# Road Trip Planning



## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

I wanted to start a generic road trip thread. A place to pose questions about various places that might be of interest to those of us who enjoy road-tripping. You may have first-hand information about interesting places and charging infrastructure in places that I want to visit. What's around the corner for you may be completely foreign to me (and vice-versa).

So...Let me kick this off. Covid has kept me from road tripping to Newfoundland for the last two years. There's still a chance of heading that way in late summer/early fall this year, but I'm working on alternative plans that don't require travelling north of the US/ Canadian border. In late summer I like to run from the heat and humidity of the southeastern US. If I'm confined to within the US borders, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana really catch my eye. Unfortunately, the areas that are of the greatest interest to me tend to be bereft of charging alternatives. I use all of the major level 2 charging apps; e.g. plugshare, chargepoint, etc. Typically I car-camp and use state parks, superchargers, and destination chargers when I can find them. This area of the country seems to have fewer charging alternatives than almost anywhere else in the US. Not a surprise, really; it's also amongst the least travelled area in our country. 

If anyone with better first hand knowledge than me has input or experience regarding roads to travel, places to see, where to charge, eat, sleep, party, or visit; I would sincerely appreciate your input. I'd like to visit what YOU consider the best parts of our country. Where are they? What should I be sure not to miss? I can't express how many times I have been 2,000 miles from home and after returning home discovered that I was just a few miles away from something that I should never have missed. Help me and others do better next time. Thank you for your input.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

If you find yourself driving through the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, stop in to see the Flight 93 National Memorial. It's actually very well done, and surprisingly popular given that it's not close to any cities.

Google Maps link:
https://goo.gl/maps/hYY1YwRPrVFTx8eV8


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## Tchris (Nov 22, 2017)

We love road tripping as well. Things on our list include National/State parks, presidential libraries, battle fields & historical sites, unique golf courses, fossil hunting sites, unique restaurants & bbq places. I will typically do a Google search by state for “most popular things to do and see in XXX”. Always good to chat with the locals on things they would suggest, especially with regard to restaurants.


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## Yanquetino (May 1, 2016)

One thing about roadtrips that discourages me is that motels that have Destination Chargers are rarely pet friendly. And those that are pet friendly rarely have Destination Chargers. This really has to change to better accommodate Tesla owners who bring their pets with them on roadtrips.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

Many(perhaps most) superchargers are in mid-range motel parking lots. Perhaps you could check with those for dog-friendliness?


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## Yanquetino (May 1, 2016)

FRC said:


> Many(perhaps most) superchargers are in mid-range motel parking lots. Perhaps you could check with those for dog-friendliness?


Yes, and that's what we've been doing in the past: staying at pet-friendly motels fairly close to Superchargers, and it works out just fine. It's just that… we then have to pay for both the motel room and the Supercharger. Yeah, I know… we're cheapskates.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

Yanquetino said:


> One thing about roadtrips that discourages me is that motels that have Destination Chargers are rarely pet friendly. And those that are pet friendly rarely have Destination Chargers. This really has to change to better accommodate Tesla owners who bring their pets with them on roadtrips.


La Quintas are pet friendly and there is one in Catoosa, OK with a wall connector if you're ever out that way.


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## iChris93 (Feb 3, 2017)

I know you've been through Michigan before, @FRC, but if you ever go through again you should stop by the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and try to view the Manitou Islands. Moomers is also a great ice cream place between the dunes and Traverse City.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

iChris93 said:


> I know you've been through Michigan before, @FRC, but if you ever go through again you should stop by the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and try to view the Manitou Islands. Moomers is also a great ice cream place between the dunes and Traverse City.


Unfortunately, I went north up the thumb side to the UP, so I was never close to Sleeping Bear. Mistake! This perfectly illustrates why I wanted to start this thread. I love to go where the road takes me with minimal planning. But I hate finding out later that I was very close to interesting sights that I knew nothing about.


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## MachV (Jan 15, 2019)

i made a 10,000 mile road trip across the USA and back during Covid. The only museum I found open was the Smithsonian Air museum 20 miles outside Washington DC (Chantilly VA). Really cool place, they have the SR-71 Blackbird. reservations required but at that time it was easy 9am empty place.

Jim Grays "The Petrified Wood Co" was also a cool stop in Holbrook AZ.

