Request For Emergency Numbers Along Route From Rochester, NY to San Diego California - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

300SDog · #16 06-02-2003, 06:01 AM

>>>....I-90 to Chicago, then to St. Louis on I-55, and I-70 to Vail, Colorado.

Why be limitted just to interstates??

For example she could take Rte.61 N. from St. Louis to Hannibal Missouri (of Mark Twain / Tom Sawyer fame) then jump on Rte.36 West.... a straight shot to Denver that passes through a few one-horse towns that have "Twilight Zone" style cafes and diners, and extremely reasonable motels.

Time-warp experience of traveling old State Routes is tough to match...... Most are 65+ mph roads that pass through communities frozen in time.

JimSmith · #17 06-02-2003, 07:42 AM

Thanks again everyone for volunteering to be of assistance, and for all the recommendations and interest. I will discuss some of the route suggestions with her. They have to arrive in time to start their jobs so there is a practical limit to the length of the path they will take. However, I agree there is much more to be experienced by encounters with more than other speeding cars and trucks across the country.

Another day or so of preparation, and they will be off. My wife is very anxious about it all, but she drove across the country and up to Alaska, alone (well with our first dog, Cochise, a Samoyed when he was 8 months old) when she was 21 so she knows what is behind the trip. She likes to make things seem like her concern is the car (she took a Jeep CJ-5 with about a seventh the miles on it) but we all know better. As far as Moms go, I don't think there is any way God could make a better one than my wife, and she knows her job with this first creation is nearing an end, or at least a big change. Changes make us anxious.

Thanks again, this is a unique group of possessed people. Jim

thebern · #18 06-02-2003, 08:52 AM

I lived in colorado for 20 years. If she can go over Loveland pass instead of through the Eisenhower tunnel the views are worth the extra hour getting to Vail. A very interesting highway engineering feat is I-70 through glenwood canyon, and is beautiful, about 40 miles west of vail.

thebern

kerry · #19 06-02-2003, 09:10 AM

I'm with 240dieseldog. I drive east from Colorado often and I think 36 across Kansas and Missouri is a lot better route than I-70. No trucks, hardly any traffic, much of it 4 lanes. I'll never drive I-70 across Kansas again. In fact two years ago I drove from Rochester NY to Denver on 2 lane highways the whole way across PA, OH, IN, IL IW NB and CO. I used 34(?) across southern Nebraska that time. I realized how foolish I have been in driving Interstates for years. They are boring, busy, and disconnected from everyday life.
The one drawback to Loveland Pass is that you have to climb a lot higher than the Eishenhower Tunnel. The section of I-70 in Glenwood Canyon was finished in the late 80's and is the most expensive section of Interstate in the country. All to cut two minutes(I believe) out of the time it took to drive thru the canyon on the two lane section that used to be there. It also required years of traffic delays to build the Interstate. Irrational in my opinion.

roy wood · #20 06-04-2003, 04:08 PM

if she should come back the "southern" route, which is quite
scenic by the way (until you hit I-95), i'm in richmond, virginia area. so for what it's worth: 804-751-8617. hollar any time.

#21 06-04-2003, 05:30 PM

I am no where near the areas--but she should carry 3 cans of non-flammable fix-a-flat, IMO as part of her gear.

ready-ronnie · #22 06-04-2003, 07:37 PM

I would 2nd the suggestion of being registered w/mercedes and having the 800-367-6372 number. Does she have a reason for going thru ST. Louis? IT shorter to stay on 80

ericnguyen · #23 06-05-2003, 05:27 AM

Sorry I can't help much as I live in North California.

BTW, ask them never to imitate the kids in the movie "Joy Ride" :-)

Just kidding.

Eric

JimSmith · #24 06-06-2003, 11:38 AM

Hi Everyone,

Here is an update. I would have done this sooner but I was on a business trip and could only get dial up connections and my company's HR department has a habbit of sending out about a dozen announcements a day with a lot of fancy graphics that take about 20 minutes to load, so I had no spare time on-line to post.

The My daughter and one of her travelling companions left Monday evening from Connecticut and made it to Troy, NY to pick up some of the other travellers. The departure was significantly delayed by problems realizing the size of the trunk and what they wanted to drag along were not compatible. They reached Cleveland the next day, Tuesday evening, and camped somewhere outside Cleveland. No incidents, car running fine, no leaks, temperature excursions, etc. The next day they stopped off in Chicago for the evening and night to visit with friends in the area. Thursday they drove through St. Louis, and, taking the advice passed on from here they avoided some of the interstate highways and took the local state highways. They stopped last night at the border with Kansas and may remain off the Interstate.

No problems with finding Diesel, getting near 30 mpg, used about half a quart of oil so far (she has 2 and 1/2 gallons of Delvac 1 with her) and has only been alarmed once, leaving St. Louis. She thought it started to rain, but it turned out to be an attack by the local insect population. They have had to stop three times to clear the windshield.

