What are your driving limits per day?

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

I know this has been discussed on various threads through the years ... wanted to start a thread for this topic specifically.

David and I have always traveled 500 miles toward the Fort the first day.  That left a couple of hours of travel the next morning, and we arrived at the Fort around 630 or 730 am the second day.

But last year I developed two DVTs in my left leg during our trip.  It was very painful.  I was on Xarelto for 7 months.  Just went off it a couple of weeks ago.  My doctor attributed it to sitting in the moho too long.  Like flying for hours without exercise.

I'm trying to convince David to break up our trip into segments of 250 miles per day or so.  That means 2 days and about 2 hours the third day to get to the Fort.  We would still go home in 2 days, a little over 300 miles each day.

Am I being unreasonable?

[rtguy007 74]

I would say not unreasonable if that is what makes your trip comfortable. For me, I could drive cross country and not blink and eye. My wife on the other hand is the enforcer and we stop when she gets grouchy. My last trip to the fort that was the Florida welcome center. Started in Columbus Ohio and drove 71 to 75 in about 12 hours if I remember correctly. She was not happy with me for doing it.

[safedave 3]

What works for me and may not for you, though, is stopping every couple of hours to walk around. I even walk to the restroom at the rest stop rather than use the MH. Again, this has worked for me and I still get the 500 miles. It may take a little longer but no more DVT so far.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

My problem is my arthritis is so bad that I can't walk around in the moho while we're on the road.  I don't have the balance that I once had.  And I can't get out of and into the moho so easily.  

Are you all saying I should be able to make 500 miles in one day?   

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

I have a hard and fast rule about stopping every 1.5-2 hours. When we drove down with gram she held up great under that rule too. We made the 1200 mile drive from CT to Port Canaveral in 2 days. 

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

We go 350 or less a day and stop every 100 or so miles.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I would ask your doctor what he or she recommends.  We are just a bunch of schmucks who have different tolerances than you.   I'd hate for you to take the advice of one of us and have a medical issue as a result.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Also, something that might help is compression socks, or see if your doctor will prescribe the actual massaging sleeves for your legs to use while traveling.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I will also say, the trip I took in April/May was much more enjoyable with my 200 or less jaunts in between locations. and I made it a point to split up my drive into 300 mile stretches when I went to Ohio in July. My days of driving 600+ miles in a single day are over.

[keith_h 420]

I will say our drive times vary but for trips to the Fort we stop in Savannah which is about 300 miles and about 5-6 hours of driving. We decided after an 11 hour marathon to the Fort a few years back that it really didn't matter if we did it in one day or two as the long drive always resulted in us not doing anything the day after we arrived anyway. By taking two days we arrive feeling pretty good and ready to go. Even on long trips like we take to see my wife's family we limit our drive to no more than 8 hours but really prefer adding an extra day if we can and only have to be on the road for 6 hours or so.

[McMonsters..........Kelly 48]

We have just at 600 miles to the Fort and have drove straight through (day and night driving), stopped halfway or stopped 2 hours out.  I stop every couple of hours because the kids need the exercise and mama needs to stretch. Our last few trips have been centered around a runDisney event and my fathers health issues so regular stops are a must to keep me hydrated and race ready.  I've been organizing our October trip and think we'll do 6 hours one day then drive in the next.   It could change in the next 3 months but I like to get the kids loaded up around 5 and get a good chunk in before they are awake.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

We stop every 3 hours to strech our legs and let the kids run a few laps around the camper. Everyone is over the van after about 8 hours.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

2 hours ago, DaveInTN said:

I would ask your doctor what he or she recommends.  We are just a bunch of schmucks who have different tolerances than you.   I'd hate for you to take the advice of one of us and have a medical issue as a result.

What Dave said.

What I can say is that the few times I've driven straight through by car, by the time I get home the swelling in my feet is pretty horrendous - as in, my ankles pretty much disappear. I've tried reducing the salt and increasing the water, but it's still bad.

However when we're towing and have to stop every 4 hours or so for gas (which = everybody pees and takes a walk), I don't have that problem. We still do a bunch of miles in a day (usually 10-12 hours worth) but the breaks really do help.

Best advice I'd give is figure out what will work for you (everybody's different) so that you get there comfortably - and again as Dave said, with input from your docs based on the medical issues you're dealing with - and go with that.  If in the end you lose a day traveling, IMO that's not such a bad trade-off for avoiding pain/discomfort.

