Driving From NY to FL

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(modernsituations @ Oct 24 2006, 01:16 PM) [snapback]337395[/snapback]</div>

I drove for about 30 hrs (of course with breaks in between) within 4 days of buying my car. It gave no problems

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(modernsituations @ Oct 24 2006, 01:16 PM) [snapback]337395[/snapback]</div>

I've driven from Raleigh to Indianapolis, about 12 or 13 hours in our Prius, my longest drive ever was from Raleigh to Austin TX straight through in a Honda CRX, I don't think I'd ever want to do that again, that was like 24 hours...

Stop at least every 2 hours, be patient, ROAD WORK is always occurring somewhere. The fuel bladder can lead to some interesting gas guage readings, so don't try to go for the last drop before stopping for gas.

 

Take lots of snacks, preferably not messy ones, and some bottled water. Be sure to complement the usual 'too much sugar' with at least some protein. Lots of coffee also helps, or caffeine 'wake up' pills for when you're too far from civilisation. If you find yourself nodding off, take a break! It really helps to get out and walk around every couple of hours, just to get some fresh air and keep the blood flowing. The car will be just fine. On really long days, be prepared for a shock: you might need to fill up twice!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(modernsituations @ Oct 24 2006, 01:16 PM) [snapback]337395[/snapback]</div>

We've done may trips CT-Chicago (15 hrs) and CT-Miami (22 hrs), but there is a problem with the Prius on these trips. In other cars you stop every 4 hours or so to fill the gas tank, get some coffee and visit the potty. In the Prius you still have to stop every 4 hours or so, you just can't blame the car every other time.

Its a great road car. Just turn on the cruise control and enjoy the trip.

JeffD

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Oct 24 2006, 01:42 PM) [snapback]337413[/snapback]</div>

Along with Hyo's great tips, I suggest going to your local library and getting a couple of really good books on CD. You may even be able to get MP3 versions where the entire book is on 1 or 2 discs.

 

Done a couple of really long trips like that, one (so far) with the Prius - Columbus, OH to St. Paul MN, about 13 hours total.

Definately stop every couple of hours and walk around for a few mintues - getting the blood circulating helps keep you from nodding off. Also from an ergonomics point of view, sitting in one spot for more than a couple of hours can lead to back and other pain.

Take plenty of snacks and water. Stay away from messy ones - Twizzlers are great, because they aren't messy and you can chew them slowly, which helps keep you occupied.

Take a cell phone and charger, and don't be afraid of calling people. in fact, i use long trips to call people i haven't talked to in a while (months, usually) and catch up - it really helps the time fly. Of course, use the BT, or if you don't have that, a headset will work fine.

Finally, make sure to eat some decent food on the way down. the sugar will mess with your digestion when you get there, unless you offset it with some protien, as suggested above. But don't eat too much - you don't want to get stuffed and then feel the need for a nap.

And finally, make sure you have something good to listen to. You really can't rely on radio on a trip like this, as you may be stuck with only a few stations that you hate. Instead, get some books on tape, or an iPod, or something else that has at minimum 5-6 hours of good listening without repeating (of course, if you can get a playlist that'll go the entire trip without repeating, more power to you). The kind of music that you enjoy singing along to can help, as you won't be falling asleep while singing!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Proco @ Oct 24 2006, 11:10 AM) [snapback]337431[/snapback]</div>

iPOD.

 

take a lot of breaks, dont get into the trap of stopping only for gas (especially since you will probably have one stop for that.

 

I drove from the western most part of Miami (Kendall) to the eastern most part of Long Island New York (Riverhead) in an '05 Prius I had rented from Hertz.

I did this pretty much non-stop with one 3 hour or so stop in DC to have dinner.
I drove all the way up with my sister wondering when she'd get to drive.. She only got her chance on the way back down to Miami once I past Jacksonville.

It took me around 24 hours door to door. Although I've done similiar non-stop drives, this had to be was definately the longest by 8 hours.

One of the reasons why I bought my Prius was because I was impressed on how I was able to drive continuously without any issues and, of course, half the gas my '02 CR-V would have used.

