Eastern NC to Seattle

I am going to jump into to this as well as this timeline/route is very close to mine. We are departing 13 Jan from Eastern NC headed to Seattle. We need to be there by 22/23 Jan. I have driven cross country three times all solo. I have taken 40 twice and 10 once. The good news is I will have my wife this time, and our dog to assist. We are really torn on taking 40 or the Northern route. Also torn on which vehicle to drive. We are shipping one of our vehicle driving the other. Looking for some advice here. Take the VW Tiguan (has AWD 4 motion), or Jeep Wrangler Rubicon(its a Rubicon). Leaning towards the VW for fuel economy and overall comfort. But if we hit bad weather I will feel more confident in the Rubicon. I have driven in snow and ice before which in my opinion doesn't matter because it is very unpredictable. So looking for advice here. Right now we have a 40 plan and a northern plan and will make our decision closer to our date of departure. Open to any and all tips, advice, strategy. Thanks!

Moderator Note: Moved from this thread: because every trip is different, we prefer to give each trip its own thread.

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

If you take another look at the post Buck made in the thread you originally posted to, you'll see exactly why we would NOT recommend taking I-40 or I-10 for this trip. Going via I-40 to California and up the west coast would add 700 miles - a solid day and a half of driving - compared to a more direct route.

Not only would you be adding more days on the road, and more days where you could see bad weather, you would be doing nothing to increase your chances of seeing good weather. I-40 frequently sees snow and (even worse) ice across the southern plains, and it actually reaches a higher elevation in NM and AZ than you'd ever see along I-90 in Montana! Not to mention, you have more mountains and snow chances to deal with as you head up the west coast.

So, if it was me, I wouldn't even consider I-40 as an option. I-90, which is often one of the best cross country winter routes, would be my clear first choice. If there is a storm hitting the Dakotas or Montana, then and only then, would I consider another choice - but that choice would look more like I-80 to I-84 across Wyoming and Utah.

As far as vehicles, I'd certainly take the Tiguan. If conditions are so bad on the interstate that you need the extra off-road advantages of the Jeep, over an already very capable AWD vehicle in the VW, you really would have no business being on the road anyway. Don't forget, AWD/4WD does nothing to help you stop! Pull over and find a nice spot to relax until conditions improve.

Thanks MW! You bring up some great points. Do you recommend any sites or apps for weather tracking during a drive such as this?

We have a sticky thread in the Gear-Up forum about weather data. For road conditions, safetravelusa.com has links to all the states' DOT sites.

Any recomendations on places to see along the 90 route?

Without knowing anything about your interests or how much time you have available, it's hard to offer any specifics. However, I would suggest you start by looking at the RTA Map Center, which will show you RTA recommended ideas right along the route.

Thanks again MW Mike. Pretty much anything outdoors and not far off the trip. I know it will be XTREMELY cold and we will have our dog so anything we can drive by and check out would be awesome.

I don't get to stop on my trips to Seattle but note that the Little Bighorn Battlefield is very close to I-90 south of Hardin, MT. When driving thru there in the winter it makes you wonder why anybody would fight for such a desolate place.

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Originally Posted by noFanofCB

When driving thru there in the winter it makes you wonder why anybody would fight for such a desolate place.

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I would heartily agree - it somehow did not make any sense. That is until recently, when I started reading the Journey of Crazy Horse (J.M.Marshall III), and it all takes on a completely different meaning. Caucasian Europeans have a lot to answer for, the way they treated the native citizens on many of the continents.

This book was given to me in 2009 by a family of native Americans who made me welcome in their home. I almost feel ashamed that I did not have enough interest in it to read it before now. Better late than never. It makes one see so called civilised values in a different light.

Lifey

Can everyone share their favorite planning tools. Please include websites, apps, books, etc. Basically anything and everything you use when you sit down to plan your journey.

Moderator Note: Please keep all questions about this trip in the same thread.

Since your other posting indicates you're doing something like a PCS move from one coast to the other you might want to bound the question a bit more with kinds of interests and amount of time available for stops.

Some folks are retired RV'ers who have 6 months at a time to spend on a trip and have varying interests in destinations.

Others, like me, don't have that kind of time and aren't even sightseeing - just planning an efficient route and figuring out where to stop for food/gas/lodging on the way.

I use Google Maps and Google StreetView a LOT to examine terrain and density of restaurants and lodging along the way.

I also use radioreference.com for info to program my radio scanner for all the states/counties/towns/state patrol/snowplows/airports along the way so I can hear of road problems (like crashes and road closures) and local amusements (hearing Spokane police dispatched to a home invasion where the intruder was "given a temporary loss of consciousness").

Rather than the rather unrealistic request of getting people to list "anything and everything" they use, why don't you spend a little more time looking around this website, where you'll find pretty much all of those things already listed in one form or another.

Look up at the top and click the on the "how to use this site" link, where you'll find tons of information, books, articles, and many more trip planning resources (including one article specifically titled "How to plan a great road trip"). Also, check out the "gear up" section of the forum, where there are several threads that already discuss many of the things you are asking.

