Epic Road trip in November!

[CRLLS]

Quilting? Yeah, DW is also a quilter. We've been to Paducah once. If you go there, she says to also stop at the original Hancock Fabric store. It is HUGE. We drove thru there many years ago in an MGA 2-seater. She managed to find a few nicks and crannies to stash a fair amount of fabric. She's never been to the Missouri Star Quilt Company, but she wants to go.

 

[skyking1]

I just checked. Portland OR to Long Island NY is 3,000 miles. Quite a bit of driving to move just a 4x8 trailer worth. Don't you want a bigger trailer to make it worthwhile?

About Airbnb, they charge for cleaning, and rightfully so. For just one night stay, it is likely to be more expensive than hotels. And they may not be at convenient locations for a night stop. In the past, I usually used Airbnb if we stayed at least 3 nights to amortize the cleaning fee. And the check in/out process often is more cumbersome than checking in at a hotel.

Leaving your loaded truck in a hotel parking lot is asking for trouble. I want to sleep, and the cost of parking away from the interstate and off the road is well worth it. I see news stories of trucks and trailers being stolen all the time from hotels.
The loadout has changed too, and personnel.
Now I am building a plywood plug extension for my truck. It will raise the canopy up, and also go along the sides and over my open tailgate. My canopy will be ~20" higher than the cab and the extension will allow for the 8' long sofa. I can get her household into the truck.
It is now just two of us. I will tow her car on a Uhaul auto transporter trailer.

 

[NW-Bound]

^^^ You are not pulling a trailer now, but even in a residential area, is there not some risk?

There are motion alarms to mount on the truck, plus a shotgun by your side. But with the long driving day, you might be too tired and sleep too soundly to even hear the alarm.

 

[skyking1]

sure there's some risk. It is no comparison to a hotel parking lot. We do have motion detectors for both the truck and the trailer. We are indeed still pulling an auto trailer.

 

[old medic]

will definitely be destinating at Mammoth Caves national Park by day 2.

You can easily spend several days here... Double check as you may need to reserve your tour tickets a head of time. Also the Corvette Museum is near by.

 

[skyking1]

DW is not a cave person, so I will limit my cave visit and spend most of the time in the woods above.

 

[Koolau]

DW is not a cave person, so I will limit my cave visit and spend most of the time in the woods above.

If you choose the tour well, I'm guessing even a non-cave person would enjoy Mammoth Cave. Much of MC is like being in the largest (albeit, dimly lit) cathedral you've ever seen. No sense of claustrophobia unless you take one of the specialized tours. Enjoy. YMMV

 

[braumeister]

I can confirm that many of the Mammoth Cave tours will require advance reservations, but all are worth the effort.

And the Corvette Museum is fun!

 

[aaronc879]

If I was driving thru the Rockies in November I would not be making any Air BnB or hotel reservations as you don't know how far you will be able to get with the weather or even what route you will want to take until the day of or day before.

Hotel parking lots have lights and cameras in the parking area while a private residence with Air BnB probably does not.

 

[skyking1]

We are already booked eastbound, so that's beating a dead horse. I agree about the westbound bookings and was not planning the stops in the Rockies too much.
We might get kicked way south, who knows? We will make the best of whatever it is. I will get a tour reservation for Mammoth.

 

[skyking1]

This can serve as a current picture post and an update on the travels. The young lad is seeking some comfort under my arm for a moment.

We are in Omaha for lunch. Wyoming was epic windy, as is Nebraska. Things are going well after a rocky start on move day. We are running ahead of any precipitation, after just a little rain in the Columbia Gorge on Saturday night.

 

[Ronstar]

Have a safe trip skyking!

 

[skyking1]

Thanks Ron. It's been great, especially the airbnbs.
The first one was out in the rural area of Idaho and we were parked out past the the livestock and stayed in a very nice RV. The second was in a little mobile home park and Rock springs Wyoming in a really cute Five star single wide one bedroom with every possible amenity.
In both cases, the trailer and car and all of our contents felt completely secure, as opposed to any hotel parking lot I have ever seen.
Last night was in a quiet neighborhood and also that same feeling that the stuff was safe. I always see hotel parking lots as basically shopping centers for the thieves.

 

[brett]

If I were embarking on this move I would think twice about the real value of anything that I moved vs the cost and inconvenience of moving it.

And the cost of replacing it at destination...even with items purchased second hand.

The reality is that some things are just not worth moving. The cost , the replacement value, and the inconvenience does not justify a move.

 

[MarieIG]

Have a safe trip Skyking - adorable pup you've got there.

 

[skyking1]

Thank you Marie, he's a sweetie.

 

[pacergal]

Safe travels!

 

[skyking1]

Thank you
We have made Ohio on schedule. After ~1000 miles of high wind and high passes, it finally calmed down about central Iowa. After that the weather has been nothing short of spectacular. Today it was 70 for a high, and no precipitation at all for the whole country, minus a little smattering of rain in the Columbia Gorge and bits of drizzle in Idaho. I spent a lot of time sealing tarping stuff to get this dry weather
My friend's dog is a silken windhound, and he has some anxiety issues and does not travel well. The thought of putting him on a plane was a non-starter.

I am sooo stoned right now

I cut a plywood piece to make a stable platform for a large dog kennel, and put it behind the passenger seat for him. The kennel zips open on the side too, and he is half in and out in those pictures. We arranged things so it is on just the same level as the top of the console. He pops out for a pet or a visit, but really spends most of the time curled up in his "cave".

 

[skyking1]

Mission accomplished! We got everything unloaded and brought up a third floor walk-up before the tropical storm really set in. I took the deck off the trailer and got it all cleaned up and returned to U-Haul. I took the lift out from under the truck canopy and set the canopy down on the bed where it belongs and have it ready to go back west. My wife is on the afternoon flight from Seattle to JFK and everything is going on schedule.
Our doggy friend is fully recovered from 6 days of doggy downers. His owner is a vet technician and knows what she's doing.

 

[street]

Sounded like a nice trip glad all went well.

 

[Ronstar]

Glad mission was a success and the pup is back to normal!

 

[skyking1]

We made it out as far as Amish Pennsylvania country tonight. I'm so excited to be traveling with my wife now.

 

[MarieIG]

Looks as if the pup received very good care.

I'm sure DW will now enjoy her portion of the trip!

 

[CindyBlue]

You are such a good friend to haul all that gear across country! Good for you! Now you get to enjoy the trip home with your sweetie! I hope you don't have to be home on a tight schedule and can take your time and enjoy the trip together.

My hubby and I have explored some amazing corners of America because I keep wanting to go to weaving or spinning or wool shops/farms/factories. I'm glad your wife is a quilter - looking for fabric shops is sure to take you to lots of interesting places!

 

[skyking1]

New River Gorge seems cool, that might be a stop along the way. I built two routes, one with use of freeways and the other avoiding them. It's ~415 miles from our current location to the New River Gorge, and the highway drive is 6:24 and the country route is 9:11
There is no difference in miles, only the twists and turns and lower limits of the country roads. My gut says do the slow roads and see West Virginia. I might get to see enough from the fast roads. What say you O wise travelers of this country?
If the highway reveals enough of the character then we will go that route. If there are specific cool things we might like, please suggest these stops and detours. We are happy to take the Supertramp " long way home" when it pays off.