The Watering Hole

14 hours of hard 75mph plus driving from Phoenix Area Az to Clear Lake Cal area, the only traffic we hit was at the intersection of I-210 and I-5 just south of Santa Clarita California. It was a parking lot for a thousand feet or so, then cleared up. We slipped on through easy as pie. the only thing was; there was a lot of traffic on I-5 and so every rest stop and filling station was packed. 800 plus miles all freeway driving except the first 30 miles getting to I-10 and the last 40 miles from I-5 to Cobb area/Middletown Ca.

Back home safe and sound from a nice 5 days in Clear Lake California Area. Left there 3:40 AM got home at 5:15 PM 830 miles or so. Not too bad, in fact we sailed right on through Sacramento, Stockton, and the Santa Clarita, and LA area all the way through San Bernadino without a single traffic hiccup. As always I did all of the driving and the ladies slept most of the way.

Good to hear it went well!

(It's a lot easier to drive when the women are asleep too... ;) :D )

14 hours driving in one stretch  :o    The most I've ever done in one go without any break at all is 6 hours.   As the UK is so small no-one over here is used to driving for 14 hours in one go....I certainly couldn't do it. 8 hours would probably be my limit by which time I would sleep for the next 24 !

I once did Vancouver Island, Canada, to Santa Cruz, CA... there were two of us switching off but it was about 24 hours straight iirc.

I've done the Vancouver WA to San Diego run a few times when my Mom was still living down there and I had properties to deal with.  1,100 miles.  Every trip was done as a "one-shot" except for one where I had to snooze at a rest stop for a bit.  The longest trip was 17.5 hours and the shortest, the day my Dad basically passed away, was 15.5 hours.  In all cases I did most of the driving at night - my favorite time to drive.

How do you stay awake and alert when driving for that length of time?  

LOUD trance music.  :D

(Actually, mostly true.  ;) )

I work 12-15 hours every day but I enjoy it so I don't feel too tired.  Also, since I work from home, when I DO feel tired I simply stop and take a nap.  This usually means I can be awake or asleep at any moment during the day, but it really works for me.  Since I don't do those long drives for a living, they can be fun.  Add that to the fact that I've usually had lots of sleep before leaving and I find it easy to stay awake for the entire trip.  :)

Jon — Jul 10, 2013How do you stay awake and alert when driving for that length of time?  

The secret is, DBM is old so his butt is already asleep 24/7 so it doesn't bother him like it would you or I.   ;D ;D

CraigBert — Jul 10, 2013LOUD trance music.  :D

(Actually, mostly true.  ;) )

I work 12-15 hours every day but I enjoy it so I don't feel too tired.  Also, since I work from home, when I DO feel tired I simply stop and take a nap.  This usually means I can be awake or asleep at any moment during the day, but it really works for me.  Since I don't do those long drives for a living, they can be fun.  Add that to the fact that I've usually had lots of sleep before leaving and I find it easy to stay awake for the entire trip.  :)

Ahhh, please. Stop and take a nap. Thats what rest areas are for. Everyone would appreciate it, I'm sure. ;D ;D

How I work:  When I'm awake I get things done, when I get tired (like I did this afternoon), I get some sleep.  I rarely ever need to push either part.  :)

Jon — Jul 10, 2013How do you stay awake and alert when driving for that length of time?  

I have been doing long distance driving for years, and years, after a few times defying the fatigue, you learn how. When I was younger, I used to drive from Ship Bottom New Jersey to North County (San Diego) in 2-1/2 days. Up at 4 AM drive to midnight, repeat the next day on the third day at about 2 PM, we would be surfing Seaside reef, Cardiff Reef, 8563's, Swami's, South Carlsbad State Beach, or any other break we knew of that was breaking in North County. I used to do that 2x a year or so. When I got to Cardiff By The Sea Cali, there was a job waiting for me laying brick, or doing concrete work.

I did this last stint from Northern Cali after only 2 solid hours of sleep, and drifting in and out of sleep for another hour or so. I was a little tired until I passed Sacramento and Stockton, then I brightened up and made the rest of the trip in a nice aware and awake state.

For me so far it has not been a problem except my bone joints were hurting me after a few hours in each direction. Old age is a real treat........

CraigBert — Jul 10, 2013LOUD trance music.  :D

(Actually, mostly true.  ;) )

I work 12-15 hours every day but I enjoy it so I don't feel too tired.  Also, since I work from home, when I DO feel tired I simply stop and take a nap.  This usually means I can be awake or asleep at any moment during the day, but it really works for me.  Since I don't do those long drives for a living, they can be fun.  Add that to the fact that I've usually had lots of sleep before leaving and I find it easy to stay awake for the entire trip.  :)

As I run my own business I usually work on average 16 hours a day, but that's no problem as the brain is ticking over fast all the time so that doesn't tire me at all, in fact that makes me constantly highly alert. However, sitting behind the wheel of a car for hour upon hour is just so boring that I just have to sleep.  It's ok when doing country driving through small villages and winding roads with interesting things to look at etc, but motorway driving just bores the pants off me and sends me to sleep.

Between the Sac (I used to always stop near the airport to refuel) and the Grape Vine north of Los Angeles IS some of the most boring driving there is.  The rest is pretty interesting actually, especially southern Oregon where the twists and turns at the posted speed will keep you on your toes!

Jon — Jul 11, 2013[quote author=CraigBert link=1373041006/0#7 date=1373488507]LOUD trance music.  :D

(Actually, mostly true.  ;) )

I work 12-15 hours every day but I enjoy it so I don't feel too tired.  Also, since I work from home, when I DO feel tired I simply stop and take a nap.  This usually means I can be awake or asleep at any moment during the day, but it really works for me.  Since I don't do those long drives for a living, they can be fun.  Add that to the fact that I've usually had lots of sleep before leaving and I find it easy to stay awake for the entire trip.  :)

As I run my own business I usually work on average 16 hours a day, but that's no problem as the brain is ticking over fast all the time so that doesn't tire me at all, in fact that makes me constantly highly alert. However, sitting behind the wheel of a car for hour upon hour is just so boring that I just have to sleep.  It's ok when doing country driving through small villages and winding roads with interesting things to look at etc, but motorway driving just bores the pants off me and sends me to sleep.


This is about how I am now.  I used to drive back and forth between Atlanta and St Louis (about 9 hours) multiple times a year with no problem, now I get tired doing a 6 hour stretch between here and Myrtle Beach.  I'm good once I get off the interstate but the stretch between the outskirts of Atlanta and Columbia, SC drains me, I can't imagine doing much longer than that anymore without having help.