Ever drive cross-country?

[Thomas Merton]

I'm gonna cross off #11 on my Bucket list by driving to see my brother's family in California next week. I'll be traveling from July 1-28. Any advice on how to save $$ on the road? Can't afford a hotel and 3 meals a day in restaurants and will have my dog with me. My grandfather, God bless him, told me to sleep in the parking lot of a hotel and in the am stroll in and get the free breakfast many chains offer.

Roads to avoid, places to hide your stash, tips for the dog, must sees along the way(DC to CA and back), etc would be appreciated.

[Jujubees2]

I'm gonna cross off #11 on my Bucket list by driving to see my brother's family in California next week. I'll be traveling from July 1-28. Any advice on how to save $$ on the road? Can't afford a hotel and 3 meals a day in restaurants and will have my dog with me. My grandfather, God bless him, told me to sleep in the parking lot of a hotel and in the am stroll in and get the free breakfast many chains offer.

Roads to avoid, places to hide your stash, tips for the dog, must sees along the way(DC to CA and back), etc would be appreciated.

Never drove cross country but did make a drive from RI to Houston for grad school. Had my brother with me so we pretty much drove straight through. Saved money by bringing food and a cooler with us. I assume that you could sleep in your car (at a rest stop) and grab a hotel every couple of days for a good night's sleep and a shower.

Always thought it would be easy to sneak into a hotel's free breakfast. All the times I've stayed at a hotel with a free breakfast no one ever asked me for a room key.

Good luck!

[TripleSkeet]

Never drove cross country but did make a drive from RI to Houston for grad school. Had my brother with me so we pretty much drove straight through. Saved money by bringing food and a cooler with us. I assume that you could sleep in your car (at a rest stop) and grab a hotel every couple of days for a good night's sleep and a shower.

Always thought it would be easy to sneak into a hotel's free breakfast. All the times I've stayed at a hotel with a free breakfast no one ever asked me for a room key.

Good luck!

My advice would be if youre going to stop to eat dont go to any chain restaurants. Try to find a local diner or restaurant and see what theyve got. If youve got your trip mapped out or youre bringing a laptop try to use that to find these places.

Kinda pointless to be driving across the country and eating the same slop like McDonalds or Dennys that you can get here.

[usoilworker]

I've made the drive from Washington ST to Pensacola FL. Florida to maine, and main to British columbia the cross canada trip. It was definetly interesting. Money wise if you can Stomach MCdonals Burger king or even jack in the box. The dollar menu will be enough to sustain you for the drive plus you keep your down time to a minimum. Hopefully you have a Gps of some sort because your going to have to get off the road at some point for food drink or the dog. Rest areas arn't the best place in the world but once the sun goes down they will do for a quick nap before you hit the road again and you and the mut can get out and streach and bio. I would keep the drive down to 8 - 10 hours per day. Much more then that and you'll be drivin by brail.

[A.J.]

Use this site to find cheap eats along the way. (http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/)

[Chigworthy]

Money wise if you can Stomach MCdonals Burger king or even jack in the box. The dollar menu will be enough to sustain you for the drive plus you keep your down time to a minimum.

What about the added toilet time?

[usoilworker]

SOme people can eat the mystery meat with out the runs and some can't I cant :(.. could always fill an ice chest and take food from the store

[StanUpshaw]

Your bowels make or break a long road trip.

1. Get on a Metamucil regimen before you start, and train yourself to keep a strict shitting schedule. If you can manage it, I recommend a morning and evening shit. DO NOT LEAVE SHITTING UP TO CHANCE!

2. Drink only bottled water. Yes, American tap water is safe from microbial contamination, but even variations in the mineral and chemical makeup of tap water can upset your stomach.

3. Baby wipes. Rest stops don't care about your asshole. The 20-grit they call toilet paper simply will not do.

[KC2OSO]

Rest stops don't care about your asshole.

So true. :laugh: At the end of the day, unless you are gay, nobody else cares about your ass-hole. Doodle-e-doo.

Edit - TM you mentioned bringing a stash. I personally would not or would at least make it a quantity you could eat all of in a pinch. Certainly no paraphernalia or apparatus.

[Thomas Merton]

KC, I have a one hitter, very small and will bring just enough to keep the drive interesting

I agree a shit schedule is important. I refuse to sit down at a rest stop or fast food dump.

I have a truck so i can sleep in the back, where are the best places to pull over for the night?

[tanless1]

Start with folgers instant coffee.... at $2 a cup and spoty quality ,Folgers averages out all right......bring your own cup, and hot water is free.

