For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (III)

[dvczerfs]

Hello dvczrfs,
Just got back last Tuesday, flew out of Harrisburg direct to MCO, uneventful except we wanted to change dates and extend the trip with a gf that flew in from CA that I had never met face to face. If we drove, I could have changed our dates in a heartbeat to spend more days with her family.

Just Me, dd, ds and dgs. So the flights came to $800. Better then the gas and hotel of 2 rooms for us. Stayed at the Pop this time.
Weather was cooperative, 80* all week and I think it rained on Sunday when we were at HS, off and on, mostly on.....
Best weather we have had in 12 years!!!!!
But the week flew so fast. Especially as those great deal of flights were the 8:00PM arrival and 8:30 AM leaving so technically lost two days of park time.

SOOOoooooo we are driving the trip in Sept. Labor day we are cruising out of NY to Bermuda.Late Sept is ds birthday, and we will celebrate it there.
My dh and son's ex will be going this time. She misses the dgs when he is gone and the AP will be up in Oct. Cost of flying will be just too much with two rooms.

This will be our last trip for a year or maybe even two.
Work has not been generous to the Scranton Office and hoping for new management or my own PI business to escalate to get the funds to travel.

But, I am already into planning the trip's for Sept.
Safe travels and beautiful weather for all.
di

hi marie!! sounds like you had a good time. weather has alot to do with it. tammy and i will be getting there on sept. 11th late. we are coming back home on the 22nd. any chance we are going to be there at the same time again? i hope work starts picking up fpr you. we have been slow but since we didnt have a winter, theres not much need for service work. this past week it started to pick up. this time of year for us is on the slow side normally. too warm for heat and not hot yet for a/c. tammys work is going crazy. she has been going into ny city alot lately. she got a promotion a few months ago and just got a raise this past week. she now earns more than me!!
i figure i few more years, i can retire.
keep in touch, talk to you later.

 

[mally29]

Well, looks like our next trip will be driving. I'm excited...have always wanted to drive to Disney
We live in Southeastern MA. We are headed to Disney with my brother and sister in law, who will be flying, and my husband may fly with them...he doesn't want to drive, but who knows.

I will be traveling with my three kids, 17, 13, and 7. Is there anything you seasoned drivers stop to see, or that my kids may like (based on their ages)...my daughter will be headed off to college next year, so I am hoping to take a slightly extended trip this year.

Thanks!

 

[Dis_Dreamin]

When we run out, we head down to the local butcher & get some hard Sommer sausage. No venison in it, but still good stuff Slice it up before ya go though

I could go get some regular Summer Sausage, but it just isn't the same. I could imagine the fun of trying to cut it while driving. LOL!

 

[BC1836]

One large suitcase already packed. More to go (unlike flying, when one drives there are no restrictions on the number of bags or their size!)

SUV service tomorrow.

Gettin' ready.

All the best.

 

[preschoolmom]

One large suitcase already packed. More to go (unlike flying, when one drives there are no restrictions on the number of bags or their size!)

SUV service tomorrow.

Gettin' ready.

All the best.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[preschoolmom]

Should we post all the reasons we prefer to drive? I'll start:

1. Choosing my own departure/arrival dates (not having to choose based on airfare).

2. Packing as much as I want - clothes, laundry detergent, snacks/drinks, clothes, shoes, toys for the kids, clothes

3. It costs less.

4. No invasive searches/security. No need to prepare the kids for security. No need to wear soft shoes without laces, no belt, empty my pockets. No one going through my belongings. Not being x-rayed.

Add your own!

 

[BC1836]

Should we post all the reasons we prefer to drive? I'll start:

1. Choosing my own departure/arrival dates (not having to choose based on airfare).

2. Packing as much as I want - clothes, laundry detergent, snacks/drinks, clothes, shoes, toys for the kids, clothes

3. It costs less.

4. No invasive searches/security. No need to prepare the kids for security. No need to wear soft shoes without laces, no belt, empty my pockets. No one going through my belongings. Not being x-rayed.

