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I do recognize that this may be a primarily North American thing - and honestly, a center of NA thing - but I wondered how you guys treat long (more than 8 hours one way) road trips.

The Guy and I are planning a significant road trip from Central Illinois to NW Massachusetts for a few days, and then down to western Pennsylvania for a few days, and then back. It's ~17 hours to Massachusetts, five hours to PA, then another 10-11 hours back home. We have 10 days for this trip, and the plan is three days in MA, three days in PA, and the rest are essentially travel days.

I would very much like to "see the sights" on the road. We'll be driving for basically four days during this trip, and I get very bored going from Point A to Point B on major highways and zero breaks. I prefer to take the slightly longer road if it's prettier, and enjoy stopping at the odd roadside "experience". The Guy, however, is very much a "Point A to Point B, no dilly-dallying around" type. This vacation is going to be... interesting.

Anyway, which type are you?

I don't know what I am, personally, anymore. But the dad driving his family 10 hours east for the past 3 yearly vacation is Hotel break in the middle guy.*

*Except when driving home, than I am straight up no break person.

A to B, ASAP.
The only time to stop off in the middle is if the journey is horribly long and driving that far in one go could be dangerous, for instance when I went to the Highlands 2 years ago (:cry:).

Train journeys are a different matter. There stopping off and enjoying the intermediate sights is the adventure. Common for me in Japan would be to take a bus to the other end of the country then slowly train my way back through various places.

What you need to do is introduce a stop to and from MA at something at least remotely interesting/relaxing i.e. two extra days.

If both of you can drive, however, then having a Big Push to and from MA would make sense. Boredom at this day and age can be addressed, being annoyed at not going toward where you want to be is harder to address unless moving toward where you want to be. :)

If over 8 hours, for sure stopping and seeing relevant sights along the route / planning route with some sights.  Assuming, of course, there is time for that. Whenever I drove the 8-10 hrs (depending on traffice) journey from SF to southern Califonria, that was straight shot not interested in stopping about.

Quote from: Tamas on April 09, 2021, 09:34:07 AM
What you need to do is introduce a stop to and from MA at something at least remotely interesting/relaxing i.e. two extra days.

If both of you can drive, however, then having a Big Push to and from MA would make sense. Boredom at this day and age can be addressed, being annoyed at not going toward where you want to be is harder to address unless moving toward where you want to be. :)

Let me change my wording on that. I don't like wasting four days of my vacation just driving. Especially if there are things that can be done on those days to make them more like a vacation and less like a slog.

Though I suppose I did once that trip from SLC to Lincoln, NE with just one stop for food (~12.5hrs) but I was still depressed / who wants to stop in Wyoming? :P

A to B - ASAP. Possible break for hotel if long.

Having said that I am a passenger :lol:

But when I was a kid we'd drive from the far north of Scotland to Liverpool (and occasionally London) which is a 12 or 16 hour drive. We'd stop at maybe one service station but no sight-seeing, sometimes take a hotel break (Stirling or Cumbria depending on eventual destination).

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 09:35:59 AM

Quote from: Tamas on April 09, 2021, 09:34:07 AM
What you need to do is introduce a stop to and from MA at something at least remotely interesting/relaxing i.e. two extra days.

If both of you can drive, however, then having a Big Push to and from MA would make sense. Boredom at this day and age can be addressed, being annoyed at not going toward where you want to be is harder to address unless moving toward where you want to be. :)

Let me change my wording on that. I don't like wasting four days of my vacation just driving. Especially if there are things that can be done on those days to make them more like a vacation and less like a slog.

Yeah that's perfectly valid as per my first option offered above. That should be the primary goal.

If that doesn't work both ways a compromise could be to find something to do on the way there, and marathon it back home.

Quote from: garbon on April 09, 2021, 09:37:05 AM
Though I suppose I did once that trip from SLC to Lincoln, NE with just one stop for food (~12.5hrs) but I was still depressed / who wants to stop in Wyoming? :P

Totally legit.

And on the trip from Portland to Peoria, we stopped twice, which he really wasn't happy about. He'd rather have driven 16 hours one day, stayed overnight somewhere, then driven another 16 hours the next. Yeah, no. We were in a cab with a 75-pound dog, a kitten, and one grumpy Meri. That was not going to happen.

