Archive through November 13, 2001
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Archive through November 13, 2001
Buttercup | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 01:44 pm     Do you have any great road trip tips? In about three weeks I will be going on Buttercup's Great Adventure--driving from Silicon Valley, CA to the Naples, FL. Woo hoo! On my way I will be visiting some of my great friends here from TVCH (hoping none are serial killers ). I am very excited to meet them, and hoping they have a barn I can stay in for free at night It would be great if you had some tips or advice for my trip. Cost savings as well as others. What to take in the car, places to stop and see on my route (I will drive to southern CA and then across), hotel/motels NOT to stay at, stay-awake-while-driving advice, etc. Since I am not the first, and probably not the last, to go on a long road trip here at TVCH, I think it would be great if we could share our tips and experiences! Thanks guys! <Buttercup could be coming to a town near you >
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Schoolmarm | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 02:04 pm     Hey Butter...you may not want to road trip the way I do, because I drive til I drop and then drive some more. Best advice: When you get tired, STOP and take a nap. Take a pillow and blanket with you and COVER YOUR FACE and lock your doors. Make sure that you don't pack the car so full that you can't recline your seat! There are lots of sleeping people at the rest areas on the interstates. If you aren't on the interstate pull over at a "Park and Ride" or a restaurant or church parking lot. The risk you take by taking a nap in your car will far out weigh the risk of falling asleep at the wheel and having an accident. Bring your favorite foods with you. Case of pop (will cool nicely on the passenger seat floor if you are running the air-conditioning). Huge bags of popcorn that you popped. Chewing gum. Carrots. Whatever! You will probably want CDs or Books on tape for when you are going through the rural areas and radio stations are, well, sparse. Now, for my big idea...get on priceline.com for your hotel/motel rooms. They now allow same day bidding, in case you can't plan way far ahead. Many of the rest stops or truck stops have internet access now, so you could use their computers. If you want lots of info about how to bid on priceline (and a $5 bonus per night link) go to http://www.biddingfortravel.com Scroll down to the bottom and check out "Bonus Money" Also read the threads about the cities/states you will be traveling through for an idea of bids that have come up. (As an example, I just got the Westin in Cincy for $50/night--and then for $44/night for my students after I was successful. I get a Holiday Inn in Pittsburgh for $27 or so on a fairly regular basis...I've been delighted with my savings) The other option with hotel/motel is to pick up those "Interstate" coupon books. They have deals on lodging and list them by exit. Have fun!! <Marm gets ready to pack the car for Cincy> |
Juju2bigdog | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 03:51 pm     Excellent tips, Schoolmarm. I did not know about same day bids on Priceline. Well, actually, I had never even thought about bidding for one night hotel stays on Priceline at all. Now I will have to go check it out. I use the interstate coupons for lodging a lot. They have some excellent prices in there. Most reliable places to pick up those coupon books used to be foyer of Denny's restaurants. Nowadays they have them at most McDonalds near the interstates and at state welcome stations and visitor bureaus. They are also online. Let me see if I still have a link for that. Okay, here is one, but not sure if it was the one I was thinking of. Yes, it just might be. I tried it and found some good rates. roomsaver Here is another: hotel coupons Of course, you would either have to print out those coupons ahead of time or carry a laptop and printer with you or go to the library (they have printers). I am sure I must have a ton of other road trip tips, but can't think of any right now. Oh yeah, here is one. If you are going to be traveling with a laptop, you will want to have a universal isp, such as aol, juno, or one of the biggies. Juno does still have a free internet plan I think, and it has a pretty good nationwide network of local dialups. Then make sure you are spending the night in a town big enough to have a local dialup number. Of course the idea of bunking in for free with tvch members is also a good one. Just post your route in advance and see who volunteers. You have enough friends in the know on here that we can kind of network behind the scenes and let you know who we KNOW to be safe. Like Spy. Spy is safe. Moondance is safe. I am safe, but you are not coming this way. I'd go so far as to say Merlin is safe, but I don't want to ruin his reputation. Okay, I'll probably come back later with more tips. This is fun! Gotta go to Priceline now. Juju2roadtripdog
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Schoolmarm | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 03:56 pm     JUJU!!!! Go to biddingfortravel.com FIRST to get the $5 bonus money per night (up to $25 total). They also explain how to bid and get "free" re-bids by bidding zones that don't have the quality of hotel you want. I was just on that site and they have renewed the bonus money for November. |
Wargod | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 06:59 pm     Hey Butter, if I have no barn does that mean you won't come visit me??? |
Flint | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 07:21 pm     But...but...but...if you aren't around who is going to take care of my wet noodle?
