View Full Version : Hop in the car and go?
frugal-one
10-16-25, 8:29pm
Have all kinds of trip ideas but not traveling via air because of the shutdown and possible delays. So, today DH and I hopped in the car and driving to places unknown. We stopped at the travel center on the way and picked up ideas for different things to do in towns in the direction headed. The plan is to go no farther than 5 hours from home and then turn back. We’ve done this a few times before (albeit not in Texas). I’m more of a planner but this is fun for a change. Also got ideas for a future adventure at the travel center. I love change and enjoy different scenery!
iris lilies
10-16-25, 9:06pm
That sounds like fun in the abstract. I hate driving vacation so I appreciate the limits of a 5 Hour Dr. My maximum is six hours. anything beyond that and it’s grueling.
We've done that before albeit not for 5 hours...more like 3. Especially since we moved to a new area. We've enjoyed accidental participation in small-town celebrations and visited lakes where we were the only humans in sight. And the occasional local bar.
catherine
10-16-25, 10:26pm
In our family, we call those "meanders"--although 5 hours is a long meander. But while I'm a "what's our destination and what time to we need to be there" person, DH is a rambler.. and loves just driving around.
frugal-one, do you do 5 hours each way in one day, or do you stay over somewhere?
littlebittybobby
10-16-25, 11:57pm
okay----i have been on several long-distance trips this year. So, anyway----i wenta Rader, Mo., twice and also to Elkland, Mo. once, and Fair Grove, mo. once. Actually, Fair Grove twice, since i went through on the way to Elkland. Also, I wenta Willard, Mo., and of course Nixa, Mo and a place near Branson on 65 Hwy. Plus---Ash Grove, twice. So yeah----I've racked up a lotta miles. Seen a lotta scenery, too. I been thinking about traveling to Carthage or Sedalia, but don' wish to leave The Kids home alone, for too long. Also, the right front tire on my car is indicating possible problems. Plus, there is MUCH vegetation here at the ranch that is encroaching on my open spaces. But yeah---you kids go ahead and get out there and DRIVE and DRIVE and DRIVE and DRIVE even if it accomplishes nothing and wastes gasoline and money and exposes you to the risk of injury and property damage. On my weekly tripta the near by WalMart they had inexpensively-priced folding chairs and I bought one to keep in the car. It came with a storage bag, too. Good deal. The use I have in mind for the chair is to sit near the roadway in a relatively safe place, and watch the car cruisers on designated cruise nights. Yup. It's only a mile or two away, and there is no admission charge. Nope. Hope that helps you kids some. Thankk Mee.
rosarugosa
10-17-25, 6:22am
That sounds like fun in the abstract.
I couldn't have said it better. It sounds like a really neat idea, but without hotel reservations somewhere, I personally would feel anxious and homeless.
LBB: Why are you so enthusiastic about amassing cars and car parts if you disapprove of actually driving them?
frugal-one
10-17-25, 6:28am
In our family, we call those "meanders"--although 5 hours is a long meander. But while I'm a "what's our destination and what time to we need to be there" person, DH is a rambler.. and loves just driving around.
frugal-one, do you do 5 hours each way in one day, or do you stay over somewhere?
We are retired and have no encumbrances so stop when we want to see what we want. I am usually a planner so just finding accommodations on the way is a bit out of my m.o. I think it is good though to get out of your comfort zone on occasion. We now are at a nice hotel with a plan to spend a few hours in nature (it is bird migration season now) and continue on the way. I imagine this jaunt will be no longer than 2 nights away depending on what we encounter?? So far it has been very pleasant.
pinkytoe
10-17-25, 10:02am
We have attempted a couple of leaf peeping forays to nearby mountains. Everywhere is unbelievably crowded so getting back home feels like the getaway. We are thinking about heading south to one of the dark sky towns for one night. Until these darn two old cats (encumbrances as you say) move on, travel for more than a few days is delayed.
iris lilies
10-17-25, 10:17am
I couldn't have said it better. It sounds like a really neat idea, but without hotel reservations somewhere, I personally would feel anxious and homeless.
