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A really crazy idea - 3500 mi road trip with new SSR?

1200 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by JimGnitecki, Jan 16, 2005

JimGnitecki

Discussion Starter · Jan 13, 2005

I know this will sound really crazy, seeing as how I just picked up my brand new SSR TODAY, but both me and my wife, Karen, have just loved the first few hours of riding around in it, and I got this crazy idea for a road trip, and she supports it!

I am temporarily actually between contract assignments at the moment, afer spending the majority of 2004 traveling on business, all on multi-link airline trips. I didn't get to enjoy any vacation at all.

Today, I suggested, not really seriously, that I should really take this rod on a real road trip, while I actually have the time to do it (next assignment will almost certainly take me to another city for a few months, and limit available time off).

A team of our church musicians are traveling out to Sausalito, 1 to 3 at a time, back and forth, over the next 3 to 4 weeks, to record a Christian music record release at a very respected recording studio.

The distance from Austin to Sausalito is about 1750 miles each way, so a 3500 mile road trip, and I suggested maybe I would just get into the SSR sometime in the next few days and go there and back, spending 3 to 4 days in the Bay area. The total trip would be about 10 days. Karen thought it was a great idea!

I am really attracted to going out there by car, as I love the Bay area scenery and driving, and would be able to hang out with and provide some moral support to the musicians from our church as they work their 11 hour days on the recording project.

I'm a little intimidated by 3 things:

- Weather and driving conditions in West Texas can get a little bad in the winter, if I get unlucky

- I hate to make a trip like that in a car that has not yet proven its reliability

- I don't even have license plates yet!

Karen has to work, but she even suggested I consider inviting one of the guys from the church to come along, especially if they are relatives to one of the musicians on the project.

What do the rest of you SSR fanatics think? Am I nuts, or could this actually work?

Jim G

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kwhopper89

· #4 · Jan 13, 2005 (Edited)

The SSR is a great road trip vehicle. My initial drive was from Missoula Montana back to Central California the first week of Dec 2003 - about 1500 miles. I too had weather/road condition worries. I had about 50 miles of slushy roads to drive - but the rest was just wet. No problems at all..

Your route will most likely bring only wet roads - if that. The major storms seem to be done for now (Just don't plan on Hwy 101 Out of LA north thru Ventura County for obvious mud slide reasons.) Which means that for some of your journey you'll need to go thru the San Joaquin valley - and with that some good possibility of early morning FOG. It can be really bad, so if you can schedule to pass thru here in the afternoon - do so.

Interstate 5 out of LA is now free of snow. BUT, If you want to avoid LA, you can route yourself through Barstow (I-40 then Hwy 58 over Tehachapi), Hwy 58 continues thru Bakersfield (stop and say howdy to Buck Owens at his Crystal Palace :lol ) and will connect back into Hwy 101 in San Luis Obispo County. This will prevent you from experiencing much of the wonderful TULE FOG I mentioned.

You may want to avoid Hwy 1 north of there (Between San Simeon and Monterey) - as that was closed near Big Sur too. (It happens EVERY time a good storm passes thru.) From the Monterey area, you may be able to take Hwy 1 on up the coast - as there are only a couple areas that are subject to mudslides - and I believe they are open and passable...

I think the long range is no rain - at least thru Sat the 22nd...

IF you do travel up Hwy 99 thru the Valley - I'd be glad to buy you a cup of coffee in the Fresno/Kingsburg area and talk SSR w/ you!!! :yesnod

Photo from Hwy 1 West of Sausalito... (FYI - check out the SSR-Club when you are there - lots of SSR fanaticals...)

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kwhopper89

· #8 · Jan 15, 2005

kwhopper89 said:
The major storms seem to be done for now (Just don't plan on Hwy 101 Out of LA north thru Ventura County for obvious mud slide reasons.)

California highway update: Hwy 101 is now open up the coast from LA - BUT Interstate 5 North out of LA has some major issues. CalTrans is trying to remove water from the soil UNDER the roadway (now that sounds like fun), The biggest issue is for SOUTHbound traffic - 3 to 6 hours delay going south into LA over the 'grapevine' - as there is only one useable lane. I understand that CalTrans is re-striping the road and will take some of the NORTHbound lanes to help with the SOUTHbound traffic. SO - both directions will be affected.

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A really crazy idea - 3500 mi road trip with new SSR?

JimGnitecki

kwhopper89

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