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Egbok | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 10:07 pm     Hey Buttercup, just an FYI on Wargod. She's not a serial killer BUT if you see her little girl with a raw egg in her hand and there's a definite wind-up happening . . .DUCK!!! |
Wargod | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 10:14 pm     Hahahahahaha! That is very true Eg! Though Butter seems excited to meet her. HMMMM.....does that mean Butter has some tricks to teach her???? |
Mahrajah | Sunday, November 11, 2001 - 10:20 pm     yea i remember goin on one long ages ago.. back when i was livin in india.. i remember me my cuz and 2 friends drove from our hometown in south india all the way up to srinagar, kashmir.. that was an awsome road trip.. la magnificico |
Buttercup | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 01:41 am     Wow, you guys are great! I knew I could count on you Schoolmarm, down comforter and pillow will be in car in the event of a quick snooze in the car or barn sleeping Great tip on the air conditioned soda, and I will also be checking out books on tape from the library. Rabbit and Tess have suggested some great titles. Your priceline suggestion is absolutely outstanding!!! Juju, I will definitely be printing some of the coupons you suggested too. Good point regarding the universal ISP, I have AOL as well and will use that. It's too bad that I won't be seeing you on my adventure, and I am not sure where Moondance lives. However, I will for sure see the safe girls Wargod and Spy. Even if Merlin is safe, I would of course not post that, since I wouldn't want to ruin his reputation either Egbok, thanks for the warning regarding Dakota! However, as War said, I can't wait to meet the lil hot-headed redhead Wargod, no barn??? Then where do you keep Dakota?? Flint, Flint, Flint...you've been bragging so much about your coffee girls, so I figured you wouldn't miss me much Glad you had a great trip in India, Mahrajah. The advice and tips you all have given me are great! Please keep them coming. Any suggestions for good road music? This may be a silly question, but does it get cold at night down there in the south? Are warmer clothes needed?
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Flint | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 03:48 am     Good road trip music? Turbo by Judas Priest. |
Spygirl | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 05:40 am     I can't speak for everywhere in the south, but right now it isn't cold anywhere here right now. I'm sure by December it will, though -- much colder than California. I'll keep you posted over the next few weeks, but I would imagine that it will get close to freezing by the time you are here -- at least at night. We've been at 32 degrees once already. |
Juju2bigdog | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 09:01 am     Temperature in the south - let me put it this way. You "might" wear at night what you would wear in the daytime in the Bay Area at this time of year. Otherwise, bring lightweight clothes, short sleeves, etc. (Juju2bigdog lived in south 20 years, Bay Area five, now freezing tail off in Pacific Northwest*) *and it ain't even cold up here. |
Sandyc | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 09:57 am     I did a road trip across Canada a couple of years ago. Did it in the summer though. Slept in the back of my little toyota truck with my dogs anywhere I could find to park. Dogs were good security. I hope you stay to the south so you won't get cold. Stop often and enjoy where you are. I think that's the best advice I can give you.. Allow lots of time and stop often. |
Tess | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 11:05 am     Butter---Egbok lives in the general vicinity of Miss Dakota and her weary family (by California standards, that is). I can vouch 100% for Eg as an absolutely wonderful human being and one of the people from TVCH I would most love to meet---heck I wish she lived right here in my town!!! I'm still trying to understand why you don't believe that Minnesota is on your route across country. What's an extra 2000 miles among friends??? |
Moondance | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 12:33 pm     BC... I have had the pleasure of meeting MsBok... she is WONDERFUL and I live not far from her... you are welcome to stop by my neighborhood too! Would love to meet you |
Wargod | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 01:26 pm     Hey Butter, little miss Dakota is not a red-head...she just acts like it, hehe. And besides, shes usually very well behaved around people she doesn't know. I'm still wondering what tricks you have up your sleeve to teach her though...hmmmmmmm. LOL Oops, time to go back to work now, hehe. |
Abbynormal | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 01:30 pm     Buttercup, I live in Alabama and you are more than welcome to stop by here. I would love to meet you. I met Kstme and I didn't harm her in any way whatsoever! lol I am really not abnormal, just a little tetched ya know?! I hope you come this way, its fun to meet TVCH family. |
Angelnikki | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 07:17 pm     well butter have you been to vegas?? thats where im at. abbynormal, kstme lives here also. I dont know about meeting anyone in person from talking to them online, seems a bit strange to me. but hey, im a weird person. wargod, and just how does a red head act?  |
Wargod | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 07:24 pm     Like my 3 year old daughter who chucks raw eggs at the back fence! Evil, Angel.....I've been a red head all my life, lol. But, we are also the sweetest people you'll meet. |
Angelnikki | Monday, November 12, 2001 - 07:34 pm     LOL im not full red head but when i was a kid my hair was red red and now its like red in the sun but its brown like light light brown. yes the sweetest people in the world, i would agree with you. |
Buttercup | Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 12:57 am     Thank you all for more advice and invitations! I will post my route soon, and perhaps I could meet a few more people Angelnikki, I agree this is all a little wacky, however, it isn't called Buttercup's Great Adventure for nothing! Abbynormal, I may even make it to Alabama and meet the boys! How's the peanut??
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Fruitbat | Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 04:56 am     Well, I am astounded at the advice you have been given. In the past 2 years I have traversed the country 4 times. We just drove until we were tired then pulled off and stayed in the first inexpensive motel at the exit. I had no idea! How long will you be gone? Why is Naples your destination? Details please. |
Juju2bigdog | Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 04:37 pm     Oh, Fruitbat, you poor thing. There is a science and perhaps an art to this road trip thingamajig. |
Angelnikki | Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 08:23 pm     oh buttercup, it sounds like alot of fun. i have never been across the country, hell i have only been to four states in my life and three of them are touching each other LOL i hope you have a great time and meet some cool peeps cause there are alot of great people on this board |
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