Road trips

[Kacey]

When you drive long distances, do you fall into a pattern of stops? I tend to stop every 1 1/2 to 2 hours, to get out and move around some if nothing else; I bring my own food rather than stop at restaurants; at least that way I know what I'm going to get. When I take my dog, I alternate between gas stations and rest stops where he can get out too. Other people I've been on road trips with prefer to stop only for gas, except for a meal break.

What do you do to make a long road trip go more smoothly? How does it change when you are the only person? The only driver, but with company? With other drivers in the car?

 

[jks9199]

Whether I'm alone or traveling with others, I generally try to stop every 2 hours or so. It fights the road hypnosis, gives me a chance to make a pit stop, get some food if I'm hungry and just generally move around. If the dog's with us, he often dictates the stops more than me...

 

[Jade Tigress]

I stop only for gas and food. When I'm on a road trip, I just want to get there.

 

[terryl965]

When traveling alone food and gas only, no need to stop really.

When traveling with family or the fight team every 1.5 hours for 10-15 minutes so they can stretch and get comfitable again.

 

[Ping898]

If travelling alone (and I know the route) it tends to be just stopping for gas if I can. I try to bring food with me, though on the 10+ hour drives I might stop to have a good dinner at someplace a step above fast food where I can be in and out in under 30 minutes. It helps rejunvinate me for the rest of the drive.
When I am with someone else I tend to stop more often mostly just for extra pit stops.

 

[arnisador]

I stop only when nature calls, be it to take in food or...

Of course when we travel with the dog it's different!

 

[jks9199]

I stop only when nature calls, be it to take in food or...

Of course when we travel with the dog it's different!

How many people have found that, when driving with a dog, the DOG seems to be in more control of when and where you stop then the driver?

On a fun note... Right after I got married, my wife & I were driving halfway across the country with her stuff, and the dog. Of course, the dog meant that most stops were staggered; we'd stop, I'd go in, take care of business while she walked the dog, then I'd take the dog for her to go in. But, you know, more often than not (and he still does this if he gets a chance), he ends up in the driver seat if there ain't a human but there!

 

[KeeblerElf]

How many people have found that, when driving with a dog, the DOG seems to be in more control of when and where you stop then the driver?

It really does seem to be that way, dogs rule the pit stop choices. Personally when I travel alone on a long drive, I only stop if I need gas but when I'm traveling with other people I'll offer them the chance to decide on a pit stop every two or so hours. I hate stopping because it just makes the trip take that much longer, which means, I should probably never get a dog...

 

[Kacey]

How many people have found that, when driving with a dog, the DOG seems to be in more control of when and where you stop then the driver?

On a fun note... Right after I got married, my wife & I were driving halfway across the country with her stuff, and the dog. Of course, the dog meant that most stops were staggered; we'd stop, I'd go in, take care of business while she walked the dog, then I'd take the dog for her to go in. But, you know, more often than not (and he still does this if he gets a chance), he ends up in the driver seat if there ain't a human but there!

That's never been a problem for me - my dog is a great passenger. He gets a drink when I stop for gas, and he gets a walk when I stop to go to the bathroom - which gives me the moving around I need to stay awake and not be sore from sitting still too long the next day.

 

[Drac]

Me I go non-stop..I fire up the CB radio and some tunes and go..If I stop its for fuel or a potty break..

 

[tshadowchaser]

I tend to stop and stretch every few hours. Fast food is eated on the go and gas and nature are the only real reasons for me to stop most of the time.

 

[bydand]

If I am traveling by myself I stop for gas. Usually I travel 6 or 7 miles over the posted speed, set the cruise control, crack open a Pepsi and a tube of Pringles and I'm good to go until 400 miles later when I need gas. Fill up, go in to pay, visit the little Ninja's room, get another Pepsi and Pringles and hit the road again. I am usually good for about 30-32 hours, then I stop, get a room to sleep for 7 or 8 hours and do it all again. Don't say a thing, something about being behind the wheel just is like lifes' elixer itself to me and I never even yawn while driving.

With the family I stop every 100 yards or 30 seconds, whichever is shorter. At least that is what it seems like some days. Now that the kids are getting older they can go a couple of hours between stops and that is what I do. Stop every 1 1/2 to 2 hours and let them burn off some steam with a few large area games we know (Thank you Cub Scouts!) then in 20-30 minutes we hit the road again. To kill time in the Suburban we play road games with the kids, or bribe them to keep them interested in the trip. You know the routine "50 cents to the next person who sees a White house with red shutters" Keeps them looking out the windows and occupied. Side note: NEVER tell them $10 to the next person who sees a buffalo while in Pennsylvania, who knew there were Buffalo farms in Pennsylvania? I didn't.

 

[Tez3]

We don't drive as far as you do, we'd fall off the country! With fuel being over $8 dollars for a (British) gallon (American gallons are smaller than ours by all accounts) we tend not to want to drive far anyway!
The longest I've driven is in France, 12 hours north to south and vice versa, we stop every two hours as the coffee and food are delicious. When we used to drive in Germany on the autobahn there was no speed limit, very cool, the police drove Porsches very very cool!

 

[jks9199]

Me I go non-stop..I fire up the CB radio and some tunes and go..If I stop its for fuel or a potty break..

I just find that fuel & pit stops work out to about 2 hours, give or take. If I'm traveling alone, the stops are short. If I'm traveling with kids or dogs... there's no such thing, in my experience, as a "quick stop."

For example, a few years ago, I drove from the DC area to Kansas City; it's about 17 hours of driving... I think I did it in about 18 or 19. In spite of traffic, and construction...

(Yeah, that was driving at cop speed... I admit, I can be a little lead footed.)

I do find that if I'm going more than 8 to 12 hours, I do need a longer stop somewhere in there, even if it's just a stop for a meal outside the car.

 

[Blindside]

I regularly drive between Seattle and Green River ,WY, a distance of about 960 miles. I usually stop three times, combining fuel, toilet, caffeine, and food stops. Average drive time is about 14.5 hours.

For long drives, audio books rock!

Lamont

 

[BrandiJo]

well my hubby does most of the driving on any trip we have taken.. but my bladder tends to make us stop every3-4 hours. and when we had a cat traveling with us we had to stop for the night after about 8-10 hours to give the poor guy a break.