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1,052 Miles in one day

adk

adk

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 11, 2005
1,937
21
Stuck in the middle with you
I'm driving from Wisconsin to Louisiana this week, and I'm hoping to make it in one long day. I was hoping some of you local yokels along the route could give me a helping hand. My Route is as Follows:

I-39 Central Wisconsin to Bloomington, IL
I-55 Bloomington, IL to St. Louis
I-55 St. Louis to Memphis (including the northeast corner of Arkansas)
I-55 Memphis To Southern Louisiana, All through Mississippi.
I-10 to New Orleans

Looks like this:

picture1if8.png



My question is, along that route (WI, IL, MO, AR, MS, LA) can anybody grant me some insight on gas prices, how mean the state troopers are, and anything else I'd need to know?

I appreciate it.
 
Are you driving the whole way or is someone sharing the driving with you?

If it's just you, you're nuts to be thinking about doing it in a day. You'll be a danger to yourself and other motorists before you reach Memphis. I was once on a trip with someone who insisted doing 900 miles in a day and she was exhausted by the end of it. I really didn't feel confident that she could have handled a dangerous situation - but she'd lied about adding one of the rest of us to her insurance so we could spell her and there wasn't a lot of choice.

And then she was pretty much useless for the next two days. You'd be far better stopping off 2/3rds of the way there and sleeping. You'll only be 6-8 hours later in arriving, $60 worse off and you'll probably be more effective.
 
Applespider said:
Are you driving the whole way or is someone sharing the driving with you?

If it's just you, you're nuts to be thinking about doing it in a day. You'll be a danger to yourself and other motorists before you reach Memphis. I was once on a trip with someone who insisted doing 900 miles in a day and she was exhausted by the end of it. I really didn't feel confident that she could have handled a dangerous situation - but she'd lied about adding one of the rest of us to her insurance so we could spell her and there wasn't a lot of choice.

And then she was pretty much useless for the next two days. You'd be far better stopping off 2/3rds of the way there and sleeping. You'll only be 6-8 hours later in arriving, $60 worse off and you'll probably be more effective.
Click to expand...

You had the guts to say it, I didn't. :eek:
 
Applespider said:
Are you driving the whole way or is someone sharing the driving with you?

If it's just you, you're nuts to be thinking about doing it in a day. You'll be a danger to yourself and other motorists before you reach Memphis. I was once on a trip with someone who insisted doing 900 miles in a day and she was exhausted by the end of it. I really didn't feel confident that she could have handled a dangerous situation - but she'd lied about adding one of the rest of us to her insurance so we could spell her and there wasn't a lot of choice.

And then she was pretty much useless for the next two days. You'd be far better stopping off 2/3rds of the way there and sleeping. You'll only be 6-8 hours later in arriving, $60 worse off and you'll probably be more effective.
Click to expand...


I work 17 hour days pretty frequently, so I'm not worried about whether or not I can handle it. And of course, I can always crash at a cheap motel along the way, but that's a last resort. Let's stick to what I asked about and quit being grandmas.
 
adk said:
I'm driving from Wisconsin to Louisiana this week, and I'm hoping to make it in one long day. I was hoping some of you local yokels along the route could give me a helping hand. My Route is as Follows:

I-39 Central Wisconsin to Bloomington, IL
I-55 Bloomington, IL to St. Louis
I-55 St. Louis to Memphis (including the northeast corner of Arkansas)
I-55 Memphis To Southern Louisiana, All through Mississippi.
I-10 to New Orleans


My question is, along that route (WI, IL, MO, AR, MS, LA) can anybody grant me some insight on gas prices, how mean the state troopers are, and anything else I'd need to know?

I appreciate it.
Click to expand...
I've driven the I-55 route St. Louis - Memphis more than I can count.
*check out taking I-255 around St. Louis so you don't have to go all the way in to the city, unless you wan't to see the new ball park via Poplar St. Bridge. 255 around will save you at least 30 minutes depending on time of day.
*I-55 South - don't speed around Perryville (it's been a speed trap area for years...I'll spare you the history. :) )
*I-55 around Memphis, South should be okay, but watch out for delays crossing the bridge from Arkansas, in to and around Memphis.

Gas prices again vary according to region, but we hit the BPs most frequently which are around $2.77 in our neck of the woods.

Hope this helps a little. Keep it safe.
 
