The R.A.N III Experience

The Cross Country Trek

As most of you know Wednesday the 26th was the day I left Troy, MI my home for the past 14 years, to move to Park City, Utah to start my new job at Pretty Good Privacy (PGP).  The drive began when I reached I-75 in Troy and Rochester Rd. at about 8:15 AM, it was smooth sailing until 696 which was utterly a mess (as usual).  I’m not going to get into detail about every single state I was in, but I will say I drove through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and then finally Utah.  I will also say as much as everyone says Iowa is boring to drive through, I’d rather drive through it 10 more times before I drive through Nebraska one more time; that place was hella boring (yea, I said hella).  I also decided that I would keep a little trip tick style journal about my trip, noting the things I did, gas prices, temperatures, etc.  so below are my notes from my three day trip.  Oh yea, and here are the pictures from my three day drive: Cross Country Picture Album

09/26/07

• 8:00 AM EST – Troy, MI – Gas: $2.99/gal-Total Spent: $21.01-Outside Temp: 63°F
• 11:30 AM EST – South Haven, MI – Lunch Break: Burger King-Outside Temp: 66°F
• 12:39 PM EST – Crossed into Indiana – Outside Temp: 68°F
• 12:20 PM CST – Crossed into Illinois – Outside Temp: 69°F
• 12:30 PM CST – Hit the I-80 West Toll Road (60¢)
• 12:49 PM CST – Joliet, IL – Gas: $2.98/gal-Total Spent: $28.80-Outside Temp: 67°F
• 2:40 PM CST – Great Sauk Trail, IL Rest Stop-Outside Temp: 70°F
• 3:30 PM CST – Crossed over the Mighty Mississippi River and into Iowa – Outside Temp: 70°F
• 3:42 PM CST – Walcott, IA – Stopped at the Worlds Largest Truck Stop – Gas: $2.80/gal-Total Spent $10.00-Outside Temp: 69°F
• 6:09 PM CST – Johnston, IA – Dinner Break: Planet Sub-Outside Temp: 71°F
• 6:29 PM CST – Johnston, IA – Gas: $2.69/gal-Total Spent: $18.75-Outside Temp: 71°F
• 8:04 PM CST – Adair, IA – Stopped for the night -Super 8 Motel-Total Spent: $56.21
• Total Miles Driven: 666.55
• Day Total: $134.77 (Price does not include food/drink items, only gas and lodge)

09/27/07

• 7:02 AM CST – Left Super 8 Motel – Outside Temp: 54°F
• 8:05 AM CST – Crossed into Nebraska – Outside Temp: 60°F
• 8:27 AM CST – Gretna, NE – Breakfast Break: McDonalds-Outside Temp: 58°F
• 8:38 AM CST – Gretna, NE – Gas: $2.83/gal-Total Spent: $15.00
• 10:23 AM CST – Purple Heart Trail Rest Stop (NE) – Outside Temp: 65°F
• 11:46 AM CST – Lexington, NE – Gas: $3.01/gal-Total Spent: $10.00-Outside Temp: 73°F
• 12:13 PM MST – Entered Moutain Standard Time Zone – Current Temp: 76°F
• 12:26 PM MST – Ogallala, NE – Rest Stop – Current Temp: 75°F
• 1:34 PM MST – Sidney, NE – Gas: $3.29/gal-Total Spent: $30.90-Lunch Break: Kentucky Fried Chicken
• 3:30 PM MST – Crossed into Wyoming – Outside Temp: 65°F
• 3:50 PM MST – Point of Interest: Tree Rock – Outside Temp: 55°F
• 4:15 PM MST – Stopped to look at map
• 5:05 PM MST – Wagon Hound Rest Stop – Outside Temp: 65°F
• 6:34 PM MST – Rawlins, WY – Stopped for the night -Days Inn-Total Spent: $96.26 
• Total Miles Driven: 718.97
• Day Total: $152.16 (Price does not include food/drink items, only gas and lodge)

09/28/07

• 9:10 AM MST – Left Days Inn – Outside Temp: 62°F
• 9:15 AM MST – Gas: $2.89/gal – Total Spent: $25.00
• 9:30 AM MST – Crossed the Continental Divide (Elevation – 7000 ft.) – Outside Temp: 63°F
• 10:55 AM MST – Rock Springs, WY – Stopped at K-Mart for throat lozenges)-Outside Temp: 60°F
• 12:28 PM MST – Crossed into Utah – Current Temp: 66°F
• 1:30 PM MST – Arrived at the new home – Current Temp: 73°F
• Total Miles: 271.39
• Day Total: $25.00

Totals and Averages

• Total Gas Cost: $159.46
• Average Gas Price: $2.94
• Total Lodging Cost: $152.47
• Total Gas and Lodge: $311.93
• Average Temperature: 66° F
• Total Miles Driven: 1,656.91
• Total Drive Time: Too Long