Branson in 2 days?

[garyde]

I have seriously been considering the trip to Branson. Several of the west coasters have said they will be going but take 3-4 days for the trip. Its about 1750 miles from Santa Barbara, Calif. to Branson, Missouri. I know many POG members have driven long days and many miles in a day. The question is what are the pros and cons of driving 850-900 miles per day . I have driven about 750 miles in one day before and it is a long day.

[hhoppe]

Garyde: You better join us for an enjoyable trip to Baranson. We did 770 miles in one day after we picked up our coach in Tulsa. Real tough one to pull off and two days, no way. We are meeting Ray in Williams, AZ and next day Santa Rosa NM. Then Tulsa the next and on to Branson the fourth day.
Hope you can find time to join us. I think John Madden does this trick, but he has two drivers on board.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Best case scenario not driving too fast is 2 14 hour days.

I drove ours from one end of I-65 to the other in one ride, Pensacola, Fla. to Gary, Ind. You've got the right vehicle for it.

All depends on how ya feel and how much you enjoy driving. Your wife has to be a willing accomplice too or forget it.

IMHO first day will be O/K second will be tough.

If we were planning that it would also include a predawn start, both days.

[merle&louise]

Hey Gary,

Teach Conner to drive!

Just kidding, we have driven 700 miles in a day (with Karen doing most of the driving), and we were not as tired as I anticipated. Being able to take a 30 minute nap while under way really helps. In motion satellite also helps a lot. These vehicles are so comfortable that the time just melts away.

This may sound odd, but taking a shower around mid-day really helps to refresh and invigorate you. Try it after 6 or 8 hours of driving!:D

Another little trick we use is to stop (at a rest area) and check the air pressure in the tires. Sounds odd because the tires have heated up, but you will find that they all have about the same increase in pressure; usually about 15 pounds more than when cold. This gives you a little excercise, and it is a good safety measure. You can also run your hand over the outer edges of the tires to check for unusual wear and check for nails.

Another thought: If you are an early riser, start as soon as possible rather than driving late into the night when you are most tired. I would recommend stopping around 6 PM. A 12 hour day is plenty; anything more, IMO, is pushing the limit.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Gary, we have done it all. I got sick of driving after 50 miles and spent a day in a CG in TX just relaxing, and have done in excess of 1100 to 1200 miles on more than one occasion.

As a practical matter to cover the distance you need in two days you need to be mentally prepared for it. Folks can tease me about the 62.5 mph speed, but at the end of the day a lower speed that allows almost constant use of the cruise control is considerably less tiring than trying to drive fast and cover a lot of miles in a short time.

We routinely cover 650 miles from Knoxville to Jamestown, NY. It is an 11.5 hour drive. I stop every two or three hours to stretch, walk around, pee and just get out of the seat. Splitting your distance in two makes for two long days, but with a relaxed attitude it is no different than driving for 8 hours and then sitting in the coach for 4 or five more before going to bed. At least sitting in the driver's seat you are accompishing something.

The key to my covering distances is to do the driving when my body clock tells me. I can get up at two in the morning and drive til 6 in the evening, but I cannot get up at 6 in the morning and drive to ten because as soon as it starts getting dark I poop out.

[truk4u]

Gary,

I hit the million mile mark driving truck by the time I was 35 and learned early on from my Dad and Grandfather to take the time to stop every couple hours even for just a few minutes and walk around, bump the tires, pee, whatever.
Now they warn about Embolisms from sitting too long, so maybe the ole timers where ahead of the curve.

You can safely do 750 now days, but when you get tired, take a little nap or just lay down and take a break. Or, just buy a case of Red Bull like Mango and hammer down!:eek:

[Loc]

