Wisconsin Road Trip – the drive…

I know you’re all waiting for the wrap-up on the Great Taste of the MW, but I’ve yet to sober up, er… I mean download the eye candy from the camera so let me summarize the drive itself.  Round trip was 2250 miles and 6 states in 7 days and since my butt is still sore from spending 40 hours in a car, I figure I can offer a few suggestions I have for a successful road trip: 

1) CB Radio- not only do these truckers know to alert you about a “Bear in the woods at 12 over 4” or “4 on the ground and a bear in the air” (didn’t know they could fly!) but you will also be one of the first to know why all three lanes just brake checked, and if its something like construction or traffic, truckers often offer up a different route to take around it all, complete with colorful language about the four wheelers who can’t drive. 

2) EZ Pass- Now that Maine finally joined in, Ohio is the only state in the upper right quadrant of the US that needs to get on the ball with some sort of non ticket-only toll system.  You can even use your EZ Pass to fly through the I-Pass lanes in the Chicago area which often helps you bypass a crapload of traffic in the cash lanes. 

3) Pee every time you stop because it never fails that right after you fill up the car with gas and get back on the road, your bladder will start poking you to empty it.

4) Properly inflates tires so the next pothole doesn’t equal your next popped tire.  You’ll also get better gas mileage.

5) Pass left, stay right!

6) Pay attention to the road in front of you, not just your little bubble of space.  If the speeding cars around you or a semi-truck in front suddenly slow down or brake, there’s probably a good reason.  Don’t try to prove your manhood by flying past the cop everybody else spotted.

7) Use some logic when driving around truckers.  If they move to the left, there’s generally a good reason, whether it’s construction, a cop, a disabled vehicle, a little old lady who can’t see over the dash, whatever.  Give the truck some time/room to get back over to the right before you try darting around.  And don’t cut in front of a semi-truck to try to pass people on the right unless you want to push your luck at getting a few tons of steel shoved up your ass.

.8) Don’t drive through Chicago, especially when there’s this “little” festival called Lollapalooza going on that weekend.  But even when there’s not.  Route yourself around the city, be it through Canada or south, or take a Prozac to deal with the drivers. 

9) Don’t stop in Gary, Indiana.  “Admire” the city from the safety of the highway!