Driving Legacy from Eastern coast to Bay Area

[rporter]

A Salt Laker here. Depending on the weather, Denver to SLC should take less than 8 hours, tops. I have friends that have made it in about 6 hours (but they're nuts). I think it may be a little shorter to Reno. I agree about the "nothing in between". Also, if you're planning to go Reno-to-SF, definitely keep an eye on the weather. If it's bad, the CHP will require chains, even for AWD. (At least that's how it was a few years ago. Correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

--Dan

 

Well, if he comes across I-80, he won't get near Denver.Yep, it could be dicey during the winter across I-80.

 

OTOH, back in the first week of January '02, I brought a car back from Huntington Beach CA, stopped in Phoenix to visit my dad, then went up I-17 and across I-40 to deliver the car in southern IL. I had a touch of snow on I-17 into Flagstaff, but the drive across I-40 from Flagstaff was beautiful! Cold, but no snow at all.That could be a better route in the winter. It would just add some miles driving up I-5 in CA.

[rporter]

I wanna drive to Vegas at least once in my life

 

Sorry, I've got nothing. The farthest west I've been from MD, is West Virginia (but have driven 400 miles to Myrtle Beach. I must get out more!)

 

Man, you drove out of MD just to go to WVA?

 

Yes, you definitely need to get out more!!!!

[rporter]

Good luck. I think driving cross-country is not only fun but something everyone should do at least once.

 

I can't agree more!! A long-distance drive can be a great head-clearing experience for me. If 6 moths goes by and I haven't been on at least a 400-mile trip, I get antsy!!

[melayout]

I'm planning on riding up to Columbus, OH from NC(~483 miles) at around the week before Christmas.

 

Any tips especially with the cold weather?

[rporter]

I'm planning on riding up to Columbus, OH from NC(~530 miles) at around the week before Christmas.

 

Any tips especially with the cold weather?

 

Take an ice scraper/brush, and a full gallon of windshield washer fluid. Other than that, if you stay on main roads, no big deal. When I lived in Raleigh for awhile, I would do the run up to/from Detroit regularly. I never really had any issues.

[melayout]

Great, thanks.

 

Also, keep an eye on the oil level.

[outahere]

Hi all,

 

I am planing to drive the Legacy GTL from Eastern coast (Maryland) to San Franciso area for a new job. I am going to quit the stink hole in Maryland and make it there before 1/1/2006. Makes me nervous having to drive 4 days consist of 2800 plus miles by myself. What you guys think, any one done it in the past? Maybe it is a better idea to transport the car and fly there. Mapblast said it would take 41 hours. That means I would have to drive 700 miles /day, if average is 60/mph, that is like 12/hours of driving straight without breaks. With breaks, that is like 14 plus hours. I am thinking, I am going to fall asleep and crash in the Legacy.

 

Personally, I like to limit myself to about 500-550 miles per day. Anymore than that is too punishing.

 

By the way, get ready to choke on housing costs, and traffic, in the bay area! But the weather is mild all year.

[inthedeck]

I would definately say do it. Just remember that it's only you out there...and it's better to take a cat nap along the way, then to 'think' that you can keep on driving...especially when it's nighttime.

 

I drove from NYC to New Orleans a couple of years ago (by myself) and it took approx. 18-19 hours...given that it's ~ 1350 miles one way. I drove through some serious downpours...with the WRX wagon that I had. No issues whatsoever. I had a grand ole time...and the cell phone helped...when I was talking to people on my way there...at least it sorts gives you company for a few minutes at a time.

 

Take the southern way...or map your own route, that would avoid most inclement weather...but remember to take stuff like blankets, hygene, emergency equipment (flares, tire pump, lights, couple of cans of fix a flat (never know), and other items). Other than that, make sure you have enough money for gas, food, tolls, etc.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[PeterJMC]

Good luck on the trip bro! Driving from coast to coast is on my to do list. I bet it'll be a good feeling to arrive in the bay area and see the coast line. I say you leave looking at the bay (Chesapeake Bay), and end it looking at the bay (San Francisco Bay).

 

I drive a lot, but haven't spent prolonged periods of time behind the driver seat in a given sitting. My average trip is 1 to 1.5 hours. My longest trip was a 12 hour round trip drive to Tenn and back. My most recent trip to NJ was 3.5 hours one way and it kicked my arse. The seats are comfortable, but for some reason it wasn't so comfortable on that long ride. Maybe you should bring some extra coushins to support your back.

[Flanders]

By the way, it's 60 and sunny right now. I drove from my apartment to Stinson Beach yesterday. It's pretty cool standing on the beach watching the surfers and seeing christmas decorations.

[homer]

Here's my long-distance resume:

 

1992-NYC to Aiken, SC (to look at an old 240Z): 14 hours non-stop 'cept for gas with then-girlfriend and I did the whole drive, some of it in snow on the NJ Tpke; now that I remember it, that was in a Subaru SVX!!