Gary,

Yes, it can be done. It will require two full days of driving. We routinely do the trip from Houston to LA in a day and a half. We generally leave at noon on a Friday. It is 12 hours to the New Mexico line which is 750 miles. We stop and sleep for a few hours and then hit the road for another 12 to 14 hours to Anaheim depending on traffic. Because I work full time and vacation is limited we do the driving quickly to spend as much time in our destination as possible. We generally drive at 65 to 68 mph (I want to be just ahead of Jon in case I breakdown) regardless of the 80 mph speed limit in west Texas and stop every four hours or so for a 10 to 15 minute Wonder Beagle break. I have done the trip at 70 to 75 mph which is the speed limit in NM and below the limit in west Texas and it is more tiring to me than driving at 65 - 68 mph. There is less tension for me at the slower speed without having to pass everyone. We have driven from Houston to Seattle in two and a half days and Houston to Boston in two and a half days. It is a long time at the wheel, but I always fall back to the pull over and rest rule if I get tired. You have to be in the right frame of mind to know that you will be behind the wheel for several days, but if you enjoy driving the bus it is fun. As someone mentioned you have to be careful about deep vein thrombosis which means putting the cruise on and moving your legs and taking frequent stops to walk around. Taking low dose (81 mg) aspirin can also help, but you should consult with a physician before doing so. If / when I retire I will limit the driving to probably 6 to 8 hours a day max, but for the next 20 years we will have to drive longer days.

Loc

[jello_jeep]

To me, the trip is half the fun. I think about 250-350 miles a day is perfect. I am not retired at the moment, but would rather pick and choose my trips, so I can travel that way.

I drove from Deming NM to L.A. in one day, alone in the bus, and it was just not cool. I know it would have been a lot easier with a co pilot, but none the less, in my old age I am getting to be a more "stop and smell the roses" type of operation.

I also like to be moving early, waiting until mid day to get on the road is not my cup of tea. Our normal work schedule has us both out of the rack at 0400, and like it or not, your body seems to get used to doing just that!

Plus I am learning from the Jdubster, and Gary and Mango and others, you have to stop at ALL BBQ CROSSINGS, this is mandatory, I think it even says in the DOT book, that while inside eating bbq, you have to leave your flashers on! :)

[Ray Davis]

I too tend to like a 300 mile day, and then relaxing with the other drivers at a nice park in the early afternoon.

For the run to Branson, we're doing three 500 mile days, followed by a quick run into Branson. I wanted this, to allow for sight seeing in Branson.

I hope you're able to run with us Gary. I always prefer driving with others, for safety, and the fun of it.

If you remember our way back from Kerrville, we did a 700 mile day from El Paso to Indio. We made it, but man, I was wiped after that run! I wouldn't want to do two days of that, unless absolutely necessary.

If you wanted to maybe shave a day off your time, you could catch us in Santa Rosa NM on day two. As Harry mentioned, next day is Tulsa, and then into Branson.

AT least that's the plan. Although I have an XL2 I'd like to see in Amarillo, but I'll probably catch that one the way back home.


Ray

[Darl-Wilson]

I just want to remind you great POG members about the dangers of DVT. I developed this as a result of our round trip to Kerrville from Reno. Here is a site (http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/common-older/800.html)that explains the dangers and how to prevent this life-threatening problem. Now I must wear pressure stocking at all times while driving and stop every hour. This thing is like a time bomb and may be a problem for the rest of my life. Take it easy, stop often, walk around and simply exercise regularly along your trip, especially if you are over 60. Ya'all have a great trip. We'll see you in May at the West Coast POG V!!:cool:

[merle&louise]

I just want to remind you great POG members about the dangers of DVT. I developed this as a result of our round trip to Kerrville from Reno. Here is a site (http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/common-older/800.html)that explains the dangers and how to prevent this life-threatening problem. Now I must wear pressure stocking at all times while driving and stop every hour. This thing is like a time bomb and may be a problem for the rest of my life. Take it easy, stop often, walk around and simply exercise regularly along your trip, especially if you are over 60. Ya'all have a great trip. We'll see you in May at the West Coast POG V!!:cool:

WALK 30 MINUTES EVERYDAY.:D

[Jerry Winchester]

Gary,

I think you can put in one of the easier long days doing the I-40 run since it is pretty open and not a lot of towns to deal with. We did 911 miles from Williams, AZ to OKC with a fuel stop in New Mexico and a BBQ stop in Amarillo in one day.

And for POG 1, thanks to Jon's 0'dark thirty wake-up call, we made the Polk City to Houston run with one stop for fuel and one for crawfish and that one was 1007 miles, so you could do it in two days with the a giant Beagle on your head.

[garyde]

Thanks for all the input. I traveled back from Florida last August averaging 500 miles per day and it was typically a 8-10 hour days. I drove that alone with no problems as my wife was my navigator from home checking my progress by cell phone and computer. It sounds a lot like running a marathon in being phsically and mentally prepared.