2,642 Mile One-Way Road Trip!

[Goat_Herder]

It's been a tough couple of years as the Wife looks for a job.  We had started looking outside of Seattle, which isn't what we wanted to go.  But the bio-tech market has been hit so hard that there hasn't been anything for her.  Last year, I posted a thread on Boston.  Since then, she had looked in every major bio-tech hubs in the US.

http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=36308.0

Finally, she got an offer last Friday and it looks like we'd be moving across the country, from Seattle to Atlanta.  Not exactly thrilled about Atlanta since we both grew up in Seattle and have been here ever since.  Nevertheless, we will be making the 2,642 mile trip soon.

We will start packing and loading up the truck this coming weekend.  The Wife and the Daughter will fly over and I will drive the U-haul truck across country.  Any tips on staying awake/entertained while driving?  I am planning on doing this in 5 days (8 hrs/day at 60-65 mph).  ALso, what should I expect in the Summer.  All I know is it will be HOT HOT HOT. 

[Monster Dave]

Congrats and best of luck to you and yours! Congrats on your wife finding a job - the market still blows. 

[Slide Panda]

Books on tape/cd/mp3 or whatever format. Good way to keep the mind engaged at least a bit. Also you'll probably be going through areas with little or no good radio.. or at least radio you'll want to listen to... so carry your own audio.

And a 15-30 min nap if you're getting drowsy is awesome. You might not want to waste the time, but just a little break like that can really bring back your energy and focus.

[erkishhorde]

Books on tape/cd/mp3 or whatever format. Good way to keep the mind engaged at least a bit. Also you'll probably be going through areas with little or no good radio.. or at least radio you'll want to listen to... so carry your own audio.

And a 15-30 min nap if you're getting drowsy is awesome. You might not want to waste the time, but just a little break like that can really bring back your energy and focus.

Ask what kind of radio the Uhaul has so you can figure out what format to put your entertainment on. Depending on the age of the Uhaul it can vary but an old cassette adapter will usually do the trick for you so you can listen to mp3s.

[Jaman]

if you go thru Wyoming, stop & buy some fireworks for some road-side energy boosters along the way... 

[muskrat]

you will be 4 hours from the Tail of the Dragon, http://www.cherohala.com/ and more over some great roads north of Hot-Lanta not to mention Barber Motorsports.

[IZ]

Did the solo drive from Palm Beach, FL to Kirkland a few years back. Definitely have your ipod ready with an adaptor for your the lighter. Its a long ass drive! You expect heat, humidit and lots of bugs down south.  Sorry to say but its the complete opposite of the PNW. 8 hrs/day doesn't seem like much driving. You're really taking your time. That's good though. I tend to drive until I hallucinate and almost run off the road before I stop. :p  Have fun. see the sites along the way. There are a few. Congrats on job. Atlanta is a lot more affordable than Seattle.

[Goat_Herder]

Thanks for all the feedback and congrats.  It's been a tough 2 years for us, living on 1 income and with the birth of our daughter.  Now we can breath easier.

I definitely see this road trip as a positive experience.  How many time in your life would you have the chance to drive across country.  I will slow down to smell the roses along the way.  I think I will get an adopter to charge my laptop so I can play as much MP3/DVD as I can. 

My biggest concern is probably the culture shift.  IZ, you were right on the money.  Atlanta is probably the exact opposite of Seattle in many ways.  Having lived in PNW all my life, this is like moving to a totally different country (it IS a different country, right?)  

[the_Journeyman]

Atlanta is a hopping city.  Lots of stuff to do right in there, and plenty of stuff within a couple hours drive.

It is called Hotlanta for a reason.  All the better reason to head to the NC/TN mountains when it gets hot!!!

JM

[JBubble]

Mother and I drove from Charlotte to Portland the long way in 4 days. Here are a couple of things I learned:

1. Eat as healthily as possible, road food can really make you feel yucky. We had a little cooler and stored cheese and crackers, grapes, etc when we could.

2. Map it out and check where your fuel stops will be. We ended up in Shamrock, TX trying to find fuel and it got a little sketchy. Shoulda planned better.

3. Get out and walk when you can, stretch, breathe in fresh air. Stop and see things! I really wish we had detoured to the Grand Canyon when we had a chance.

