapolis to Laredo, TX. I-95 from Maine to Florida.
P. Valdez 1998 VW Jetta TDI 1.9L I4 direct injection turbo diesel 5 speed manual no mods, no money AIM:PackRatTDI My exhaust smells better than yours.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 628
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Horror story. I drove from Colorado to Connecticut in 28 hours straight. Windows down and radio blaring I was still struggling to stay awake by the time I hit PA. Pretty dumb actually. Hey you live and you learn...
'01 Cobra Laser Red
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Originally posted by Fmr12B:
It is a lot farther than 1800 miles from Virginia to the West Coast.
it's not all the way west coast  just a western state is all.. hehe anyways! Thank you all so much for all this input, you're very helpful. happy road tripping, :p 
* Kathryn *
"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds"
-Bob Marley
[95 tour LX]
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 159
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Most boring state has to be Arkansas.
Believe or not the northern part is probably the funnest (or scary)to drive. Family drove up to Eureka Springs and the hills and curves are CRAZY. You never know what's coming around the bend. Wife and I are a good team for driving. I drive she navigates with a U.S. Atlas! That's right a big a$$ map. It's almost life size and it's tough to put away  For us, the fun of a roadtrip is mapping and planning it together. We decide our destination, decide what sidetrips we want to see and go from there. (we might ask the kids where they want to go.) Then we go on the web for hotels and wife types up an itinerary for family so they'll know where to reach us in emergency. We have made many, many roadtrips in last few years. I'd say get an atlas. Toll roads are identified.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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Originally posted by *Sway*: Originally posted by Fmr12B:
[b]It is a lot farther than 1800 miles from Virginia to the West Coast.
Utah perhaps? Karl
*** It's all about consistency! ***
98 SVT Contour
86 Ranger GT
69 Fiat 850 Sport Spider
67 Formula-S Barracuda
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