LBB: Why are you so enthusiastic about amassing cars and car parts if you disapprove of actually driving them?
Bobby will never answer a direct question.
How many dogs does Bobby have? He will never answer.
early morning
10-17-25, 11:50am
Have fun, frugal-one - that sounds like a great idea!! I've always loved driving around semi-aimlessly. We do a lot of day trips this way. Pick a cardinal direction, and then wander from that. We generally are home same day - planning around Dr. apt's, volunteer commitments, kitty care, etc. can be stressful. But driving, I like! We pack a lot of this in when we travel, too. We love New England, and spend a lot of time on back roads there. As I get older, I'm more appreciative of a place already booked to crash in, but we've not been caught out so far, and have had some great hotel "finds" along the way. Two of my favs (The Black Swan in Lee, and The Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm near the Vermont /NH border are on our repeat list, and both were stumbled on late in the day. I do appreciate a cell phone and google for last minute bookings, when we have a signal! And in New England, at least, it's never all that far to a large city where (nice but boring) hotels are numerous. Maine- that's a little harder, lol.
iris lilies
10-17-25, 12:13pm
as for rosa’s concern about not having hotel reservations, I dont plan ahead and so far I haven’t been caught up without a place to stay.
the last trip I took was two weeks ago to Kansas City and I had no hotel reservation.
so my methodology for these brief out-of-town trips of garden club and plant Society events is this: I use Google maps to get to the site of the seminar/meeting/training session.
Once I’ve figured out where I need to be, I sit in the parking lot in my car and ask Google Maps to show me the nearest hotels. Usually I stay at mid range hotels, but this last time the Econo Lodge was closest, so I thought I would check it out. It was immaculate! I mean, the lobby actually sparkled with cleanliness! And when I got to the room, the furniture was very simple and the padded chair was a little worn, but the bed was new. It was a high-quality bed that rivaled anything the Hilton chain has. I lucked out in getting a decent room for $109. Usually I pay well over $150, and by the time all the taxes and rollup are included, it’s over $200.
happystuff
10-17-25, 12:46pm
I love this idea, frugal-one! I like the idea of shaking up my old travel routines and this sounds like fun. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
catherine
10-17-25, 1:01pm
Like iris, I also am comfortable winging it.. it's part of the adventure. This may sound contrary to what I said about having a destination and a timeframe, but I'm used to being in positions where I'm not sure exactly where I'll be staying the night. I do what iris does, but I usually filter the findings by my hotel rewards memberships.
When my daughter and I took a half-cross-country trip from Houston to NJ, we just took what we got most of the time. The only time I am quick to book a hotel is if I'm going to a conference because the blocked rooms tend to go very quickly and I like not having to leave one hotel to go to another.
littlebittybobby
10-17-25, 4:24pm
I couldn't have said it better. It sounds like a really neat idea, but without hotel reservations somewhere, I personally would feel anxious and homeless.
LBB: Why are you so enthusiastic about amassing cars and car parts if you disapprove of actually driving them? okay----TYVM for axxing mee that quesssion. The reason is, my cars are classic masterpieces. I want to minimize wear-n-tear on them. Also, traffic is Murder. I just received aq nice, new, right-side fender for my classic 79 K10. I had a left-side fender in the attic of my warehouse, buried under some other parts, and I retrieved it and washed the accumulated dust from it with the pressure-washer. Today, I will wash the two inner fenders i've got stored in the bed of the K10. Then, pull the old fenders, which are beyond repair. The fenders cost more than the purrchase price of the K10, so that shows i got it really cheap. I acquired it from a rancher near Ash Grove; the engine had problems, though it turns out it had been rebuilt at one time. But, I can salvage it for parts. Meantime, I have a complete engine that I pulled from the wreckin' yard two years ago on a hot afternoon and pieced together. It's no yeccho-tech nightmare, either. I am preserving this old farm truck for posterity. Yup. How do you like that?
littlebittybobby
10-17-25, 5:13pm
as for rosa’s concern about not having hotel reservations, I dont plan ahead and so far I haven’t been caught up without a place to stay.
the last trip I took was two weeks ago to Kansas City and I had no hotel reservation.
so my methodology for these brief out-of-town trips of garden club and plant Society events is this: I use Google maps to get to the site of the seminar/meeting/training session.
