[A/S] daily travel distances

["Terry Tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Claudette,

Dean's way is also our way. Like his family, my wife and I play it by 
ear when we're destination traveling (marathoning, i.e. 1,000 miles or 
more).

At the first hint of me being less that 100% mentally and physically 
alert, a 10 minute nap and a little stretching refreshes both of us. 
Years ago, we used a simple kitchen timer to stay within the 10 minute 
mark, but eventually the portion of our brains which controls nap time 
got the message and we no longer need the timer. The majority of the 
time, both of us are wide eyed and bushy tailed after 9 minutes.

If the next rest area has a place to park in the shade or if the 
weather has turned sour and rain is coming down in buckets, we consider 
taking a break especially if we haven't had one in a couple of hours. 
The name of the game is always the same. Stay sharp and drive smart.

Everyone has their favorite topics to think about when hauling a long 
distance. One of mine is to keep track of the five vehicles immediately 
behind us. For whatever the reason, there's a bit of satisfaction at 
finding out if my prediction is correct - for which vehicle will pass 
us next.

When we're NOT marathoning, our driving days are typically less than 
four hours and generally around 150 to 200 miles. Stops for refueling 
or snacks also include an intentional change of pace in our thinking.

For me, I like to identify several choices along our route for an 
overnight stop - in case the unexpected occurs - and then be able to 
recognize the "get off" roads when we pass them.  Sandie likes to do 
email with our cell phone when traffic is light or talk with our kids 
during those pre-agreed times when she knows they'll be at home.

Claudette, your question was: "How far do folks generally tow a day?" 
The answer varies for all of us. The bottom line is - do what feels 
right for you. And, if you've done your homework about what's available 
along the route, there's no pressure to "push on through" when surprise 
snags occur.

Keep it simple and daily travel distance will take care of itself,

Terry
WBCCI 6477
'89 32' Excella
'78 Ford E-250