DoubleTree by Hilton Priceton NJ had free 48amp charger. Didnt notice it listed as a destination charger but was nice to get a free charge overnight


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

MachV said:


> The only museum I found open was the Smithsonian Air museum 20 miles outside Washington DC (Chantilly VA). Really cool place, they have the SR-71 Blackbird.


The Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio is a must-see for anybody who likes aviation.

It's the largest military aviation museum in the world.
They have an SR-71 AND a YF-12. And an F117. And an F22. And a YF23.
They have almost every past Air Force One plane, and you can walk through them.
I don't know why I'm listing specific stuff - they have almost everything you can think of.  
*It's completely free*
They have two level-2 charging stations, free to use, and very close to the entrance
I could easily spend several days there. There's so much to see.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

This was from a road-trip in 2010 back before I owned a Tesla, but a really interesting pair was Beatty and Rhyolite Nevada. Beatty is a charming little town in Nevada. It's got a one-room museum which is nevertheless interesting because the oldest stuff feels like "Old West" and the newer stuff is "I remember those" and the whole thing feels connected. Beatty also has, for no observable reason, a gigantic candy and nut store. And a little sandwich shop with one of the best meatball heroes I've ever had (I checked a map, and I think maybe it's at Death Valley Coffee Time). It's also got Old West style saloons, although I didn't visit those while I was there.

Rhyolite is a nearby ghost town. Nicely preserved in a state of semi-ruin, nicely curated, but not tourist-y. You can really see how the town tried to re-invent itself a couple of times, but never quite succeeded, and finally the utilities got cut off and the town died. But not entirely. Descendants of its original occupants still live in mobile homes overlooking the site. Then, as if all that wasn't enough, a group of Belgian artists made a crazy sculpture garden on the end of town. There's also a small town cemetery which includes some graves that are just marked by stones, but is also a place where descendants still come to leave flowers.

There is now a Supercharger right next to the candy store, so charging isn't a problem. It looks like Beatty has maybe gotten more commercialized since I was there, but I bet it and Rhyolite are still worth checking out if you're driving through that part of the country...


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## Kizzy (Jul 25, 2016)

Crater Lake in Oregon is pretty amazing. I was there in August of 2019 with my AWD 3 and it still had a bit of snow! (This is more exiting for folks who don't experience snow on a regular basis). It's so worth the visit, especially if your favorite color is blue. 🙂

There's a free Tesla destination charger in the area and a nearby spot for free car camping. I recommend the iOverlander app for finding car camping spots.

I didn't see any mention of RV parks or hookups at campgrounds, but I've used the RV Parky app for finding those to use or as backups.

I found this thread here on TOO to be helpful in general: https://teslaownersonline.com/threads/tesla-road-trip-hacks-after-driving-through-48-states.11631/


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## Madmolecule (Oct 8, 2018)

FRC said:


> I wanted to start a generic road trip thread. A place to pose questions about various places that might be of interest to those of us who enjoy road-tripping. You may have first-hand information about interesting places and charging infrastructure in places that I want to visit. What's around the corner for you may be completely foreign to me (and vice-versa).
> 
> So...Let me kick this off. Covid has kept me from road tripping to Newfoundland for the last two years. There's still a chance of heading that way in late summer/early fall this year, but I'm working on alternative plans that don't require travelling north of the US/ Canadian border. In late summer I like to run from the heat and humidity of the southeastern US. If I'm confined to within the US borders, northern Idaho and northwestern Montana really catch my eye. Unfortunately, the areas that are of the greatest interest to me tend to be bereft of charging alternatives. I use all of the major level 2 charging apps; e.g. plugshare, chargepoint, etc. Typically I car-camp and use state parks, superchargers, and destination chargers when I can find them. This area of the country seems to have fewer charging alternatives than almost anywhere else in the US. Not a surprise, really; it's also amongst the least travelled area in our country.
> 
> If anyone with better first hand knowledge than me has input or experience regarding roads to travel, places to see, where to charge, eat, sleep, party, or visit; I would sincerely appreciate your input. I'd like to visit what YOU consider the best parts of our country. Where are they? What should I be sure not to miss? I can't express how many times I have been 2,000 miles from home and after returning home discovered that I was just a few miles away from something that I should never have missed. Help me and others do better next time. Thank you for your input.


