Retirement Road Trips

[jamesdeluxe]

Doesn't the car rental company hit your credit card on file if you don't pay? I recall at least one case of that where the rental car company also tacked on a $48 administrative fee for doing that.

I got the admin fee but my credit card hasn't been hit for the actual fine.

 

[Sbooker]

When driving from the airport to Bend on a clear sunny day a few weeks ago I was passed many times by those huge raised pick up trucks with words like Superduty and TRX and Raptor in big letters on the back. I was doing 85 and they were flying past me.

We are starting to see a lot more of the American trucks on our roads. One financial planning podcast I listen to speaks of a "Dodge Ram Index". Their point being there are a lot of Dodge Rams in the burbs of Australia now so the likelihood of a recession is getting higher.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

huge raised pick up trucks with words like Superduty and TRX and Raptor in big letters on the back

You were in MAGAland.

 

[jimk]

Why so many huge gas guzzling trucks in America: https://wapo.st/3NSxrnY
In a nutshell, the reason posited in that article is due to several old tariffs and taxes related to foreign competition and fuel efficiency that make production of "light trucks" (this includes trucks and SUVs) more profitable than sedans for US car makers. The availability in the US of relatively cheap gas is also a big factor.

I split my year between the suburbs of Wash DC (off season) and the suburbs of Salt Lake City (ski season). In DC I see countless giant SUVs driven by soccer moms so they are ready for the once-every-other-year 8" snow storm
In Utah I see countless giant trucks driven by guys with numerous toys that need lots of cargo capacity and towing power to facilitate their weekend adventures.

For the record, in winter I drive a 2014 Subaru Outback ~25 MPG combined. In the summer I drive a 2019 Ford Fiesta ~35 MPG combined.

I generated this report on four scenic drives I took in 2021: https://www.skitalk.com/threads/four-scenic-drives-in-utah-colorado-and-new-mexico-may-2021.23665/ This post also contains photos from a drive from SLC to Mammoth Mtn across a desolate central NV.

Here's a 2020 report on a drive from SLC to Mirror Lake in UT, via Guardsman Pass between Brighton and Deer Valley ski areas: https://www.skitalk.com/threads/road-trip-to-mirror-lake-ut-4-july-2020.20151/

 

[jamesdeluxe]

While the WP article is accurate about tariffs/taxes etc., I'm still amazed by how it's become socially permissible for Soccer Moms to drive a tank to Wawa or Costco. Remember a few decades ago when we were taken aback by that sight?

On that note, I've noticed a fair number of giant SUVs in the mountains of Europe these days, which must be fiscally challenging with gas prices twice as expensive as here. What America hath wrought.

 

[jimk]

While the WP article is accurate about tariffs/taxes etc., I'm still amazed by how it's become socially permissible for Soccer Moms to drive a tank to Wawa or Costco. Remember a few decades ago when we were taken aback by that sight?

I agree. I remember waiting in lines to buy gas during the Arab Oil Embargo 1973-74 time frame. That's when fuel efficient Datsun B210s ruled the highways
Many Americans are religious about saving and recycling their bottled water containers, meanwhile they log big miles on vehicles that get 14 MPG?? I'm guilty of this kind of irony in many ways myself.

 

[EMSC]

I generated this report on four scenic drives I took in 2021:

but psychically the Twin Lakes/Mount Elbert area sure felt like the very heart of the Rockies!

I always felt that way about Taylor Park/Reservoir which is only ~15 miles as the crow flies from Twin Lakes, but harder to get to and feels (is?) much more isolated.

I'm still amazed by how it's become socially permissible for Soccer Moms to drive a tank to Wawa or Costco

I love being Boulder County where a huge % of population pretend to espouse ultra enviro credentials while driving their SUVs around for soccer practices or just to pick-up/drop-off kids at school. As well all know, something like ~90%+ of them have never even been in a dirt parking lot, let alone on a well maintained dirt road.

 

[jasoncapecod]

I was in Iceland a few months ago. Land of 8$ gallon gas...I can't tell you how many tricked out pick ups and mega suv's i saw..

 

[Sbooker]

You were in MAGAland.

Oregon is a contradiction. Portland seems as progressive as anywhere. As you say the area east of the cascades seems pretty much the same as most rural USA with the exception of Bend itself which has definite tones of progressive.

For the record, in winter I drive a 2014 Subaru Outback ~25 MPG combined. In the summer I drive a 2019 Ford Fiesta ~35 MPG combined.