 

1993-Princeton, NJ to Palos Verdes, CA: 44 hours in a Ferrari 246 GTS Dino (for an article in a Japanese car enthusiast magazine back when I was a journalist); car was surprisingly comfortable, but I had to wear soft earplugs like bikers or musicians cause the wind blast was loud - had the roof out most of the time.

 

1998-Spartanburg, SC to NYC: 9 hours in a BMW M roadster (another article)

 

2003-Knoxville, TN to NYC: 17 hours on my VFR800; not that impressive but took much of Blue Ridge Pkwy which cuts down on avg. speed.

 

2005-Johnson City TN to NYC: 11 hours on my Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird this summer (the week before my wedding)

 

So, you can probably do it, but only you really know your limits, so be honest with yourself.

[RuskiTrombone]

My fiancee hated it but I've driven from DC to Miami plenty of times. I went once with my fiancee and my cars have always been manual and I have never had the patience to teach her so I drove the entire 1000 miles myself. Takes me on average 14-15 hours. The nice thing about driving by yourself is you don't have to look at the other person sleeping comfy in the seat next to you. You can also limit yourself on stops. Sometimes you'd pick a car on the road and just both start playing around for kicks as the other person is bored as well. Radar detectors are a good thing to have but the best advice to avoiding tickets is picking someone that is driving fast and following behind him but at a distance. If you see his brakes light up then you should slow down as well. This has saved me from many tickets and I've seen people get snatched up this way while I would drive right by and pick my next guide.

 

If this is your first trip I would highly not suggest it as it will really tear your body apart. The seats in the LGT are not the most comfortable and it gets really boring after the excitement wears off. The worst for me was when I knew I was getting close like entering florida yet from the tip of florida to miami itself is like 5 hours so I would get pissed off.

[Xenonk]

I had plenty of friends that drove to cali from MD.. take a lot of breaks, enjoy the view, go and hit up as many stops as you need, you'll be fine if you take 5 to 6 days instead of driving 12 hours a day to get there.

[plunk10]

Good luck on the trip bro! Driving from coast to coast is on my to do list. I bet it'll be a good feeling to arrive in the bay area and see the coast line. I say you leave looking at the bay (Chesapeake Bay), and end it looking at the bay (San Francisco Bay).

 

This post makes me think of this picture, taken at the start of route 50 in Ocean City, MD

 

http://www.highway50.com/US_50_Sign.jpg

[fzanetti]

If you are able to get someone to go with you it's not thaaat bad..

 

I agree, alone can be tireful and from past experiences, you just won't be able to drive more than 600 miles/day alone... With traffic, this could reduce, with higher speeds like in the middle of the countries like IOWA, NEBRASKA, WYOMING, UTAH, you can actually drive 80+ mph so you can resume the time/speed you lost on the East coast crowded areas....

 

Good luck, and don't forget maps, changes of clothes, looooots of your preferred CDs, cell phone car charger, bottles of water, etc etc..

 

Another trick, try to stop less as possible, a good rule of thumb is a stop where the traffic jams, or when your tank is due for refiling, otherwise don't make frequent stops, this kills any trip...

 

I used to drive a looot from MIA to Portland, ME and back to Boston and again.... Anyways, it's just around 1700 miles, and I always did it on 2 days... Trick? Start driving early morning like 2 am and didn't hit traffic in NYC and DC areas... So plan your trip accordingly as well, so you won't get traffic in Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago area, Des Moines, Omaha, SLC and Sacramento..

 

Another trip I had done was from Seattle, WA to Boston, and it did take me 4 days to get up here, why? Just because every single city I enterred I hit traffic, that trip sucked because it was not planned accordingly....

 

Good luck, and don't forget to take lots of pics...

 

Another good idea is to buy a cigarette power adaptor, so you can plug "any" AC device to your lighter, that way to recharge your laptop, digital camera, etc etc etc... (and send us the pics)

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

[rporter]

Another trick, try to stop less as possible, a good rule of thumb is a stop where the traffic jams, or when your tank is due for refiling, otherwise don't make frequent stops, this kills any trip...

 

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

 

There's two schools of thought to this. One is yours......to limit stops at all cost. The other is the one that I'm in which has a stop every 1.5...but not more than 2.0.....hours. These will be timed to gas stops, but in between, it's for potty and/or food. I find that stretching the legs is good, and it can clear the head a bit. Also, there is the "slight" chance of deep-leg thrombosis, which airline passengers get when they don't move their legs after being in a seated position for awhile (stuff you think about when you are 50+!!).

 

Yep 600 miles/day in traffic can be a pain, but 800-1,000 miles/day out west (or west of Chicago, basically), is not much of an issue for me. I find that you get into kind of a mental "groove" after a couple of hours on the road, and the hours just sort of float by after that.

