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I am moving from Torrance CA to Sault Ste Marie MI in June 20th. And I am planning to have a great trip for me and also for my family. This is the first time driving in U.S for that long 2418 Miles, my plan is:
1st stop Las Vegas
2nd stop Denver
3rd stop Omaha
4th stop Madison
5th stop Sault ste. Marie ( my destination ) ...
I haven't book any kind of accommodation because with kids I need to be more flexible with where should spend the night ...
# Does anyone have experince what I will see in the road, wild animal or no gas station .. etc
# I am carrying cash for emergency in case ..
# Planning to drive day time only ..
# We can expand our journey 2 more days if there somthing worth to see..
# One of my friends said I need to be carful when I attach my Gopro in Dashboard, because in some states it might get a ticket or problem.. is it true ?
# is my stopping cities are good or not ..
I am moving from Torrance CA to Sault Ste Marie MI in June 20th. And I am planning to have a great trip for me and also for my family. This is the first time driving in U.S for that long 2418 Miles, my plan is:
1st stop Las Vegas
2nd stop Denver
3rd stop Omaha
4th stop Madison
5th stop Sault ste. Marie ( my destination ) ...
I haven't book any kind of accommodation because with kids I need to be more flexible with where should spend the night ...
# Does anyone have experince what I will see in the road, wild animal or no gas station .. etc
# I am carrying cash for emergency in case ..
# Planning to drive day time only ..
# We can expand our journey 2 more days if there somthing worth to see..
# One of my friends said I need to be carful when I attach my Gopro in Dashboard, because in some states it might get a ticket or problem.. is it true ?
# is my stopping cities are good or not ..
Any advices ..
Thanks a lot for your help ..
Take a case of water bottles or a large container of water and some emergency food. Never hurts to have a small tool kit either, with warning reflectors and a flashlight, first aid. I doubt you will have to worry about animals in the daytime. I don't think it's illegal to have a go pro on your dash, could be somewhere I guess. They do it in Russia because of the corrupt police.
I have not done that long of a trip. The longest was from FL to MI. When I moved from CA to MI I shipped my car.
Some thought though cause I have done some long car trips.
How long are you planning on staying at each of those places? Have you thought of just shipping your car or you want to take the road trip?
When I drive I try to just drive as long as I can before staying overnight. So when I stop, I try to stay at a hotel like a Marriot or similar. I usually can get a feel for the area in terms of safety.
I always try to keep a gas tank half full because one time 15 years ago before I had GPS I got lost and could not find a gas station so since then that is what I do. I think you should have GPS and a car phone charger. Do you have AAA or other road service? Good to get oil and tires checked before the trip.
I have no idea about the other questions. I do think I recall seeing signs about watching for animals but I never saw any other then some deer.
DaniellaG brings up a good point - get your oil changed, properly inflate your tires and check your fluids - nothing worse than your oil life monitor going off in the middle of a long trip.
You can Google cool places to see along the way and map out where the gas stations are.
Here's my main tip:
As you get down into the plains and heartland (Nebraska, Iowa, lower WI), pay attention to the weather. Listen to the radio/watch the TV in your hotel room/download a weather app for your smartphone (if you have one): if there are bad thunderstorms in the area with tornado watches and increasing winds, consider quitting early for the day.
You *do not* want to be on the freeway during a bad hail storm. It can be like being in a snowstorm whiteout and tornadoes can form along the back edge of those storms. They are extremely dangerous.
If you are caught out, go to a truck stop or roadside store. Do not take shelter under a bridge: it will intensify the wind.
I bring up this topic because we've had some very bad storms already in Nebraska and Iowa! Stay safe.
I don't know the answers to most of your questions, unfortunately.
But, thirty years ago I did drive from San Diego to central Texas, with just my daughter who was 5 years old. Based on my experiences then, be sure that your kids have something to do. I brought a lot of new coloring books, little toys, games that she could do alone, and so on, and didn't let her see any of them until we were on the road. That REALLY helped. She just sat in the back seat with all these things, and played happily the whole way. Driving that far involves a lot of long hours and a lot of potential boredom for the kids. I also stopped frequently but spent a long time on the road, only spending two nights in motels.
