driving from nashville to seattle w/22 foot penske towing a car...

[nishira]

Anytime you're on the road, different variables will pop up that will waylay the best laid plans. Add to that, you're traveling in the winter and you're towing.

I think your best plan is to check the weather each evening /morning, plan your route accordingly, stop when the urge/need strikes you, and stay at convenient hotels along the way. There are many and you really shouldn't have any problems finding a vacancy.

On a trip like this, it's a good idea to have benchmarks so you don't get too far behind schedule. But, in the winter, it doesn't hurt to have some flexibility so that you can weather out a storm.

thanks for the helpful advice Judy - it's much appreciated. I completely agree with what you wrote above about it being a good idea to have benchmarks (so at least there's some measure of structure to the trip) while at the same time being mentally prepared for the flexibility needed with weather concerns and all, knowing full well that my nicely prepared scheduled can be blown to smithereens in one simple fell swoop - oops - heheheh

to be honest, i know my limitations and driving in inclement weather is ~~far~~ from my strongsuit.

I've been monitoring the weather, with the storms that just blew through the plains and Northwest area, leaving the snow and very high winds. Amazingly enough - I80 looks to have been clear the whole time, no snow or anything (so it seems I90 was affected more, by this particular storm) - which means nothing, of course, being still two weeks removed from my departure date.

Being that i'm a stark proponent of "better late (and safe) then never" - if storms are blowing through that week, i'm actually considering taking I40 to Little Rock to I30 - to Dallas, then I20 to El Paso, I10 to Yuma, AZ and then I8 to San Diego, then up I5 straight to Seattle. As crazy as that sounds, it only adds about 200 miles compared to if i shot south and went west across I40 (which goes through Flagstaff, AZ, of very high elevation). The route i ment'd above, takes me below the mountain range.

I'll want to be extra careful going throug I5 in So. Cal due to the dangerous trucker's curve that made the news about a month ago. In addition, driving up through No. Cal and So. Oregon, i'll still be subject to some mountains (there's a treacherous mountain pass in Southern Ore - i forget the name of, but not Cabbage Hill...) but i'm thinking i might still get luckier there than with stormy weather across the plains.

which direction i take all depends on the weather forecasts when i leave.