Moving cross country during shelter-in-place

[gaminwench]

I'm asking here, y'all are the most down-to-earth, level headed group of folks that I know (scary, really!)

We are in escrow on a lovely house in Georgia; we close mid-April (if they can find the deed )

I will POD the contents of my home in SoCal and have them shipped, as time and pandemic allow.

The new place is furnished (albeit with 80's granny floral Americana), so my stuff can wait in quarantine or whatever.

We need to trailer/boondock I40/Route 66. Truck pulling 22 ft Avion, completely self-contained. We would only need stop for gas. And ...

We've a rescue German Shepherd with agoraphobia, carsickness, and pixie Turretts. She looks scary, cuz she's weird; in reality, she's a terrified 90 pound love muffin.
We also have a shot-by-the-landlord paraplegic incontinent kitten, also terrified of the world at large.

Campsites and parks are closing, AAAACK!!!

We will stop halfway in Texas for several days at the Moms, with a fenced yard and all of the family amenities. And a break for the critters.

Any wisdom for the long stretches?

[FIGJAM]

Big truck stop parking lots are good for sleeping along the way.

[ygmir]

wow! what an adventure!
So much will depend on the pandemic hysteria, in any given area you are, but:
FJ has a good point. Also, truck stops have showers often.
Also large shopping malls and stores, often allow overnight parking for travelers.
Be aware of "road food". Not just because sometimes it's a little janky.....but, humans....if you can, steam or otherwise sterilize on a secondary level. If you can, minimal touching of exterior of bags and anything that might have been handled, until sterilized.
Damn, it's like "The Stand".....in which case, watch for "Mother Abigail", she's always a helper. Avoid anyone named "Flagg", or "Trash can man".... especially near Vegas.

[Luigi]

When traveling in my van, I use an app called 'park advisor' It shows truck stops, rest areas, koa, campgrounds, rv sites and walmarts. With reviews by users, it is very helpful.

Sounds like quite the adventure - there are many trucks on the road!

[Miura-7]

Thought about heading North East into the eye of the Corona storm. I imagine the romance of the wide open highway would be a refreshing adventure. The weather is certainly conducive for travel, but still I'm chicken shit. Keep posting, cause you are giving a lot of people, vicarious thoughts. Wishing you the very best of luck, hoping you reach your destination without too much incident, and most of all "BE SAFE."

[Molotov]

There is a nice state rest area on I-40 on the east side of Amarillo, TX. It's secure, well lit, and has a rest area for RV's separated from the 18-wheelers by an overhead barrier. You can stay overnight without any imperial entanglements from the authorities. No dump stations or water fill, though.

It's one of my go-to overnight stops when I travel that highway in my camper.

As far as Oklahoma....well it's Oklahoma, although some of the rest areas may have an RV dump station.

Right now, you can pretty much forget about overnighting in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Many prohibited that, even pre-pandemic. I did that in Albuquerque once at the only one that still allowed RVs, and the local meth heads knocked on my door several times during the night. Pretty sketchy.

[Just_Joe]

Lots to think about and I'm sure you'll get good advice here and elsewhere.
I'd encourage you to trust your best judgment and keep your head in a good place.
Ygmirs comment that this is an adventure hit home for me. This move could be your burn.
Try to (mostly) keep your top on tho

[some seeing eye]

Document the road trip, video and good sound? You know how the pets respond to travel and what distractions they like. Maybe some pet mood meds are in order?

[Ratty]

You got this. Really. Your brain will guide you. Listen...Be flexible. Safety FIRST, (just this once.) Happy trails to you...until we meet again.

[gaminwench]

Honestly, it is mostly about the pets.

Both will bolt in terror at the least oddness, even in the "safe" house.

The kitten is just going to have to live in a crate with poo pads for a week, I guess.

The dog is another thing.
I am now researching portable dog runs.

[Savannah]

I'm asking here, y'all are the most down-to-earth, level headed group of folks that I know (scary, really!)

We are in escrow on a lovely house in Georgia; we close mid-April (if they can find the deed )

I will POD the contents of my home in SoCal and have them shipped, as time and pandemic allow.

The new place is furnished (albeit with 80's granny floral Americana), so my stuff can wait in quarantine or whatever.

We need to trailer/boondock I40/Route 66. Truck pulling 22 ft Avion, completely self-contained. We would only need stop for gas. And ...

We've a rescue German Shepherd with agoraphobia, carsickness, and pixie Turretts. She looks scary, cuz she's weird; in reality, she's a terrified 90 pound love muffin.
We also have a shot-by-the-landlord paraplegic incontinent kitten, also terrified of the world at large.

Campsites and parks are closing, AAAACK!!!

We will stop halfway in Texas for several days at the Moms, with a fenced yard and all of the family amenities. And a break for the critters.

Any wisdom for the long stretches?

