Babies: 9 - 12 Months
Chicky0727
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Meh. It was bound to happen right.
Chicky0727
member
So I am officially making my way over.
I have a question about traveling....my husband and I want to head back east to visit his family, my brother and my best friend. His family lives in Wisconsin, my brother lives in Virginia and my best friend lives in Illinois. Here's the thing...we want to drive. It would be way to costly to fly to each place so we figured driving was our better option. So seriously how crazy are we for wanting to drive? We live in California btw. I have never driven in snow and my husband has very little experiance. The reason we are heading out during the winter time is financially it is better for us. My husband works in construction so winter time is usually the slowest and the most time he is off of work. Also his grandma is 92 and isnt in the best condition so we wanted her to meet her great grand daughter at least once should anything happen to her. And since Leah will be turning 1 two days after Christmas we figured it would be nice for that side of the family to get to celebrate with us, since they live so much farther away.
It's okay you can tell me Im crazy, my MIL basically told us that if we drove she would disown us.
Sorry for the crappy layout. I bump from my phone.
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Re: Meh. It was bound to happen right.
A Frog, A Monkey and a Ladybug
I don't necessarily think you're crazy, but how long of a trip are we talking here?
Driving from California to Wisconsin is likely to take about 2 days depending on where in each state you're starting/ending. and From Wisconsin to Illinois is another day to day and a half, then Virginia is another 1/2 to whole day. So you're talking at least 4 days of just drive time to GET to all those places (so 4 days of just drive time home) that's 8 days all together.
And I assume you're going to want to spend some time in each location...so you're probably looking at a 2 week trip when all is said and done.
Driving in snow really isn't that big of a deal as long as you're careful and pay very close attention. But that makes me think of something else. Bad weather could make your trip take you even longer...think accidents, closed roads, having to go slow/careful because of snow, etc.
I don't think doing all of that driving is crazy, but I'm really wondering if the cost of gas and hotels is going to be cheaper than 2 tickets on an airplane.
Also, driving in the winter in Wisconsin (or snowy areas in general) is not a guarantee. You need to be prepared, and you also need to be aware that your plans could change depending on the weather. You could be stuck in a hotel for several days waiting for the roads to clear up, and you need to figure that extra cost into your estimations.
ETA: I also don't buy this whole "as long as your are careful, you can drive in the snow". I think it's irresponsible to take small children in the car when the road conditions are dangerous. And really, snow isn't as much of a problem as is ice.
I AM a careful driver, but I cannot guarantee that other people on the road will be. Especially since you will be on some interstates with heavy semi traffic.
I wouldn't take the risk. Light snowfalls can suddenly turn into whiteout conditions (happened multiple times last winter here in Kansas, resulting in some terrible highway accidents); and ice is always possible--and treacherous.
Also, drivers with little experience of snow tend to misjudge speed, braking, turns, and so forth, simply because they haven't encountered the situation before.
I grew up in the snowy Great Lakes region, and even I wouldn't attempt such a long drive in winter. Fly, take the train, or stay home!!!
I'm not saying it isn't possible. There is always a chance that the weather will be perfect, but I would say, driving in snow isn't as easy as "be prepared." I have lived in the upper midwest for my entire life. I have watched inexperienced drivers in the winter year in and year out, and it can be dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. There is a BIG difference driving in winter weather. You have to slow down your reaction time if something happens, you shouldn't use your cruise control, and interstate travel can be treacherous for weeks after a big storm. My uncle, who had driven in South Dakota winters for 40+ years of his life, died a week after a huge snowstorm a few years ago, because there was a patch of ice in the middle of the interstate and he lost control of his truck and rolled it on the way to his son's wrestling tournament. This was 5 days after the snow stopped, but an overpass was dripping melted ice onto the road, and it caught him off guard.
Sorry about the rant, but I take winter driving VERY seriously.
This. Priceline usually has some pretty good deals for flights combined with a car rental (and sometimes even a better deal if you add in a hotel). And some rental agency's in nothern climates may even have winter tires on their cars, and IMO they make a HUGE difference when driving in snow (I am from Canada and have driven in the winter for over 20yrs).
I think the drive is very doable especially if you fly from to Wisconsin and then drive from there. Just be prepared if there happens to be bad weather one day, to delay your travels that day.....allow flexibilty in your schedule and you will be fine.
We drove 1600 miles twice, and honestly it went better than some of our plane trips. We left early in the morning, and stopped every time the tank was around half, took out LO and let him stretch, eat, change, see some scenery, etc. Around 4pm, we would call it a day and stay in a hotel. One person always rode in back with him and we had lots of toys, pacis, sippy cups, etc. He was pretty happy for the whole thing.
It's definitely do-able. GL!
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I wouldn't do it, myself. I hate driving around town in the snow, much less across states.
I hit white out conditions once during a drive. Also hit an ice patch & ended up stuck in the median in a snow bank. Had to be rescued by a cop, and my car was towed out of the snow bank.
I am also a worrier when it comes to driving in snow, ice, heavy rain.
OHHOLYCRAP another Kansas bumpie! We're a rare species
I totally agree with you on the part where it's not that simple. I live right off of Fort Riley so the drivers around here are a whole mishmash of experienced and non experienced snow drivers (unfortunately the scales are almost always tipped towards inexperienced) and this past winter I almost got slid into twice because some dumbfvck in a big truck with Texas plates or somewhere else notoriously warm weathered would decide they had a truck which meant that they automatically drove awesome in snow, so not the case. I'd say it's doable but definitely have a very solid emergency plan.