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I think it's my ninth time. Kind of lost track of how many times I've done it now. It's pretty easy now, and I kind of look forward to the solitude and the simplicity of the goal: reach the destination alive...
I did it in two and a half days, with three sleep breaks (between two and six hours of sleep) right in the back of my minivan, on a pretty comfortable roll-up mattress. The rest stop are great, especially in the midwest, almost indistinguishable from RV campgrounds. Clean toilets, water, lots of vending machines with junk food and drinks.
This time I was smart and didn't bother with Google Auto at all. Just bluetoothed my phone's audio to the idiotic Sony LCD device built into my car, which also enabled hands-free call reception. Google maps on the phone provided audio navigation (which was much less intrusive than I remembered, but did alert me to speed traps). Combined with a ton of downloaded sci-fi podcasts got me through without any hitches.
Of course there isn't much navigation needed. Get on 80 and go 2500 miles or whatever. It does get tricky around Chicago though.
Gas was stupid cheap this trip. Could not have collapsed at a better time for me. Midwestern prices were under $3.00 per gallon, often around $2.50. I think it was cheaper than flying this time. Last time I did it I paid around $4.00, sometimes close to $5.00. The last 20+ years are like watching a trainwreck in slow motion.
Sep 20 · 3 months ago · 👍 johano