Add your own!

This list has come up a number of times during the three incarnations of this thread, but it's always worth repeating.

Allow us to add:

A. When driving you can always adjust your departure dates/times due to poor weather conditions that either delay or cancel flights.

B. No waiting on the tarmac before taking off or upon arrival.

C. Fresh air. Just roll down your window. [Difficult to do on a 727 at 30,000 feet.]

D. No waiting for bags at the luggage carousel. [Hopefully they weren't lost.]

E. Stopping to go to a restroom without being jostled around due to turbulence. [And aren't those airplane sinks so spacious!?!]

F. No participation in the "Battle for the Overhead Bins."

G. When driving, TSA stands for "tasty snacks always!"

It all adds up....

All the best.

 

[pwdebbie]

We had a bit of a concern about what vehicle to drive to FL the next time -- uncomfortable 2001 Subaru Legacy (our three trips have been in that) or not-sure-about-the-transmission 1998 Toyota 4Runner. Then our son, who sells used cars, called to tell us he had a 2006 Honda Odyssey w/60,000 miles on it that would be available in a week. We test drove it and love it. BUT there's only the two of us and we don't need a van (although I must add we have 9 grandchildren -- however we don't tote them around much). I liked the spaciousness of the van and the comfortable seats and the feeling of being up high and just the sense of being "bigger" on the road. So, it looks like we are going to buy it. Anyone have anything negative to point out about this year / make / model? I'm only hearing good things so far.

 

[disneymarie]

hi marie!! sounds like you had a good time. weather has alot to do with it. tammy and i will be getting there on sept. 11th late. we are coming back home on the 22nd. any chance we are going to be there at the same time again? i hope work starts picking up fpr you. we have been slow but since we didnt have a winter, theres not much need for service work. this past week it started to pick up. this time of year for us is on the slow side normally. too warm for heat and not hot yet for a/c. tammys work is going crazy. she has been going into ny city alot lately. she got a promotion a few months ago and just got a raise this past week. she now earns more than me!!
i figure i few more years, i can retire.
keep in touch, talk to you later.

Wow great for Tammy! I don't know how she does it travel NYC. Retire, lol that is were the trip funds come, working. I may be there a day or two around your visit, dates are not set in stone which is a good thing about driving.,
We have the Sept Bermuda cruise returning on the 9th, a late back to school for dd who is home schooled, so need to balance that and son's birthday the 30th and our AP run exp on Oct 10th.

Work wise, the office is asking me to take the claims as Far as Elmira/Binghamton, out to Williamsport and south to Harrisburg. This is very difficult, so I hope the PI work picks up more doing process service with attorney's until the local franchise builds back up.
Crossing fingers for great weather too. I am wondering if we can pull a trip like 2009, decided on Sunday to go Wed. lol.

 

[dvczerfs]

Wow great for Tammy! I don't know how she does it travel NYC. Retire, lol that is were the trip funds come, working. I may be there a day or two around your visit, dates are not set in stone which is a good thing about driving.,
We have the Sept Bermuda cruise returning on the 9th, a late back to school for dd who is home schooled, so need to balance that and son's birthday the 30th and our AP run exp on Oct 10th.

Work wise, the office is asking me to take the claims as Far as Elmira/Binghamton, out to Williamsport and south to Harrisburg. This is very difficult, so I hope the PI work picks up more doing process service with attorney's until the local franchise builds back up.
Crossing fingers for great weather too. I am wondering if we can pull a trip like 2009, decided on Sunday to go Wed. lol.

let me know if your going to be there 11th to the 22nd. she loves going into nyc. she dont have to do it every day and now that her two kids, (briana and me ) are grown, she is able to do it. theres not much going on in the poconos. i only have 3 clients anymore up there. most are out of business. keep in touch.

 

[BC1836]

Forty-eight hours to go....

All the best.