[tanless1]

Souper meals and roticerie chicken. Souper meals come with the seasoning seperate, chuck'it(no one needs all that salt) add chunks from the roticerie chicken, and add the hot water. The real chicken replaces the flavor packet.....and todays roticerie chickens are LOADED w/salt.....so you'll be fine. By the time the noodles are done, the chicken is also hot.

You have a decent meal for under $1.80.

[tanless1]

Take a cooler, buy your sodas by the 12 pack......take advantage of the evil walmart, they are your friends on the road. Pharmacy, clothing, essentails....they do a good job.

[tanless1]

SHOWERS - truckstops charge $10 for a shower.....get one every 2 or 3 days.

[StanUpshaw]

KC, I have a one hitter, very small and will bring just enough to keep the drive interesting

I agree a shit schedule is important. I refuse to sit down at a rest stop or fast food dump.

I have a truck so i can sleep in the back, where are the best places to pull over for the night?

Rest areas (on major interstates, at least) are actually pretty clean. I'm sure there's some Iphone app that will tell you the good ones.



As far as sleeping, do you have a topper, or will you be under the stars?

If you have a topper, then anyplace will do. Hotel parking lot, interstate rest area, Walmart parking lot...those are all pretty hassle-free. I'd probably tape up some newspaper or garbage bags, just for peace of mind.

If no topper, then I'd stick to camp grounds. The guidebooks published by Foghorn Outdoors are pretty handy for that.

[tanless1]

The showers include toilet and sink, all private.

[StanUpshaw]

The showers include toilet and sink, all private.

Did this really require YET another post?

You are the fucking worst.

[tanless1]

You wish you could be me, thanx . Its not all roses though......find strength in who you are.

[tanless1]

I suppose I could of edited a previous post , after I lost signal, but it was just easier.

[tanless1]

Just tring to help a fellow traveler from my phone.
Did you have working knowledge of the issues I posted ?

[SatCam]

Did this really require YET another post?

You are the fucking worst.

You say that now, but one day down the road you could find yourself dirty and hungry in the middle of god knows where with nothing but $11.80 to your name...just enough for.......you guessed it......dinner and a shower. youre welcome, asshole

[tanless1]

Do yourself a favor, leave the dope at home. You'd be surprised how many cars are torn apart on the side of the freeway getting searched w/ dog.

If your going to get arrested, do it where your friends can visit you.

[SatCam]

Just curious... is it difficult to type and drive an 18wheeler at the same time?

[tanless1]

Terribly, wish I could blame my poor spelling on it.

[tanless1]

Take the opportunity to sample the local produce from the road side stands.

[KC2OSO]

Do yourself a favor, leave the dope at home. You'd be surprised how many cars are torn apart on the side of the freeway getting searched w/ dog.

If your going to get arrested, do it where your friends can visit you.

Agreed. Just leave it at home ~ or ~ roll it and eat it in an emergency. You'd be amazed at what a small amount is necessary to get the job done. I definitely would not bring a dugout or anything permanent.
Getting busted away from home would really suck.

[TooCute]

If you really have no $$, sleep in your car. Rt 70 or 80 (depends on where in CA you're going), both have totally nice rest areas on eth way. If you're not sight seeing you can easily do it drivig alone in 2.5 days (I've done it 4 times with my dog now, plus a few times just to CO from NY). If you can spare some $$ for hotels and you feel the need (to me sleeping in the car is fine), I have never had a problem finding a place to stay where the dog was allowed. HoJo, Hampton Inn, etc - just go in and ask. Sometime you might need to pay $10 extra. But at any town w/hotels I was able to find a place that let me bring my dog in.

You should decide if you're sight seeing or just driving out. Lots of stuff to see but you'll have to venture a ways from the interstate for the most part.

[led37zep]

Make sure you drive through Wyoming while its light out. The land is so varied and vast its mind blowing.

Also, Sunrise on the Utah Salt Flats, pretty well worth it if you can time it out right.

[Thomas Merton]

Thanks everyone, even tanless1

Low road going out(I10) and 80 going back. I have relatives in MT and WY to visit

Being a high school teacher is tough but there is summer!!!

[spoon]

I drove the extent of both coasts and I highly recommend it, especially the PCH out west. I really just have little interest in the middle mostly. No offense, it's just not my thing. The coasts are so beautiful and lots of cool small towns on the way on top of all the port cities like SF and SF out west, and Balt/NY/Boston out east.