2009 Inauguration Road Trip

[CheraT]

My family and I are planning a road trip from OC California to Virginia and will attend the 2009 Presidential Inauguration festivities in Washington DC. I have never driven from Ca to the East Coast in January so I am a little apprehensive. Is it safe to drive during this time of year? It will be a total of 13 of us and we are thinking about getting a 15 passenger van. What are some of the things we need to be aware of should it start to snow? Will we need any special types of clothes other than really warm clothes such as hats, gloves, scarves etc?

Last question, does anybody have an itinerary if the swearing in and parade? Where exactly will the parade take place?

Thanks!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Is it safe to drive during this time of year?

Hundreds of thousands of people travel on the nation's roads each January so you will be safe. You need to pay attention to winter road conditions -- here are some tips for safe winter driving and welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum!

It will be a total of 13 of us and we are thinking about getting a 15 passenger van.

13 people might fit in a 15-passenger van, but where are you going to put all of your luggage? It seem like it might make more sense to rent two 10 person vans so you have some room for your gear and people can mix and move around the two vehicles. You need to allow eleven full driving days for the round trip between southern California and Washington DC. So, how much time were you allowing for this adventure? It will be a memorable road trip at a very memorable period of time in our nation's history.

Last question, does anybody have an itinerary if the swearing in and parade? Where exactly will the parade take place?

Harriet Baskas has some of that information in her column.

Happy Planning!

Mark

[Midwest Michael]

One additional thing that I would keep in mind, 15 passenger vans aren't the most stable vehicles on the planet. While I think people tend to overreact to winter weather in general, a large van like that is about the last thing I'd want to drive in winter conditions. Their large size and wieght make them a bit of a challenge to drive, and many places that use them require drivers to take a special safety course about operating this kind of vehicle.

Even if you have enough room to fit everyone, plus luggage, I think you'll be better off doing a caravan with 2 or 3 vehicles.