This may not be a topic for everyone, but, coming from a car culture, it is something I like to ask people.
What is the longest drive you have ever taken? This does not mean without stopping, but from destination 1 to destination 2 where you spend at least one overnight stay. I'll start: my longest drive was from Los Angeles to Napa Valley.
I do believe I might have this one in the bag.. I drove from Seattle, Washington to Miami. Florida.. but I also drive from San Jose to San Diego regularly..
The longest drives I do regularly these days, are about 600kms, from the East African coast, inland to the Rift Valley. I often used to drive through to Uganda, heading south to Rwanda or the Congo. Approximately 2000kms. I don't miss those drives at all!
A bit over 900 miles in 2007 ... I was pulling a large 5th wheel camper from Indiana to a dealer in Redding Calif. Needless to say, I "doctored" my log book A LOT on that trip!! lol!
It was similar to this....36 ft. long and nearly as high as an 18 wheeler.
I have had several long trips with a stopover in the middle. However, the longest with no overnight stops was from Savannah, Georgia to Lawrence, Kansas. I drove over 1087 miles. That was about 4 years ago.
Ventura, California to Omaha, Nebraska - 1775 miles (this summer for the eclipse)
Omaha, Nebraska to Seattle, Washington - ~1700 miles (a long time ago to meet a girl)
Austin, Tx to Wausau, WI - a while ago for a job and a girl
Chicago, IL to Fort Lauderdale, FL. - spring break
About two weeks ago I drove from Raleigh NC to Aspen Colorado! It took three days with two drivers, drinivg ten hours a day
Now in another couple of weeks I'll have to reverse it to get home
This is an interesting question, but not quite as simple to answer as it appears at first sight for someone living on a small island.
The UK is also a car culture although not as much as the USA which has approximately 1.5 times as many cars per head of population. Secondly, nowhere in the UK is more than 70 miles from the coast and the greatest distance between two points by road on the island of Great Britain is only 898 miles. Note: the United Kingdom is made up of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. In order to make long journeys therefore, UK citizens have to cross the sea to Continental Europe, either by ferry, or on a train through the Channel Tunnel.
If the question was about the furthest travelled in a day, other factors would need to be taken into consideration, such as the number of miles of motorway (freeway) and trunk roads (dual carriageways) per head of population, speed limits, road works and traffic congestion. The UK has one of the lowest figures for motorways among European countries at 33.15 miles per 1,000 population, and only 82.57 miles of trunk roads per 1,000 population. The maximum speed limit on motorways and trunk roads is 70 mph, on other main roads it is generally 50 mph, and in built up areas 30 mph or even 20 mph. Traffic congestion is a significant problem, and travelling on motorways it is difficult to maintain an average speed of more than 45mph and 35mph on other main roads.
The longest single journey I have made was from home in Manchester to Schliersee in Southern Germany, a distance of approx 960 miles, although this involved an overnight ferry crossing from Hull to Rotterdam. In the last few years we have driven from Manchester to Soriano in Italy for a fortnight’s holiday a couple of times, a distance of approx 1,323 miles, but we have broken the journey with 3 or 4 overnight stops at interesting places en route. The longest time I have spent at the wheel was just over two years ago when we drove from Cambrai in France to Manchester via the Channel Tunnel, a distance of 417 miles in just over 14 hours. At one stage we travelled 8 miles in 4 hours because of a road accident on the motorway just north of Birmingham. These days I tend to measure journeys in terms of the number of hours at the wheel rather than the distance. As an example, on Friday we made a short journey of 55 miles form Manchester to just north of Stafford for lunch with friends, of which approx 52 miles were on motorways. However, because of road works and accidents the journey took 1 hour and 45 minutes, at an average speed of 31.4 mph. Compare this to our journey from Tayside in the Highlands of Scotland to Manchester last Tuesday, a distance of 280 miles, of which approx 200 miles were on motorways, 5 hours of driving at an average speed of 56 mph. I should add that I do not always stick to the speed limit on motorways in the UK although I try to keep below 85 mph, and in Germany and Italy I have driven long stretches at around 100 mph.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12
The two above me have me beat, but I did a couple fairly long driving tours over the last couple years. One from Vegas where we rented a car and looped through Southern Utah and Northern Arizona visiting various national parks. We did have extended stays at Bryce and Zion, though. The other was this past summer. We drove from our home in London, Ontario down to Virginia, followed the Blue Ridge Parkway through that state and NC, then ended up at Gatlinburg Tennessee where we stayed a few days to hike and tour in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Finally drove back home up I-75.
