A family of 3 living in a Los Angeles suburb just wasn't doing it for us. Working opposite hours while trying to raise a toddler was challenging to say the least. Just because the Joneses were doing the same thing, does not mean it's how you should do it too. We didn't have much. No house. No car payment. No debt. Maybe we can just up and leave as soon as the opportunity presents itself...
Were we just running away? What did my Wife and I want for our family? What exactly did we need to focus on?
And that, right there, is the purpose of this Blog. Getting lost all the way to the other side of this vast country to find ourselves. Learn a few things. Find a few answers to our own questions and...learn a few more things.
On we go....
Packed a '99 Chevy Suburban with as much of our belongings as possible? Check
Rented a tow dolly from U-Haul to tow our '91 Wagovan filled with more of our belongings? Check
Me, Wife, 4 year old Daughter and Mom along with my Sister to help with the drive hoping the Suburban can make the trip? Check
We decided that the I-40 would be best, mainly because it was the more populated route, especially through Texas. If there was an unfortunate situation with the truck, chances are we would be at least within a reasonable distance from help.... or was it wishful thinking?
In any case, google maps said it would take 1 day and 14 hours to get to Florida. It took us 6. The excitement of the great trip across the country quickly wore off and having the brilliant idea to travel through the night to avoid the sun in my eyes was quickly overran by the adrenaline dump. The monotony of the two lane highway through Needles, California put me on the verge of a coma. 1st nap stop in some rest area after 4 hours of driving.
Tip: May it be morning or night that you are planning on a cross country trek, GET PLENTY OF REST THE NIGHT BEFORE. All the caffeine in the world will not be able to replace that good old fashioned rest.
Tip: Pack your lunch.....and breakfast....and dinner..... purchase snacks and bottled water at your local Walmart/Target. We are Filipino so we brought rice and Adobo. Classic long drive picnic food. Paying $2 for a small bag of chips and $3 for bottled water every now and then will get REAL OLD, REAL FAST. bring a thermos for the driver. Coffee is much cheaper bought as a refill.
Groggy, but still excited, our first sunrise was in New Mexico and if I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be MAJESTIC.
Truckers. These guys are on a mission. They begin getting back on the road at dawn. 4-5 am and once they get on the road, it's 80 mph of get out of the way. Going 55 while towing something behind you and having a semi zooming next to you at those speeds is definitely an experience. However, I may be the only person who didn't get the memo that day that states "Ignore the 55 mph law while towing something. go as fast as you possible can." Safety first, Shaun. (Shaun of the Dead reference).
First motel stop: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Note to motels: Make sure to add more lights to the area designated for larger vehicles. This particular one apparently did not get the memo. Through the night, someone tried to steal the Wagovan by removing the tow ball from the truck and transferring the tow dolly onto another vehicle. Said person was neither The Incredible Hulk or the Whole cast of the Avengers for that matter. They were not able to physically move the tow dolly WITH THE CAR ON IT and transfer it to another tow hitch.
Tip: Before restarting your journey, always check that the towing accessories are in perfect shape. Did so and found out the unscrupulous characters had taken the nut that attaches the ball to the hitch.
Tip: do not buy ANY TOW ACCESSORIES made in China at Walmart. This should have been common sense. U-Haul did the job and went the extra mile.
Lucky for us, that was pretty much the end of the mishaps. By this time, the beauty of the desert started to wear on us. Aside from the mountains through Flagstaff in Arizona, it was basically ALL desert right up until we hit Louisiana. The scenery changes from brown to GREEN. Beautiful change up, but to be quite honest, by this point you start feeling like a 4 year old and you constantly ask yourself.... ARE WE THERE YET?
From here you will just breeze through Mississippi and Alabama.
Tip: if you're trying to save money by minimizing on motel costs, Walmart parking lot nap is an option. many people in RV's usually stop for the night. Stores that have McDonald's in them have free WIFI so you can have a chance to plot your routes for the next day or update your Facebook.... also it give you a chance to restock on food and water. Parking lot patrol is present and the parking lot is well lit. however, please do so at YOUR OWN DISCRETION. out in the east coast, we started noticing that the rest areas do have security during the night so that also is an option.
Our destination is Kissimmee, Florida so crossing over from Mobile, Alabama towards Pensacola, Florida was a bit disheartening since it would still be about 8-10 hours more of driving. 6 days of white knuckle driving and we get to our destination. Road weary with more questions than answers, we begin a new chapter in our lives.
