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To be honest I agree with Michael and really wouldn't recommend trying to get a nights sleep in such a small car. I doubt you will get any more than a few short naps during the night and you will feel far from refreshed and raring to go the next day, quite the opposite in fact ! You will feel comfortable in your surroundings in a truck stop, but be far from it attempting to sleep in your car, especially after having spent the day in it.
Dave is of course, quite right. My response was purely about the 'safety' of a female overnighting at truck stops.
On the other hand, with a little bit of ingenuity, it is possible to be very comfortable in a smaller vehicle. (Mine has a bed, fridge and storage as well as a camp stove.)
Recently I have seen two instances of people sleeping in smaller vehciles, probably as small or smaller than a Yaris. One was a very small SUV, a bit like the Yaris. Only the driver seat was still in the car. On the passenger side there were storage containers with a small single mattress on top. May not suit a six footer, but the owner was far from six feet. This was a roadtripper who had it all worked out.
Another was a sedan, Toyota if I recall correctly. It had somehow the passenger seat down and its owner slept with feet into the trunk storage space. Have to say it looked pretty comfortable with a full length mattress on which to sleep. Unfortunately, this person was forced to live in a vehicle, having lost everything else.
It can be done, but I agree with Dave that you need to be comfortable to get a good night's sleep.
Lifey
Just so you know, Lifey, the Yaris is a subcompact sedan. It's also the smallest car that Toyota sells in the US, so you might be thinking of another model if you think it's like a small SUV. I'm not even sure there would be 6 feet from the dashboard to the back of the trunk.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifemagician
If the OP is a very small person, it might be doable, but it would be very tough to make it comfortable. Probably the bigger point, with the budget available for this trip, I don't see why such steps would really be necessary.
The discussion about the Yaris was getting a bit too far off topic and has been moved here.
Hey all
I'm just over a week into my 25-day loop of the country and am headed for Seattle tomorrow. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the best way to get to see/stick my toes in the Great Salt Lake on my way up there. From the looks of my GPS, it seems like taking 15 to 84 is the most direct way. Can anyone tell me the best place to exit to get to the lake? Is there anything else I absolutely should not miss on the way? I'm amenable to breaking the drive up into another day, especially since motels in Seattle appear to be insanely pricey this weekend.
Thanks a bunch!
Bre
Mod note] I have merged your threads as per our one trip -one thread policy]
Hi Bre, good to hear your trip got underway and you are on the road !
I haven't been to the lake so can't offer any specific advice but hopefully someone will be along later. I would advise that you speak to the Locals and ask where their favourite spot is as it covers a huge area. One of the easiest access points from Interstate 84 looks to be at Willard Bay State park.
Whatever you decide, the journey from SLC to Seattle would require an overnight stop no matter ! It's 840 miles and 15 hours plus of driving which is far beyond a recommended safe days driving of 600 miles which professional drivers are limited by.
Pendleton OR would be ideal for an overnight stop but that wouldn't give you any meaningful time to visit the lake, so you would be better off stopping sooner, perhaps Baker City.
Hey Dave
Thanks! My GPS shows 694 and 12 hours, so I know I'm pushing it. I've been sticking to about 600 miles a day since the one-day thousand-mile madness that was my initial start to Chicago. I figured I'd take off around 10 this morning and stop around sunset. I'm really enjoying the act of ignoring time and listening to my inner self out here, crunchy-granola as that sounds ;p
My locals here in SLC have NEVER BEEN TO THE LAKE. Kinda blows my mind, since it's been on my bucket list since we learned about its floating powers in second grade. I'll definitely look into Willard Bay, though. Thanks!
??? From SLC to Seattle ? It's 840 miles between the two,add to that for detours to the lake etc.. Make sure you check it's got the right address before heading off !Quote:
Thanks! My GPS shows 694 and 12 hours, so I know I'm pushing it.
Sounds pretty good to me, just stay safe and stop before you get tired!Quote:
I'm really enjoying the act of ignoring time and listening to my inner self out here, crunchy-granola as that sounds ;p
Dave.
My GPS could be lying to me. I've been using Waze for the police-spotting and traffic avoidance, but it seems to get confused by long distances. *sigh*
Will definitely stop BEFORE I'm tired. Judging by Seattle's hotel prices found online today, I might even give the Yaris + memory foam + truck stop another go. Can't beat unlimited access to beef jerky first thing in the morning :D
The answer here is simple - you need to find new locals! Another great thing about being on the road is that you should get to meet new people!Quote:
Originally Posted by Bre.Kidman
But it also isn't surprising that you'd find people who had never been there. It doesn't matter how big the attraction, its surprisingly common for people to have never been to places in their own backyard, because they can go there anytime!
I'm with Dave here. There is no point anywhere in Utah that is under 700 miles from Seattle, by road. Its more than 800 miles from anywhere around SLC, so your GPS is not giving you the information you are looking for.Quote:
My GPS shows 694 and 12 hours, so I know I'm pushing it.