posted March 28, 2011 06:42 PM            

Take your cell phone charger,good map, touch base with your family often and Dee has the rest covered.

posted March 28, 2011 07:46 PM            

I can't say enough good things about it.
If you mess up, it will correct for you and also let you know when you're coming to gas stations, restaurants, etc.

It would be a perfect traveling companion for someone alone.

You have kitties?
me too, but by accident
my daughter rescued a mama cat that was 2 days away from having kittens
guess who got stuck with them?
My whole house is allergic to them and we are living on allergy meds.
Trouble is, the longer it takes for us to place them
The harder it is to let them go
I'm down to three
Cry Baby, Bully Boy, and My Precious Little Man
guess which one is my favorite?

posted March 28, 2011 08:25 PM            

= life saver

I've been a city bus driver for 2 years and was even a long haul semi-truck driver temporarily to pay for school when I was 21 (I actually qualify for mensa..). I think I went to 41 states that way. I've also moved back and forth between some midwestern state and eastern north carolina four times before I was 22! It was about 1150 miles one way. I blame this all on sun 30 minutes conjunct uranus in sagittarius trine the midheaven and asc exact..

Being really facetious... find a really nice radar shield. Preferably one with at least 2-3 people ahead of you and sit a half mile back. Try not to go over 100 mph. If you're going 90 with said radar shield.. you're doing very well

Being an overly zealous environmentally friendly hypermiling enthusiast.. find a really slow semi-truck driver and tailgate him as comfortably as possible.. preferably chosing a company like schneider or something which limits the speed of it's trucks more than other companies. Put your car in neutral at stop lights and remove unnecessary seating, including possibly your side mirrors.

Being totally safe and serious. You can do it. I don't think you're in danger and I really wouldn't worry much about the hotel to choose before you go. They are so frequent and just because they have a nice website doesn't mean they change the sheets on their bedding. I worked at a somewhat well respected hotel chain and because the housekeepers were family and old, they got away with never changing the sheets and I found blood on the sheets as well as other stains you wouldn't want to find on the bedding.. Bring your own pillow as it will help you sleep. Take frequent stops. Do not go to flying J's. The creepiest truck drivers go there and I got stalked by a truck driver at the flying J in Butte Montana. If you do stop at a truck stop Pilot's and Love's are nice and Pilot's have decent coffee. The truck drivers there are much much better, but normal gas stations are cheaper.

Missouri.. or.. I mean.. Misery's roads have gotten better in recent years . I feel for you if you have to go through Chicago (construction hell) or the Pennslyvannia turnpike (potholes that could swallow cars). It goes without saying but give yourself more following distance especially when fatigued.

Use mile markers and bring an atlas. Decide your route on mapquest beforehand and rehearse it. Try to time your route in such a way that you do not hit Saint Louis or Denver during rush hours. Stay at a hotel if you think you might fall asleep at the wheel. I don't care if you're 20 miles from your destination. Get your car checked out before you go. You should be fine.

posted March 28, 2011 11:26 PM            

Yes, juni, I am taking a different vehicle, LOL! My mom is gifting me one of her other minivans to drive while I save up for another car, and when I sell it, I just need to reimburse her the repair costs she spent to get it running again. It's a '99 Chrysler Town and Country, and has half the miles my Camry does. I still hold hope the Camry is fixable, but right now, I need more reliable wheels. BTW, a GPS is a great investment, even if you don't leave the Midwest cause it helps you find new effiecient ways in your local area...and it's a nice thing to lend out to family and friends who could use it on trips. I'm borrowing Brian's TomTom

Randall, I love your definition for GPS!

mochai,
I really appreciate your real-world road advice I never thought of the bringing pillow idea, it's perfect! It's good to know which truck stops to avoid too. I should be able to avoid Chicago as I'll be heading southwest through Ohio. I'll ask Archangel Michael for protection, thanks for suggesting it.

posted March 28, 2011 11:44 PM            

Be VERY aware of other drivers around you. I've encountered the worst and stay a good distance from people to avoid crashes. Virgo Moon helps keep me hyper aware of my surroundings. There were a few close calls.

If you know of any protection prayers say them and visualize your self and vehicle surrounded in an aura of protection can't hurt either.

Make sure you have

GPS system
cell phone and car charger
jumper cables
stash of cash on hand just in case
sunglasses

if you are not making good time or would just like to get there sooner and not have to make so many stops, buy a package of Depends so you don't have to stop to go to the bathroom as much.

posted March 29, 2011 12:18 AM            

You'll be fine.