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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 485
Location: germany
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 Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 12:54 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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| scottyrocks wrote: |
| Stinky123 wrote: |
How far north of Denver? Denver is not really Colorado.
500 miles a day is on the lazy side, IMHO, but to each their own. That is about 8 hours of driving, if that. You'll find it fairly easy to average over 60mph.
We don't plan our trips that far out....a day at a time. I'm not sure what my wife uses, but she uses an app, or website and finds us a room about an hour before we need it as we drive down duh road.
The only time that we had a problem was in Omaha. Our trip corresponded w/the College WS and the hotels were expensive and few. We drove another 1:15 to Lincoln, about 90 miles and everything was wide open....and cheap. The wife had stuff to see in Lincoln, so it worked out for the best. |
The new house is in Thornton. We don't want to be in the city, and we don't want to be in the sticks, either.
The Thornton/Westminster/Arvada/North Glenn area is basically suburbia, but not far from open areas, and the Rpckies are right there, just west of us. We will have time to see most of the rest of the state.
My 500 mile day is just an estimate. If I was going to split the driving evenly between all three days, it's actually 600 miles.
I will be doing more research, especially re lodgings, way before I make the first trip. For significant reasons, I can't just take off at whim on an 1800 mile drive. |
Thinking like stupid tourist from germany with an old VW Beetle.
(who is thinking and adding some ideas for a coast to coast and back trip)
Why that hurry? Just an idea only, what about thinking the opposite?
You have wife, friend of wife, 2 dogs and 3 cars to bring to Thornton, CO.
Why not regarding it, as a kind of interesting holiday trip? 7 Days, maybe 14?
What does America offer to guests along that way, in that region between LI and Thornton beside the highways?
Niagara Falls? Visit to Canada?
Natural wonders: scenic drives, beaches, caves, waterfalls, geothermal features, forest,
Culture & discovery: filming locations,
American history, museums (Ford Detroit)
Traditional food, winery
Wife: allways thinking about and phoning, asking questions, probably nervous and stressed about husband, friend, dogs, something else
2 old Dogs: burden or help? They probably feel better and healty, when you and your wife are happy, independend, where all you are.
Suggest to stay and enjoy together, arrange it as far as possible as a joyride.
Avoid stress, do not plan too detailed, reserve 7 or better 14 days for the trip and enjoy your freedom.
Your car, driving vehicle is insured. |
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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 485
Location: germany
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2025 2:04 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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| scottyrocks wrote: |
| Stinky123 wrote: |
How far north of Denver? Denver is not really Colorado.
500 miles a day is on the lazy side, IMHO, but to each their own. That is about 8 hours of driving, if that. You'll find it fairly easy to average over 60mph.
We don't plan our trips that far out....a day at a time. I'm not sure what my wife uses, but she uses an app, or website and finds us a room about an hour before we need it as we drive down duh road.
The only time that we had a problem was in Omaha. Our trip corresponded w/the College WS and the hotels were expensive and few. We drove another 1:15 to Lincoln, about 90 miles and everything was wide open....and cheap. The wife had stuff to see in Lincoln, so it worked out for the best. |
The new house is in Thornton. We don't want to be in the city, and we don't want to be in the sticks, either.
The Thornton/Westminster/Arvada/North Glenn area is basically suburbia, but not far from open areas, and the Rpckies are right there, just west of us. We will have time to see most of the rest of the state.
My 500 mile day is just an estimate. If I was going to split the driving evenly between all three days, it's actually 600 miles.
I will be doing more research, especially re lodgings, way before I make the first trip. For significant reasons, I can't just take off at whim on an 1800 mile drive. |
Next idea:
your forester seems to be a good car for a trailer hitch. If so, you could rent or buy a not too big caravan and also use a trailer for another trip trailering your beetle or something else. |
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Max Welton
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Joined: May 19, 2003
Posts: 10915
Location: Black Forest, CO
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 14468
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2025 12:01 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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We had a trailer hitch on the wife's 2000 Forester and towed a number of trailers. No issues at all. Mind you it had a 5 speed standard and a 2.0L turbo engine.
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old! |
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wagen19
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 485
Location: germany
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 2:46 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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| oprn wrote: |
| We had a trailer hitch on the wife's 2000 Forester and towed a number of trailers. No issues at all. Mind you it had a 5 speed standard and a 2.0L turbo engine. |
The dogs...
only wondering, what´s going on here.
Your wife and a friend of her´s.