But then I also will drive until I'm at 1/4 of a tank (roughly 4-5 hours) at a stint without a problem. He stops every 2-3 hours.  :rolleyes:

"Let the train take the strain"

Most I ever drove was occasionally 4-5 hour in one go.  :bowler:

Those distances are too long for the drive not to be part of the fun imo. But then the road trip becomes all road trip and not much time gets left for whatever is planned in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Quote from: garbon on April 09, 2021, 09:37:05 AM
Though I suppose I did once that trip from SLC to Lincoln, NE with just one stop for food (~12.5hrs) but I was still depressed / who wants to stop in Wyoming? :P

He didn't even wave when he went through Laramie at 85+ mph.

In all seriousness, I don't like long road trips anymore.

Quote from: PDH on April 09, 2021, 09:55:44 AM

Quote from: garbon on April 09, 2021, 09:37:05 AM
Though I suppose I did once that trip from SLC to Lincoln, NE with just one stop for food (~12.5hrs) but I was still depressed / who wants to stop in Wyoming? :P

He didn't even wave when he went through Laramie at 85+ mph.

:hug:

I would stop along the way to visit sights, eat and sleep. I could not even drive that long and keep concentrated enough to drive safely.

I've never taken a really long road trip, but generally I do try to drive somewhere with a more interesting scenery than noise-absorbing barriers.  The only problem with this is that it takes a lot more mental energy for me to drive on local roads, and if you make a driving mistake due to tiredness on a two-lane road, the consequences could be pretty bad.

I can do the insane drive thing - when I came out to Santa Cruz I drove a U-haul from Laramie to Elko, Nevada.  Next day to Santa Cruz.  Then in a bit over a month I flew back to get my car I had left with a friend.  Flew in to Denver on a Friday, went up to Laramie, got my car and drove to Western Wyoming where I crashed at a friend's house.  Next morning at about 3am I left and drove straight through to Santa Cruz - maybe 16 hours.

I can do the long haul, I just don't like to do it.

Definately in the make the trip a part of the holiday guy. Always used to break up 500 mile journeys to the south of France with two hour lunch breaks and a stay in a hotel. A 250 mile trip to Cornwall will include a long stop for a pub lunch and a short walk. Mpotorway service stations to be avoided for anything other than petrol.  Fortunately the wife takes the same view.

When I was younger I was very much a point A - B directly and as quickly as possible.  Sleep is for the weak.

Then I married Mrs. CC - very much a smell the flowers along the way personality.

Thinking back on it, that was one of our biggest conflict points.

But she has moved me very much to her way of thinking.  The journey is very much more important than the destination now - but we still have a lot of fun when we get there.  So maybe the best of both worlds.  :)

Damn, some of you guys sure have driven a lot; I've probably only driven around 70-80,000 in total so far in life.  :bowler:

Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2021, 10:45:59 AM
When I was younger I was very much a point A - B directly and as quickly as possible.  Sleep is for the weak.

Then I married Mrs. CC - very much a smell the flowers along the way personality.

Thinking back on it, that was one of our biggest conflict points.

But she has moved me very much to her way of thinking.  The journey is very much more important than the destination now - but we still have a lot of fun when we get there.  So maybe the best of both worlds.  :)

How? :mellow: How did she convince you?

Quote from: mongers on April 09, 2021, 11:20:01 AM
Damn, some of you guys sure have driven a lot; I've probably only driven around 70-80,000 in total so far in life.  :bowler:

It's a North American pastime. Before the pandemic, I drove 600+ miles for a weekend trip at least once a month.

I've grown fond of the motorhome, very much a stop and look around every few hours vehicle.

Paris-Bragança is more or less 14 hours (1400 km roughly), with some good driving practice and stamina, and somebody with you to alternate or just be the navigator in pre-GPS, a few breaks to fill the tank plus eat and drink  lightly, is doable in a point A to B way, through the ™Crossroads of the World™, of course. Well, not anymore there has been a bypass for Zamora for quite a while now.

So 0800 to 2200 for day people, night for night people obviously. Less traffic being the advantage.

Mind you, this would be done mostly for summer holidays, possibly Christmas as well so 2 to 4 times per annum maximum.

When the TGV makes is through the wild Basque lands, this will be probably less interesting, unless you need to move lots of stuff around.

Quote from: Duque de Bragança on April 09, 2021, 11:25:15 AM

When the TGV makes is through the wild Basque lands, this will be probably less interesting, unless you need to move lots of stuff around.

Won't you have to worry about wild tribespeople cutting off your supply lines?

Quote from: Threviel on April 09, 2021, 11:23:51 AM
I've grown fond of the motorhome, very much a stop and look around every few hours vehicle.