If you will have pets with you, be sure to take a list of motels or hotels that allow pets.
I'm planning a long drive this summer with 3 kids. We have a DVD player in the car. I'm planning on stopping at Red Box along the way for an endless supply of movies!
You know when I was a kid I loved road trips, not so I could watch tv for hours, but to see miles of country that I have never seen before. This past summer I took my kids 7 and 3 on a road trip through California and they loved it. I am about to move from California to Denver and I am not worried in the least. I know my kids will enjoy the scenery.
That being said, I drove from NY to LA once and after I left Chicago, I saw nothing but corn fields until I got to Denver. So once you pass Denver, get the DVDs ready.
I haven't book any kind of accommodation because with kids I need to be more flexible with where should spend the night ...
# Does anyone have experience what I will see in the road, wild animal or no gas station .. etc
# I am carrying cash for emergency in case ..
# Planning to drive day time only ..
# We can expand our journey 2 more days if there somthing worth to see..
# One of my friends said I need to be carful when I attach my Gopro in Dashboard, because in some states it might get a ticket or problem.. is it true ?
# is my stopping cities are good or not ..
Any advices ..
Thanks a lot for your help ..
Several points based on my cross country trip between Chicago and Phoenix this past winter:
1) First, you MUST get your car into the shop to make sure that it is in EXCELLENT running condition prior to starting on the trip. Fortunately, I did that before leaving as my water pump was leaking. Repairs on the rad are some of the most expensive.
2) That is a LONG drive. While 90% of the people on C-D like to think that they can drive 1000+ miles a day, day after day of driving is VERY fatiguing, especially if you encounter road delays, bad weather, etc. I try to limit the drive to 9-10 hours period. Also, I like to drive long two straight days and take ONE day off. It keeps me fresh and safe.
3) There are ALWAYS things to see in ANY state of the US. Take Nebraska for example. There are great museums all along I-80. Give me some of your interests and I will make some good recommendations.
4) Your stopping cities are fine. You should try to have some idea as to where you want to stay and book the night before if possible. You should have no problem finding hotels in that city. You do want to try to avoid rush hours.
5) Especially for the first part of the trip, make sure that you fill up with gas when you are in town.
6) Bring your passports as Sault Ste. Marie is a border town with Canada.
I doubt you will have to worry about animals in the daytime.
Hi bad apples, Ok I have to put this in my mind, I never thought about it. Thanks for that ..
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaniellaG
I have not done that long of a trip. The longest was from FL to MI. When I moved from CA to MI I shipped my car.
Some thought though cause I have done some long car trips.
How long are you planning on staying at each of those places? Have you thought of just shipping your car or you want to take the road trip?
When I drive I try to just drive as long as I can before staying overnight. So when I stop, I try to stay at a hotel like a Marriot or similar. I usually can get a feel for the area in terms of safety.
I always try to keep a gas tank half full because one time 15 years ago before I had GPS I got lost and could not find a gas station so since then that is what I do. I think you should have GPS and a car phone charger. Do you have AAA or other road service? Good to get oil and tires checked before the trip.
I have no idea about the other questions. I do think I recall seeing signs about watching for animals but I never saw any other then some deer.
Hi DaniellaG, I thought about shipping my car but it cost a lot, so I decide that we can have something new by driving .. I will spend one night in each stop.. so that mean 4 nights in total. I have navigation system in the car, and I have a GPS device also. I have Progressive and they told me it come with road service if need it. I will keep my eye for the animals .. Thanks a lot for your tips ..
Quote:
Originally Posted by little elmer
DaniellaG brings up a good point - get your oil changed, properly inflate your tires and check your fluids - nothing worse than your oil life monitor going off in the middle of a long trip.
Hi little elmer .. yep I will do that for sure ..
thanks for sharing ..
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by driving .. I will spend one night in each stop.. so that mean 4 nights in total. I have navigation system in the car, and I have a GPS device also. I have Progressive and they told me it come with road service if need it. I will keep my eye for the animals .. Thanks a lot for your tips .. 