It seems they already have found a solution for travelling with the 2 dogs the 1800 miles trip with the forester. Have they planned to sleep in tents beside the car and the dogs? What´s their plan and goal? Dogs in hotels? Is this not a limiting factor?
Do the dogs like, over several days, travelling many hours in a car? If so in what kind of car? AC or breathing with nose just beside open window more fresh oxygene? My father´s dogs did so and liked cars, especially beetles with opened triangle door window on passenger side. (what about rear pop outs?) Not the dogs start vomitting and diarrhea after 50 or 20 miles. Ask your vet.
Hope you and your wife like nearly the same kind of "room comfort" in your car, as your dogs.
What about transportation cars and goods by railroad? Is it possible to use or rent a railway carriage?
Over all, I´m afraid, Scotty you can rock well, but not beam. |
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scottyrocks
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2832
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 8:16 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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| Max Welton wrote: |
While a forester is a great car for CO, it's marginal for towing. Especially if it's got the CVT transmission. BTDT.
Max |
Regardless of whether or not a Forester with a CVT can handle a trailer and an 1800 lb car, my wife refuses to drive a car that is pulling a trailer. I have to drive my Civic out there and do not want to make the trip twice in such a short time. That's why I am shipping the VW. Also, I got a very competitive price that is only slightly more expensive than me renting a truck and trailer and doing it myself. And this carrier was used by a good friend of ours with no negative issues.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
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scottyrocks
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2832
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 8:49 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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| wagen19 wrote: |
| oprn wrote: |
| We had a trailer hitch on the wife's 2000 Forester and towed a number of trailers. No issues at all. Mind you it had a 5 speed standard and a 2.0L turbo engine. |
The dogs...
only wondering, what´s going on here.
Your wife and a friend of her´s.
It seems they already have found a solution for travelling with the 2 dogs the 1800 miles trip with the forester. Have they planned to sleep in tents beside the car and the dogs? What´s their plan and goal? Dogs in hotels? Is this not a limiting factor?
Do the dogs like, over several days, travelling many hours in a car? If so in what kind of car? AC or breathing with nose just beside open window more fresh oxygene? My father´s dogs did so and liked cars, especially beetles with opened triangle door window on passenger side. (what about rear pop outs?) Not the dogs start vomitting and diarrhea after 50 or 20 miles. Ask your vet.
Hope you and your wife like nearly the same kind of "room comfort" in your car, as your dogs.
What about transportation cars and goods by railroad? Is it possible to use or rent a railway carriage?
Over all, I´m afraid, Scotty you can rock well, but not beam. |
Excellent questions.
My wife has already looked into the dogs-in-hotels thing, and she says there actually are hotels that accept dogs. Whether she has actually found them on the proposed route is another matter, but that is something she will have to work out.
Also, she acknowledged that although my trip is going to be done in 3 days, hers will most likely be longer. What is better for both the dogs and the humans - three longer, or four shorter days in the car? Whichever they do may work for her and her friend's sanity and driving stamina, and the dogs will survive it, as well.
As for the dogs riding in the car, they both do it, all-be-it for local trips, with either windows up with AC, or cracked slightly for ventilation. And although we don't want to knock them out for a plane ride, they both tolerate benadryl very well, so there's that, if needed for such a long trip.
I don't think a railway carriage is a good idea, mainly because it will take as long as the drive, and they will still have to be sedated and crated, which is dangerous at their age, and they won't be with her, not good for the dogs or her - the worst of all worlds, afaics.
Tbch, I don't love any of the options, but we have to do something. The chosen option, driving them, is the safest for the dogs, regardless of the effect on the humans. This is something she is set on, and has been decided by her, and that's fine with me, mainly because we feel there is no other, better choice.
_________________
“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch' |
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calvinater
Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2014
Posts: 3519
Location: 802 The Pointless Forrest
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2025 9:48 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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best wishes to you and yours.
Have a safe ytrip.
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2832
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2025 7:54 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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Thank you!^
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch' |
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Erik G
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Joined: October 16, 2002
Posts: 13521
Location: Tejas!
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2025 10:43 am Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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All Hiltons and all of their different collections allow pets. Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, Tru, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, and Home2Suites etc
For you, I wouldn't worry so much, I have crashed at rest areas just leaning the seat back. hope you have a great, boring, trip  (meaning it's all smooth going, no issues)
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scottyrocks
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2832
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2025 6:51 pm Post subject: Re: driving cross country |
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I like the rest stop idea. Who needs to bathe when you're by yourself? haha
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch' |
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