 

[cruisingkat]

One large suitcase already packed. More to go (unlike flying, when one drives there are no restrictions on the number of bags or their size!)

SUV service tomorrow.

Gettin' ready.

All the best.

Lucky you - Unfortunately we do have some luggage restrictions when driving. We have a convertible - one with the largest trunk for a convertible but way smaller than a regular car of the same size - holds only one large suitcase. But I can jam in a lot of the Disney canvas bags and our packing cubes and folders in the extra spaces around the suitcase.

But I wouldn't trade the convertible for a larger trunk - it is so much fun driving around Disney with the top down - and Disney tunes and Elliot Dyson (POFQ entertainer) CD blaring on the CD player.

 

[disneymarie]

We had a bit of a concern about what vehicle to drive to FL the next time -- uncomfortable 2001 Subaru Legacy (our three trips have been in that) or not-sure-about-the-transmission 1998 Toyota 4Runner. Then our son, who sells used cars, called to tell us he had a 2006 Honda Odyssey w/60,000 miles on it that would be available in a week. We test drove it and love it. BUT there's only the two of us and we don't need a van (although I must add we have 9 grandchildren -- however we don't tote them around much). I liked the spaciousness of the van and the comfortable seats and the feeling of being up high and just the sense of being "bigger" on the road. So, it looks like we are going to buy it. Anyone have anything negative to point out about this year / make / model? I'm only hearing good things so far.

OMG if you do not buy it, please let me know, I am north of Gettysburg we have an Odysee, but I would love my own instead of using my son's.
THe only neg is the cost of tires and fuel. It is a gas hog. comfor is great and we do a lot of family traveling.
Oh, there were a couple of recalls, but your son can tell if they were taken care of, I can't remember them now, maybe a wiper, seat belt, really can't recall. THe larger one was the 2008 maybe, the lift gate failure and coming down recall.

 

[disneymarie]

let me know if your going to be there 11th to the 22nd. she loves going into nyc. she dont have to do it every day and now that her two kids, (briana and me ) are grown, she is able to do it. theres not much going on in the poconos. i only have 3 clients anymore up there. most are out of business. keep in touch.

I love that her kids, lol .....
I have one client in Elmira this week, slip and fall diagram and interview for the client.

Do you prefer the weather in May or September?

I think one Disney drive is all this body can manage, and then some local to Lancaster, the Crayola factory, Lost River Caverns, Penns Cave and maybe Rehoboth (Hennilopin Prk) will substitute an additional trip.

We still are saving for mad money on the Cruise Labor Day weekend. I LOVE FREE STYLING! I LOVE BERMUDA as much as Disney! Asolute pure relaxation, entertainment, FOOD, FUN, beaches, Frog n Onion bar......

 

[pwdebbie]

OMG if you do not buy it, please let me know, I am north of Gettysburg we have an Odysee, but I would love my own instead of using my son's.
THe only neg is the cost of tires and fuel. It is a gas hog. comfor is great and we do a lot of family traveling.
Oh, there were a couple of recalls, but your son can tell if they were taken care of, I can't remember them now, maybe a wiper, seat belt, really can't recall. THe larger one was the 2008 maybe, the lift gate failure and coming down recall.

Thanks, I'll make sure my son checks on recalls. I know he has the CarFax report and said that there may be a questionable odometer reading. He'll see what the title says when he gets it. It seems that this vehicle was passed from deceased mother to son and in the transfer process there were three odometer readings with the second one being higher than the final one two weeks later, a difference of 200 +/- miles. And the second one looks like a guesstimate, like someone said, "Oh, it's got about 28,000 miles on it" and that's what was written down instead of the actual amount of 27,XXX. Ds says someone was too lazy to get up from behind their desk and walk out and look at the actual milage.