Nice. I too drive a Fiesta. The manual ‘racey’ version so I can teach my teens to drive ‘stick’ as you call it.

I love being Boulder County where a huge % of population pretend to espouse ultra enviro credentials while driving their SUVs around for soccer practices or just to pick-up/drop-off kids at school. As well all know, something like ~90%+ of them have never even been in a dirt parking lot, let alone on a well maintained dirt road.

We have the same thing here. The big 4 x 4 SUVs that stay in the urban areas and never see a dirt road are donned “Toorak Tractors”. Toorak being a ritzy suburb of Melbourne.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

As you say the area east of the cascades seems pretty much the same as most rural USA with the exception of Bend itself which has definite tones of progressive.

I ran across this somewhat downbeat NYT article a couple weeks ago that explains the progressive tones.

Once a tiny timber town, Bend had undergone a striking transformation in recent decades, as moneyed newcomers from Seattle or Portland or San Francisco discovered a getaway that managed to be both trendy and a throwback to what everyone imagines small-town America can be.

 

[Sbooker]

I ran across this somewhat downbeat NYT article a couple weeks ago that explains the progressive tones.

Once a tiny timber town, Bend had undergone a striking transformation in recent decades, as moneyed newcomers from Seattle or Portland or San Francisco discovered a getaway that managed to be both trendy and a throwback to what everyone imagines small-town America can be.

I thought the place was terrific. I had a lot of conversations with genuinely friendly locals.

It didn’t feel to me anything like the ‘wild west’ towns. I was once told to leave a particular seat at a bar in West Yellowstone by a chap wearing a big hat and revolvers on his belt. Apparently is was ‘his seat’. Funny - he arrived in one of the aforementioned big jacked up trucks. He also left in it after drinking about half a bottle of straight liquor.

Of course I’m not being negative on the towns of the west. They have heaps of colour and character in my view.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Luckily, this is something that's never happened to me -- neither with my own car nor a rental -- but would be a serious buzzkill on a ski vacation. The OP mentions being based in California; the only good thing is that it apparently happened after his trip.

In the span of a few hours of getting off the plane, I would end up losing all of my ski gear and my backpack (computer/electronics/keys/etc.)

Veteran FTOers will remember a similar total-loss situation occurring to Patrick, but an additional PITA would be dealing with a damaged rental car. It's one thing if this occurred in a place where you could easily drive the car back to the rental agency but what if it were in the middle of nowhere? I assume that you'd have to drive it potentially multiple hours with a broken window, oy. I believe that credit-card car insurance would cover something like this (emergencies incurred while using the card) but I'll have to check about vandalism.

 

[tseeb]

I read post @jamesdeluxe linked to above but didn't find many details on the theft he suffered after return from ski trip other than comment "It's just accepted as normal in the Bay Area, which is the saddest part." True, you don't want to leave anything (especially visible) in your vehicle in SF or Oakland. It seems like this theft could have been avoided by not leaving ski and computer gear in car but can't tell if it was only for a few minutes or overnight.

While I was at Mustang one year, my son had a car problem and my wife and him left it outside shop overnight near our home in San Jose to be repaired. It was broken into and he lost camping gear he had left in trunk. These people suffered two break-ins in one day at In-N-Out near Oakland airport in March. I could no longer find that story on NBC Bay Area where I first saw it, but found Oakland car rental agencies warn you about break-ins including while re-fueling before returning vehicle. My wife's sister and husband were visiting from El Salvador (not the safest place in the world although new strongman president has changed that by locking a lot of people up). They had plans for visiting SF with us after arriving SFO and before they left that we had to modify as we've heard about too many break-ins at tourist spots.

@mdskier (John Webb on SkiTalk where he is way more active than here) lost at least some ski clothes from roof box in Midvale, UT on way to Aspen. That seems like another reason besides gas mileage hit and possibility of damage entering garage to avoid having valuable equipment in box on roof.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I love being Boulder County where a huge % of population pretend to espouse ultra enviro credentials while driving their SUVs around for soccer practices or just to pick-up/drop-off kids at school. As well all know, something like ~90%+ of them have never even been in a dirt parking lot, let alone on a well maintained dirt road.

Maybe these people will convert to electric. It's not as if they are regularly driving into remote areas and off road. The new EVs by legacy automakers are mostly SUVs and crossovers, presumably aimed at this crowd.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

True, you don't want to leave anything (especially visible) in your vehicle in SF or Oakland.