4. If someone knocks on your window at a rest stop and offers you "fetishes", just say no.

Atlanta is not only hot in the summer, its humid as hell; if you're riding in it, it's easy to dehydrate yourself. Head into the foothills and mountains in north Georgia when you can and also head for the coast. Savannah is about 4 hours, Charleston is about 5 if I remember right

Atlanta is different from the PNW but its not awful. Like any big city, it has it's bad side but it can also be pretty neat. I think there are some other members that have lived around there, maybe TAftonomous?

[Bladecutter]

And finally, don't forget to keep ALL the receipts, and write off the move on your taxes next year!

BC.

[elyse]

hi! so yes, atlanta is about as different as can be from seattle..
i've lived pretty much my entire life in nor cal, but my parents moved to alabama about 18 years ago & i spent a couple of years there & visit fairly often. they are about 90 minutes from atlanta down i-20

be careful of the troopers in georgia, they like to sit on the sides of the road, at night, with their lights off. there is no such thing as a speedtrap to the troopers, they get ya however they need to

& yeah the weather will take a LOT of getting used to. you're used to rain, but a cold rain.. get ready for the HOT rain. thunderstorm warnings & tornado warnings are a daily occurrence in georgia & alabama in the summer. it'll be scary & make you nervous at first, but really, you will get used to it. july & august will be rough, just stay near a/c & stay hydrated! as far as weather goes, you are actually moving at a good time of year, you'll probably get a lot of warm, pretty, spring days.

if you're into animals, this place is really cool & only about an hr from atl
http://www.animalsafari.com/safari/

talladega (if you're into nascar) is about an hr & a half away

stone mountain is also amazing & they have an incredible fireworks show on july 4th
http://www.stonemountainpark.com/

there is a LOT of history in the south, if you can, take advantage of it. lots of american indian history & confederacy history. It's BEAUTIFUL country, explore it!

also, you're about a 5 hour drive from the florida panhandle. pensacola beach is the most amazing beach in the u.s. imo. white sand & clear blue water. not to mention it's home to the blue angels & they put on several shows/practices every year. totally worth the drive

people are different in the south. opinions are different. prejudices are still vocalized. it's not as bad in atlanta because it's become more of a melting pot, but you'll still find it on the outskirts. & i don't know if you're religious, but church is almost an expectation..

and speaking of church..since this is a motorcycle forum, i've saved the best for last. you are about 2 1/2 hours from barber. straight down i-20. it's 5 stories of motorcycle goodness & they have track days & festivals & all sorts of good stuff. a motorcyclists place of worship
http://www.barbermuseum.org/

i hope this helps

[sbrguy]

atlanta can get hot in the summer, and when they get snow the city will shut down, its funny.

if you are inside the perimeter its a normal metropolitan city very culturally mixed, maybe not as much as other areas but it is mixed.

go 20 minutes outside the perimeter, let's just say you are in a deep south state, afterall its where the dukes of hazzard took place. so remember that.  not saying that everyone is one way or another way, but always be aware of your location in the country.

don't speed when driving in GA or the surriounding states, especially south carolina if you go through there, put your cruise control on the speed limit especially in SC they will pull you over in a minute if you are going over the limit there.

other than that you will probalby like that it doens't rain as much as seatle.  and overall atlanta is a relatively good modern city.  no its not LA, NYC or DC but it has its own personality that you will have to decide for yourself.  Good luck.

[IZ]

Lots of good info! ^^

Ooh..I forgot to mention saving reciepts.  Thanks Blade!  We pretty much had all our moves paid for when taxes came around.  With the economy the way it is now, it seems like fewer employers reimbursing for moving costs.  Hopefully, you got lucky though!  

BTW..yes, the South IS a different world.  Even in FL, we experienced the different viewpoints.    

We're visiting Charlotte, NC to see if we want to move down south.. .. ..again.  We may also check Atlanto as well.      

I've been mapping out the day drives from Charlotte.  Seems like Atlanta is only a couple hundred miles away.  As mentioned..Barber isn't too far either!!    

[the_Journeyman]

and overall atlanta is a relatively good modern city.  no its not LA, NYC or DC but it has its own personality that you will have to decide for yourself.  Good luck.

Definitely check out some of the sketch looking places in downtown.  My wife and I stumbled upon a place called the "Sidebar" by just walking around downtown.  We were walking around where people claimed we'd get mugged, maimed etc.  It was awesome.  There are some awesome experiences if you'll just get out and see the town. Don't be afraid of the MARTA.

JM