 

[Hasil72]

For those of you that drive your own vehicles-at what point would you no longer choose to drive them to FL and instead go with a rental or a different mode of transportation? Our van just hit 100k miles and DH is refusing to let me use it for our January FL trip (either to drive down or just use there). In his defense, it did refuse to start last summer on the way home from the beach but turns out it had the original battery (04). Replaced that and no problems since. We will need a minivan down there and I am cringing at rental prices .

Sorry, I know this was a few pages ago, but my Toyota has over 100K miles so we rent, just in case. DH is a diesel mechanic so he would be able to fix any issues that arise but odds are against us finding somewhere to do that. And I have that kind of luck that anything that can go wrong, will, so we rented through Enterprise with a BJ's discount for our November trip.

 

[dvczerfs]

Forty-eight hours to go....

All the best.

have a good trip bc if i dont talk to you before you go. keep us informed.

I love that her kids, lol .....
I have one client in Elmira this week, slip and fall diagram and interview for the client.

Do you prefer the weather in May or September?

I think one Disney drive is all this body can manage, and then some local to Lancaster, the Crayola factory, Lost River Caverns, Penns Cave and maybe Rehoboth (Hennilopin Prk) will substitute an additional trip.

We still are saving for mad money on the Cruise Labor Day weekend. I LOVE FREE STYLING! I LOVE BERMUDA as much as Disney! Asolute pure relaxation, entertainment, FOOD, FUN, beaches, Frog n Onion bar......

im a bad judge when it come to weather. i like it HOT!! it could be 95 all year for me. september still a bit on the warmer side but no crowds. id rather be there in the heat with no crowds than in the cold and crowded. i live about 15 min. from the crayola factory. my older brother is one of six people who operate the molding machines. hes worked there since 1972. he made crayons when they were made by hand. it was hard work, flipping molds, dealing with hot wax but hes still there.now there made by machine. but they still need the proper wax temp etc...

 

[BC1836]

have a good trip bc if i dont talk to you before you go. keep us informed.QUOTE]

Thanks! We're assessing the rainy weather heading in on the Atlantic coast and determining if an earlier departure is in order. We usually leave just after midnight or a bit later in the early, early morning; however, we may depart in about 12 hours.

All the best.

 

[sharadoc]

Sorry, I know this was a few pages ago, but my Toyota has over 100K miles so we rent, just in case. DH is a diesel mechanic so he would be able to fix any issues that arise but odds are against us finding somewhere to do that. And I have that kind of luck that anything that can go wrong, will, so we rented through Enterprise with a BJ's discount for our November trip.

We bought our Disney travelling van with 65,000 miles on it. We're close to 120,000 now. It's well-maintained, has good tires, regular maintenance and oil changes and runs great. I drive over 1,500 miles a month, plus another 4-5000 per year to Disney.

We plan to continue to use it until we can buy DVCZerfs Disney van sometime next year, then we'll start the cycle all over again!!

If you give your van a total once-over, especially since it's a Toyota, you would most likely be just fine driving it to Disney. Plus make sure you have AAA and plan to be towed to a national repair chain and NOT a local repair shop if you do break down on the road.

100,000 miles used to mean the junkyard, but now, you can pay 5 figures for a vehicle with that many miles on it. They just don't break down like they used to!

 

[dvczerfs]

We bought our Disney travelling van with 65,000 miles on it. We're close to 120,000 now. It's well-maintained, has good tires, regular maintenance and oil changes and runs great. I drive over 1,500 miles a month, plus another 4-5000 per year to Disney.

We plan to continue to use it until we can buy DVCZerfs Disney van sometime next year, then we'll start the cycle all over again!!

If you give your van a total once-over, especially since it's a Toyota, you would most likely be just fine driving it to Disney. Plus make sure you have AAA and plan to be towed to a national repair chain and NOT a local repair shop if you do break down on the road.

100,000 miles used to mean the junkyard, but now, you can pay 5 figures for a vehicle with that many miles on it. They just don't break down like they used to!

the old girl is a 2006. she has about 32,000 miles on it and has been to walt disney world 10 times. my dd calls her the garage princess.