Traveling to Virginia

nursprl · Oct 19, 2008

where are you driving from in Indiana and to where? I drove from northern VA to South Bend in 9 hours..i had a portable dvd and listened to movies on the drive. some people do book on tape/cd. if you have any friends or relatives, see if they'll go with you and pay for their plane ticket home.

bagladyrn, RN · Oct 19, 2008

Been driving back and forth across the country alone for years now. My longest trek so far was @ 3500 miles - from WA state to Key West. Really if you can drive across town you can drive across the country. Anything that could happen on the road can happen 20 miles from home too.

First of all have your vehicle serviced: tune up, oil change, good tires (check the spare too!). Then get AAA or other road service (I like AAA best). Get a car charger for your cell phone. Get yourself a "car emergency kit" with things like jumper cables, tire "fix-a-flat", water, first aid kit. They sell these at most Walmarts as well as at the AAA office. Now you have covered most of the roadside stuff that could happen. Oh - and do make sure that your registration and insurance papers are accessible - cops tend to get a little impatient if you have to unload the entire passenger side of your vehicle to get to the glove compartment to get the papers!

When driving, if you are new to this, stick to the interstates and major highways. When you come to big cities, take the "loop" around the city to avoid the worst of downtown traffic. Later, when you are more comfortable with traveling, taking the "blue lines" on the map can be fun.

Figure how far you want to travel each day and make reservations at a major chain. I usually stay either at Motel 6 or LaQuinta since I have a dog. These chains are generally located right off the interstate exits -easy to find and to get back on your route.

For new travelers I'd advise driving only daylight hours, though I'm a night driver myself. If you do find yourself driving after dark, don't stop at roadside rest areas (fine during the day). Instead opt for well lit 24 hour restaurants such as Denny's or the big chain truckstops such as 76 or Love's (also well lit and populated). Again these are right off the interstate exits, you can park right in front of the door, there are lots of people around and in the case of the 24 hour restaurants there are frequently the local police eating there.

After a while you may really come to enjoy these trips - my truck and I can hardly wait for the next roadtrip!

WahooRN08 · Oct 21, 2008

I just drove from Springfield, MO back to Richmond, which was a 16 hour drive. If you do not like night driving, leave fairly in the morning. Get out and enjoy the scenry. That is my tip. It took me a good 17 hours to make it home, however, it helps as I am ADHD. Also, I pass the time by with connecting with friends and family I haven't talked to in months. However, we know driving and talking on the phones is not the greatest thing to do. :)

Good luck on your journey. I love the suggestion of someone riding with you and you providing the plane ticket back.