Cross country drive
 

I'm beginning my first cross-country drive tomorrow from Ithaca, NY to Tacoma, WA in the Subaru. I've been prepping the car for the trip for a couple months. Oil, PS fluid, ATF, brake fluid, coolant, and both diff oils have been changed out and new belts, brakes, air/fuel filters and plugs have been installed...so I think I'm set maintenance wise ;)

My route will take me from Ithaca to my aunt's place in Somerville, OH for a couple days, then on to De Soto, MO to pick up a friend of mine who will help with the driving for the rest of the way. From there, we'll be hitting up KC, Lincoln, NE then I-80 to North Platte where we will split off and head up to Douglas, WY where we will watch the coal train parade into and out of the Powder River Basin coal mines. That'll take us up WY-59 to Gillette, WY and I-90 to Billings, MT. From there we'll head west and up through Helena, MT and maybe if we have enough time head up Hwy 200 to Sandpoint, ID. From there, we'll head down to Pasco, WA to meet some friends, then across White Pass on US-12 and north on I-5.

We're planning on arriving in western Washington on June 3rd. Wish us luck!

If I were taking that trip, I'd try to travel the 2 lane roads. For instance, I'd take 20 across Nebraska, rather than 80. You'll see more interesting small towns and in general have less of a boring drive. Ashfall National Monument is in NE Nebraska. A very cool site filled with the fossilized remains of now-extinct NA land mammals.

the coal train thing is pretty amazing; read about it in the new yorker

enjoy your trip. sounds like fun.

Well, Somerville isn't too far from Cincinnati, so you have plenty of friends/help in that area if needed.

I think I'd rather die than drive a Subaroo cross country. :D:D;)

Take a couple gallons of water. Hopefully you wont need it but you might run across someone who does.

Camera

Cell phone

DeSoto MO is near STL, and I live right where I-64 and I-70 meet in St Charles County MO(lovely Lake St. Louis) on your way to KC...wave as ya go by!

Well I made it! A few short of 4000 miles logged and the Subie made it without a hitch. Got back on the afternoon of June 3rd and headed up to the Mariners game an hour after I arrived. I started driving my 300D and went "ahhhhh" :D

After picking up my friend in De Soto, we ended up staying in Grand Island, NE, North Platte, NE, Bill, WY, Billings, MT and Kennewick, WA. The 700+ mile marathon we drove between Billings and Kennewick was the longest leg.

I ended up having to add a quart of oil in The Dalles, OR I'm assuming (and hoping) because of all the high load, high RPM driving up the passes in Montana and Idaho. I was pulling up those hills near 4000 RPM with a good amount of throttle. I also had a brief scare in central Nebraska when a rock got stuck in a dust shield or caliper after some dirt road driving and made a horrible squeak every time the car started rolling. I was just about to get out and look at it when it popped out and all was well.

Ahhh what's lame is you never had a chance to drive my 300D ;)

Happy graduation by the way. If you have time you should take i86 west bound over to i90 and visit me in North East PA. You can reconnect with 80 down through i79.

Have fun bud!

Sounds like he has already gotten there... could be a major detour to hit PA from WA...

I'll be back in October for the big Dillingham reunion so I can check it out then ;)

You better. On a side note, I've been spending too much time with Sledge. I don't know how you theater techs deal with each other. :P

ABSOLUTELY!

I always take the two-lane or four-lane US Hwy paralelling the Interstate/tollway system - when I have no time constraints AND the two-lane isn't known to be a treacherous stretch of road.