Don't forget close to home. Teslas and the Blue Ridge Parkway are made for each other. (No passing, two lane, and beautiful vistas)
close points of interest:
Gatlinburg/ pigeon forge - try to solve the mystery of why so many pancakes restaurants are needed
Bush Bean museum - find out for yourself how beans are made. Some people think they just put beans in a can, but it is much more profound than that. 
I lived in Atlanta for about five years, before I was on a flight with somebody coming to Atlanta to see Stone Mountain. That's when I got the idea I might wanna drive over there and see what it's about. Happy Trails!


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## Madmolecule (Oct 8, 2018)

Kizzy said:


> Crater Lake in Oregon is pretty amazing. I was there in August of 2019 with my AWD 3 and it still had a bit of snow! (This is more exiting for folks who don't experience snow on a regular basis). It's so worth the visit, especially if your favorite color is blue. 🙂
> 
> There's a free Tesla destination charger in the area and a nearby spot for free car camping. I recommend the iOverlander app for finding car camping spots.
> 
> ...


Oregon coast also amazing. Depot Bay - whale cove inn top pick. Not cheap by any means, but the only place I've ever stayed where you can see whales up close from your balcony. I've been out on whale watching boats and you really feel like you're intruding on them.


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## BrianC (Aug 14, 2021)

Don't know if this belongs here because its less a sightseeing trip and more a 'let's drive the new Model Y cross-country to visit my elderly parents' trip. We're in the Phoenix area (so long 110+ for 2 weeks) and they are in Toledo, Ohio. Wife and I are leaving a week from today for two weeks and I'm planning to go supercharger network all the way. Distance is 2000 miles on the button. ABRP says 17-18 charging stops, using 15%-85% charging window. Going to take it easy and do 2 or 3 overnight stops depending on what we're feeling at the time. Planned the route 

I subscribed to FSD last night, going to do the month and cancel when we get back. I need to get out and play with it a little so I know what I'm doing before we head out. Will be starting with 1300 on the odometer, will be probably 5600 when we get back, depending on how much running around we do while there.

@garsh I've been to the Dayton Air Force Museum. Very cool, and got to see the Blackbird. That plane is a minor obsession of mine.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

BrianC said:


> Don't know if this belongs here because its less a sightseeing trip and more a 'let's drive the new Model Y cross-country to visit my elderly parents' trip. We're in the Phoenix area (so long 110+ for 2 weeks) and they are in Toledo, Ohio. Wife and I are leaving a week from today for two weeks and I'm planning to go supercharger network all the way. Distance is 2000 miles on the button. ABRP says 17-18 charging stops, using 15%-85% charging window. Going to take it easy and do 2 or 3 overnight stops depending on what we're feeling at the time. Planned the route
> 
> I subscribed to FSD last night, going to do the month and cancel when we get back. I need to get out and play with it a little so I know what I'm doing before we head out. Will be starting with 1300 on the odometer, will be probably 5600 when we get back, depending on how much running around we do while there.
> 
> @garsh I've been to the Dayton Air Force Museum. Very cool, and got to see the Blackbird. That plane is a minor obsession of mine.


Sounds like a great first road trip. Great call subscribing to FSD for the trip, road trips are where FSD really shines. The ability to relax and play supervisor to the car makes the driving experience much less taxing. I'm continually amazed at how rested I arrive now as opposed to having to "drive the car". Now, if only there was a way to ride hands free...

Generally I encourage folks to get off the interstate and see the country, but I understand that time constraints can make that difficult. Because I stay away from interstates, I don't use ABRP. Instead, I plan my next leg while charging. This often leads me to places I never planned to go. But, when you have no defined destination, every day is a success!

I leave in about 6 weeks for Alaska. Probably about 6 weeks and 15,000 miles. I going to break my own rule and haul a** from Georgia to Canmore, AB in 4 days. Then my enjoyment begins riding through the Canadian Rockies! This trip will be somewhat different in that I'll have to figure out the almost 2000 mile supercharger gap between Prince George, BC and Soldotna, AK. It will be a challenge, but that adds to the adventure(anybody have a chademo they're willing to lend?). I'll sleep comfortably in my car every night if the bears let me! Showers are usually my biggest challenge, so the bears may smell me coming!!

Thanks for reviving this old thread. Safe travels everyone!!


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

I have one suggestion:

Use Plugshare to try to find hotels with level-2 charging. Arriving at a hotel with low SOC and leaving the next morning with a full battery. That will let you skip one and a half supercharger stops during the day. Given the price of supercharging, it's worth paying a little bit more to stay at a hotel with charging.
I love the Dayton Air Force Museum. I try to stop there any time I'm in the vicinity. Not only is it free, but they have free L2 charging there too. Very nice.



