RE: Traveling to Texas...What would you do?

[Kelly]

 SactoCampers

 

ORIGINAL:  SactoCampers
 
 Have fun with this!
 
 

 [font=" comic sans ms" ]I m trying, Sacto ~ really I am!  [8D]  
 
 How far is it from Sacramento (Sacremento? []) to Dallas?
 (and yes, I know I could look it up, but you know it off the top of your head)[/font]

[SactoCampers]

 Kelly

ORIGINAL:  Kelly
 
 
 

ORIGINAL:  SactoCampers
 
 Have fun with this!
 
 

 [font=" comic sans ms" ]I m trying, Sacto ~ really I am!  [8D]  
 
 How far is it from Sacramento (Sacremento? []) to Dallas?
 (and yes, I know I could look it up, but you know it off the top of your head)[/font]
 

 
 3500 miles round trip. [&:]

[mikewilley]

 SactoCampers
Just remember YMMV!
 
 I think I would avoid pulling a trailer into the Dallas area in February.  The weather here is very unpredicitable.  You might find that it is beautiful, sunny, and highs in the 70s.  But it is also possible that the road from Midland to Dallas is a solid sheet of ice, with no sand, no snow plows, and hundreds of idiots who think the right way to get through a slick spot on the road is to gun the engine till the tires smoke enough to melt the ice under them!
 
 Given this I would opt for Amtrak or car and hotel (just make sure you have a set of chains just in case.)
 
 Have you considered a hybrid?  Maybe drive from Sacremento to LA so you only have one train change?  I would guess that s probably out because it s a long drive from Sac to LA.
 
 BTW do we owe you congradulations or condolences on your new govenator?
 
 cheers,
 mike

[SactoCampers]

 mikewilley
Mike,
 
 Thanks for your response and the inside scoop on Texas weather that time of year.
 
 

Given this I would opt for Amtrak or car and hotel (just make sure you have a set of chains just in case.)
 
 

 I will bring chains, but the minivan is AWD, and I am experienced at snow/ice driving (Last year I was able to get my lowly minivan through 5 inches of unplowed snow up a steep street when some guy in a Nissan Pathfinder asked me what the heck I was trying to do. He got stuck, I didn t! []. So I wouldn t anticipate too much problem, there.  But I know my limits: If I have to use chains AND AWD....then I m not driving. Do they have chain controls in Texas?
 
 

Have you considered a hybrid?  Maybe drive from Sacremento to LA so you only have one train change?  I would guess that s probably out because it s a long drive from Sac to LA.

 It s an option, but we d be leaving on the same day if we drove. It s a 5-6 hr drive from Sac to LA. However, Amtrak is notoriously late, so driving would at least guarantee we d make that critical LA-San Antonio leg.
 
 

[MommaMia]

 SactoCampers
I d go for the train.
 
 We love to travel by train.  Cuts travel time.  You can get up and walk around.  It s fun.  You get to see and enjoy sights.  Our kids 7,6 and 3 all agree!  It s the way to go if you can t/won t fly.
 
 BTW... hasn t anyone ever told you that you just can t save to have another kiddo?  It doesn t work that way.  You ll never have enough!  Something always comes up.  You might as well just spend the $ now on something you would enjoy.  When the time is right for another kid, it works itself out

[SactoCampers]

 MommaMia
Mommamia, thanks for responding!
 
 

BTW... hasn t anyone ever told you that you just can t save to have another kiddo?  It doesn t work that way.  You ll never have enough!  Something always comes up.    When the time is right for another kid, it works itself out
 

 It worked last time! We re saving so Mrs. Sacto can take 8 months off like she did last time. We probably won t meet my goal, but we have money tucked away in case we don t.
 
 
 

You might as well just spend the $ now on something you would enjoy.

 That s one way we re looking at it, but all of our options are pretty expensive, some of them very expensive. The train seems a reasonable cost but I don t know about 2.5 days on the train with a toddler [&:]. I do agree that it s much better than doing 8 hour days with Sactotoddler strapped in a carseat. I d hate to do that to her.
 
 

[Nick]

 SactoCampers
Hey Sacto,
 Just get Mrs. Sacto liquored up and fly.[]

[SactoCampers]

 Nick

 

ORIGINAL:  Nick
 
 Hey Sacto,
 Just get Mrs. Sacto liquored up and fly.[]
 

 
 Great suggestion, Nick, especially since she ll probably (hopefully) be pregnant at that time!
 