I have done this same trip a few times, only from Michigan, by myself and it is not that bad. My only recommendations are to stop once for a full sit down meal, get an ipod adapter for your car, and if you do find yourself getting tired, don't plan to stop south of Memphis as there is nothing before you get to Jackson.

As far as scenic US drives, this is not one of them, just get it over with.

If you do have extra time coming back, look into the Natchez Trace Parkway.

http://www.nps.gov/natr/

You can pick it up in Jackson and take it Nashville, worth the time if you have it and a reliable car.
 
adk said:
I work 17 hour days pretty frequently, so I'm not worried about whether or not I can handle it. And of course, I can always crash at a cheap motel along the way, but that's a last resort. Let's stick to what I asked about and quit being grandmas.
Click to expand...

Wow, not open to suggestions, then.
 
adk said:
I work 17 hour days pretty frequently, so I'm not worried about whether or not I can handle it. And of course, I can always crash at a cheap motel along the way, but that's a last resort. Let's stick to what I asked about and quit being grandmas.
Click to expand...


Have you ever driven long distances before (400-500+ miles) It is exhausting. I make the 600 mile drive to and from school several times a year and it takes a lot out of me. And yes I am normally completely exhausted by the end of it. Driving really takes a lot out of some one. My 600 mile drive takes about 10 hours with just having 1 quick food stop and 1 gas stop. It takes me about 9.5 hours of road time and 30 mins in stop. In 10 or so trips it doesnt really matter because something ALWAYS comes up and slows me down (that being making great time and then just hit 30-60 min delay in traffic or jsut little slower going)
You are looking at about 17+ hours of travel time here (more likely pushing 18) Quitest good estimate on time is take the miles you have to drive and /60 and you have you travel time. Really no matter how you cut it something to to keep your average around that speed.

14 hours is the most you are willing to go in a day. If you cannt make it in 14 hours you quite at about 8 hours and just stay a night in a hotel. Trust it from people who make long drives on a semi regular bases. It takes a lot out of you. And doing it solo makes it even worse.
Plus you become pretty stupid and dont know when to quite when doing it. You start thinking just a little bit farther. I can make it.

if you dont want to speed the money at a hotel pull in to a walmart parking lot and sleep there for about 5-6 hours. You will be a lot safer on the road.

Also driving while tired is worse than driving drunk. Just FYI look up studies on it if you dont believe me.
 
adk said:
...I'm not worried about whether or not I can handle it. And of course, I can always crash at a cheap motel along the way...
Click to expand...

Or crash into a motel. Or a pedestrian. Or another vehicle. :( Definitely take a break half way. Get some sleep and a nice big meal :D
 
Driving is a little different than working. With driving you have to be constantly vigilant which adds to fatigue more than just sitting at a desk.

I've done long drives before (granted the longest was half the distance you are trying to do, though still took 9 hours) and after I get to where I'm going I'm pretty much MIA for the next 24 hours.
 
Some info:

1. I did St. Louis to New Orleans. Took me around 9 or 10 hours IIRC. Wisconsin to NO will be pretty damn long.

2. Follow the advice of a previous poster and take the 255/270 loop around St. Louis. You'll avoid the Poplar Street Bridge that way. They're doing construction on that bridge, and there's something like 1 lane open each way. My dad and sister returned from DC last weekend, and it took them about 45 minutes to cross that bridge because of traffic, mind you, this was on a Saturday night when traffic isn't supposed to be bad. You'll get 255 in Illinois, take that around, and catch 55 again in south STL. Be careful at the 255/55 interchange in south STL, it can be very confusing. Just follow the signs closely, its easy to take the wrong ramp

3. Regarding cops....I was hauling ass on 55 in Missouri (by hauling ass, I mean 100+ mph because I wanted to get home) and didn't see a single cop. I was also going 90ish in the other states and was fine. That said, I wouldn't recommend driving without a radar detector unless you're one of those that absolutely refuses to speed no matter what.

