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I must say I am boggled by the degree of outrage expressed in this thread.
On a recent trip I could not find lodging in a town where I expected it. Oh yeah, there were a couple of high priced inns but that's not my style or budget. So I slept in a parking lot behind a church. Certainly safer than driving on through the night.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by annerk
...when someone hasn't showered for 30 hours or longer. They might not have typical BO, but they have a "dirty" smell about them--not to mention often greasy hair.
I installed a Hot Shower in my $35 car that gets 50 mpg on free cooking oil (no fuel costs, plenty of room to sleep stretched out.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by creeksitter
I must say I am boggled by the degree of outrage expressed in this thread.
...So I slept in a parking lot behind a church. Certainly safer than driving on through the night.
Oh ya... naysayers a plenty lurk here to try to intimidate those not staying in 5 stars. (BTW...It's not working... except to derail a thread and espouse their lack of adventure / and build their conformity! (Lots of Gov retirees have time to post here, and money to travel).
I have stayed at many parking lots of churches / funeral homes / veterinary office, (quiet). But as a commercial driver, I prefer to drive at night (between 'view' destinations.) I can always catch a nap during the day at a nice hotel lobby or library, or even in my car (after a nice hot shower!).
I have been known to have some decent 'showers' in places like the Yellowstone River.. (But I prefer a 'hot-springs') BTDT for 50+ yrs of 'back-country adventures'.
More and more I get fatigued when driving. Fortunatly I recognize the symptoms when fatigue is setting in and I pull over for a snooze. Usually a 15 minute snooze works. However more than once that 15 minute snooze ended up lasting 2 or 3 hours.
[quote=creeksitter;36186746]I must say I am boggled by the degree of outrage expressed in this thread.
Crazy isn't it? It's the biggest reason I really don't post to often, some people just can't deal with the fact that not everyone shares the same point of view.
That being said I've done plenty of long distance drives in the last few years, LA to Austin, TX (twice), LA to Cocoa Beach, FL, LA to Omaha,NE and several others. I've slept in my car in lots of different areas, mcdonalds parking lot, church parking lots, parked outside of cemetaries, rest areas, wal-mart/target parking lots etc.. I've pulled off of the highway onto some of those middle of nowhere country roads and slept in my car with coyotes howling nearby and deer everywhere with a clear sky full of stars above.
I've not once had any problems anywhere I've decided to catch a few z's in the car, never... not saying it doesn't happen, it just hasn't happened to me.
Btw my car is definitely not a car designed to sleep in, it's a convertible 2dr sports car/350Z... lots of fun to take these trips in but not so much fun to sleep in, but when you're tired and feeling like you're about to nod off you have to do what you have to do.
I must say I am boggled by the degree of outrage expressed in this thread.
Crazy isn't it? It's the biggest reason I really don't post to often, some people just can't deal with the fact that not everyone shares the same point of view.
That being said I've done plenty of long distance drives in the last few years, LA to Austin, TX (twice), LA to Cocoa Beach, FL, LA to Omaha,NE and several others. I've slept in my car in lots of different areas, mcdonalds parking lot, church parking lots, parked outside of cemetaries, rest areas, wal-mart/target parking lots etc.. I've pulled off of the highway onto some of those middle of nowhere country roads and slept in my car with coyotes howling nearby and deer everywhere with a clear sky full of stars above.
I've not once had any problems anywhere I've decided to catch a few z's in the car, never... not saying it doesn't happen, it just hasn't happened to me.
Btw my car is definitely not a car designed to sleep in, it's a convertible 2dr sports car/350Z... lots of fun to take these trips in but not so much fun to sleep in, but when you're tired and feeling like you're about to nod off you have to do what you have to do.
I have slept in a sleeping bag next to my motorcycle all over the Western US and still am alive. Mosty some quiet place a bit out of town.
I have slept in a sleeping bag next to my motorcycle all over the Western US and still am alive. Mosty some quiet place a bit out of town.
A lot of times I've parked my car and slept in a sleeping bag in the grass at a rest stop or even on a table top, usually late at night/very early in the morning, because it's hard to get much decent rest in a cramped 2 seater sports car.
I've done the motorcycle thing to many years ago...slept in some pretty out of the way places! Great memories from that time!
It amuses me too that some people can't handle sleeping in your car on a long trip. Who cares if he doesn't shower for 3 days lmao he's going to be by himself in his car.
Anyway, OP, I have driven from AR to SC/NC and back several times, NJ to AR and back, NC to FL, AR to MN, you get the point. I have never had any problems parking in hotel parking lots and sleeping. I've done it every time. Only stayed in 1 hotel on a long trip, and that was from NJ to AR we stayed somewhere because my girlfriend didn't want to sleep in the car. I suggest a hotel parking lot. Holiday Inn or Days inn or whatevs! I also don't see why a police station would say no. Why would they?
I'd say the 24 hr Wal Mart parking lot would be the safest. At least if something happens, you can run out & into the store for help.
Truck stops and rest stops especially in the South would be a little sketchy in my opinion.
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(BTW...It's not working...
except to derail a thread and espouse their lack of adventure / and build their conformity! (Lots of Gov retirees have time to post here, and money to travel).
. (But I prefer a 'hot-springs')
BTDT for 50+ yrs of 'back-country adventures'.