Yes, Threviel your road trip AAR from a couple of years ago was rather interesting; something I'd like to have a go at myself on the continent.

Quote from: Duque de Bragança on April 09, 2021, 11:25:15 AM
Paris-Bragança is more or less 14 hours (1400 km roughly), with some good driving practice and stamina, and somebody with you to alternate or just be the navigator in pre-GPS, a few breaks to fill the tank plus eat and drink  lightly, is doable in a point A to B way, through the ™Crossroads of the World™, of course. Well, not anymore there has been a bypass for Zamora for quite a while now.

So 0800 to 2200 for day people, night for night people obviously. Less traffic being the advantage.

Mind you, this would be done mostly for summer holidays, possibly Christmas as well so 2 to 4 times per annum maximum.

When the TGV makes is through the wild Basque lands, this will be probably less interesting, unless you need to move lots of stuff around.

I got the bus from Paris to Coimbra once (and back obvs), really nice people on the bus, mostly Portuguese with fairly basic jobs in Paris. It took a long time but was very cheap.

Quote from: mongers on April 09, 2021, 11:31:15 AM

Quote from: Threviel on April 09, 2021, 11:23:51 AM
I've grown fond of the motorhome, very much a stop and look around every few hours vehicle.

Yes, Threviel your road trip AAR from a couple of years ago was rather interesting; something I'd like to have a go at myself on the continent.

That was an interesting once-in-a-lifetime event. Made a francophile out of a francophobe.

We're planning a BeNeFra-trip, but I fear that will have to wait until 2021.

Quote from: mongers on April 09, 2021, 11:20:01 AM
Damn, some of you guys sure have driven a lot; I've probably only driven around 70-80,000 in total so far in life.  :bowler:

I miss my car. :weep:

Oh, and if it was unclear, rent a Winnebago and have a wonderful time!

Quote from: PDH on April 09, 2021, 11:27:33 AM

Quote from: Duque de Bragança on April 09, 2021, 11:25:15 AM

When the TGV makes is through the wild Basque lands, this will be probably less interesting, unless you need to move lots of stuff around.

Won't you have to worry about wild tribespeople cutting off your supply lines?

If they are like those seen on MacGyver, no worries. They are in Mexico right now.

Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 09, 2021, 11:39:32 AM
I got the bus from Paris to Coimbra once (and back obvs), really nice people on the bus, mostly Portuguese with fairly basic jobs in Paris. It took a long time but was very cheap.

Coach is significantly slower, sometimes stopping every two or three hours. I would not recommend it, but it was indeed cheap (not so much right now) but very long. With Eurolines and the like, you would sometimes get a bus with Spanish-dubbed VHS or DVD of Chuck Norris movies.  :P
Coimbra is farther south, so it's probably at least 20 hours or so, more if it was before motorways were built.

To Coimbra, time and money permitting, I would go by train.

I remember going to Bragança  by bus one summer and discovering just before leaving a resident of my building was going in as well, a Pole. He liked the landscape, but not the long and slow travel ie. 17-18 hours. No speeding through the Meseta.

But then train connections were really messed up in Spain, Medina del Campo or even Irún, the latter just at the border.

The time of nonstop marathons is long over for me.  Last time I did it was the mid 90s, DC to Detroit.

Last year I drove to the northern Chicago outskirts from Iowa City and that's about my limit.  5/1/2, 6 hours, several stops for gas, food, bathroom, smokes.

I mean - all of them?

It depends on the trip.  Let's say we're going to visit family back home in Manitoba.  It's about a 16 hour drive through Saskatchewan.  I've driven through Saskatchewan a bunch of times, so it's just a hunker down and get it over with kind of drive.

But the flip side is I've road-tripped three times through Europe (no wait - 4 times).  Then absolutely it's a "stop and smell the roses" kind of trip where even just stopping at a gas station can be a different experience.  Or where you feel free to pull over because there was an interesting sign or something interesting popped up on your GPS.

Or driving the Alaska Highway through Yukon and Alaska.  I've now done that trip several times.  I did it once straight through (24 hours, sleep in shifts with Mrs B), but generally it's more enjoyable if you stop and break it up into a couple of stops.

We drive for about 8 or 9 hours and then spend the night in a hotel and then drive another 8 or 9 hours. We have kids so the marathon drives are not really a thing for us. Also being able to have a real dinner helps.

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 09:09:17 AM
I do recognize that this may be a primarily North American thing - and honestly, a center of NA thing - but I wondered how you guys treat long (more than 8 hours one way) road trips.

