PA to Vegas Alone

[imported_Michael]

i'm driving from northeast PA to Vegas in Aug, my first road trip longer than 6 hours. i'll be going alone. need help though...is it ok to go by myself or will i get a little stir-crazy? also, it'll be about 2500 miles, how long will it take? I figured 4 days, 600 miles+ a day. Is that correct? any help will be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[Randy]

&gt; i'm driving from northeast PA to Vegas in Aug, my <BR>
&gt; first road trip longer than 6 hours. i'll be <BR>
&gt; going alone. need help though...is it ok to go <BR>
&gt; by myself or will i get a little stir-crazy? <BR>
&gt; also, it'll be about 2500 miles, how long will it <BR>
&gt; take? I figured 4 days, 600 miles+ a day. Is <BR>
&gt; that correct? any help will be greatly <BR>
&gt; appreciated<BR>
&gt; <BR>
&gt; Thanks <BR>
<BR>

[Randy]

Michael,
Yes it's possible. You said NE PA., so you could
figure it like this. Scranton to Indianapolis = 653 miles/
about 10 1/2 hours. Indianapolis to Tulsa = 647 miles/ about
10 1/2 hours. Tulsa to Albuquerque = 671 miles/ about 10 1/2
hours. Albuquerque to Las Vegas = 618 miles/ about 9 3/4
hours. You could also go through Colorado and Utah. Since you're by yourself there will be less stops, but you should
stop and stretch every once in awhile. Keep your radio on
and get plenty of sleep each night and you should be okay.
Also remember, you will gain an hour (of time) each time you cross the time line.

If you're more concerned with your
destination than sightseeing, it's probably better to stick to the Interstates. They're more driver friendly. Each day, after you've finished driving, try writing a little driving
journal. It will kinda feel like your telling someone about your trip. Don't forget to leave your trip itenerary with
someone you know. Just to be safe.
Randy.

[Robert Schaller]

Whether you will enjoy traveling solo depends some on whether you like to spend time by yourself any other place! If you are the kind of person that is only happy surrounded by other people, then you probably WON'T like it. But if you like being by yourself sometimes, then traveling is a great time for it.

For me, it gives me time to really relax and let my mind drift. There are a lot of times I prefer traveling alone! Give it a try -- if nothing else, you'll know for the future whether you DO like it or not! (And I'll bet you do.) Bob

[Quebec Gen]

Hi,
Like Bob said, if you're the kind of person who likes to be surrounded by people all the time, maybe you won't like being on the road. If that's the case, don't forget to bring a lot of cds that you like, bring more than you think you'll need. You can check out the Gear Up section of the forum for great road songs. You also can bring your cell phone (with a cigarette lighter charger) and call friends or family once in a while. If you absolutely have to talk with someone, stop in Truck Stops and chat with truckers or waitresses, you'll be surprise of how nice these people are and how you can learn from them.

For my part, I truly enjoy solitude and especially solo roadtrips (long or short) it is like a therapy, a self-freeing experience each time. I just did a 3 weeks solo roadtrip from Montreal (Quebec) to the South West (NE, CO, AZ, NM, TX) and back by the East Coast (FLA, VA, NH), etc. More than 16 000 kilometers in all and I happen to be a young and skinny girl, so if I did it, you surely can, I have no doubt about it! You also have the chance of having plenty of time to complete you roatrip, make the best out of it : find spots that you would like to visit, eat unusual roadside food, go for a hike in a canyon, have a chat with loacls in a small town, the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy every minute and remember that a lot of people are dying to get on the road just like you but are stuck in their boring offices at work while you're doing that!:-)

Drive safely and good luck!
Gen:-)

[imported_Michael]

thanks for the help. I love solitude, and I definitely need my "alone time", that's why I decided to drive out instead of fly. now my only question is should I take 80 out there or 40? Or maybe one then the other on the way back. any opinion? are they roughly the same distance/time, and does one have better sights?

[Randy]

Hey, if it's a roundtrip, i'd take both. I think 80 would be a little faster, and a little more senic through western
Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah. I havn't been on 80 since I was
a kid and, I can't really remember it. I-40 is fairly senic, not spectacular but a decent drive none the less. In
Groom, TX, just east of Amarillo, they have a giant cross
that can be seen from twenty miles. Just west of Amarillo,
on 40, you'll find the Cadillac Ranch. It's a strange roadside attraction that doesn't cost anything and only takes a few minutes to visit.


A word of caution; the Amarillo stock yards are right
on I-40 just west of town. They are on the south side of
the interstate and it smells horrible. There are thousands
of cattle and it doesn't matter what you do you can't, not
smell it. You can roll up your windows, turn off your a/c,
where a gas mask, and you still wont escape it. The best
thing to do is hold your breath and pray for the best.

The town of Tucumcari, NM has a good stretch of
Route 66 and on it you'll find, the legendary Blue Swallow
Motel with "100% refridgerated air" and the Route 66
Monument, among other things. Albuquerque is a nice
senic city bordered by beautiful mountains. Flagstaff is
also a nice place, senic and surrounded by mountains.

Also along I-40, you can drive through the Petrified
Forest N.P., see a giant meteor crater, and take a short
side road to see the Grand Canyon. Crossing the Hoover
Dam is quite an experience, even though the lake is at a
low level. I would surf the net and get all the info you
need about the sights along I-40 and 80 before you go.Randy.