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78 comments on My Last Long Road Trip

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graywulffe on July 16, 2008 - 6:45pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Thanks, Robert, for a nice trip summary.

Over the past three weeks, I just completed a round-trip from Vancouver, BC, to Pocatello, ID, approximately 1,800 miles. Gas prices ranged from $4.29/gal to $4.42/gal in WA, and downward to about $4.09/gal in Pocatello (with some stations being a few cents less than this).

This is a drive that I've been doing (at least the SEA-PIH part) for over 20 years, often more than once a year, and I've done it in every season.

I left on the long weekend in Canada--Canada Day July 1st--and found the border crossing into the US to be a nightmare: 3.5-hour-long wait. One thing that contributed to this is that both US and Canadian interests are updating the Nexus facilities, and the US operation only had half the usual lanes open.

In the US, my observations of traffic patterns were similar to yours. Only a few RVs were present, and many of those were the small ones (little campers like the Mini-Winnie). Maybe this past week, in WA, there seemed to be a few more RVs than three weeks ago--perhaps some travelers decided to hit the road after the holiday on the 4th. Inter-city traffic seemed significantly less, though intra-city traffic seems little changed (at Seattle and Boise for example)--perhaps a reflection that non-essential trips are going away first (intra-city trips are probably more essential that inter-city for most people). All anecdotal, of course.

Some interesting details: Despite lower traffic volumes, there seemed to be many more people fixing flats on the interstate shoulders that I'm used to seeing. Also, I saw more bikers (muscle-powered) on the highway shoulders than I've ever seen. Granted, it wasn't a high number, because usually I wouldn't see any. I can recall four different cyclists on my outbound leg to Pocatello. Don't know if this is just a trend towards better fitness among the masses, or more people are simply crossing the country on bikes these days, or just randomness confounding the picture. Lots of motorcycles of course, in the sunny and dry weather that's been the usual lately.

-best,

Wolf in YVR BC

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rube cretin on July 16, 2008 - 7:22pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

wolf, down here in north Florida i am noticing more cars abandoned by the side of the road. Most are late 80's and early 90 models. assume they were owned by those surviving on the margin trying to get to work. Perhaps prices are beginning to have an impact and these folks are falling into a life style being experienced in third world countries. Perhaps it has always been here, like New Orleans, but i sense the future will not be kind to many delusional Americans.

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dwcal on July 16, 2008 - 9:42pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Not for me to judge, but drivers strapped for cash resort to various penny-wise/pound-foolish measures like ignoring repairs and letting their cars run out of fuel. Towing and repairs end up costing more in the end. It's a downward spiral of spending and debt.

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FiniteQuantity on July 16, 2008 - 10:10pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

but i sense the future will not be kind to many delusional Americans.

My extreme worry is that the future will not be kind to Americans who are aware of Peak Oil and its ramifications. At best, the standard of living of the country will decrease. If it's not too much it will be tolerable, much like we tolerate a worsening of our situation - traffic congestion, increased commutes, unaffordable housing, more crowded stores, etc. - from our politicians allowing and encouraging population growth in our metropolitan areas (and country).

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scientastic on July 16, 2008 - 11:58pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

It may be less than tolerable-- it could be downright miserable-- in the transition period, but afterwards I think it will be quite tolerable. You just have to be flexible in your thinking and learn to let go of certain luxuries which we now consider necessities. That's psychologically hard, but all things considered, I think we will be able to fashion a decent standard of living in the long run.

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whit on July 16, 2008 - 10:36pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The other possibility in Florida is that those were cars driven by illegal migrant workers, who didn't want to wait around for the state patrol when they broke down, either for fear of deportation or simply because they lacked licenses and insurance.

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mw on July 16, 2008 - 11:53pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

We just completed a 2 week road trip from Vancouver BC through the southern end of the province, into Alberta through Crowsnest Pass, up to Calgary to spend time with relatives then back via Banff (3 lovely days) and a long one day run from Banff back to Vancouver via the Okanagon valley.

We drove ~ 3000km; in the southern end of the province traffic was *extremely* light; we camped about half our trip and never found space to be tight - mostly campgrounds looked almost barren. In Banff on the way back we saw more RV's, quite a few from the US but most from Alberta.

Talking to restaurant owners in Banff we learned that business was substantially down - I forget the exact number - one place shared their receipt decline with us - but it was of the order of 50 or 60% down. This is in peak season, the first two weeks of July. Vacancies were high in hotels in Banff and the town was definitely lacking that usual packed feeling I associate with early summer time.

Most notable was a dramatic drop in observed US license plates, although my kids still managed to record plates from 30 states and almost all provinces and territories in Canada. The drop off in US visitors is no doubt partly due to the higher Canadian dollar - visiting Canada is not the cheap bargain it was once.

Seemed like a sea change summer to me.

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Utopia on July 17, 2008 - 11:56am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

I live on a stretch of Highway between the US Border and Lethbridge, AB. I have noticed a LOT less RV's and fifth wheels already, and the Sheeple Corral (A field used to park RV's and Fifth Wheels over the winter) we pass everyday has stayed full where in other years it empties very quickly mid-june to refill mid-september.

Just my observations.

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78 comments on My Last Long Road Trip

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