Archive for the ‘Planning the Trip’ Category

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep . . . .

Monday, July 7th, 2014

With the route fairly well defined, we decided to start looking into places to stay along the way.  As luck would have it, we had our annual Preakness Party in May and one of our good friends, Rusty, mentioned airbnb.  We had never heard of airbnb, so thought we should check it out.  Per the airbnb site, “Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone.”  In other words, people rent out a room or an entire home (or castle!) to travelers like us.  This seemed so perfect and in line with what we want – a view of America – all 48 contiguous states.  And it seems to us that we can get a better peak at the real America by staying in people’s homes.  So I started booking and, to date, I have booked 18 rooms via airbnb, 11 B&B’s, 2 timeshare weeks (both Marriott’s), 9 hotels, and 7 friend’s guest rooms.  So it looks like we won’t be sleeping in the Boxster, after all!

Haunted on Halloween!

Haunted on Halloween!

After we booked a room for October 31st, we found out that it is in a haunted house and is actually on the haunted house tour for that evening.  If my blogs end on October 31st, you will know why!  How fun is this? Also, as I began booking the stays, the route changed a little bit and I’ve updated the map accordingly.  As we travel, we will be blogging about our experiences both on the road and about the places we stay (and, of course, taking loads of pictures).   We look forward to you following us on our USA adventure!

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The Packing List – Or How to Fit an Elephant into a Shoe Box!

Sunday, June 22nd, 2014

Okay, the truth is that I’ve never been a “light” packer.  So packing for a 3 month trip, covering weather from the 80’s to the 40’s (hopefully, not lower than 40’s) and getting this all into a Porsche Boxster is going to be a challenge!  And there are two of us, so I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that I have to share the trunk space.  Given these confining parameters, we have put together a list.

In the car where we can get to it we believe we will need the following:

  • Music Thumb Drives (in the ash tray)
  • Garmin w/Updated Maps (mounted on windshield)
  • National Geography Map Book, Notebook, Pens & Highlighters (in zippered area behind seats)
  • Kleenex & Wet Wipes (in zippered area behind seats)
  • Phone Charger (in cubby below radio)
  • Camera (in passenger’s door cubby)
  • SPF 50, Hand Sanitizer, Hand Lotion & Chapstick (in passenger’s door cubby)
  • Flashlight (in driver’s door cubby)
  • Swiss Army Knives – 2 (in driver’s door cubby)
  • Loose Change for Tolls (in center section glove box)
  • Binoculars (in center section glove box)
  • Power Bars (in center section glove box)
  • Hats (behind driver’s seat)

In the front trunk, in addition to luggage, we will pack the following:

  • First aid kit
  • Roadside Emergency Kit
  • Duct Tape
  • Snow & Ice Scraper
  • Rainex

His Packing List Includes:

  • 7 Pair of Undies
  • 4 Pair “Driving” Socks
  • 4 Pair Beige Socks
  • 3 Pair Beige Slacks
  • 1 Pair Shorts
  • 3 T-Shirts
  • 2 Polo Shirts
  • 2 Long Sleeved Shirts
  • 1 Sweatshirt
  • 1 Sweater
  • 1 Reversible Belt
  • 1 Pair PJ’s
  • 4 Hankies
  • 1 Swim Suit
  • 1 Set Workout Clothes
  • 1 Pair Brown Slip-on Shoes
  • 1 Pair Athletic Shoes
  • 1 Pair Sandals
  • 1 Pair Driving Shoes
  • 1 Pair Gloves
  • 1 Anorak
  • 1 Small Umbrella

Her Packing List Includes:

  • 7 Pair of Undies
  • 3 Bras
  • 1 Pair Silk Long Johns
  • 1 Pair Silk Socks
  • 1 Pair White Socks
  • 2 Pair Black Socks
  • 2 Pair Khaki Socks
  • 2 Pair White Slacks
  • 1 Pair Black Slacks
  • 1 Pair Khaki Slacks
  • 2 T-Shirts
  • 2 3/4 Sleeve Shirts
  • 1 Black Turtleneck
  • 2 Ivory Turtlenecks
  • 1 Khaki Turtleneck
  • 1 Black Silk Over Sweater
  • 1 Heavy Over Sweater
  • 1 Pair PJ’s
  • 1 Bathing Suit & Coverup
  • 1 Set Workout Clothes
  • 1 Pair White Sandals
  • 1 Pair Athletic Shoes
  • 1 Pair Slippers
  • 1 Pair Driving Shoes
  • 1 Pair Gloves
  • 1 Warm Scarf / Wrap
  • 1 Rain Poncho
  • 1 Small Umbrella
  • 10 Pair Earrings

And the Rest of the List:

  • Kindles (2) & Micro USB Cords
  • Tablets (2) & Power Cords
  • Cat5 Cable
  • Phone
  • Games (Uno & Phase Four)
  • Gifts

So, now that we’ve defined the packing list, our next job is to see if we can put it all together and if it actually fits in the Boxster.  Stay tuned . . .

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Maps & Music – Lessons Learned

Saturday, May 31st, 2014

We took a little 1100 mile “mini-trip” to Palm Desert and we are so glad we did.  We had several “aha” moments on this trip.

AHA Moment Number 1:  Our Garmin only allows for one via point.  One.  Uno.  Holy socks, Batman, we can’t travel across the country and only have one via point.  We need hundreds.  We just bought the nuvi 50LM and I am really bummed.  Not sure yet what we are going to do to solve this problem.