I think they will be taking Loveland Pass instead of the Eisenhower Tunnel, as I heard on the news the stretch of I-70 around Vail has been damaged by runoff from the melting snow and heavy rains of late. At one point I believe the reports were the stretch of I-70 in that area collapsed a few inches and the tunnel was closed. No report on where they are and how far they intend to go today.

So, thanks a million for all the offers of help and phone numbers. So far so good, and I have my fingers crossed. I get daily reports on fluids and tire pressures as well as anything else of note, like mileage and temperatures. All reports have been "within specifications" and the car continues to amaze me. The Rocky mountains will be the next test for the car, so I am still a little anxious.

Once again, thanks a million, Jim

kerry · #25 06-06-2003, 12:57 PM

Even if she takes Loveland Pass, if the sinkhole appears again, she will still have to take a lovely detour. Yesterday I-70 was reopened and remains open.

JimF · #26 06-07-2003, 12:25 PM

. . . join AAA if not already a member and give her a cell-phone. Best insurance ever. No matter where she may get into trouble, AAA can help.

In SD, my home town, I can help her out for whatever she needs. Just send me an email with details how to call her.

Also a good indy shop for repairs: Exclusive Motors and it can be seen on my web page. Pat is terrific.

PS: Rochester was my home town. Born, raised and schooled there!

JimSmith · #27 06-07-2003, 12:48 PM

They camped in Colorado last night (in the rain), in the Northeast corner. They have taken the advice to travel the non-Interstate routes and liked it so much they now seem to be avoiding them. Since none of them had ever been in Nebraska they made a quick detour on a local road and spent a few hours driving in Nebraska just to be able to say they had been there. They are most likely taking the Loveland Pass route later today or tomorrow as they have some people to visit near Estes Park.

The car is still going strong. The windshield was replaced a few months ago, and it seems the replacement is not really well sealed. In the rain they had a little water start to drip into the passenger compartment in the upper right hand corner (passenger side), which is a new ailment. I passed on some instructions concerning what to look for when it stops raining, including the inspection of the sunroof drains. They were getting a drop every twenty or so seconds.

She is fully AAA registered, and has a cell phone. Believe me I know the cell phone works because I have to check the minutes left on the family plan before I use it. We signed up for 700 free minutes of call anywhere per month and I thought we would never use it. Little did I know about who else she might be calling. But it is good to know she is staying in touch with everyone, so it seems to be a good investment.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, they got a real kick out of finding the geographic center of the United States in Kansas and cruising through lots of hills and dales, seeing some of the United States close up. She and the group wanted me to pass along a big Thanks to 240DieselDog for the suggestions. By the way, she has a geology degree now and so the geographic center of the country was uniquely entertaining to her.

While there she said they all piled into a chapel on the spot, sized for about 4 people. Her grandmother has been searching for the 1 year old or so Maine Coon Cat that has not reported back into home for 4 days, so my daughter made an appeal to have the kitten come home safely. Well, the kitten was found in a tree in a neighbor's back yard at about the same time! Leathermang, I know if you are reading this you will detect a lack of community involvement between neighbors in the Northeast, as after the commotion of getting the kitten out of the tree the neighbor told my Mother-in-law they noticed the kitten up there all four days. And by neighbor I mean they share back yard fences. Well, it is not like that all over the Northeast as I am sure if I had a cat hanging out in my neighbor's tree, he would be after me to get it out so it would stop bugging him.

Thanks again, and I will post more as they make progress. Jim

kerry · #28 06-08-2003, 01:01 AM

This may be too late, but if they're driving thru Green River, Utah on I-70 the Powell Musuem might be a place they would enjoy since he opened the Grand Canyon to geological exploration. There's a nice state park right on the river in Green River which is a good place to camp, although sometimes the mosquitos can be bad there.
If they want a quick, close look at the Colorado River, exit at Loma, south over the bridge and left on the dirt road half mile to the river. Lots of boaters put in there. It's really cooking with the snowmelt right now.

Cheapest fuel in the Vail Valley is the Eagle Vail Cafe, exit just past Vail for Minturn and continue west on the frontage road for about a mile. It's on the left down a steep driveway, a little hard to see. Don't know if they have diesel but it is the best bakery within a couple of hundred miles.

dabenz · #29 06-08-2003, 11:15 AM

Geology? You may never see that kid again after her road trip west!

JimSmith · #30 06-08-2003, 12:37 PM

Dabenz,

We would always love to have her here at home, but if she found a job out there, well, that might be acceptable too. Mom has a hard time seeing her hatchlings leave the nest, but once they get out of college, it is time to get a job. If that takes her out West, I will be envious, and only make a condition that she have a spare room for her devoted parents. There are much less pleasant places to go to practice geology these days, so I would count doing it in the Rocky Mountains as a huge positive result.

No word yet this morning, but they will be crossing Colorado today I believe. I will pass along the suggestion to visit the Powell Museum today. Jim