Trip planning

Punch it into google maps. Basically choosing where you wanna cross the mountain. It only really matters if theres a storm or snow forecasted. Possibly want to avoid I-95 day after Christmas tho, could be a nightmare, traffic wise.

Southern route would get him around Charlotte NC in 7 hours with half hour of I-95 traffic. No guarantee on good weather.

Middle route takes him along I-81 for a long while. Beautiful mountain drive on a clear day but should probably be avoided in bad weather.

Northern route avoids I-95 (traffic) but could be more chance of snow.

Its a total crap shoot on how far a kid in his new car will feel like driving. Probably best to avoid snow and only drive during daytime. Figure the last day he'll be getting home and have some miles under his belt so probably can drive further that day. Get him a decent phone mount and car/phone charger so he'll have uninterrupted hands free navigation. Make sure he knows how to use defroster and get him an ice scraper.

Cars can stop anywhere they want so generally Id recommend a chain motel like comfort inn. Some of the cities have high crime areas but steering clear of the cheapest hotels and budgeting $15-$20 a night more can usually keep you out of the worst places.

Most importantly, tell him to move over for tractor trailers.

Id suggest revisiting this thread the day before his trip and you could probably get an up to date trip plan accounting for weather forecast.

 

Arkansas Ice can be forecasted days in advance with incredibly precision within up to 12 to 16 hours before the event. Our NOAA in Little Rock are warriors when it comes to forecasting ice. It is the ONE thing that we all pay attention to other than Tornados.

Unfortunately most of the state has to get up and go to work REGARDLESS of ice. They dont get to stay home. The last great ice storm of 2000, we destroyed high tension towers and the grid for three weeks. Water systems in towns went down. and so on. People were trapped on say I-630 downtown along with 30, 40 etc trying to get home and ran out of gas towards sunrise the following morning having traveled only a mile or two at most. It was three days before all of the abandoned cars were cleared.

I told all of my employers I don't give a #### what your policy for time off, when Ice is forecast I stay home. Period. Don't like it you can fire me.

They ask why? I tell them no one can drive on ice, I don't feel like replacing my vehicle becuase some dummy totaled it going to this minimum wage job. I dont make enough to buy a replacement.

oh. And I got a 4x4 tahoe too. She can do ice. But I stay the hell home.

NWS bends over backwards to make sure we are aware of ice pending again at least 24 hours out. At 6 hours to storm arrival we have figures that are very precise for bridges, electric losses and so on. AND Idrive dot com website starts to paint our state roads and interstates as they accumulate to ice. That hot pink means NO one is getting down this road or that road any time soon.

Usually the sun comes out behind the storm and within 30 hours after it's over strong winds blow dry the ice poof all gone.

Which is why I said that this is winter, not a good time to be running the mountains to the east coast in a car.

There is another alternative to the southern route provided. West Virginia then Kentucky then over to I-44 down to 35 and dallas. Its really long and sometimes in a soutern ice event that trashes north texas, arkansas, Mississippi, georgia, you can bypass all that in the north where there is no precip. Sometimes. It depends on the situation.

The 95 to 20 is a good road but also long. But good.

I once spent 6 months on I-10 a entire late fall and winter into spring between Houston and Jacksonville. All it did for us is rain. Fat rain, upside down rain, uphill rain, backwards rain rain and some more rain. No ice, no snow none of that BS.

But Icing hits us in Arkansas about once every 4 years or so. Im not talking about a little frost or glaze. Its the ice storms that are quite something. 9 years ago we ran our home about 114 hours on our generac generator in a good ice event. The main power quit. But the generator fed our home, kept us warm and no issues with water because the city in those days had a trailer generator container at each of it's 5 wells and maintained a large 40 foot generator at their water tower. No problems just constant roar day and night all over.

Fire pit and dutch ovens were on standby if the generator burned out. We can go from 2019 to 1865 within the hour in terms of living. No problem. And sleeping at night is not either as long you have a big wife to keep you warm.

If at all possible wait until spring to get that car. Its a little bit of a bad timing now that things are going to be getting colder into next week.

 

On a side note make sure you tell him to stop and catch a couple of Zzz if he feels tried even if it a couple hours into the trip.
Rest areas are ok place to stop if need be.
I don't know how old your son is but make sure he know to look over his shoulder when he stops And if he's real young and naive make sure you tell him where not to stop or go

 

Wait until spring ??? Were you ever 18??? You dont wanna know the driving I did in a car in the snow in NY at that age. It aint like Dallas never gets any snow.

I think the kid should;

1. Choose route
2. Drive