The Guy and I are planning a significant road trip from Central Illinois to NW Massachusetts for a few days, and then down to western Pennsylvania for a few days, and then back. It's ~17 hours to Massachusetts, five hours to PA, then another 10-11 hours back home. We have 10 days for this trip, and the plan is three days in MA, three days in PA, and the rest are essentially travel days.

I would very much like to "see the sights" on the road. We'll be driving for basically four days during this trip, and I get very bored going from Point A to Point B on major highways and zero breaks. I prefer to take the slightly longer road if it's prettier, and enjoy stopping at the odd roadside "experience". The Guy, however, is very much a "Point A to Point B, no dilly-dallying around" type. This vacation is going to be... interesting.

Anyway, which type are you?

it really depends on what I set out to do.  If I want to reach a specific place, than I'm stopping along the highway to grab some food, or a hotel stay if it's too long.

If I want to explore specific areas, than I plan accordingly, I search for what to visit and I get there.  But usually, it's your #2.  No unnecessary travel.

(https://i.imgur.com/Vc6rom4.png)

Were you not paying attention? I'm not allowed to stop.  <_<

But yes, goofball, I was going to see if you were going to be around when we drive through/by. As if I'd drive that close by and not stop.  :rolleyes:  I'm not garbon after all.

;)

Point A to B with one or two stops, including one hotel break. Last two times we did a long road trips were from VA to Florida, and we stopped at Wilmington (solely to see the USS North Carolina  :nerd: ) and Savannah the first time and Charleston the second time. Then the kids were born so we just flew, and then pandemic happened so we haven't traveled.

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 10:30:25 PM
Were you not paying attention? I'm not allowed to stop.  <_<

But yes, goofball, I was going to see if you were going to be around when we drive through/by. As if I'd drive that close by and not stop.  :rolleyes:  I'm not garbon after all.

;)

When is this planned? You guys could come sailing!

It's like you don't listen.

We'll be driving through June 26th or 27th, depending on when and where we decide to sleep. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get him to stop for a meal with you. Forget sailing.

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 11:05:41 PM
It's like you don't listen.

We'll be driving through June 26th or 27th, depending on when and where we decide to sleep. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get him to stop for a meal with you. Forget sailing.

He sounds lame. Dump him.

I would be happy to meet you guys for dinner, or lunch, or whatever meal works for when you are passing through. :)

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 11:21:09 AM

Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2021, 10:45:59 AM
When I was younger I was very much a point A - B directly and as quickly as possible.  Sleep is for the weak.

Then I married Mrs. CC - very much a smell the flowers along the way personality.

Thinking back on it, that was one of our biggest conflict points.

But she has moved me very much to her way of thinking.  The journey is very much more important than the destination now - but we still have a lot of fun when we get there.  So maybe the best of both worlds.  :)

How? :mellow: How did she convince you?

30 years of marriage has an effect on a guy  :D

I don't drive, so I'm always a passenger. But on long road trips (god, I miss those  :cry:) we usually try to find in-between stops with interesting sights, even if it means taking a slight detour.

Quote from: Berkut on April 09, 2021, 11:14:09 PM

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 11:05:41 PM
It's like you don't listen.

We'll be driving through June 26th or 27th, depending on when and where we decide to sleep. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get him to stop for a meal with you. Forget sailing.

He sounds lame. Dump him.

Apparently, he sounds like most of the guys on this forum....  :hmm:

Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2021, 11:52:27 PM

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 11:21:09 AM

Quote from: crazy canuck on April 09, 2021, 10:45:59 AM
When I was younger I was very much a point A - B directly and as quickly as possible.  Sleep is for the weak.

Then I married Mrs. CC - very much a smell the flowers along the way personality.

Thinking back on it, that was one of our biggest conflict points.

But she has moved me very much to her way of thinking.  The journey is very much more important than the destination now - but we still have a lot of fun when we get there.  So maybe the best of both worlds.  :)

How? :mellow: How did she convince you?

30 years of marriage has an effect on a guy  :D

Yeah, not likely. Men have a shelf life in my world. :P

Quote from: celedhring on April 10, 2021, 04:15:09 AM
I don't drive, so I'm always a passenger. But on long road trips (god, I miss those  :cry:) we usually try to find in-between stops with interesting sights, even if it means taking a slight detour.

Mi compadre! :hug:

Quote from: Berkut on April 09, 2021, 11:22:04 PM
I would be happy to meet you guys for dinner, or lunch, or whatever meal works for when you are passing through. :)

I'll have my people call your people and we'll make this happen. :cool:

Road trips and long-distance drives are different, in my mind.

