Driving from SEA to DC

[BrianFromWA]

I'm relocating cross-country due to a new job. I'm hiring a shipping company to move my household goods, but my truck has to be driven cross-country. I've secured tickets for my wife and baby girl to fly there, but it looks like I'm going to be driving mid-March.

I did this non-stop with my brother one year when we were young and stupid and didn't have any problems. It took us ~36 hours, alternating sleeping and driving every time the car ran out of gas, to go from Albany NY to Seattle by way of 80 to Omaha, 29 to Sioux Falls, and 90 out to SEA.

I may or may not have someone driving with me, but I need to do it in 2-3 days and don't know what the best way to get from, say, Omaha or CHI to the DC is. PA turnpike? South through I-64 and southern VA? Also, I'm not sure if it's worth driving down I-84 to get to I-80 in the wintertime.

Suggestions? Besides lots of Mt. Dew and beef jerky?

 

[barfo]

I'm relocating cross-country due to a new job. I'm hiring a shipping company to move my household goods, but my truck has to be driven cross-country. I've secured tickets for my wife and baby girl to fly there, but it looks like I'm going to be driving mid-March.

I did this non-stop with my brother one year when we were young and stupid and didn't have any problems. It took us ~36 hours, alternating sleeping and driving every time the car ran out of gas, to go from Albany NY to Seattle by way of 80 to Omaha, 29 to Sioux Falls, and 90 out to SEA.

I may or may not have someone driving with me, but I need to do it in 2-3 days and don't know what the best way to get from, say, Omaha or CHI to the DC is. PA turnpike? South through I-64 and southern VA? Also, I'm not sure if it's worth driving down I-84 to get to I-80 in the wintertime.

Suggestions? Besides lots of Mt. Dew and beef jerky?

Are you going to change your name to BrianFromDC?

barfo

 

[BrianFromWA]

probably not. That sounds pretentious and snooty. I'm a man of the people.

 

[barfo]

My suggestion would be to hire someone to drive your truck for you, or have it put on a bigger truck and driven, unless you are looking forward to the drive (in which case, have fun!).

barfo

 

[BrianFromWA]

I guess I should also say I'm quite comfortable driving in harsher weather and the truck's prepared (snow tires, chains, 4wd, etc) but I don't want to go through places where the roads shut down for days at a time or there's some big construction project.

 

[Natebishop3]

Get yourself a GPS if you don't already have one.... or a phone capable of GPS.

 

[BrianFromWA]

My suggestion would be to hire someone to drive your truck for you, or have it put on a bigger truck and driven, unless you are looking forward to the drive (in which case, have fun!).

barfo

the problem with that (and I HAVE looked at doing that) is that it's much more expensive to do that, and I still would have to rent a car in DC to go apartment-hunting, etc. before the wife (and truck, if it got shipped) get there.

The difference between a U-haul or Penske (plus the gas to drive it, without even considering having to take a second set of drivers) was negligible compared to ABF picking up the trailer from my doorstep and dropping it off in the DC area 6 days later, so I decided on that. But they can't move my truck for me. And to get an automobile-shipping service and then buy a plane ticket is way more expensive than just 3k miles of gas and wear-and-tear on the truck.

 

[julius]

although it's costly, hire a 'friend' to go with you

 

[barfo]

although it's costly, hire a 'friend' to go with you

Yes, there are many fine escort services in the Seattle area. You might have to buy her a plane ticket home, tho.

barfo

 

[THE HCP]

I'll drive it to Orlando on Sunday........

 

[BrianFromWA]

I should ask Kingspeed what he's doing in two weeks. That would be a fun trip.

 

[maxiep]

Doing it by yourself in 2-3 days is pretty extreme. I wouldn't worry too much about the weather, although you will have to check it beforehand. The difference between I-90 and I-80 is negligable once you cross the Rockies in terms of weather.

My advice is to take I-90 until you hit Chicago, switch to I-80 to Pittsburgh, take I-76 to Breezewood (after a Primanti Bros. break) and then take I-70 to I-270 dropping into DC. Consider traffic as traffic jams can add 4-8 hours to your trip cross country.

 

[MARIS61]

My advice is to take I-90 until you hit Chicago, switch to I-80 to Pittsburgh, take I-76 to Breezewood (after a Primanti Bros. break) and then take I-70 to I-270 dropping into DC. Consider traffic as traffic jams can add 4-8 hours to your trip cross country.

Might I suggest I-90 to I-94 to I-90 detour?

This would allow you a quick cultural sidetrip through Fargo to for a truly American experience:

http://www.rogermarismuseum.com/