BrianC said:


> Don't know if this belongs here because its less a sightseeing trip and more a 'let's drive the new Model Y cross-country to visit my elderly parents' trip. We're in the Phoenix area (so long 110+ for 2 weeks) and they are in Toledo, Ohio. Wife and I are leaving a week from today for two weeks and I'm planning to go supercharger network all the way. Distance is 2000 miles on the button. ABRP says 17-18 charging stops, using 15%-85% charging window. Going to take it easy and do 2 or 3 overnight stops depending on what we're feeling at the time. Planned the route
> 
> I subscribed to FSD last night, going to do the month and cancel when we get back. I need to get out and play with it a little so I know what I'm doing before we head out. Will be starting with 1300 on the odometer, will be probably 5600 when we get back, depending on how much running around we do while there.
> 
> @garsh I've been to the Dayton Air Force Museum. Very cool, and got to see the Blackbird. That plane is a minor obsession of mine.


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

I don't understand the benefit of the current FSD is for a trip like this--could someone explain it to me? 


FRC said:


> The ability to relax and play supervisor to the car makes the driving experience much less taxing. I'm continually amazed at how rested I arrive now as opposed to having to "drive the car". Now, if only there was a way to ride hands free...


Isn't that pretty much the same for the AP that would have come with @BrianC's Model Y? FSD would add the ability to navigate interchanges and do lane changes either automatically or on signalling, but most of the "ability to relax" comes from TACC and Autosteer, I think.


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## FRC (Aug 4, 2018)

I don't generally use the full FSD functionality. It's really just the Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) functions of FSD that I find most beneficial. Lane change with signal is critical to me. I occasionally drive my wife's MY with basic AP, and the absence of this function drives me nuts. And the Navigate on Autopilot functions can be a great help in correctly navigating complex urban interstate interchanges. 

I suppose that if I had never had the opportunity to experience the more advanced attributes of EAP and FSD, basic AP might be just fine. But reverting back to basic AP is intolerable.


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## BrianC (Aug 14, 2021)

@DocScott Pretty much what @FRC said. I don't really care about Summon or Autopark, I just want it to handle more of the highway driving. I also find the need to disengage/re-engage basic AP just for a lane change really annoying. And its a perfect opportunity to try it out without forking over 12 grand. 



garsh said:


> I have one suggestion:
> 
> Use Plugshare to try to find hotels with level-2 charging. Arriving at a hotel with low SOC and leaving the next morning with a full battery. That will let you skip one and a half supercharger stops during the day. Given the price of supercharging, it's worth paying a little bit more to stay at a hotel with charging.


This is a great idea! I hadn't thought about doing that.


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## Kizzy (Jul 25, 2016)

DocScott said:


> I don't understand the benefit of the current FSD is for a trip like this--could someone explain it to me?
> 
> Isn't that pretty much the same for the AP that would have come with @BrianC's Model Y? FSD would add the ability to navigate interchanges and do lane changes either automatically or on signalling, but most of the "ability to relax" comes from TACC and Autosteer, I think.


If you don’t like having the navigation voice on, having Autopilot do (or prompt for) lane changes helps you avoid missing exits or having to be as stressed out trying to figure out which lane you need to be in to make highway splits. This has me looking at the map/directions a bit less, but I do want to double check what Autopilot thinks needs to happen because these things are really confusing sometimes.


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## DocScott (Mar 6, 2019)

I do have the navigation voice on, so I'm not going to miss interchanges. But I know that some find the navigation voice annoying.

Also, a reminder that lane changes with plain-AP do _not_ disengage TACC, only Autosteer. If they disengaged TACC as well, they would be much more annoying. And when the signal is on, it becomes trivially easy to disengage Autosteer, because the torque on the wheel required to do that is greatly reduced. 

In short, the procedure for a lane change with plain-AP on an M3 or MY is:


Turn on turn signal
Change lanes as you would if doing it manually (Autosteer will disengage in the process, but TACC will continue to control speed)
Once in the new lane, double-tap the stalk to reengage Autosteer
For me, that procedure quickly became second nature.


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## Power Surge (Jan 6, 2022)

Sometimes I feel like I got short changed not having any auto pilot on my 18, but then I feel happy to have regular ole cruise control because I understand the later cars don't have that.