 [:@][][8D]

[Kelly]

 MommaMia

 

ORIGINAL:  MommaMia
 BTW... hasn t anyone ever told you that you just can t save to have another kiddo?  It doesn t work that way.  You ll never have enough!  Something always comes up.  You might as well just spend the $ now on something you would enjoy.  When the time is right for another kid, it works itself out
 

 [font=" comic sans ms" ]
 What she said, Sacto.  If you wait til you have enough money, you re only gonna have one kid!  Trust me on this one! []
 
 
 I d have to vote with driving your own car.  Even with a rental RV/TT you still have to factor in camp set-up and take-down.  You could try and push it and make it in 3 days (each way), but that is a pretty tough pace for a toddler.  
 
 I ve traveled lots of places by train (my dad worked for Amtrak) and Love it, but I wouldn t travel that way with a 2-year old.  Although you can get up and move around you can t really let them RUN!  A very important part of traveling with children!
 
 If Mrs Sacto doesn t like to fly ~ don t fly!!  Stressfull enough for her without trying it with a toddler and all the  stuff  that goes with the toddler!!  Considered briefly the idea of flying to Florida with mine a few years ago ... had this image of us going through the airport with 2 car seats, 2 strollers, diaper bag, carry-on luggage, toys, games, etc.  Killed that idea real fast!!
 
 If it were me ~ this would be a no-brainer ... I love road trips.  Beg, borrow or steal the vacation time and get in the car and drive!  [][/font]

[mikewilley]

 SactoCampers
As far as chain controls are concerned, we do not have any that I am aware of in the Dallas area because the use of chains is so rare, it is not a problem.  That may be different in parts of West Texas where they get more consistant snow and ice during the winter.  You might check with the Texas Department of Public Safety and see if they have any information.
 
 As far as you and your vehicle on ice is concerned, let me be clear... I have no doubt that you know how to drive under these conditions, know the limits of your vehicle, etc. But I can tell you that the junk yards around here are filled to the brim with the cars of folks who knew how to drive on ice but got slammed into by a native Texan driving 90 MPH on solid ice with bald tires!
 
 I am not saying don t drive, just make sure that when around my fellow Texans on ice keep more distance than usual, we WILL surprise you!

[SactoCampers]

 mikewilley

As far as you and your vehicle on ice is concerned, let me be clear... I have no doubt that you know how to drive under these conditions, know the limits of your vehicle, etc. But I can tell you that the junk yards around here are filled to the brim with the cars of folks who knew how to drive on ice but got slammed into by a native Texan driving 90 MPH on solid ice with bald tires!
 
 I am not saying don t drive, just make sure that when around my fellow Texans on ice keep more distance than usual, we WILL surprise you!
 

 Ha! Too funny. How about I agree to always leave myself an escape route...and to make sure to watch my rear-view mirror! [][]
 
 But if you think Texas drivers are bad in the snow you ain t seen nothing as bad as California. Folks here think 4WD helps them going downhill, around curves, and stopping. [:@]
 

[SactoCampers]

 Kelly

I ve traveled lots of places by train (my dad worked for Amtrak) and Love it, but I wouldn t travel that way with a 2-year old. Although you can get up and move around you can t really let them RUN! A very important part of traveling with children!

 But she can t do *either* in a car. I thought a train would at least give her a little mobility.
 
 I hate the idea of her being stuck in her car seat four days in a row 8 hours a day, staying in motels/hotels, and eating out all the time. That s why I thought a motorhome would at least allow us to stock the fridge and sleep in our own sheets. We wouldn t be doing much setup. Probably just plugging in and/or staying at Wal-mart s and Camping World s, being frugal with the internal tanks. Even if we did stay at campgrounds, I could get us ready to go in about 15-minutes.
 
 Thanks for all the responses. keep them coming.

[Kelly]

 SactoCampers

 

ORIGINAL:  SactoCampers
 
 But she can t do *either* in a car. I thought a train would at least give her a little mobility.
 
 

 [font=" comic sans ms" ]You can stop the car any time you want (as long as you leave an escape route and check your rear view mirror first) ...
 
 [/font]

[SactoCampers]

 Kelly

You can stop the car any time you want (as long as you leave an escape route and check your rear view mirror first) ...

 I m surprised that being a mother of four you don t see the flaw in this logic, the violation of the Law of Toddlers: Once you get them out of the car seat, there s no way in he!! you can get them back in...even with Barney DVDs [][]

[Kelly]

 SactoCampers
[font=" comic sans ms" ]LOL
 
 My kids always do what I tell them to.  Even when they were toddlers!  It s all in the training, Sacto.  How about I help you out when I get to California??
 
 [/font]