Once I’ve figured out where I need to be, I sit in the parking lot in my car and ask Google Maps to show me the nearest hotels. Usually I stay at mid range hotels, but this last time the Econo Lodge was closest, so I thought I would check it out. It was immaculate! I mean, the lobby actually sparkled with cleanliness! And when I got to the room, the furniture was very simple and the padded chair was a little worn, but the bed was new. It was a high-quality bed that rivaled anything the Hilton chain has. I lucked out in getting a decent room for $109. Usually I pay well over $150, and by the time all the taxes and rollup are included, it’s over $200. okay----yeah but Eddie(Faux)---two hundred is a LOTTA moo-lah!!! Why not just find a parkin' lot near the event, and sleep in your car? That'd save a LOTTA dough, that could go toward IMPORTANT stuff. But yeah---way i look at it. Yup.
iris lilies
10-17-25, 10:13pm
okay----yeah but Eddie(Faux)---two hundred is a LOTTA moo-lah!!! Why not just find a parkin' lot near the event, and sleep in your car? That'd save a LOTTA dough, that could go toward IMPORTANT stuff. But yeah---way i look at it. Yup.
Wally, I have no desire to sleep in my car and I don’t need to do that anyway.
Over the past several years this is how we've approached our winter meander/ramble, which we'll begin again next month. Before leaving home we'll determine two things, our first stop and a later desired destination which will act as a turnaround point. We usually never travel more than about 250-300 miles in a day and if possible, each stop will consist of one to two weeks of exploring that area. While hanging out wherever that may be, we'll decide where the next stop will be.
For this year's trip the only thing we've planned so far is an overnight stop in the Nashville area on our first day out, followed by a 10 day stop at Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas. Not sure where the next stop will be but since we traditionally spend Christmas on a beach we'll probably be somewhere around Padre Island near the end of December and then move on to the Dallas/Ft Worth area around the 1st of January where we'll pick up our grandson and take him somewhere for a week or so and then who knows where we'll be between then and our return home around the 1st of March.
Luckily we take our home-away-from-home with us so all we really need for one of our occasional travel day overnights is a.parking spot at a truck stop or Walmart/Sams lot or even a Cracker Barrel. Our one to two week stops are always at State or National Parks or Corps of Engineers campsites where we can always find something new to do or see each day.
Last year we logged just over 6000 miles of driving and eating out (provided for LBB's benefit) and I suppose this year's ramble will be about the same.
frugal-one
10-18-25, 5:09am
Over the past several years this is how we've approached our winter meander/ramble, which we'll begin again next month. Before leaving home we'll determine two things, our first stop and a later desired destination which will act as a turnaround point. We usually never travel more than about 250-300 miles in a day and if possible, each stop will consist of one to two weeks of exploring that area. While hanging out wherever that may be, we'll decide where the next stop will be.
For this year's trip the only thing we've planned so far is an overnight stop in the Nashville area on our first day out, followed by a 10 day stop at Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas. Not sure where the next stop will be but since we traditionally spend Christmas on a beach we'll probably be somewhere around Padre Island near the end of December and then move on to the Dallas/Ft Worth area around the 1st of January where we'll pick up our grandson and take him somewhere for a week or so and then who knows where we'll be between then and our return home around the 1st of March.
Luckily we take our home-away-from-home with us so all we really need for one of our occasional travel day overnights is a.parking spot at a truck stop or Walmart/Sams lot or even a Cracker Barrel. Our one to two week stops are always at State or National Parks or Corps of Engineers campsites where we can always find something new to do or see each day.
Last year we logged just over 6000 miles of driving and eating out (provided for LBB's benefit) and I suppose this year's ramble will be about the same.
Will this be at the height of fall color? Or why this specific area? … perhaps specifically because Corp of Engineers campsite?
