On Our Way Stateside... Advice Please...

Remember, while driving our nations freeways, you can find your fill of delicious McNuggets, Whoppers, taco smells, fried chicken parts, and thin sliced "beef" with "horsey" sauce at just about any exit.

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Thanks folks -

So.... next question for anyone who knows - do the motels/hotels on the highways have internet access i.e. can you plug in a laptop in their sockets and is it free over there? Most of our hotels/motels do that - is it the same Stateside????

(Taking all your advice into account..... Colorado is looking good right now - Rocky Mountain National Park!) Razz

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Most do yes. Either wired or WiFi. Some will charge for it, so you might want to plan ahead. Usually I just ask at the desk for the WiFi password and I'm good to go.

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cjhsa wrote:

Most do yes. Either wired or WiFi. Some will charge for it, so you might want to plan ahead. Usually I just ask at the desk for the WiFi password and I'm good to go.

The better hotels sometimes have connections for dial up, DSL, and Wifi. Probably WiFi is the most common internet service available these days which makes it tough for me since my aging laptop would need a major overhaul to have WiFi capability. It can handle DSL or dial up though and these are not that uncommon.

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Izzie,
You and I havent talked much, but if you are going to drive to the Chicago area from Dallas, I would like to invite the two of you to spend the night with my wife and I.

I am in western Ky, and its a straight drive north from here to Chicago area.
You would have a beautiful drive thru Ky (one of the prettiest states in the US) and then its only 6 hours to Chicago.

We have the internet, and I can promise you a great meal, either homecooked or at a local barbeque place.

If you are interested, just let me know when you plan to be in the states.

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Hey Mysteryman...

That is an incredibly kind offer, and I thank you very much.

I think the litte fella and I are probably going to be taking the advice about the heat and humidity and my "energy" levels - and will possibly head for the mountains where it would be cooler.

I'm still waiting on hearing from my niece in Houston and hoping she may be able to join us and maybe fly to Denver for 5 or so days to drive around Rocky Mountain National Park, which looks absolutely stunning.

However, if we do decide to change the plans again - I will surely let you know. Many thanks for your very generous offer. Very Happy

(plans change daily Razz

)

Thanks folks for the info about the internet - it will be the only practical way to keep in touch with one and all whilst we are travelling and just in case I need to rest up for a couple days - will need email etc..... and of course A2K ( Rolling Eyes

)

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Izzie, in addition to wifi or other laptop options, many hotels here have a computer for general use in the lobby area or in a "business center" on the premises.

I completely understand why you're not going to try for Houston, but I'm sorry I won't have the chance to meet you and your son.

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Hey Mac11

Oooh...would love to meet up with you...

STILL waiting on my niece who is oh so busy right now with visitors. I am going to do my utmost to meet up with a certain She in Austin - heck, can't go all that way and not see the She.... so.... will keep in touch, and who knows a?

I've been looking at places to stay in Colorado - oooh - much more expensive than I thought - but then haven't been "out" for a while - then I woke up in the middle of the night and remembered that people who we were close to in Boston have a cabin on Colorado.... somewhere... and go there in the summer. I don't even know if I have their correct email address but have written anyways incase they are going to be there in August.

At least we know we are definitely going now as we have the passports and UK driving licence - so that is very happy. I'm sure that even if we flew into Denver, there would be somewhere that has a spare room near RMNP - on the day - but I am a little nervous about doing that with the little fella.

Hey ho - we will see!

SO EXCITED Razz

We'll be in Dallas this time in 2 weeks.

I have someone who is going to be looking after my house and garden here - so...... just can't wait!

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This is the perfect time to go to the Rockies, yes. It's still very cool at night, pleasant for most of the day, and then actually warm for a swath in the middle of the day, if it's sunny.

We go every few years at this time of year and I am forever under-packing jeans and sweaters and over-packing shorts and tank tops.

Warning though -- driving around there is stressful. It's narrow, it's winding, there are giant trucks barreling from the opposite direction. Not all of it but a lot of it, especially as you get deeper into the mountains.

Gorgeous though.

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Thanks Soz

hey... my next door neighbour parks his big green John Deere tractor in his drive next to the car! I live in a place where most of the roads are one car wide.... and tractors galore and lots of hills- as long as I get an auto car and don't have think about changing gear with hands that don't work - I think we should be OK?

I drive a beast of car/mpv - (ugh - so need to change the car with diesel at £1.35 a litre!!!!!!) Been looking at cars to hire - what's the difference between an economy and a small compact???? Or would we need a midsize for Rocky roads???

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Izzie wrote:

Thanks Soz

hey... my next door neighbour parks his big green John Deere tractor in his drive next to the car! I live in a place where most of the roads are one car wide.... and tractors galore and lots of hills- as long as I get an auto car and don't have think about changing gear with hands that don't work - I think we should be OK?

I drive a beast of car/mpv - (ugh - so need to change the car with diesel at £1.35 a litre!!!!!!) Been looking at cars to hire - what's the difference between an economy and a small compact???? Or would we need a midsize for Rocky roads???