[LONE-STAR 370]

If we were retired we would take our time. But we are not and the DW only gets so much time off work so we roll as far as we can. 

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

14 hours ago, CCIntrigue...aka Gwen said:

Are you all saying I should be able to make 500 miles in one day?   

Nope...not anymore.  You need to break it up and take that extra day.  David, I'm sure, understands this.  It is what it is.  Better to take the time and be healthy.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

I with Dave, Mo, and Nacole, if you need to take an extra day or get into the Fort later than you used to do it. See what the Dr recommends and what works best for you. My grandmother had a lot of back problems as well as very bad RA, we were used to traveling with only lunch and gas breaks throughout the day till we got tired and would stop for the night (she also got motion sick so laying down or walking around the MH wasn't always an option). It took some time and complaining from my grandfather till he got used to having to stop more often, but she would put her foot down saying I need to stop and stretch or stop for the night. In the car we'd stop every 2 hrs or so even if it was just pulling into a rest area to stretch legs and stand for a few minutes. It made a difference for all of us and we were less sore or stiff come the end of the day.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[disneylitch......Debbie 61]

Some trips we have driven straight through, that's about 950 miles.  Other trips we have driven 550 miles.  Here lately, we have been driving 650, which puts us at Parris Island, SC to spend a little time with grandkids.

The bottom line is that if you need to drive less miles, then that is what is best for you.  Everyone is different and your health is the most important thing. 

[caveat lector 181]

I stop when I feel the dirty looks from my wife because the fuel needle is approaching E 

[seahag2020 3]

This time it was 1388.6 but most time it's a lot less we were so close we just went

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments!  

My doctor told me to stop and walk around every 1-2 hours.  And even with that, I have to keep moving my calf muscles often.  She also ordered blood tests to see if I have a predisposition toward clotting.  Will have them run this week.  If they show positive, I'll go back on Xarelto for the duration of the trip.

Can't wear compression socks because one of the clots was above my knee.

Biggest problem right now is David.  He doesn't want to take an extra day.  Last trip I begged him to stop for hours and he wouldn't.  I think that's why I ended up with the clots. This trip that attitude won't work for me.  I'm determined not to land in the hospital again having shots in my stomach.

Jason, I can't believe your grandmother was able to make the trip in two days!

Mo, if you're having that much swelling, please be careful!

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

34 minutes ago, CCIntrigue...aka Gwen said:

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments!  

My doctor told me to stop and walk around every 1-2 hours.  And even with that, I have to keep moving my calf muscles often.  She also ordered blood tests to see if I have a predisposition toward clotting.  Will have them run this week.  If they show positive, I'll go back on Xarelto for the duration of the trip.

Can't wear compression socks because one of the clots was above my knee.

Biggest problem right now is David.  He doesn't want to take an extra day.  Last trip I begged him to stop for hours and he wouldn't.  I think that's why I ended up with the clots. This trip that attitude won't work for me.  I'm determined not to land in the hospital again having shots in my stomach.

Jason, I can't believe your grandmother was able to make the trip in two days!

Mo, if you're having that much swelling, please be careful!

Mercy Gwen... tell David you're stopping for two nights or he can drive there/back himself and you'll fly.  Period.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

1 hour ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Mercy Gwen... tell David you're stopping for two nights or he can drive there/back himself and you'll fly.  Period.

Great idea, NaCole!

[2beagle 2]

This will be our first big road trip! Leaving Wisconsin on Saturday,  arriving to the Fort Monday morning. I have hotel rooms reserved for our drive there and back, since finding a room that sleeps 6 may be a real hassle without ressies. Planning a little over 600 miles Saturday,  about  430 miles Sunday,  and just over 200 miles Monday morning. We have 4 kids, ranging from 17 down to 5, so we're stopping where there is a pool and free breakfast at each hotel.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

33 minutes ago, 2beagle said:

This will be our first big road trip! Leaving Wisconsin on Saturday,  arriving to the Fort Monday morning. I have hotel rooms reserved for our drive there and back, since finding a room that sleeps 6 may be a real hassle without ressies. Planning a little over 600 miles Saturday,  about  430 miles Sunday,  and just over 200 miles Monday morning. We have 4 kids, ranging from 17 down to 5, so we're stopping where there is a pool and free breakfast at each hotel.

You're making me feel like a wimp!

[keith_h 420]

At the risk of sounding cold this isn't David's choice to make. The doctor has provided recommendations and more importantly this is about your health. This is a condition that can result in death so if it takes an extra day to get to the Fort that's the way it is.