A road trip is about the trip.  You stop where you want to stop, you plan a different return route so that you can see new things, and you don't worry about a specific time to arrive at any destination.

A long-distance drive is about travelling as quickly as is reasonable, so as to maximize time at the destination.

Books on CD are a godsend for long-distance drives.  Your library has them.

I agree with Mr. Blue. I feel dirty now.

Quote from: merithyn on April 10, 2021, 12:00:21 PM

Quote from: Berkut on April 09, 2021, 11:14:09 PM

Quote from: merithyn on April 09, 2021, 11:05:41 PM
It's like you don't listen.

We'll be driving through June 26th or 27th, depending on when and where we decide to sleep. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get him to stop for a meal with you. Forget sailing.

He sounds lame. Dump him.

Apparently, he sounds like most of the guys on this forum....  :hmm:

I mean I am sure there is something worth stopping at on the long drives across the Texas wasteland I could stop at. Lubbock probably has an impressive tumble weed museum but meh.

Also I never did road trips until my wife came along so you can blame her for us not stopping off in the desert and checking out the local cacti :P

Both of my trips with Tricky Dick were road trips with stops planned along the way. What you are doing seems different in planning to spend bulk of vacation in Mass, so why waste time visiting likes of Berkut and just go to intended destination.

Quote from: merithyn on April 10, 2021, 12:00:21 PM
Apparently, he sounds like most of the guys on this forum....  :hmm:

What did we do wrong this time?

Quote from: katmai on April 10, 2021, 10:49:43 PM
Both of my trips with Tricky Dick were road trips with stops planned along the way. What you are doing seems different in planning to spend bulk of vacation in Mass, so why waste time visiting likes of Berkut and just go to intended destination.

Happy days  :cool:

Thinking about it I have done both long-distance drives and road-trips (as defined by grumbler) with my wife (who hates planes). The last long drive was from Preston to Argelès-sur-Mer (near Perpignan). That is a 16 hour or 1060 mile drive Google tells me; we did it in two days and it was a horrible slog; no drives since then, only road-trips.

Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on April 10, 2021, 11:56:57 PM

Quote from: katmai on April 10, 2021, 10:49:43 PM
Both of my trips with Tricky Dick were road trips with stops planned along the way. What you are doing seems different in planning to spend bulk of vacation in Mass, so why waste time visiting likes of Berkut and just go to intended destination.

Happy days  :cool:

Thinking about it I have done both long-distance drives and road-trips (as defined by grumbler) with my wife (who hates planes). The last long drive was from Preston to Argelès-sur-Mer (near Perpignan). That is a 16 hour or 1060 mile drive Google tells me; we did it in two days and it was a horrible slog; no drives since then, only road-trips.

yeah my trips to Washington and back to Alaska were just power through to destination. I don't like those, but circumstances dictated it.

I've not been inside a vehicle moved by an ICE or electric motor in 433 days, is that an anti-road trip? :P

That's a strange flex.

Quote from: mongers on April 11, 2021, 10:08:54 AM
I've not been inside a vehicle moved by an ICE or electric motor in 433 days, is that an anti-road trip? :P

Gamers: PATHETIC

Quote from: Eddie Teach on April 11, 2021, 01:54:34 PM
That's a strange flex.

um have you forgotten last 20 years of  DWM's posts

I said strange, not surprising.  :P

Quote from: Eddie Teach on April 11, 2021, 05:35:05 PM
I said strange, not surprising.  :P

true.

#1

Meri, the family and I went on a Meri-approved (I think) road trip today.  8 hours, 500km, and wound up back at our house.  But we saw an assortment of giant roadside attractions (world's largest sausage!  world's first UFO landing pad!), went back to some of the old towns and houses Tracy and I lived in, and weirdly the most memorable being a village named Andrew - the same name as our middle kid, and getting pictures of him besides all kinds of stuff with his name on it.

It was a fun day.

That sounds delightful! What a great way to get out of the house safely.  :wub:

If I'm just looking to move my butt somewhere specific I'll take another means of transport when available (train within Spain, plane elsewhere).
The only way I can drive for more than a couple hours lately is pedal to the metal (Autobahn ,baby!). I get really antsy otherwise. Long drives are a pain in the arse with my condition as well.

I have engaged in some fun road trips in the past, but those were intended as such from the start. If I were to do it nowadays I think I'd enjoy Threviel's approach the best.