What's the longest anyone has driven ??

I have driven from Ontario to Daytona FL straight through, 25 hours, also Ontario to Myrtle Beach with no stops except for gas. Also have driven from Calgary Alberta Canada through the US to Ontario in 2 days, 18+ hours each day. Just curious what kind of stretches people have done, 3 or 4 days of 16 hours or 24+ hours straight. I know someone will say that you shouldn't drive that long, but when I get tired, I pull over and sleep.

i know someone who drove from BC(Canada) to Southern Ontaio (Canada) in 2 days. That is like driving from L.A. to Buffalo NY.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Truckers drive some really insane miles -- 1000 each day for days and days.

My record is LA to Washington DC in slightly under 65 hours. Not healthy!

Mark

[mac nelson]

In 46 hours, to get to and help a very sick mother, my wife and I did it, alternating driving and sleeping in the car. Actually, we went beyond San Diego, to Escondido CA. Took us more than 48 hours to get home; I guess we were older.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Mac, when you reached Escondido -- were you much help? Most of us would have been brain dead.
How long did you stay in California before making the return trip?

[mac nelson]

Ed. Mark: A very perceptive question, and I wasn't worth a whole lot, but the expression on the face of my mother (who'd had a stroke) made it all worthwhile. My wife was a militant non-flyer at the time (she's changed) and I love to drive, so it seemed doable, and was. (We often start west with at least a thousand mile day--to central Nebraska.)
We stayed in California maybe four days before starting back. Sleeping (in a Plymouth minivan) made it possible, and I don't think it was seriously dangerous, though I would not want to do it again, thanks. We even did a tiny bit of touring on the way, believe it or not--the Bosque del Apache and one of the Gran Quivira National Monument sites, both in New Mexico.
The only time it seemed reckless was toward the end of the last (second) night out; we had to keep switching back and forth at the wheel every half hour or so because we were so tired and getting close to hallucinating. Once the sun came up at about the California border, we were ok. (It was early October, so we had about equal parts of dark and light.)If you hafta do a marathon, the Interstates are as good as it gets--much safer at night than any older highway. Thanks for asking! Mac

[Mark Sedenquist]

Mac,
I know exactly what you mean by "getting close to hallucinating". One summer I needed to get to NY from LA asap -- neither my co-driver or myself (at that time) had been east of the Mississippi River and in theory we were going to drive continously in six-hour sessions giving each drive sufficient time to sleep. However, we spent all of our sleep time watching the scenery and so near the end, (also at night) neither driver could stay alert more than about that same 30 minutes.

If you ever have the opportunity -- you have got to go back to Bosque Del Apache in February. Stay over-night in San Antonio, (NM) so you can arrive in the preserve just before dawn. As the sky begins to light, you will hear a rustling and then wave after wave of cranes, snow geese and duck take wing. It is still one of the most amazing days I have ever experienced. We intended to take photos -- but the sheer magnitude of the bird flight is so overwhelming --- you just have to stand there and marvel. Sunset is pretty special too.

Mark

[mac nelson]

Mark: Great description, and I'll try to get back, at a serious birdy time. As I mentioned, it was October, and most of the cranes were gone--I think we saw three laggards, but it was enough to whet the appetite. I also know what you mean about photos. I remember being at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, taking a pic or two, and then just laughing at the absurdity of trying to capture what I saw.
I still enjoy huge marathon road trips. Brock Yates, a gear-head editor at CAR & DRIVER, once put it this way (after a two driver trip non stop from SoCal to Michigan): Flying is ok, but when you really have to get somewhere fast, drive. That's absurd, but I agree. Best, Mac