[konrad]

Two years ago I went from MD to South Dakota then to California, Nevada, Arizona and then back to MD all in 10 days. Great experience but I wasn't driving by myslef.

[RuskiTrombone]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000052XQO.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

http://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/38114/200.jpg

 

 

For when you get bored.

 

and put life size dolls in the car so you can ride the HOV lanes.

 

http://www.adollpattern.com/images/full_elders.jpg

[Flanders]

There are no HOV lanes between the east coast and the west. The first will be around El Ciritto on 80 heading towards the Bay Bridge.

[RuskiTrombone]

Then he should bring them for entertainment value.

[00LGT4SKI]

I bought a 2000 legacy GT in Washington DC and had to drive it back to Denver by myself. It certainly isn't San Francisco, but it is definitely doable, you just have to recognize your own limits.

I did it by stashing a warm sleeping bag in the car with me so I could stop anywhere and crash. I just simply kept driving until I felt tired or I was close to nodding off. I'd then pull off, find a rest stop, gas station, etc. and just sleep until I woke up. Then, once I woke up, kept driving again. It worked great.

I wanted to see Niagra, so I headed up that way, so I took breaks in Syracuse (8 hours rest), a quick stop at the falls (no sleep), then I drove to the west side of Chicago non-stop (5 hour rest), then I drove straight through Iowa, Nebraska, until the CO border (4 hours rest), then drove straight into Denver. I left Friday afternoon from DC, and made it to Denver late Sunday night. (with that huge detour north).

If you're going to do it solo, just make sure you call your friends often (so they know where you are), keep some good music handy, and don't be afraid to just stop and rest.

 

Enjoy the drive. Try and plan some tourist stops on the way. It makes I-80 WAY more exciting.

[deneb]

I drove 3700 miles in a trip from Wa down into NM and back (I've also driven to CA and back many times, but not recently and not in the LGT). I found that the LGT is extremely comfortable for long trips, and had no issues as far as sore back/legs from sitting in the LGT for long periods of time. I found that I could go about 700 miles a day without too much trouble, I also found that after 700 miles and when it was starting to get dark, I got tired pretty quickly. Lots of good advice so far on this thread, if it were me making this particular trip, I'd do the following:

 

1) Make hotel reservations at whatever distance you feel comfortable driving each day. IOW, make hotel res. approx. 700 - 750 miles apart. There is no substitute for a good night's sleep after a day's driving, and will help you feel recharged for the next day's driving.

 

2) Plan the more southerly route. IMO, it's better to drive more miles in good weather (at least a better chance of good weather) than fewer miles in a potential blizzard, bad weather driving is much more fatiguing.

 

3) Figure out how many days it will take you, then add a couple extra in case of bad weather, etc.

 

4) Have all the hotels you plan to stay in in your contact list on your cell phone, so if you need to make changes to any reservations, you have the # readily available. If you don't have a cell, get one.

 

5) Avoid too much caffeine. If you're used to a certain level, you probably don't want to put extra stress on your body. A long trip like this is about stress management, you want to feel alert and ready to drive on the last day of the trip and not completely wasted. IOW, don't start popping no-doz and mountian dew on the first day, you'll be a wreck 2 days later (or be in a wreck).

 

6) Water, water, water! Drink lots. I found that one rest stop in between fuel/food stops was a good balance between making time on the trip, and feeling comfortable. Walk 5 - 10 minutes at each stop.

 

7) Make sure you have the essentials for winter driving with you (emergency food, water, clothing, flashlight, chains, etc.). Make sure your spare tire is servicable and ready for use.

 

8) Bring a qt. of whatever oil you're using in your car. I've noticed oil consumption on my LGT on trips. I used a qt. of M1 0/40 on my NM trip.

 

9) Be safe, and have fun!

[na_soak]

Well guys, thanks for all the suggestions. Initially, I didn't really think about the snow, bad roads and stuff, not much of a trip planner.

I am going to try to plan the south route and check the weather a little more. Hopefully I don’t chicken out and take the plane and ship the car. Don't want to stress out about driving itself because I still a little worry about moving to CA. Don’t know the area and I practically know no one there; hopefully things will work out for me.

[rosta]

na_soak-

 

Take your time and enjoy the drive. I've only driven to St. Louis and back and it was a nonstop 3 driver arrangement.

 

Nor*Cal is nice and a great place to hang your hat. Where abouts will you be living?

 

"Don’t know the area and I practically know no one there; hopefully things will work out for me." Maybe someone can set up a second Bay Area meet. There's a thread about a future meet. I missed the first one but plan to hit the next.

 

edit: Here it is http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23437

 

Happy trails,

 

Ross

[OfftheLineGT05]

I am actually posting this on a trip I started on Dec 3rd from Stmaford, CT. I have driven to Baltimore, Memphis, and tonight I am in Austin. So far the car has been great and I have driven about 29 hours and 1900 miles +. I am gong to Phoenix, then Las Vegas, and finally end up in Sacramento.....