Halloween looms and my annual story is here. Is it a trick? Or a treat? Let me know.
We started in Lawrence, Kansas and stopped for the night in Amarillo, Texas. Next day across Texas and New Mexico to Holbrook, Arizona. Then over Arizona into California, spending the night in Bakersfield. Up the Great Central Valley and across the coastal range to Eureka, California. That's on the Pacific Coast. We spent three nights there and left to go over the mountains to Fallon, Nevada. Next day across Nevada (the so-called Loneliest Road in the Country) to Utah, staying in Richfield. Drove over the Rockies and spent one night in Denver, Colorado. Last day across eastern Colorado and most of Kansas to Lawrence.
I shan't be making drives that long anymore. The photos and memories are great but I am too old to enjoy driving that much.
Quote by Survivor My most recent drive was 4,751 miles.
We started in Lawrence, Kansas and stopped for the night in Amarillo, Texas. Next day across Texas and New Mexico to Holbrook, Arizona. Then over Arizona into California, spending the night in Bakersfield. Up the Great Central Valley and across the coastal range to Eureka, California. That's on the Pacific Coast. We spent three nights there and left to go over the mountains to Fallon, Nevada. Next day across Nevada (the so-called Loneliest Road in the Country) to Utah, staying in Richfield. Drove over the Rockies and spent one night in Denver, Colorado. Last day across eastern Colorado and most of Kansas to Lawrence.
I shan't be making drives that long anymore. The photos and memories are great but I am too old to enjoy driving that much.
.. sure hope you drove a Hybrid if not the cost of gas would bankrupt anyone
Please read my latest poem to honour all who have served
Quote by gillianleeza I have made many trips from northern Virginia to Newfoundland. About 1600 miles.
Day One: 12 hours to Maine
Day Two: 10 hours to North Sydney Nova Scotia
An overnight ferry ride to Newfoundland about 6-8 hours.
Day Three: 6 hours across the island to Grandfalls-Windsor Newfoundland
After staying about ten days we take the trip in return.
That's a bit of driving. I thought the minister I know who's from Brantford, Ontario but lives on The Rock had it rough when he comes home but I think you have him beat.
Halloween looms and my annual story is here. Is it a trick? Or a treat? Let me know.
My longest drive is rather short by comparison to most of those mentioned here but...
From my home in Yorkshire to Kaatsheuval in the Netherlands. A distance of some 425 miles (although 125 miles of it was at sea on the Ferry!)
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana
Since the previous post, my longest drive is now 620 miles... to Koblenz in the Rhineland Palatinate of Germany. Only 25 miles was ferry on this one!
I have to say that it was an absolute joy, unlike the trip to Disneyland Paris avoiding toll routes! What a nightmare... never again!
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana
I think my longest was Virginia/DC to Seattle/Tacoma in Washington State, although I have driven all over the United States and there are only a few left that I have not driven through. One of the longest I drove straight was Dallas, Texas to Boise, Idaho. I have driven in other countries too, but the longest drives in the USA.
I drove from Boston to San Diego to get my friends who wanted to see Nova Scotia. They gave me a great tour of several parts of the Grand Canyon, so I took them to Halifax. The whole trip took around 2 weeks and 3 days.
