Traveling cross country by my lonesome

Get a AAA card. Carry a few bottles of water and some snacks in the car. Don't pick up hitch-hikers check your spare for air, be sure you have your jack and emergency markers. Don't carry a big wad of cash and don't keep all of your cash in one place. Don't talk to strangers Look both ways when crossing the road Wear your seatbelt.

Drive the speed limit or no more than 5 mph over. Driving to and from California (we have made the trip four times now in two years) we saw a lot of patrolmen. The further South-East you come, the thicker they get.

I was stopped by an officer in New Mexico at 2:30 in the morning. Driving the pickup, only 4 mph over the limit. cruise control set. He wrote me a fix-it ticket, for of all things no license plate light. What he was REALLY doing was checking out that truck from out of state that was on the road at that time of night. He was really very nice and warned me against driving while I was tired. He did not know that I had slept earlier and that I was the second shift. My point is, follow the rules, because they will look at you, and especially because you are a young guy in a Mustang from out of state.

If you go through Arizona, Flagstaff is a good place to get a decent room and a meal. Other than that highway 40 is covered with a bunck of sleazy motels unless you're paying the big bucks for a room.

Fuel at truckstops is usually slightly cheaper, Loves and Flying J. They are generally spaced about a tank-full away from your last stop. You may find it a little cheaper off of the highway but you will waste enough fuel trying to find it to really see no savings.

If you really plan on stopping by, do email me and I will give you a phone number. Please let us know when you expect to be in the area so we can plan on being here. It would/will be a kick meeting you Carl!

Kate

ATMs are everywhere, and most everybody takes credit cards. You could probably get across the country, starting out with no cash at all. You have to remember Murphy's law though. The best time for your credit card company to decide, that fraudulent activity is taking place, is when you are down to your last gallon and really, really need to fill up in Burlington, CO in the middle of the night. I take two credit cards, from different banks.

My checking account comes with free American Express Traveller's Checks. I carried a bunch of them with me to Spain, but I found out they have even more ATMs than we do. Still, if you're moving and don't want to keep the old bank account active, Traveller's Checks are one way to go.

Earle

You forgot something Kate....

HAVE FUN!

=)

Make a basic plan and don't hesitate to scrap it and do something else. Have an adventure. And, watch out for the G.L.H.T.A. ( gay long haul truckers association)

On that note, of course you know to be wary when pushing in your PIN number. Whenever possible, choose the credit card option for your atm card instead if entering the pin.

: > Get a AAA card. : > Carry a few bottles of water and some snacks in the car. : > Don't pick up hitch-hikers : > check your spare for air, be sure you have your jack and emergency : markers. : > Don't carry a big wad of cash and don't keep all of your cash in one : place. : > Don't talk to strangers : > Look both ways when crossing the road : > Wear your seatbelt. : >

: > Drive the speed limit or no more than 5 mph over. : > Driving to and from California (we have made the trip four times now in : two : > years) we saw a lot of patrolmen. : > The further South-East you come, the thicker they get. : >

: > I was stopped by an officer in New Mexico at 2:30 in the morning. : Driving : > the pickup, only 4 mph over the limit. cruise control set. : > He wrote me a fix-it ticket, for of all things no license plate light. : What : > he was REALLY doing was checking out that truck from out of state that was : > on the road at that time of night. He was really very nice and warned me : > against driving while I was tired. He did not know that I had slept : earlier : > and that I was the second shift. : > My point is, follow the rules, because they will look at you, and : especially : > because you are a young guy in a Mustang from out of state. : >

: > If you go through Arizona, Flagstaff is a good place to get a decent room : > and a meal. Other than that highway 40 is covered with a bunck of sleazy : > motels unless you're paying the big bucks for a room. : >

: > Fuel at truckstops is usually slightly cheaper, Loves and Flying J. : > They are generally spaced about a tank-full away from your last stop. : > You may find it a little cheaper off of the highway but you will waste : > enough fuel trying to find it to really see no savings. : >

: > If you really plan on stopping by, do email me and I will give you a phone : > number. Please let us know when you expect to be in the area so we can : plan : > on being here. It would/will be a kick meeting you Carl! : >

: > Kate : >

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Sorry, I get all in "mom mode"

Have fun Carl!