Will this be at the height of fall color? Or why this specific area? … perhaps specifically because Corp of Engineers campsite?
Several reasons actually. 1) We'll start off heading in the general direction of Texas in order to eventually pick up our grandson, Greers Ferry falls neatly into our preferred habit of not driving more than about 300 miles per day meaning that after an overnight stop in Tennessee we can cruise in on the second afternoon of our wander about. 2) One of my cousins manages the campground we'll be staying at and I haven't seen her in over 10 years. 3) An old friend and one time relative by marriage lives about an hours drive from there and as we haven't seen each other in person in almost 50 years, we're going to spend a day catching up.
littlebittybobby
10-18-25, 11:49am
Several reasons actually. 1) We'll start off heading in the general direction of Texas in order to eventually pick up our grandson, Greers Ferry falls neatly into our preferred habit of not driving more than about 300 miles per day meaning that after an overnight stop in Tennessee we can cruise in on the second afternoon of our wander about. 2) One of my cousins manages the campground we'll be staying at and I haven't seen her in over 10 years. 3) An old friend and one time relative by marriage lives about an hours drive from there and as we haven't seen each other in person in almost 50 years, we're going to spend a day catching up. okay----but yeah----since you are going on your annual pilgrimage ta Texcess, there is absolutely NO good reason for you and your wife NOT ta visit the BIG TEXCESS Steak house for a coupla FREE 72 ounce steaks! Be sure and take a photo, too.(see photo)6570
rosarugosa
10-18-25, 12:47pm
Bobby will never answer a direct question.
How many dogs does Bobby have? He will never answer.
I guess you're right. I was just thinking that if one is look for lawn ornaments, plastic pink flamingos are more frugal.
6573
okay----but yeah----since you are going on your annual pilgrimage ta Texcess, there is absolutely NO good reason for you and your wife NOT ta visit the BIG TEXCESS Steak house for a coupla FREE 72 ounce steaks! Be sure and take a photo, too.(see photo)6570
Actually, there's a couple of reasons not to visit there, one being that I don't think we'll be anywhere near as north as Amarillo and two, I've got history with Amarillo since I was born there (although I don't remember it), but the Air Force Base where my parents birthed me was closed in 1968. We've driven through Amarillo several times while rambling westward but never saw a reason to stop.
littlebittybobby
10-18-25, 7:13pm
okay-----NO REASON TA GO THERE????? Al, it's your BIRTHPLACE!!! And o' course---once a Texcessan, always a Texcessan! Yup. So yeah----this time travel on out ta Armadillo, birthplace of Al. Yup. Another way to entertain yourself on your trip(besides admiring odd rock formations), would be ta stop at light truck dealerships along the way, and negotiate potential TRADES for your current rig, without getting screwed! See, now---that would make it more fun, would it not? Hope that helps you some. Thankk mee. Yup.
I don't have a need for a light truck littlebit, my current home away from home requires a heavy duty.
littlebittybobby
10-18-25, 8:26pm
I don't have a need for a light truck littlebit, my current home away from home requires a heavy duty.
So, you're using a Peterbilt or Mack or Freightliner to pull your travel trailer? I thought you had a Ram, which is a light-duty.
So, you're using a Peterbilt or Mack or Freightliner to pull your travel trailer? I thought you had a Ram, which is a light-duty.Ahhh, you're talking about heavy duty trucks (commercial grade, class 7 and 8) and I'm talking about heavy duty pickup trucks such as the 2500/3500/4500 (GM/RAM) or the F250/F350/F450 (Ford). In pickup truck parlance everything above the 1500/F150 designation is heavy duty. You know that!
littlebittybobby
10-19-25, 2:49am
okay---tomorrow, i am planning a trip to Willard, Mo., in my nearly 19 year-old cheap old economy car that i picked up at the wreckin' yard nearly a decade ago. it needs a new battery, and one tire has a slow leak and it also needs the interior cleaned out and vacuumed. But yeah---its about THE cheapest new car you could buy, 20 years ago. But, it runs. I figure i might use it to haul an engine block back from willard, if all goes well. I just wonder if it would classify as light duty or heavy duty or what? Anya you kids use your Subbaroo ta haul heavy stuff? Just curious.
