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...but does anyone have any suggestions for my questions in my original post?
I-10 west to Los Angeles and I-5 then North to Oregon
It's a 4000 mile road trip @ 60mph net road speed that comes to 67 hours rolling along
67hours @ 6 hours rolling per day = 11 days rolling + 2-4 days for weather and attractions
I-10 west to Los Angeles and I-5 then North to Oregon
It's a 4000 mile road trip @ 60mph net road speed that comes to 67 hours rolling along
67hours @ 6 hours rolling per day = 11 days rolling + 2-4 days for weather and attractions
Thank you! I guess I should plan for about 2 weeks since I really want to stop & see some sights!
If you really want to enjoy the trip... wait until June and go the north route.
still... don't do it.
I could wait until June. Is the north route better?
Why not do it? Going back to PA isn't an option. I hate it there & can't transfer my job. I understand that it's a long move, but I really feel there are much better opportunities for my family in OR. There is absolutely nothing for young people to do in the town we're currently in, nothing for families unless we want to drive a few hours to a big theme park, which gets old & expensive. It's too hot to even go outside from April - November! I realize there are things to dislike about anywhere you live, but I really do not want to raise my children here. This is a good time to move away. If I hate OR, I can always move back to FL.
I really feel there are much better opportunities for my family in OR. Why not do it?
Because that "feeling" just isn't enough.
Quote:
This is a good time to move away.
Maybe... Maybe not.
Offhand I'd say that AFTER you have the degree will be the time to move.
And I'd say then that the 4000 miles away to Oregon move isn't the one to make.
Quote:
If I hate OR, I can always move back to FL.
I really doubt that.
I suspect that you (anyone really) will be busted flat when you come to that conclusion.
Spring can be iffy on I 90. You can do the southern route and come up thru I 15 thru Utah, and on to Oregon, but you never know. April is usually okay. On the Southern route.
Travelling with kids, I got up early, like on the road by 6am, they sleep a few hours, then stop for a long breakfast, at around 0900. Back on road by 10, then stop again around 1400, for an hour or so, let them run around a park. Back in the car, keep going, give them snacks, skip dinner, stop at 700, or later.
Sometimes you can drive late and let them sleep, up to you.
We are retired and there is just the two of us. We drove 300 mi per day from St Louis area to Vancouver, WA (Portland metro area) in late June. I can't give you advice about moving home with your daughters, but I can mention a couple of things about transferring yourself smoothly.
Take your vital records with you. You will want your vital documents with you at all times. One of the things you will need is proof of new address, esp. if you change your address in your bank records. Get something from your friend that states you live there. You need birth certificates, will, car insurance papers, passports, with you. Figure out how to have them in the car and under your control at all times.
If you change your address with credit cards before you move, be sure to know the new zip code before you buy gas the first time!
I would wait till June and make the drive going the Northern route. Be advised that your cell phone might not be functional in Wyoming.
I think you are wise to have another adult with you. But won't the car be awfully crowded? In terms of seeing the sites, I'd just press on most of the time. Limit the sites you view. You'll be so tired at the end of the trip. Just my experience.
Hello,
I have read a lot of the threads about moving cross country & written down tons of helpful information but I just have a few questions specific to my situation. I apologize if this is lengthy.
Details- I will be moving from SW FL to Corvallis, OR next year to finish school & have a better life for my children. I'm a single mother of 2. They will be 10.5 & 2.5 at the time of the move. I plan on driving with a family member or friend & then flying them back to their home. I have a friend in Corvallis that we will be staying with until we find a place of our own.
Questions:
1- What would be the best route to take? I have looked up directions and found the northern route & the route taking me through the south west. I plan on leaving in late March or April so will snow be an issue with the northern route? I'd rather avoid driving through snow filled mountains! I've also read that the southern route is more scenic & I'd like to stop at a few different places since this will be the only time we will be making this cross country trip by car. Is it possible to see the Grand Canyon if we go south or is it too far out of the way? Are there any other places you'd recommend stopping?
2- How far should we drive each day? There will be 2 drivers but I don't want my children to lose their minds (or drive us crazy!) from being in the car for too long each day. I also don't want it to take us 2 weeks to get there. I've read the advice to stop every 2-3 hours unless they are sleeping & that seems like a good idea. We have portable DVD players & lots of toys to keep the kids busy but I'm sure they'll get sick of it all.
3- Should I map out where we will be stopping each day & prebook hotels? I'm not sure if this will be feasible, since some days we'll be able to get farther than other days.
