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Advice on a winter Roadtrip covering 18 states in less than 30 days

Replies: 29 - Last Post: Feb 21, 2013 8:33 AM Last Post By: josenoy

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SoloHobo

SoloHobo avatar

Dec 9, 2012 4:58 PM
Posts:  9,914

15

9-10 hours a day is unsafe, especially with your family. I call you out as a a troll. Don't waste our time, please get lost.

tiltedflipcurves

tiltedflipcurves avatar

Dec 9, 2012 5:57 PM
Posts:  899

16

Thanks for clarifying that the swing north is unnecessary. I had inferred family obligations in the Twin Cities area; thinking further, even if those exist, it'd be cheaper and easier for all concerned for grandma to fly south to meet y'all. California beckons.

markharf

markharf avatar

Dec 9, 2012 8:37 PM
Posts:  1,970

17

Maybe not trolling....but clearly whacko. As a salesman you may enjoy time in the car, but your 5 kids will not enjoy this trip--and if they don't like it, neither will you or your wife. Scale it back and find some destinations a half-day's drive apart which all will enjoy. The fact that "It has been a dream of mine to be able to do such trip..." doesn't make it a good idea. In fact, it probably makes it a far worse idea, because what are you going to do when, about three days into the 10 hour drives, you realize what a terrible concept it was for 30 days in mid-winter? There goes your dream up in smoke.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

SoloHobo

SoloHobo avatar

Dec 9, 2012 8:54 PM
Posts:  9,914

18

Or down a snowbank.....

tiltedflipcurves

tiltedflipcurves avatar

Dec 10, 2012 4:17 AM
Posts:  899

19

Fun as it may be to snark at a newcomer, the original itinerary was 90 hours of driving over 30 days, which is on the heavy side but not infeasible. Three days of 10 hour drives in that mix lowers the daily average for the remaining days to a little over 2, which for some parents and kids in this great land is their daily commute. If the route stays south and extends further west to San Diego, it totals 80 hours, If it turns around after the Grand Canyon, it's 67 hours.

trekker502

trekker502 avatar

Dec 10, 2012 5:17 AM
Posts:  2,023

20

We just had an unexpected 6 inches of snowfall here in downtown Santa Fe yesterday afternoon -- only 2 inches had been expected, if at all. Both of the nearby Interstate Highways (25 and 40) were closed down for several hours because of accidents -- no one uses chains or winter tires here. Trinidad, Colorado, along I-25, got far more snowfall. I am sure that you have seen the news reports of the heavy snowfall north of here in the Midwest, which some of these posters are also reporting on. Even southern New Mexico -- Roswell -- got snow during this storm. Most of the ski resorts in northern New Mexico's Rocky Mountains got 12"-14" of snowfall and are now able to open to the public. It was 4F degrees, -10F degrees with windchill, here in Santa Fe at 4:30 a.m., this morning.

You will need to be prepared to sit and wait out a storm until the snow plows and gravel dump trucks have cleaned up the mess and sanded the roadway.

I had assumed that "Grandma" would babysit while both you and your wife worked.

Edited by: trekker502

SoloHobo

SoloHobo avatar

Dec 10, 2012 7:36 AM
Posts:  9,914

21

Wisconsin just got 7 inches...

zeldasdad

zeldasdad avatar

Dec 10, 2012 8:21 AM
Posts:  924

22

Look HERE.

Lotsaluck seeing Yellowstone as a casual Tourist in January or February.

josenoy

josenoy avatar

Jan 13, 2013 8:57 PM
Posts:  12

23

Thanks for all the recommendations... my wife laughs at all the comments who believe we are just playing around. I also apologize for not replying sooner....

We did trim the travel a bit down. Decided to not that head north. I appreciate all of you that put the fear for the Northern States. After much research, it would have been a bad idea. We will have to save that for a Summer travel or so. Thanks for the San Diego suggestion... we added it to our route. OUr modified trip will include New Orleans, San Antonio, Amarillo, Santa Fe, San Diego, Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, Nashville and then back home int eh carolinas. We have our winter kits and got chains for the wheels. We will be heading our in a few days but also had to cut down the days to just 26 days.

I will let you know how it goes. We will post an album of our ventures :)

markharf

markharf avatar

Jan 13, 2013 11:49 PM
Posts:  1,970

24

Getting more realistic, but still sounds like an unpleasant experience, particularly for the family. Report back here and prove me wrong.

josenoy

josenoy avatar

Jan 14, 2013 5:46 AM
Posts:  12

25

Will do... thanks Mark.

josenoy

josenoy avatar

Jan 20, 2013 7:19 AM
Posts:  12

26

We are leaving this Friday. As we scramble for last minute details, we never thought as the best way to pack a family of 7 for 3 weeks. I don't want to pack 3 weeks worth of cloths but would like to see what recommendations you guys would have.

carracar

carracar avatar

Jan 20, 2013 3:14 PM
Posts:  2,390

27

Once a week. check into accommodation that offers a coin laundry... carracar

josenoy

josenoy avatar

Jan 20, 2013 7:07 PM
Posts:  12

28

thx

josenoy

josenoy avatar

Feb 21, 2013 8:33 AM
Posts:  12

29

I want to thank you all for the tips for our trip. We just got back. It was AMAZING! I wish we could do this more often. Thank you thank you!

If you would like to view pictures of the trip go to the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151327269393915.478792.530023914&type=1&l=31e931f990

and

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151327278078915.478793.530023914&type=1&l=729132e74e
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