Austin, TX to Vancouver

[imported_Rachel]

My friends and I are planning a road trip from Austin, Texas to Vancouver...I know it's crazy! Does anyone have any tips or suggestions? We haven't done long road trips like this before! We are probably stopping in Vegas to see Elton John for one night, but then...who knows? How much will gas and food be?? We have no clue what we are doing!! Please help! THANKS!

[Kenny G]

I have done many a trip from nearby Fredericksburg, Tx to the west, email me with your interest, times, etc, and I would be glad to give any info I have.

Normally when the wife and I do a roadtrip, we pack sandwich type stuff and eat that for lunch at a rest/picnic area and then eat dinner at a "local flavor" place at that nights destination. That way it cost only a few bucks a day for food depending on how much you spend on dinner. Gas is anywhere from 1.50 in Texas to 2.00+ in California. (On a side note, it is illegal for you to pump your own gas in Oregon....but that is another story...)

[Kenny G]

I have done many a trip from nearby Fredericksburg, Tx to the west, email me with your interest, times, etc, and I would be glad to give any info I have. Plus most of your questions can be answered by browsing through the forum.

Normally when the wife and I do a roadtrip, we pack sandwich type stuff and eat that for lunch at a rest/picnic area and then eat dinner at a "local flavor" place at that nights destination. That way it cost only a few bucks a day for food depending on how much you spend on dinner. Gas is anywhere from 1.50 in Texas to 2.00+ in California. (On a side note, it is illegal for you to pump your own gas in Oregon....but that is another story...)

[imported_Phil]

Being in college myself now, I understand the need to budget a trip like this. I do stuff like that with my friends for fun so I think I can give you a few tips. As far as food cost I feel it all depends on what and where you eat. For fast food I have always found Taco Bell to be a big help. Tacos are cheap...lots of them for little money...it works nicely. Anyother fast food places that have dollar menus are good too. They aren't really the healthiest, but it saves the cash for gas. You could also buy fruits, different breakfast bars, or sandwich meats and breads and pack them in a small cooler. That way, you have a breakfast or brunch already there and then spend 3 or 4 bucks at a cheap fast food place and when the day is said and done, you've eaten all day and only spent 3 or 4 dollars on food!
As far as gas goes you can get a pretty good estimate by knowing a few things; # of gallons in your tank, how many miles you get per tank of gas, and the total distance of the trip. Now, please bear with me as I am sometimes bad at trying to explain things. You'll want to take the # of gallons in your car times the price per gallon. That of course gives you the price per tank. It is always good though to overestimate the price per gallon just to be safe. Now, take the # of miles in the trip and divide that by how many miles you get per tank of gas. This will give you the number of tanks you will use per trip. Now multiply your two answers together and you will have a rough estimate for gas cost. I hope that wasn't too confusing!
If you and your friends just take turns paying for gas it ends up rounding out nicely. I can usually get 300 miles per tank which ends up meaning that if there are 3 of us total, I only have to pay once every 900 miles!
For lodging it is GREAT to have connections around the country so, if you know anyone, give them a call. It saves great money! If you don't though camping is a great option. you can usually pull each night off for 10-20 dollars a person.
If you have any other questions, post em! Otherwise good luck and have fun!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Kenneth,

This is the first time I have ever heard of any mention of illegality to pumping one's own gas. Did it happen to you? I have never had anyone offer to pump fuel for our rig -- We have logged several thousand miles of roadtrips in the Evergreen state -- I wonder if this a new law????

[Kenny G]

Yes, we came up from California and pulled into Grants Pass I believe, hopped out and started pumping. This guy comes running out yelling and screaming pointed at video cameras and explained that both the motorist and station are subject to fine if anyone but the attendent pumps gas. After the trip I talked to some people from Oregon and they said yeah that is a way that the state ensures extra employment (they jokingly called themselves PTE's-Petroleum Transport Engineers. It is really a pain because they will have one attendent trying to fill 6-8 cars. Normally it takes 5 minutes for my little Acura and Pay at the Pump, but with that system it takes about 15. I am fairly certain it is statewide, happened to us in Grants Pass, Bend, Eugene, and Portland. We crossed the Columbia River and got gas once and some ladies from Oregon could not figure out how to use the "complicated" pump......

Oregon has never permitted self-serve stations. It's all full-serve, and this IS the law there. When I was a kid living near Portland (on Sauvie Island), my Dad told me it was because the lawmakers considered it unsafe for folks to pump their own. I know the law was still in effect as of last summer -- I had forgotten about it and tried to pump my own -- silly me!