Alabama Goes to Moab - Trip Planning Thread

So been talking with Dave earlier trying to coordinate leaving here and meeting up with everyone. Was looking at the route and this is what I see. Feel free to chime in with thoughts....

If the Huntsville group leaves at 2pm as Dave I think was indicating was the desired time, then that group could arrive in Little Rock, AK at about 8pm, counting fuel stops. Now here is the interesting thing: If Dave and I left Montevallo at 12pm, we could meet you guys at 2pm in Huntsville and ride from there, OR if we left at 1pm and headed across I22 out of Birmingham, towards Memphis, we would actually be able to meet you all at 6pm at the Loves truck stop just across the Mississippi River where I55 and I40 meet. Then we could ride the rest of the way to Little Rock, and the rest of the trip, together. Not sure what time everyone will want to get up in the morning. Personally I like to get on the road early, but I have been told Dave needs his beauty sleep, hahaha. So assuming we get up in time to hit the road by 8am, we have a couple of different options, depending on how people can handle long drives. Look at what I have researched and figured out below, and by all means speak up and voice thoughts. I think I speak for us all when I say we want everyone to arrive safe, and ready to wheel, but also to have fun.


Dave, his brother, and I leave Montevallo at 1PM May 4th

Huntsville group leaves Huntsville at 2PM May 4th

Dave, his brother, and I arrive at Loves travel stop just across the Mississippi River at I40 and I55 at about 5:45pm

Huntsville group arrives same location at about 6:00pm

Depart there together and arrive in Little Rock, AK at about 8:00pm

(option: drive to Oklahoma City, OK arriving at 1am)



Day 2 departing at 8am May 5th

If leaving Little Rock, can arrive in Albuquerque, NM by 10pm May 5th

Option - If leaving Oklahoma City group can arrive in Albuquerque, NM at 5pm May 5th or push to Moab and get there at 11pm May 5th

Day 3 Departing Albuquerque, NM at 8am May 6th

Arrive Moab, Utah by 3pm May 6th

Otherwise get up on the 6th of may if we pushed the night before at 8am and be at the trailhead shortly after.

 

I'm fine with leaving here and meeting them in Little Rock, or along the way. I don't think it would be a good idea to drive until 1am though. We could do that with multiple drivers, but I don't think they will have multiple drivers, and I don't think it would be safe for them to be that tired along the trip. I would like everyone to arrive rested up and ready to go. As for sleep, I don't mind leaving out early, but I can't being going to bed at midnight or later if I'm going to get up early lol.

Early to me is 5am by the way. Leaving out at 8am, staying up to midnight is fine. I'd rather be in bed early and head out early though, less traffic.

 

@BamaToy1997 have you taken into account time changes in that schedule?

I'm all for leaving at 2pm on May 4th and meeting on the path to Little Rock instead of anybody going out of their way just to meet up for the first 5ish hours of the trip. We have a whole week together, we don't need every second on the road together haha!

 

Us meeting up together was my idea. It looks like we will be headed back by ourselves so I wanted to convey on the way there. Meeting up with you guys along the way works for me though.

 

It works for me either way, if you're wanting to drive a little more and meet up sounds great to me. If you just want to meet up where our roads cross thats fine with me lol. I'm easy going.

 

but, if you guys are leaving out about the 1-2pm range and that'll be everybody in our group going, I can hold off till 430 and go with Justin so he isn't alone for that trip. You guys would be able to get the campground spot and then everybody would for sure make it safely.

 

That would work. It looks like @JBTacoma will be following. I'll leave it up to him if he wants to run with you guys or us. All depends what time he wants to leave.

 

Yeah I think that's the best plan for safety purposes. I believe he said he wanted to go somewhat earlier and he's halfway between each of us.

 

I was taking into account time change, as well as approximations for fuel stops and such. It's not a perfect scenario of course as things happen. Speeds were estimated at 5mph under speed limits to account for traveling in a group. If we actually averaged 5 over then we could really cut down on travel times as 5mph on an 8 hour day equates to 40 additional miles, or 45 minutes gained.

I just wanted to throw out the research I found to see what everyone thought. I've done a TON of road trips and convoy trips over the years so I get pretty good at planning them! And I do agree we want people to arrive safe and not tired at the end of each day. I am not sure other people's driving abilities so that is why I had 2 possible alternatives to the plan. Heck I am used to doing 16 hour drives at a time, but I know that is not the norm! haha.

 

as long as you give me time to eat food I can drive as long as anybody wants to.

 

I know Dave was saying that Little Rock was the planned first stop for the night. We should be getting to LR around 7 or 8 pm. Not sure if people will be tired at that point or not. Really depends. It's up to how everyone else feels. I'm good with however late anyone wants to drive, but obviously if even ONE person is too tired, or doesn't want to press on, then the smart move is to stop.

 

With Justin (and more than likely I) leaving at 4:30pm that would be after 10pm arrival so I'm going to assume tiredness.

 

Point taken!

 

5 hour power and pre-workout

 

idk what kinda pre you take, but I could not just drive on pre. I'd be tearing my steering wheel out of its place and busting my own windows out if I took pre and then just sat there.

 

I've done so many road trips across half the country with work and visiting family over the years that I am usually good for 14-16 hours of road time before I start getting tired. My typical trip if I am driving solo is I leave the house about 3am. This gets me out before any local traffic can get started, and most of the time puts me past any major cities before rush hour starts. 16 hours of road time gets me to my destination for the end of the day at about 7pm. Perfect time to get settled in and get a good night's rest. But I tend to drive pretty hard core. lol.

 

I'm all about speed limits on this trip. Do all of us traveling have CB for comms during travel? I sure get tired of nobody to talk to.

 

Not planning on breaking land speed records here. Just typical driving speed, lol. I know Dave has a CB on his truck.

 

I would rather leave as early as I can so I will follow you all, just need to know where I can meet up with you?

 

We will be headed up I65 from Montevallo. Leaving at 2PM. It looks like 65 to 22 is the best route. So meeting somewhere off of the 22 would probably be best. That way you don't have to go far out of your way to meet up with us.

Coming from Cullman, if you took the 278, it looks like your path would run into us around Hamilton.

Google says we are 2 hours from Hamilton, Al. So we would be there around 4.