@MW Mike, I will check those links out thank you.

@NO FAN, Yes it is a military move and our last one. I am retiring, and we are headed to WA to settle down. We will be leaving 13 January and would like to be in Seattle by 22 Jan NLT than 23 Jan. We do plan on stopping to do a bit of quick sightseeing. We are outdoor lovers, and love to hike, but with the weather and having our dog that hates the cold we will most likely only be doing a few quick stop bys. We prefer to stay close to our route. Again thanks for all the great info I am glad I found this resource, and people willing to share experience and knowledge.

Semper Fi

My husband and I have been planning road trips for years - long before there were such things as websites, apps, etc. The first thing you need is a good atlas or set of paper maps. Try your local Walmart or bookstore to get the atlas, or if you're a AAA member, get the maps free from them. (We do BOTH.)


Donna

{Edit} Or you could support RTA by purchasing Maps from the RTA Maps Store....

Were I travelling in summer and with time to spare I'd be prowling around Kellogg, ID to see about mining sites and history there. Butte,MT has lots of history as well.

In January? Nope. But it might be enough to just know about it as you pass thru.

You can enter the various town names in Google which will bring up Wikipedia write-ups and more links to more info about the places.

Congratulations on retirement. I hope you like the moisture in Seattle.
Place has grown a lot since my Dad retired there. The sleepy country road they built on 30 years ago is now nearly uncrossable to go get the mail due to heavy round-the-clock traffic.

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Originally Posted by VJUSMC

....or apps for weather tracking during a drive such as this?

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One such tool is the one created by wUnderground. Their trip planning tool combines current weather forecast for any 8-10 day period and plots temperatures and likely road conditions along routes determined by the user.

And thank you for your service.

By the way, one of the most gifted chainsaw sculptures of all time lives in Wallace. I have a baby bear that he created for me sitting in my office. Getting to his studio in the winter requires some diligence -- But if you are there, I am sure he would welcome you. Vernon Pine.

I also use a scanner -- but I scan for school bus frequencies -- they are the most consistent about reporting road conditions, especially ice, on local roads.

Mark

Advice on tires. We have decided to take the Tiguan for this trip after a lot of research and advice on this forum. With that being said the tires are the original tires with about 30k miles are them. I could prob get another 10K but after inspecting the thread depth I AM NOT going to run them for this journey. I have been researching studless snow tires, and have it narrowed down to a couple different sets. As stated we are moving to Seattle, and would most likely switch these tires out to some all-seasons come summer time. But I am starting to wonder if I am wasting money with snow tires, and should simply put on a good set of all seasons. I do like the idea of having snow tires if we were to get caught in a storm and had to truck through to get to a safe stopping point. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

I live in a part of the country that sees far harsher winters than you'll ever see in Seattle, and I don't use snow tires, and I wouldn't get them just for a single cross country trip.

A good all-season tire should be just fine. If you'd like a little extra piece of mind, look for a tire that's got an M/S rating (mud and snow), which are designed to give you a little extra traction in poor conditions.

I agree with MM - fresh tires with full tread depth and M/S rating.

You might research a little more about which brands work better in snow than others but specialized tires for a onetime trip is unnecessary.

If the roads are bad enough that it makes a difference- you should have parked it when you could.

With your AWD system, all you need is a set of all-season tires with the M+S rating. You can run those year-round and also be legal everywhere except where chains are required for all vehicles. When the conditions are that bad, you don't belong out on the roads anyway.

Thanks for the good intel all.

Another question: During my research I am reading alot about the passes crossing in WA. Can someone break it down for me and at what point should I make my decision if I need to drop south or try to get through the pass. Thanks

The reality is that you are going to have to go over some passes somewhere -- doesn't really matter which east---> west route you use -- You have to go over the mountains.

But to make it easier for us to respond to your question -- which Highway are you planning to use as your primary route west?

Mark

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Originally Posted by VJUSMC

Another question: During my research I am reading alot about the passes crossing in WA. Can someone break it down for me and at what point should I make my decision if I need to drop south or try to get through the pass. Thanks

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The way this question makes sense is if you're trying to decide between Snoqualmie Pass vs heading southwest thru the Columbia Gorge to Portland, OR where you'd be driving 2 sides of the triangle in hopes of lower elevations.

WADOT works really hard to keep Snoqualmie clear. If it's closed the gorge route wouldn't be real nice either and then you'd have to bash your way up I-5 in heavy rain/wet snow. More time on the road, more exposure to risk but less elevation. Also the gorge can be really, really windy and if it's freezing there it would be dicey.

For me there's no decision. Hole up in Ellensburg and rest while waiting for the pass to open.

Besides, you'd have to make your decision at Ritzville which is quite a long way from Snoqualmie and the pass closure could change fairly quickly.

good morning wanted to keep this thread alive with some updates. We have the majority of our route planned with realistic stops, but we will do another draft when it gets closer to factor in weather. We are less than a month out now, and getting prepped. The tires for the Tiguan will be in today. We went with Conti ExtremeContact DWS 06. Also ordered some chains(just in case) and de-icer for the windshield. I have been monitoring DOT sites to get used to checking for intel, and checking out any webcams that may be available. Other than that just ready to ROLL!!