Kate

A simple thought about refueling:

Don't let the tank get near empty, fill up with at least 1/4 tank left (lots of people say 1/2 tank). Also, if you can't see the gas station from the road you're on, be it an Interstate or highway or whatnot, continue on until you can. Its always the ones you can't see that you try getting to that end up being 10 miles out of the way and hidden, and only open for 4 hours a day. Also, if you're going through Iowa, the mid-grade 89/90 octane gas is cheaper than the 87 Octane by about 10 cents.

Brandonb

- Oh, and Nebraska on I-80 is boring as hell :)

Kate wrote:

"Brandonb" wrote : Brandonb : - Oh, and Nebraska on I-80 is boring as hell :) :

Amen to THAT!

Carrying an extra 5g tank just in case... I usually carry 2 or 3 of them on the rack on top of my XJ when I'm going on cross country trips like that... It's nice for when you run into places that are obviously trying to gouge prices due to their remoteness or whatever... Hell, I even carry empty 5g tanks with me if I'm going to be in an area of Houston that has cheaper gas than my area... Locally, the cheapest price for 87 octane is $2.83... If I'm in the SE part of Houston, it's as low as $2.75... At $0.08 per gallon and four 5g tanks, that's only $1.60, but every little bit helps... Basically, it boils down to taking advantage of opportunities, but not going out of your way so that it costs you more to get there than you save... Sometimes, I'll throw a 55g drum in the back of my pickup and fill it up -- usually with the 93 octane since that is what I use in my aircraft...

He's travelling in his Mustang. Moving from one side of the country to the other.

Ya REALLY think on ANY level that he would think about carrying a gas can?

: > Don't let the tank get near empty, fill up with at least 1/4 tank left : > (lots of people say 1/2 tank). : : Carrying an extra 5g tank just in case... I usually carry 2 or 3 of them on : the rack on top of my XJ when I'm going on cross country trips like that... : It's nice for when you run into places that are obviously trying to gouge : prices due to their remoteness or whatever... Hell, I even carry empty 5g : tanks with me if I'm going to be in an area of Houston that has cheaper gas : than my area... Locally, the cheapest price for 87 octane is $2.83... If I'm : in the SE part of Houston, it's as low as $2.75... At $0.08 per gallon and : four 5g tanks, that's only $1.60, but every little bit helps... Basically, : it boils down to taking advantage of opportunities, but not going out of : your way so that it costs you more to get there than you save... Sometimes, : I'll throw a 55g drum in the back of my pickup and fill it up -- usually : with the 93 octane since that is what I use in my aircraft... : :

Mid grade is cheaper than regular??

. Also, if you're going through Iowa, the

Aye. Since we make the ethanol they tax it less. :)

Brandonb

mabar wrote:

Sure, midgrade has 10% ethanol with serious tax breaks. So not only do you get anywhere from 3% to 15% less mileage, the rest of us get to pay Archer Daniels for the privilege.

When I travel Colorado/Utah I get at least 1.5 mpg better > Mid grade is cheaper than regular??

As boring as the Nevada, Arizonia, New Mexico desert?

Larry

If you have a day to spare get off the Interstate and plot a course through Roswell (space aliens) and out Rt.380 through Lincoln (Billy the Kid). Then if you're really brave head West on Rt. 60 out of Socorro, NM into Arizona. Head into the Magdalena Mtns. and stop for the Green Chile Enchiladas at The Bonanza Cafe in Magdalena, NM. Highways are so boring!

Now Green Chile Enchildads might be worth it! Thanks...

Larry

Any Green Chile Enchiladas?

Larry

I might add, going the northern route will get you crop circles, not the BS space aliens. Not to mention the badlands....which is as spectacular as the grand canyon.

Larry