littlebittybobby
10-19-25, 3:47am
okay----Al, 'nother place i could recommend for you to stop-n-eat on your long trip ta Texcess is in Killeen, situated about midway between Wacko and Awe-stun, Texcess. So anyway---it's the Yank Sing Chineese restaurant, there in Killeen. But yeah---it's in the same zact building where a couple dozen people died(including the assailant)after a mass murder, when it was Luby's Cafeteria. I don't believe the killer had an issue with the food. Nope. (see photo) Enjoy your meal. Take a photo. Thankk mee.6577
littlebittybobby
11-2-25, 1:14pm
okay----'nother cool trip you kids could go on is a drive-n-sleep-n-eat to Kansas City, Zurra and then onta Pair-O-dice Nevada. Yup. In KC, you can stay at the former Hyatt Regency now owned by Bally and called the Horseshoe-something. But yeah---in 1981, a walkway collapsed and smooshed dozens o' people. But they fixed 'er up and rebranded the place. And then---on ta Vegas to Bally's, where back about 81 or so, 85 people were suffocated/burned or suffocated AND burned to death in a fire caused by faulty wiring in a pastry cabinet downstairs. But yeah---they fixed the Hotel up again, so it's still there. Stigmatized, but still there. Hope that helps you some.
littlebittybobby
11-6-25, 8:32pm
okay-----for you kids that liketa squander finite ressourses on just DRIVING and DRIVING and DRIVING ta see some odd-looking rock formation out in the middle o' nowhere, i would recommend Heart Mountain in Why-oming, Land O Cheney. (see photo) But yeah---it is easpecially worth noting that the white man stole it from the Red Man and also the Brown Man, then used the area to build a Concentration Camp for Yellow Men, just as those Nazis did, about the same time. See? Aren't the Whites terrible? Hope that helps you some.6595
iris lilies
11-7-25, 11:32am
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-des-moines-register-diane-pangburn/23301029/
Bobby you would probably like the stigmatized MGM Grand Hotel property site that burned and killed several in 1980. This is the obituary of Diane Pangburn. I worked with her, stayed in her apartment while she went on a trip, knew her as an acquaintance. She was pretty and dumb (but maybe that was just naivety.) Like for instance, she went "on a job interview" with our boss at night in his car. Hmmmm.....an interview site that is not typical. He didn't do anything but that just is not smart on her part.
We rather rudely referred to her as "Miss World" at work since she had been in that beauty pageant.
littlebittybobby
11-7-25, 6:14pm
okay---i telll you what---if i ever go outa Vegas to try out an all-ya-can-eat smorgasbord, i will stay at the former MGM grand, where the tragedy occurred. In fact, i'll even request the zact room Miss World was staying in, when she died of smoke inhalation. Yup. But yeah---thanks for the information. On another topic related to drive-n-eat, a couple times a year they have an auto parts swap meet on HWY 291 in Independence, mo. It's not very far, maybe a coupla miles, from TIMS's Pizza Place! So yeah---I'll prolly stop there. Will take a photo of my food, too, and post it here for you kids. Yup. Thankk Mee.
littlebittybobby
11-8-25, 2:52am
okay-----i found this interesting news article from a small-town IWAH newspaper. (see photo). But yeah---a group of people were on the 24th-floor foyer, when they were overcome by smoke inhalation from burning materials clear down on the first floor(where the fire was), that traveled up the ventilation system and other passageways. Yup.6599
iris lilies
11-8-25, 10:18am
okay-----i found this interesting news article from a small-town IWAH newspaper. (see photo). But yeah---a group of people were on the 24th-floor foyer, when they were overcome by smoke inhalation from burning materials clear down on the first floor(where the fire was), that traveled up the ventilation system and other passageways. Yup.6599
If I recall correctly T. Spagnolia was her boss/boyfriend. By the time she died she had moved on from our workplace.