For practice see what you can learn about conditions from Denver north to say Casper.
We just had a surprisingly large snowfall onto warm ground creating an ice layer under the snow. It was about as slick a drive to work (50 miles at 35 mph or less!) as I've ever seen it. Schools are cancelled in many districts and crashes are piling up on the interstate.

Do your websites show this? Today would be a good day to not be driving thru this area. It takes a long time to get very far at 35 mph with high driver effort the whole time.

Link to conditions on Snoqualmie pass

http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/passes/snoqualmie/

We have this in the wife's electronic intel collection kit so we'll check as we hit Spokane and further west if connection is available.

Traction tires in Washington means M+S or snowflake marking on sidewall with 1/8" tread depth.
4WD doesn't require chains if all 4 tires are traction tires but chains must be carried anyway(?????) Passenger cars might have to chain up.

My folks tell me there have been problems on Snoq this year as it's been pretty wet vs past years.

The route thru the Columbia Gorge is about 250 miles farther than going over the pass if you break off at Ritzville. If you go further west before diverting it would be even more mileage.

Thanks for the info. I have been tracking Snoqualmie pass, and I know it was closed the other day for a bit. That is one we will monitor our entire trip. Thanks again have a great week and Merry Christmas.

Snoq has been getting a lot of snow lately so they close the route for avalanche control (blasting). Saw it on Tuesday and today, Christmas Eve, it's closed all day and possibly into the night. Big mess.
Not sure what I'll do when it's time to depart here (Seattle) if that's the case. Probably go down I-5 to take the gorge route and return via I-84 and I-80 (non-preferred route).

@noFanofCB, yes I have been monitoring all the DOT sites just to get in the habit. I see SNOQ has been the one that has the most closures/issues. I will monitor it closely, and possible have to take that same route getting to Seattle come mid Jan. Obviously will have to make that call on the fly. We are as prepared as we can be for now. Now we are focusing on the getting the house all ready for the movers.

I've posted my Christmas trip report here- http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum...260#post173260

Great informative write up! We are getting excited, and pushing positive thoughts for nice weather during our journey.

Be sure to read last year's report to see why I invented the radiator shutter and why winterizing is so very, very important-

http://www.roadtripamerica.com/forum...ack&highlight=

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Originally Posted by VJUSMC

Advice on tires. We have decided to take the Tiguan for this trip after a lot of research and advice on this forum. With that being said the tires are the original tires with about 30k miles are them. I could prob get another 10K but after inspecting the thread depth I AM NOT going to run them for this journey. I have been researching studless snow tires, and have it narrowed down to a couple different sets. As stated we are moving to Seattle, and would most likely switch these tires out to some all-seasons come summer time. But I am starting to wonder if I am wasting money with snow tires, and should simply put on a good set of all seasons. I do like the idea of having snow tires if we were to get caught in a storm and had to truck through to get to a safe stopping point. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

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I done trip from TX/WA/TX Dec/January 2015. If you have budget for tires than I would strongly advise on replacing with new tires. You will drive over icy roads one way or other. Many over passes and high elevations roads are likely to be icy this time of year (I70/I40/I15/I84/I82/I90 and US Highways in-between).

jm98:

Please take a look at post # 25:

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The tires for the Tiguan will be in today. We went with Conti ExtremeContact DWS 06. Also ordered some chains(just in case)

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I've processed and posted dashcam vids from the 2014 trip and attached them to the trip report mentioned above. The trip to Seattle of that one has some good footage of reaching and crossing the Columbia River gorge westbound.

Great footage! Can't wait to experience it for myself. What camera did you use GoPro mounted to dashboard?

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Originally Posted by VJUSMC

Great footage! Can't wait to experience it for myself. What camera did you use GoPro mounted to dashboard?

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Cheap $50 dashcam. G1W from SpyTec. There are several "manufacturers" of this device but it's the same camera though with varying firmware (I bought a G1WC from BlackBox and it has different, and somewhat lame, firmware). It's a dedicated dashcam which means it will overwrite files when it's full unless you take the steps needed to save the clips (push the button once or twice depending).

It would be tough to record your whole trip. Each minute of video is 100Mb of storage. It uses micro-SD cards up to 32Gb in size.

I have been checking forecasts, and it appears that most of this trip is going to be in extreme temps. What outside of the normal precautions should I be preparing for? So far I have the below covered:
Tires, Chains, warm gear, food, de icer, scraper, car serviced, fuel additive for cold temps...

We depart in one week so I have time to continue prepping. Right now our route has us doing anywhere from 550-650 miles per day. We have up to 10 days for this trip, but could stretch it to 11 if need be.

Let me know what I'm missing. I realize there is a lot of unpredictability, but any insight or recommendations are greatly accepted.

Not sure if it would be prudent to plan on any 650 mile days at this time of year. You will be driving for some hours in the dark. Never a good idea, but especially not in winter. If you don't book your hotels, you can just choose along the way, when the sun goes down.

Lifey