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## Bigriver (Jan 26, 2018)

@BrianC, one piece of advice about auto lane change: keep the NOA settings to require confirmation from you before the car makes a lane change. While it is excellent at making the lane change, it often makes strange suggestions of when to change lanes. I keep it on NOA just to see what it suggests, but I probably ignore about half of its suggestions. And there are plenty of times when I am the one that tells it to change lanes (via me putting on the turn signal) and it does the rest. 

Regardless of the NOA confirmation setting, tho, it will take highway exits without any confirmation (and annoyingly sometimes without a turn signal).


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## Tchris (Nov 22, 2017)

FRC said:


> Sounds like a great first road trip. Great call subscribing to FSD for the trip, road trips are where FSD really shines. The ability to relax and play supervisor to the car makes the driving experience much less taxing. I'm continually amazed at how rested I arrive now as opposed to having to "drive the car". Now, if only there was a way to ride hands free...
> 
> Generally I encourage folks to get off the interstate and see the country, but I understand that time constraints can make that difficult. Because I stay away from interstates, I don't use ABRP. Instead, I plan my next leg while charging. This often leads me to places I never planned to go. But, when you have no defined destination, every day is a success!
> 
> ...


I suggest you get a copy of the Milepost 2022: Alaska Travel Planner. You can order it on Amazon. It provides mile by mile detailed travel information through Canada and into Alaska. it’s a staple for travel to Alaska. I lived in Alaska for 35 years and while I currently reside in Arizona, I still have a cabin in Soldotna, Alaska. however, I not taken my Tesla up there yet. You’ll end up having to charge at campgrounds along the way with you 14-50 adapter.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

FRC said:


> I leave in about 6 weeks for Alaska.


I hope you're going to share some sort of blog or journal about this trip. I would love to at least know the details of how far you drive each day and where you stop to charge and to spend the night.

I'm hoping to drive to Alaska at some point as well, but that's probably several years away for me. And I'll have my wife with me, so car camping will not be an option for me.


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## BrianC (Aug 14, 2021)

Welp, I'm doing it again. Same Phoenix to Toledo trip, winter weather style this time. Looking forward to experiencing cold weather driving in the Y. Leaving this weekend. Got my snow brush and ice scraper, dug out the winter coats, gloves, boots, hats, and a couple space blankets just in case. I grew up there so its nothing I haven't seen before, weather wise. 
Before anyone asks, not doing snow tires, can't justify $2k outlay for one trip. Heck, never had snow tires even while living there, all-season tires do fine as long as you're staying on the pavement. 

p.s. Happy Holidays to all.

p.p.s @FRC How was the Alaska trip?


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## Kizzy (Jul 25, 2016)

BrianC said:


> Before anyone asks, not doing snow tires, can't justify $2k outlay for one trip. Heck, never had snow tires even while living there, all-season tires do fine as long as you're staying on the pavement.


I got Michelin CrossClimate tires as my regulars since they’re decent winter all season/weather tires and do much better in wet and cold weather. They impact efficiency a bit, but it’s nice knowing I might not need chains crossing mountains.


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## BrianC (Aug 14, 2021)

@Kizzy Makes sense. I've only got 7500 miles on this set so they're good to go but that's an option when it comes to replacement time.


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## BrianC (Aug 14, 2021)

Here's a brief recap on how my winter weather journey went. In short, just fine. The sum total of precipitation we saw while driving was maybe an hour of snow while travelling across New Mexico. Other than that, just very windy and really cold. We missed the worst of the big blizzard while in motion, was all snuggled in at my parents' house while that was going on. Had a couple inches of snow to clean off the car to take it to dinner, and had to bang on the door handles to free them up, but the car did its car thing, no issues. Definitely saw the range hit, most noticeable at the start of the trip. Driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff (about a 7000ft climb) with it being near zero in Flagstaff made the range about half, and of course the charging times longer. 

Lots of cross-wind in the plains states, which is unpleasant to experience for hours on end, but autosteer did its thing and took some of the annoyance away.

Coming back, the Flagstaff charging station was the first time I've encountered a wait to charge. There were at least 6 cars waiting in line in front of me. We ended up having enough charge left to make the mostly downhill drive to Oak Creek Canyon where they still have v1 super chargers, and we charged there. Those are half the charge rate of the v2 units in Flagstaff (we need more v3s) but I'm willing to bet we still saved time doing that instead of waiting for our turn in Flag.

All in all, still a pretty pleasant journey.


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