4. Depending on your political and religious beliefs, don't read the billboards in southern Missouri (the bootheel). They might piss you off. It's southern, rural Missouri, so I bet you can guess what such billboards are. Just concentrate on the road

5. Take a camera with you so you can snap a picture of the exit sign for Cooter, Missouri :D

6. That is the only thing you'll need the camera for. This is in absolutely no way scenic. Unless 1,000 miles of farmland is considered scenic to you. It's nothing like driving across West Virgina in the mountains (now that's a scenic drive)
 
If you ask me, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri are going to have your cheapest prices in gas. I filled up in Tulsa the other day at 2.79. Missouri will be somewhere comparable, can't say much about LA, TN and MS.

jon
 
adk said:
I'm driving from Wisconsin to Louisiana this week, and I'm hoping to make it in one long day.
Click to expand...
I don't want to be nosey or anything, but have you ever driven a distance like that before? When I was young (and dumb) I did something similar. I drove from Sweden to Spain in one haul. Pure stupidty crossed with stubborness kept me going way after I realized I was unfit to drive. I can tell you it was just dumb luck that I didn't kill myself or worse killed anyone else.

I don't want to push my opinions on you, but do yourself a favor; Try to get some sleep if you need to keep the stereo at max and windows open full just to stay awake. Kharma is a bitch and you will most certainly be reborn as Steve Ballmer if you mess up.
 
A break will be very important. The drive from Jackson to New Orleans is pretty much just a lot of pine trees for hours and hours. And this will be the final part of your trip. That stretch always wears me out for the simple boredom of nothing to see.

Watch out for state troopers in Mississippi. And gas prices around here are between 2.79 and 2.89.
 
Don't pick up any cute girls wearing daisy dukes.....her band might be right in the back of you ready to jack you;)

Seems like a very long drive to me but thats me so have fun and keep the music flowing.




Bless
 
adk said:
I work 17 hour days pretty frequently, so I'm not worried about whether or not I can handle it. And of course, I can always crash at a cheap motel along the way, but that's a last resort. Let's stick to what I asked about and quit being grandmas.
Click to expand...

I drive between Dallas and Washington DC at least twice a year, and I've done so for the past eight years. Sitting behind the wheel of a car for hours is very draining. And driving 1000+ miles non-stop is dangerous, period. Driving while you're fatigued is just as dangerous as driving while you're intoxicated. So quit being so snarky and selfish and listen to people who know what they're talking about.

Oh, and don't bother with the self-assessments, because they're notoriously biased.
 
I drove about 1100 miles in one sitting. I drove from Urbana, IL to San Antonio, TX and arrived in TX just in time for an ice storm. I was completely exhausted when I got there. I tried to sleep at a rest stop along the way, but I couldn't so I decided to keep on going.

I'll never do that again. But it is possible to drive that far in a single sitting. I think it was about 18 hours of drive time.

:eek:
 
I drove from Key West, FL to Tampa in one day, with various detours. (It was some 600 miles if memory serves.) Without someone interesting to talk to and a few stops along the way it would have been hopeless. That was exhausting and I'd fancy myself a rather resilient (non-grandma) person in this regard too. Take snacks, good music and expect to stop a few times. Good luck.
 
As someone said you're a more dangerous driver when you're really tired than when you're drunk. So, in some ways you could just as well have said you're half-way down your second wine bottle and thinking about going for a drive. The "anything else you need to know" advice for that would be don't do it, get some sleep. Same thing here.
 
Look it up on the various map sites. Google, Yahoo, Mapquest. I'm sure they'll tell you the best way. Plan for contingency though, I always did.

I used to drive from WA to CA in 1 day when I came home for the Holidays, but I drive a lot and don't really sleep much anyway. If I'd gotten tired though, I would have stopped. I'd done it many times. Never had any problems. But you should have known someone was going to say something, they're just trying to help. Thanks to your reaction, I doubt you'll get much more help.
 
gekko513 said:
As someone said you're a more dangerous driver when you're really tired than when you're drunk. So, in some ways you could just as well have said you're half-way down your second wine bottle and thinking about going for a drive. The "anything else you need to know" advice for that would be don't do it, get some sleep. Same thing here.
Click to expand...

That's mostly true about being really tired. I've driven a lot but you can learn to manage it, if you do it enough.

I drove across the U.S.A. coast-to-coast in 3 days, 15 hours a day. That's approximately 3000 miles or 4800 kilometres. I definitely wasn't ready to do much but if I went to bed shortly after arriving, the next day wasn't bad.

A lot of doing things right was getting a blizzard at Dairy Queen at appropriate times. It's often an eye opener of a different kind. Mountain Dew helped a lot, too.

However, when I drive through the mountains, and we have such small mountains, I'm definitely willing to stop at 10 hours. I-75 through Tennessee, I-26 through the Carolinas, and I-8 into San Diego would be particularly interesting when excessively tired.
 
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