littlebittybobby
11-9-25, 6:50pm
okay---it wasn't the first time Spagnola had been in the news, regarding a tragedy. (see photo). But yeah---he is remembered for one of IWAH's Cold Cases. Yup. Hope that helps you some. Edited to add: in case you can't read it, he and a buddy spotted the body of a murdered man floating in the river, in 19546602
frugal-one
11-9-25, 8:53pm
okay---it wasn't the first time Spagnola had been in the news, regarding a tragedy. (see photo). But yeah---he is remembered for one of IWAH's Cold Cases. Yup. Hope that helps you some. Edited to add: in case you can't read it, he and a buddy spotted the body of a murdered man floating in the river, in 19546602
How is this related to traveling?
iris lilies
11-9-25, 11:57pm
How is this related to traveling?
Often these threads meander in topic. is that not OK?
littlebittybobby
11-10-25, 3:33am
How is this related to traveling? okay----well, you have to be sharp enough to make the connection, there. But yeah---hope that helps you some. Yup.
frugal-one
11-10-25, 9:44am
Macabre locations could be a separate thread perhaps?
littlebittybobby
11-10-25, 4:26pm
Macabre locations could be a separate thread perhaps? TYVM, Frugal. That is a great suggestion.
littlebittybobby
11-10-25, 4:47pm
okay---'nother thing you could do is hop in your car and go upta IWAH, and drive over ta Boone, on HWY 30, where a chief judge was arrested fer Drunk-N-driving. I mean, they said she was REALLY plowed, and it's a miracle she didn't crash her nice new 2026 Denali inta anybody---just hit a median going the wrong way. . Yup. But yeah---(see photo). Hope that helps you some.6606
littlebittybobby
11-16-25, 2:43pm
okay----here's some cars that would be IDEAL for negotiating traffic around town (see photo). Just what you need. Yup. Hope that helps you some. Thankk mee. 6614
littlebittybobby
11-22-25, 1:40pm
okay----just on impulse, i hopped inta my 18+ year-old cheap economy car that i picked up at the wreckin' yard 8+ years ago, and DROVE, just DROVE and Drove ta St Louis, just for something to "do". But yeah---it commenced to rain on the way in during "rush hour", but stopped raining for awhile. So then---I arrived at a residence in St Peter, Mo., and picked up an El Camino hood, and lashed it to the roof o' my car, for the trip back. As soon as I hit i-44, it commenced to rain and rain and rain, with 18-wheelers passing me and me passing 18-wheelers in the rain, all the way back home. Yup. It was an adventure. How do you like that? (see photo). My point is----just jump in your car and DRIVE----no matter the weather conditions----and just get your miles in. See?6623
Yup. It was an adventure. How do you like that?
You're a wild man Bob-a-loo!
"Fixin' to" hop in our rental car and head south to Texas. Hoping the weather over Raton Pass isn't too challenging. The trip back is always an unknown. Floods in flat Amarillo, snow in NM and Colo.
Well we're fixin to head south too, leaving Monday in our pickup towing a 5th Wheel camper in the general direction of Texas on our annual winter wander-about. The plan is to be on one of the barrier islands by Christmas then who knows where our vagabond meanderings will take us in January and February?
early morning
11-22-25, 4:43pm
Have fun and stay safe, to all who wander! :)
Making trips to Padre Island, Rockport and Port Aransas were part of my growing up in Texas years. It's curious to me how popular South Tx is to so many winter visitors. We have neighbors here who leave right about now for their winter place in McAllen.
happystuff
11-23-25, 10:31am
Safe travels to all who are hitting the road! Happy landings and wishing fun adventures.
iris lilies
11-23-25, 12:10pm
Making trips to Padre Island, Rockport and Port Aransas were part of my growing up in Texas years. It's curious to me how popular South Tx is to so many winter visitors. We have neighbors here who leave right about now for their winter place in McAllen.
My mom spent a couple of years in Rockport during the winter. It was cute way back then, but that was decades ago. my brother and his wife schmoozed a doctor they work with who has an estate at Rockport and they still go down to stay with him, they’ve been doing it for years.
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