The OP in that thread likewise said "it's just accepted as normal in the Bay Area, which is the saddest part." Having lived in NYC during the late 80s/early 90s, when vehicle break-ins were a daily occurrence, I remember car owners putting creative signs in their windows begging thieves to spare them. My favorite was "no radio, no cash, no valuables inside -- you got it all!" It's hard to believe (given the punchline he's become in recent years) that Rudy Guiliani is the one who quickly ended the quality-of-life infractions that bedeviled urban life back then.

 

[ChrisC]

I have had 2 car break-ins:

• Boston, Back Bay/South End in the late 90s. Left some quarters for the Mass Pike in my coin dish (~$5). Already would remove the radio face. However, street parking near the liquor store over the weekend - a break-in resulted - likely some cheap alcohol purchased. However, the thief was semi-considerate. Broke my small Jeep Cherokee front triangle pop-out window - much cheaper to replace. Result: my change got hidden from that point onwards. But this was also the time when there were shootings on the Orange Line every 6 months (my T commute) and Tremont Street was still sketchy - forget Shawmut and Washington after dark.
• Berkley/Oakland in the 2000s. Usually, I would store ski stuff in the Thule ski locker. However, left some ski boots in the back area since I could not carry everything inside in one trip at 1 am after returning from Tahoe. Gone the next day. Who the hell wants size 12.5 ski boots?

I also had a friend get ski boots stolen out of a storage locker in the city of SF. Can you dispose of/sell that bulky item on the street? Seems like a pain to carry out during a robbery.

Friends remark sometimes that I have such a clean car. Me: It's a requirement for urban living. Have nothing inside.

Also, a few dings/scraps are a way of life. I love co-worker car guys who need everything immediately buffed out. Me: I'll wait till I get a few and take care of it at a service interval. Drives some people crazy I don't immediately fix it. Me: How about you pay attention to product defects as much as you do about your car?

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have had one car break-in. It was in either 1983 or 1984 a couple of blocks from the L.A. Convention Center. They took the premium stereo from my 1983 Toyota Supra. That why I know the time frame. That was a fun car but RWD and not good for skiing, plus Adam was born Dec. 1984. So in family/ski mode I replaced it with a Subaru Legacy wagon in 1985.

 

[Sbooker]

(given the punchline he's become in recent years)

Rudy is entertaining but is playing second fiddle to the My Pillow chap as far as punchlines are concerned. Sorry for off topic.

 

[Sbooker]

When we were in Portland recently the hotel advised us not to even think about parking on the street in the downtown area. Car break ins are that common that the police won't attend to them apparently.

 

[jimk]

In 2-3 weeks I'll be driving from SLC to Wash DC. I'm going to do the drive with my wife and we'll probably not spend more than seven or eight days on the road.

Tentative itinerary:
Day 1, drive from SLC area to Kanab, UT, stop along the way for a 3-4 hour visit in Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park. Was there about three years ago. This time may concentrate on a 90-120 minute scenic hike at one spot rather than visit all the pull-overs on the Park drive. Continue on to a motel in Kanab.
Day 2, drive from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. If I luck out and get a last minute vacancy in the Lodge, will stay there one or two nights, otherwise return to Kanab motel.
Day 3, if I get into Grand Canyon Lodge will spend the day further exploring the N. Rim. If I don't, I might drive over from Kanab to Page, AZ and do a scenic boat ride up Navaho Canyon on Lake Powell.
Day 4, from either Kanab or N. Rim, drive to Monument Valley then drive to Canyon de Chelly, not sure if I'll have to time to do an escorted tour of the valley floor of Canyon de Chelly. Continue on to Stay in a motel in northwestern NM (Farmington-Bloomfield area)
Day 5, drive across northern NM with stops at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert and the town of Taos. Stay in a motel in Taos.
Day 6, Taos to Wichita, KS, 9 hr driving day
Day 7, Wichita to Indiana, 9 hr driving day
Day 8, Indiana to Wash DC area home, 9 hr driving day


I have never been to the Kanab-Taos segment of trip. I have been to Taos and points east before. Because they may be a bit much to both do in one day, If I had to skip either Monument Valley or Canyon de Chelly, which would you guys recommend skipping? Let me know if you have other questions or suggestions about my route. Cheers!