I just wanted to say that this seems like the best possible time for you to get the heck out of SoCal, and it sounds like a wonderful (if understandably apprehensive) adventure, and I enviously wish you the best luck in the whole world. There are some really beautiful homes for sale in Georgia, and I have stared at some of the more special ones and considered their affordability with an unwholesome avidity, despite the fear of 1) it being like nothing I've ever known 2) my vote being disenfranchised.

In fact, if you just bought a yellow & white 2-story place in the boonies, with with hanging baskets of flowers, I guarantee you I've already stared at it in longing.

Big truck stop parking lots are good for sleeping along the way.

This is true! . . . Motzskyroonmatick and I stayed at least once in a big ol truck stop for a few hours' sleep, and it was pretty cool in an adventure-y kinda way. A little spooky, so lock up well and pay attention, but not much stranger than anywhere else. The good ones do indeed have showers and good convenience supplies. Bring flip flops in a gallon bag to guard against the shower floors, and leave it unzipped to air out with a squirt of Lysol if you have it. Don't expect them to have towels, but they totally might.

(I say that as a lifelong swimmer, not as a person emotionally scarred by truck stop showers, as we did not try them).

I honestly wouldn't eat much in the way of fast food drive through on the way. Fast food workers are expected to come to work sick or get fired. (So are most grocery workers, but at least they're not directly making your sandwich.) I remember my teen years. It's no better now.

For the pets, I have heard good things about CBD (if legal in states you're traveling through) and "Feliway" spray for kitties, although I don't know if it's for all ages, so that's worth looking into.

I am honestly so excited for you & I hope for updates once you get to your Mom's.

wow! what an adventure!
So much will depend on the pandemic hysteria, in any given area you are, but:
FJ has a good point. Also, truck stops have showers often.
Also large shopping malls and stores, often allow overnight parking for travelers.
Be aware of "road food". Not just because sometimes it's a little janky.....but, humans....if you can, steam or otherwise sterilize on a secondary level. If you can, minimal touching of exterior of bags and anything that might have been handled, until sterilized.
Damn, it's like "The Stand".....in which case, watch for "Mother Abigail", she's always a helper. Avoid anyone named "Flagg", or "Trash can man".... especially near Vegas.

[burner von braun]

Regarding the cat, you might think about getting it aculturated to luxury crate living ahead of time, if you haven't already done so. Same kind of thing for the dogo too. Best of luck GW!

[MrHedgehog]

Big truck stop parking lots are good for sleeping along the way.

When traveling in my van, I use an app called 'park advisor' It shows truck stops, rest areas, koa, campgrounds, rv sites and walmarts. With reviews by users, it is very helpful.

Thank you for the advice and the tip, I've installed the app now!

Yep, truck stops and any Rest Areas that are open seem like some of the best options.

Also, truck stops have showers often.

Hahaha ... showers? We're burners, we have spray bottles and wet-wipes, we don't need no stinking showers!

Right now, you can pretty much forget about overnighting in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Many prohibited that, even pre-pandemic. I did that in Albuquerque once at the only one that still allowed RVs, and the local meth heads knocked on my door several times during the night. Pretty sketchy.

Yuk ... that sounds like too much of an "adventure"! OK, no Wal-Marts then, not that we want to support that particular company anyway.

This move could be your burn.

Yep, it could be, or there are a few really nice-looking Regionals out in that area, too.

But I suspect that we'll probably somehow find a way to make it back to BRC this year ... too many friends to see, and too much volunteering to do!

In fact, if you just bought a yellow & white 2-story place in the boonies, with hanging baskets of flowers, I guarantee you I've already stared at it in longing.

We did look at a Yellow & White house out in the boonies, but it was only a single-story, so you can still enjoy dreams of the house that you've been looking at!

Honestly, it's absolutely beautiful out there, and the people were very friendly, at least in the North Georgia region close to the start of the Appalachian Trail. I came back from a short exploratory trip out there just before the country began to shut down.

[Sham]

Wait MrHedgehog, she told you she was moving?

[lucky420]

No advice. Just lots of virtual hugs, wishing you safe travels and an awesome adventure.

[Token]

Saw this article just now and thought about you G.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/trav ... tions.html

They gots a full list.

[Miura-7]

Hey! How's your adventure going?

[gaminwench]

Token, thanks for that list! Once we get a bit closer to driving away, that'll be mighty handy!

Miura, we close escrow tomorrow, then the packing begins. (I'm weird that way, I'm a planner, but I just cannot pack before I know my plan is going full steam ahead!)

We're pushing out our leave date to the end of May, both because SoCal is extending SIP until May 15, and also (hopefully) to give the folks in the middle of the country a chance to settle into staying home. Georgia's a bit behind that particular curve, no surprise.

[Miura-7]

Smart move! Glad you are playing it safe. Georgia as I'm sure you are aware of, is one of the hotspots. I'm next door in South Carolina, so far we have things reasonably stabilized...So far. Best of luck, and stay wise.