As a truck driver (I drive all 48 states and Canada), I would suggest a good midsize car.
The rockies are some of the highest mountains on the continent, and some of the grades (slopes)n the mountains can be pretty severe.
A midsize car with a 6 cylinder engine and an automatic transmission will be the best car for you to drive.

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Good advice on the car!

I wouldn't have called mountain driving "stressful." I would have called it "exciting"!

You'll be fine, Izzie. :wink:

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Buena Vista Colorado, off the beaten tourist track;2 hours drive from Denver.

http://away.com/images/outside/200508/buena-vista-colorado-1.jpg

http://www.suebvrealestate.com/images/river.jpg

http://headwatersofadventure.net/lodging/images/biz125-photo1.jpg

Rocky Mountain National Park is very scenic but keep in mind the elevation of 12,183 ft wont allow you to much much walkabout time and is VERY touristic.

http://www.regensburgerphotography.com/images/galleries/nature/colorado/rmnp_elk_trail_ridge.jpg

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I thought it was pretty exciting until I noticed the runaway truck ramp ahead signs. Runaway trucks? Shocked

As in big rigs barreling down from behind me waiting for a ramp some unknown distance up ahead to pull off the road? Shocked

Exciting for sure, but I can imagine how it might turn stressful.

I agree with the midsize-6, Izzie. Anything smaller or less powerful might struggle on the inclines.

Edit -- beautiful pics, dys!

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Gosh - there's a part of me that still can't believe I'm doing this!!!!!!

Thanku all the input and advice - been looking at cars - they range from $190 to over $500 for 4 days.... BUT..... you can't hire from an airport without the flight number.... which of course, I haven't booked the flight yet! Roadside Hotel will be around $250....

OH MY! Shocked

I really didn't think this thru too well.

However, when I look at those pics Dys... well, it will all be worth it (even if it takes a year to pay off!) I think .... she says tentatively.... I think my mind is made up that RMNP is where we are going to go.

I must admit - it is a little nerve racking - I've been hauled up in the house since Feb 12th.... and now I am going off on a BIG JOURNEY and with the little fella. That's one almighty great step!

I wish it was tomorrow.... Razz

We will be just fine - and ... we're gonna get to spend some time with good friends too.

Thanks everyone - do appreciate the advice.

Very Happy

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Something else to think about Izzie--since you're renting a car anyway and if you don't need to stay near by somebody, if you get out of Denver proper (or any of the bigger cities) into a smaller town, you'll probably save a whole big bunch on hotel expense--sometimes as much as half and still be able to stay in an acceptably nice place. If you are positioning yourself to be near somebody though, the hassle of commute coupled with our unusually high gasoline prices right now would of course also be a factor. There are some fairly reasonable rates around Denver, even close to the airport too though.

For instance here are some LISTINGS for hotels/motels near the airport with some pretty decent rates.

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Thanks Foxfyre....was thinking that we may go up to near Estes / Loveland - right on the edge of the park - we don't know anyone in Colorado - and the journey from Denver airport to the park is a good hour and a half - so I thought if we flew into Denver, got a place just outside the park - somewhere that has a pool for the little fella... then we could spend the most part of the day trailing around the mountains. I can't walk any distance - so we won't be hiking anywhere - will be in the car a lot - but sure as heck - we're gonna find us some waterfalls.

Have been looking at the www on RMNP - it's just gorgeous.

We both like taking photos - so we'll be in our element.

Thanku for those listings - am trying to research as much as I can right now. Smile

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On our way here, I saw a huge difference in the cost of hotels that were outside big cities about a half our or so vs what was in city.

Example, slaton hotels were about 35 bucks a night, Lubbock hotels 45 and above.

Start looking for a hotel before you enter the city like foxfire suggested. You will more then likely need the extra money to afford yourself in this expensive place anyway

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When I have friends visit from Europe, I give them a Best Western
Hotel guide ( http://www.bestwestern.com/reservations/printeddirectory.asp )
and they all liked the accommodations and reasonable prices. Most often
they did find a Best Western outside the cities for considerably less money.

Izzy, if you haven't booked a flight yet, flying into a bigger airports like Chicago might be cheaper for you.

Colorado is indeed beautiful - my favorite town is Boulder. Not far from there is Estes Park with many nice little mountain lodges that are also reasonable. http://www.estes-park.com/lodging/cc.html

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JPB wrote:

I thought it was pretty exciting until I noticed the runaway truck ramp ahead signs. Runaway trucks? As in big rigs barreling down from behind me waiting for a ramp some unknown distance up ahead to pull off the road?

Runaway ramps are so trucks that have lost their brakes, for whatever reason, can come to a stop.
They are usually sand or gravel filled, to allow the truck to slow down safely.

Izzie, if you see a sign for a runaway ramp, DO NOT STOP ON THE RAMP!!!!
I cant stress that enough.
If you stop on one of those ramps, a truck that needs to use it wont be able to and will bypass it.
That could get someone killed further down the mountain.

Exciting for sure, but I can imagine how it might turn stressful.

I agree with the midsize-6, Izzie. Anything smaller or less powerful might struggle on the inclines.

Edit -- beautiful pics, dys!

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On Our Way Stateside... Advice Please...

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