Well, we made a successfull journey through the populated areas and enjoyed a bountiful Thanksgiving of Turkey, ham and all the fixins, good company, some never before met relates and all that good stuff as expected.

Now the journey is another thing.

I expected rush/holiday traffic in Sacramento on Weds evening at 1730 hrs. yeah bad timing but thats the way it goes. The slow down starts at the spaghetti bowl, (I do I5 to stockton then switch over to 99), 2 1/2 hr later we get to Stockton and didn't see a good reason for traffic backed up, its 40 or so miles. Jump the 4 to 99 and sail on south with moderate traffic and light fog. Destination reached after 9 1/2 hrs travel, yeah we ate and got gas but it don't take that long.

Friday come on home with moderate traffic, a bit more than expected but ok to deal with.

Just north of Fresno we're cruising along and I hear theis huge boom boom, and see dust in the median on the otherside of the concrete and bushes.
Everybody else starts freaking out, saysing didi you see that?!? The suv hit the wall head on!!!! If there hadn't been a wall they would have hit us.

We saw a couple more aftermaths but managed to travel safely and slid through the enforcement zones.

Now I remember why I stay on the hill. That freeway stuff is nuts. Now my Suby needed to go out on a runn to blow some carbon out but I think that 80-85 traffic speed is a bit nuts, not to say I don't enjoy a speed run, but I wonder about the other drivers, and I have to reference *****'s post as a back up.

I guess I'm just getting old, that wasn't even a respectable rant for that matter.

Hope that everyone survived their adventures whatever they may have been, like Dan having a different brand tv dinner.

 

I prefer less excitment than that, thank you very much...

The holidays are really a good time to stay off the roads, that's for sure. Glad you made the trip and returned home in one piece. No way I could live in a nuthouse like the cities and put up with that crap every day. When I get to the stop sign at the end of my road in the mornings and I have to wait more than 30-45 seconds for traffic to clear so I can pull out, I get frustrated and start cursing all the city folks who felt they had to move up here and cause these darn traffic jams...

 

I would remember that accident happened on a two-lane country road - had it been a freeway with a guard rail in the center it would not have happened.

I agree it is good to blow some carbon out of your SUV, but I would not consider it with the family aboard, and I worry about short wheelbase vehicles at high speed. My jeep is fairly fast and I have pushed it over 100 mph, but it sure feels like the rear end wants to swap places with the front.

I like a long wheelbase if you want to go fast.

I have become used to running 65 and 70, and find I enjoy the trip more. I also get better mileage and don't have to worry about the cops. When I tow my trailer I stick to 55 even in states where it is legle to go faster.

The interesting thing is that at the end of the day I arrive within a few minutes of when I would have had I rushed the entire distance.

Clint

 

It took us 5 hours to get to Petaluma a few years back on Thanksgiving. We stay home now.

 

I don't worry about the Outback wagon at 80-85 with it loaded down, 4 passengers and all of their stuff, rides pretty stable. I only do that to keep from getting run over. I purposely left the highway tires on until this week cause studs do not like the rain strips on concrete roadways.

We are staying home now for awhile.

 

Good enough - I can understand about keeping up with traffic. and good idea about the tires. . .

 

It must be my age, I quit worrying about the guy behind me years ago, drives the wife crazy when I don't keep up with traffic. I just cruise the speed limit and let the loonies stay ahead of me.

 

After so many years of driving large fire engines I still have the right, left scan habit, throw in a rear view I can see out of and it becomes right, center, left scan constantly. At least that way I can see the loonies coming and move if I need to.

I was amazed at the air blast I got just from 'small' SUV's passing at 85-90, moved us a few inches everytime.

Well, that adventure is done, now I can consentrate on relaxing back at work



Rich

 

Yea, I noticed the traffic was terrible too. It took me 7 minutes to get to Wallmart!! Glad everybody got back home OK. Jag