A VX Tour... Thinking Out Loud.

[ZEUS]

THANKS FOR ALL THE INVITES AND SUGGESTIONS EVERYONE! I like that couchsurfer site, I am going to join that one for sure!

[CrnCnn]

Yet another spot here in Reno if you need it. We have an apt but I got an air matress. I am getting good on the BBQ so your always welcome.

I think it would be awesome. Before I left Tucson I didnt really want to go anywhere. Since I have lived here I would love to travel more, just lack the funds.

[kodiak]

You should get some sponsors to finance your adventure. You could start a website and update it with details from your trip. Add a PayPal link for donations.

It could work!

[nfpgasmask]

^^^^^That is a good idea!! Maybe somehow incorporate donations to VX.info in the process.

Bart

[snowtrooper1966]

I say do it!
It would be a once in a lifetime experience. All will not be sunshine and butterflies, but it will be how you deal with the tough times, as well as how strangers step up to help out that will stay with you.
You could try to plan some of your adventure around any sceduled meets. Coming out here to Mammoth in the summer, there are TONS of places to camp, and you would be free to use our shower/laundry....
Just a thought.

[pbkid]

yet another place to stay in colorado.....

my only amendment to the trip would be, why would you leave menace???
you need someone to keep you company between places and who a better freind???

im SURE you will have enough places to go that have yards or somewhere to keep him...

i know that if i was to do a trip like this, there would be NO WAY i would leave bentley behind...

i think thats the thing you will miss the most...

just my 2 cents...

(ill be happy to pitch in some dog food for ya too)

[ZEUS]

Yeah, believe me, it would hurt to leave Menace behind, but I think it would be better for him if he stayed in a home with someone. He might miss me too, but he would get bored lying in the back the whole time. And if something happened along the way, I would feel better knowing he was safe and taken care of.

[pbkid]

true true....i just had an image of you in the drivers seat with the passenger seat removed for somewhere for him to lay

good argument that he would probably be more stable and comfortable in a home...

[crager34]

THANKS FOR ALL THE INVITES AND SUGGESTIONS EVERYONE! I like that couchsurfer site, I am going to join that one for sure!

I have an account, have had people stay with me and have surfed with others. Been a great experience so far.

[Thmstec]

Just an idea if you were going to go with the VX mini meets:

Set-up one of those google calendars and let us post on it where you could stay, how long, contact info, etc... Would be useful for planning a route.

You'd be welcome to spend a night or two here at Auburn-- show you a little bit of college life

[ISCE]

Spare room here in MD is available if you head out this far. Sounds like a fun trip and depending on how long you want to hang here there's lots to do in driving distance.

[Solitude]

Take the dog, trust Me.. (after living on the road for 300 days a year for 15 years) the companionship will make your trip much more enjoyable, It would suck to do this and then be so lonely you miss out on things that the loneliness distraction caused.

There is alot to see in the lower 48 and not all of it has an interstate built next to it.. so travel some of the US Highways.

The down side would be.. it would limit the hotels you could stay in.. but if you are going on a budget.. budget hotels allow pets.

I am an over the road semi driver. Not one of the most exotic careers in the world but adequate to the point of living a respectable life. You might consider that career move for a while. I am sure there are a few places to get you up and running in SLC. My first driving job was for a company based in Salt Lake.

Good luck in your travels
Jeff

[tom4bren]

You gonna leave Menace behind but take Gooney Bird with you???

[WormGod]

I have an ex-coworker pal that did that last year. He is quite young (about 24 I guess) and what you would call a new-gen hippie. Live free, die old, enjoy life, blah blah blah, all that hooplah. He decided to to just up and quit one day. Him and a friend decided to drive their Harley's ala Easy Rider style from DC to SanFran, stopping everywhere and anywhere on the way. He took his laptop and blogged the entire way. Owned nothing but his bike, his laptop, and some clothes. Sold everything else to make this trip. Long story short, they made it there in about 6 months. They stopped just about everywhere you can imagine and attended more events in that time than most people will ever in their entire life. His blog was very entertaining and he updated it at least once a week. The only mishap they had the entire time was when his buddy hit a deer (yep, on his bike) one night going through NV. There were some minor injuries and some bike damages, but a local shop managed to scrap it back together so they could continue. I believe he now resides in SanFran as a programmer. Havent heard form him in a while so maybe I should look him up.

So, enjoy yourself if you go through with it. I am still far too materialistic and righteous to live any more free than I already am. I will stay with The Man's herd, even though they have no clue I am a wolf in sheep's clothing.

But you let me know if you ever wanna start up a Fight Club. I am ALL ABOUT that. (now that's living free).

[ZEUS]

AWESOME IDEAS!!! Thanks for everybody's input! I was checking out some the off road parks in Alabama yesterday - INTENSE! Add in some Auburn college girls! :_drool:

So I came up with some numbers last night:
1.) Max 20,000 miles within 6 months
15 mpg
$3/gallon
$4000 for gas
2.) Oil
$300
3.) VX payments for 6 months
$1500
4.) VX insurance for 6 months
$500
5.) Food and Drink
$1500
6.) Admission to parks, tollway fees, camping fees
$1000
7.) What else? I need $8800 so far!

Access to that damn money:
1.) Need to check on unemployment benefit rules regarding travel and website adverts. I would look into employment opportunites every week to make that work... nobody is hiring anyway!
2.) Vinyl wrap Zeus by pitching my goal to certain companies who may be interested.
3.) Sponsored blog site/advertising.
4.) Sell my wheels and tires so I can get more street friendly 33" tires for my stock 16" rims...?
5.) Sell plasma like Uncle Dub does! Not sure how that works while traveling though.
6.) Spread my seed - "flood" the nation's sperm banks - PROZAK NATION!
7.) MUST rent out the house for $1200/month... ouch.
8.) Sell two trucks and two Jeeps, Star Wars figures (shut up), RC crawler parts, furniture?, weight machine?, welder?, power tools?, electronics?...
9.) Tax return.

So there is the basic "plan" and things I have come up with. Anyone care to add or subtract something? I'll assemble a generic route sometime this week or next, and I'll also look into that Google calendar idea.