4- I plan on selling all of my larger furniture pieces & seriously downsizing the amount of belongings we have. I want to ship books and a few other boxes & only bringing the things we ABSOLUTELY need. Should I sell my dishes & pots & pans or are these things too expensive to replace? I'll be trading my sedan in for a minivan so everything that can't be shipped will need to fit in the back safely, without becoming a projectile in case of an accident. I have a collection of vintage Pyrex that will absolutely need to go in the van, along with a cooler & our luggage so space might be an issue!
5- When should we start purging & packing? I have a 3 bedroom house with lots of furniture to get rid of but I don't want to sell everything too soon & have to sleep on the floor! I want to have at least 1 garage sale & sell things on Craigslist. I'm just not sure about the timing of such a big move!
Any other advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading my long post & thanks in advance for any responses.
1) I would take the southern route because you can avoid the snow. I agree it is a good idea to limit the stops you make for sightseeing but if you take the I-10 west, you could stop in New Orleans to check out Bourbon street and have some lunch. Also, stopping at the Grand Canyon would take you about 2.5 hours north on I-17 from Phoenix. It is a bit out of the way but not by much and it's something everyone should see at least once in their life! I say go for it as you would be nearly there anyway. Just know you may run into a bit of snow in Flagstaff at that time of year, but the roads should be clear as snowstorms that late are rare. You can take I-40 west to LA from there and hop on I-5 or the 101 north. (101 up the coast is much more scenic but also not as fast)
2) Don't try to set an amount of miles to drive each day. Figure out the maximum time you want the trip to take and how many miles your chosen route is. The just divide to find the minimum miles you need to drive each day. If you can drive more than this, great! You will arrive sooner. But don't push yourself or your kids if you are tired and need to stop. And a rest every few hours is a good idea if the kids are awake and becoming restless.
3) Don't prebook anything. If you arrive at the hotel at 4 pm when you were expecting 8 pm, you either have to cut the day short or forfeit your deposit and continue on. Most hotels will have open rooms and you don't need to reserve one in advance.
4) If your dishes/pots/pans are very high quality I would not sell them. You will not get much upon resale and if you want to replace them with the same quality it will cost a lot. Otherwise, sell them. You can find new ones on craigslist/at garage sales or just buy new ones. There are always good deals for that type of stuff.
5) Don't wait until a month before you want to move before you begin trying to sell things, you don't want to get stuck with a large piece that you could have sold but instead have to leave/donate. If you end up selling necessary things like a dining table/bed/sofa long before you leave, you can go to Rent-a-Center or another place that rents furniture and rent it just until you leave. However, if the furniture you are getting rid of is not going to bring in more than it will cost to rent another temporarily, it isn't worth it to do this. So don't sell a dining table for $50 if it will cost that much or more to rent one in the meantime.
Moving cross country is very stressful. I would imagine doubly so with 2 children. And, you are in school or trying to finish in another state. And, sometimes living with a friend can be stressful;boundary issues and difficult on both ends. Try and have some contigency plans, when you move things don't go as planned. For me they never did! I wish you the best.
We are retired and there is just the two of us. We drove 300 mi per day from St Louis area to Vancouver, WA (Portland metro area) in late June. I can't give you advice about moving home with your daughters, but I can mention a couple of things about transferring yourself smoothly.
Take your vital records with you. You will want your vital documents with you at all times. One of the things you will need is proof of new address, esp. if you change your address in your bank records. Get something from your friend that states you live there. You need birth certificates, will, car insurance papers, passports, with you. Figure out how to have them in the car and under your control at all times.
If you change your address with credit cards before you move, be sure to know the new zip code before you buy gas the first time!
I would wait till June and make the drive going the Northern route. Be advised that your cell phone might not be functional in Wyoming.
I think you are wise to have another adult with you. But won't the car be awfully crowded? In terms of seeing the sites, I'd just press on most of the time. Limit the sites you view. You'll be so tired at the end of the trip. Just my experience.
Good luck to you.
I agree with the sight seeing issue. You are traveling with two very small children. This is not the time for sight seeing. It is not really fair to them to try and drag them cross country stopping and starting except for brief periods to stretch your legs. Don't try to make a vacation out of this because it isn't.
I think they are too young to appreciate what they will be seeing and will not enjoy such a long grueling trip to begin with. Small stops along the way may help but prolonged stops not so much.
The sooner you get to your destination the better for them and you. Leave the vacation stops for later.
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