Tips? If going more than 15 hours then I'd consider Red Bull.
Otherwise, it's a great car to take a long trip in.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(modernsituations @ Oct 24 2006, 01:16 PM) [snapback]337395[/snapback]</div>

 

I've made many long distance trips in my Olds from Holland to Houston which is about an 18.5 to 19 hour drive straight (1,200 miles), minus the stops for gas and snacks which I usually brought my own. Good idea to get out and stretch every once in awhile. Since I am a semi driver I can handle the long drives since truckers are usually trained to drive long hours anyway (with proper rest along the way).

When I get my Prius I am going to be making the trip to Houston for Thanksgiving this year.....would be interesting to see how many fillups it would take to get there, as compared to 2.5 fillups in my Olds (not counting fillup from home).

 

I've driven cross country from Savannah, GA to San Francisco, CA with a couple of roadside catnaps on the way. Several trips from Savannah, GA to Chicago with no catnaps. The best bet for music/entertainment is SAT Radio like SIRIUS or XM. Or if you have an MP3 compatible system, 120 songs X 6 CD's = 720 songs @ 3mins a piece on average = 36 hours of music and you never have to hear the same song twice! What a wonderful thing it is...

But, if you're like me and variety is what you seek...I have MP3, iPOD AND SIRIUS

As for nourishment, remember, the more you drink, the more you pee; but don't get dehydrated. I tend to stay away from coffee on the road as the elevated caffeine is a well known cause of anxiety and when you're cooped up in a small space like a car…ahem. Water and juice are my favorites. We freeze some bottle of water and stick them in a cooler as they serve dual purpose: They keep other stuff cold and then you can drink em!

Anyway…another thing you'll need for distance trips is lumbar support. We all know the Prius doesn't come with any, so a rolled up bath towel has the stiffness you'll need. Small pillows tend to flatten out after awhile and just get in the way.

Comfortable shoes are another thing I like on long trips.

Something I do that I know a lot of people won't agree with is I leave for my destination in the late evening (11 or 12) or early, EARLY morning (2 or 3). A couple of advantages of that are the traffic is minimal and it's cooler when you live in a hot climate. Disadvantages are there are more sleepy people on the road that may have been driving all night. Typically, if you're leaving on a weekday you don't have to worry so much about drunk drivers, but if you leave on a Friday night, Saturday morning, the numbers go up.

Remember, be safe, stay alert and stay alive!

 

If you have the nav system and a little extra time, look for opportunities to get off the Interstate and get on some of the "blue highways" (actually, the green ones on the nav system). "It's the journey, not the destination" kind of thinking.

If you are driving this week, it is peak leaf season here in lower Appalachians. Best it has been in recent memory. Take some time to look around if you are passing through.

Also, there is a chain of restaurants called Cracker Barrel that allow you to rent books-on-CD at one Cracker Barrel and drop them off at another one (you don't have to eat there, just park, rent, and go). They are all over the place, at least here in the South.

 

Cracker Barrel restaurants also rent books on CD for $3 a week. You pay the sticker price for the book on CD at one Cracker Barrel and then return it at another Cracker Barrel for a refund that is $3 less than what you paid for it.

There are Cracker Barrel restaurants all over the east coast, particularly in the south, but now there are even a bunch in the north east. They are always located right beside major highways. You'll probably pass 20 of them between New York and Florida.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Inthewind @ Oct 25 2006, 06:53 AM) [snapback]337873[/snapback]</div>

Actually, i think it's a great idea... If you can manage to get 3-4 hours of sleep in late afternoon/early evening, then leaving between midnight and 3 sets sunrise right about at the point where you start getting tired for the first time - nothing like a bolt of sun light right between the eyes to wake someone up!

Also, stay away from caffine, if at all possible. It'll leave you hanging afterwards - the effects wear off too quickly, and you crash down hard, and suddenly. The same can be said about sugary snacks, so make sure you spread them out.

 

i have an ipod (actually 4 are in the house) loaded with podcasts. The Bob Rivers Show (if you live in the Pacific Northwest, listen to KZOK 5am-10 am mon-fri they are the funniest show on the radio and getting a nationwide audience since they started simulcasting on the net bobrivers.com) Science Friday from NPR, etc. i find that listening to a good show eliminates the fatigue i feel even on trips as short as an hour. i drove to montana (9 hours one way) and felt very little fatigue)