AHA Moment Number 2:  We LOVE our Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X997.  I can’t say enough good things about it.  However, I recently learned that we could have retrofitted a Kenwood DNX691 or Kenwood DNX891 into the console of our Boxster and had BOTH great sound and an integrated Garmin GPS.  At this point, we can’t afford to upgrade again or we won’t have enough money for the trip.  So I am letting you all know that there is a better solution than we have implemented and I only wish I’d known this before buying and installing the eXcelon KDC-X997 and before buying the Garmin nuvi 50LM.  We could have paid a little more and had it all in one place.  Poop!  Rod from Car Audio Innovations has a kit and a special Porsche Start Up Screen for the Kenwood DNX691 and Kenwood DNX891.  We could have had it all.

Other than those two “oops”, the car seems ready and we are beginning to get very excited.  We almost have our packing list put together, so that will be the next blog.

Stay tuned . . .

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Getting the 1998 Porsche Boxster Ready for a 15K Mile Trip – Part 3

Saturday, May 10th, 2014

We did it!  We drove up to Car Audio Innovations in Roseville where Rod and his team did a significant upgrade to our sound system.  They replaced the factory amplifier with a Hertz Compact 4 x 150 Watt Class D Full Range Amplifier (which fits nicely where the old amp was located, so no lost trunk space).  They replaced the factory dashboard speakers with Focal Polykevlar 4″ 2-way speakers.  And lastly, they replaced the door speakers (also original factory speakers) with Focal UtopiaBe 5″ Subwoofers.  The car was at CAI for the entire day and we were given a loaner so we could go explore Roseville.  We had a late breakfast at Four Sisters Café and we took the opportunity to see a movie (something we seldom seem to have the time to do).

I can’t begin to describe the difference in sound.  It is absolutely astounding.  We used The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as our benchmark, listening to it on the way up to Roseville and on the way home.  The clarity of the instruments and the voices on the return trip was amazing.  And being able to actually have a nice bass bottom was icing on the cake.

We had already installed the Kenwood Excelon KDC-X997, but we hadn’t really found a good place for the microphone.  Rod relocated the mic to the steering wheel column, which is perfect.  He also moved the Kenwood’s rear USB wire to the top center column compartment (located just under the radio).  This will be a great place to charge the cell phone!

We now have a great sound system and haven’t had to give up an inch of space.  The speakers fit nicely in the original locations, with no new cuts in the dash or door panels, keeping the original look of the car, while significantly improving the sound.

We have been busy rating our music collection (using Media Monkey), doing about an hour each day.  This will most likely take us a couple of months.

Now that the car is ready for the trip, I’ll move on to getting us ready (gulp).  The next big item on our agenda is deciding what we will pack for this trip (and what we have to leave behind). . .

 

Old Amplifier

Old Amplifier

New Amplifier

New Amplifier

New Dash Speakers

New Dash Speakers

New Subwoofers

New Subwoofers

 

 

One Door Done, One to Go

 

 

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Getting the 1998 Porsche Boxster Ready for a 15K Mile Trip – Part 2

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014

ThermosI said in my last post that I would next write about Music, Bluetooth and Hands-free Microphones – which I will.  But first, I wanted to update the coffee cup.  While I do love the Chantel, I recently tried the Thermos 16-Ounce Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler and I am thinking I like it a little bit better than the Chantel, primarily because it fits more snuggly in the cup holder and, more importantly, holds one more ounce than the Chantel.  If you are a coffee-holic like I am, that one ounce can be very important!

2914_800_351Okay, on to Music!  We have two choices, as I see it.  Either have some really good tunes or spend three months talking to each other.  Hmmmm.  Tough choice, eh?  So, we upgraded the radio in the Boxster to a new Kenwood Excelon KDC-X997, which also provides us with the Hands-free capability we need in order to stay legal in most states.  I have to say, this radio is leaps and bounds above what we had before.  It has more bells and whistles than I can figure out (I will need to spend more time with it) but the best feature is the ability to plug a USB memory stick into the front USB port and listen to your own music.  No more CD’s or DVD’s necessary!  And when you are into conserving space, which we clearly will need to do, five or six 16GB memory sticks is the way to go! We thought we’d load up each stick with a type of music – rock, country, classical, bluegrass, latin, swing, and so on.

We loaded Media Monkey on our notebooks and we are in the process of categorizing and rating our music (we have a rather extensive library).  Once we have that task completed, we can load up the memory sticks.

Now we have a great radio, Bluetooth, and music, but it is not quite there.  After much “discussion” (which means he argues the benefits and she argues the cost), we have agreed that the factory speakers just don’t provide the sound we want.  We did our research and we have planned a mini-roadtrip to Roseville, CA to visit Rod at Car Audio Innovations and listen to speakers and figure out just what we will be upgrading to.  So, while I didn’t plan on writing a “Getting the 1998 Porsche Boxster Ready for a 15K Mile Trip – Part 3”, that will be the next installment – where I will describe what we chose and why (with pictures).  Stay tuned  . . .

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Getting the 1998 Porsche Boxster Ready for a 15K Mile Trip – Part 1

Friday, March 28th, 2014

I bought the car in December, 1997.  I had been on the wait list for four months when the dealer called me and said they had received a shipment and did I want to come in and take a look.  I hadn’t even specified a color and I think I would have taken just about any color at that point.  As luck would have it, the car was white (just like my first 1970 914) with dark blue interior.  Perfect!  Thank you, Santa Claus for bringing me just about the best Christmas present ever!

So, you can figure out that the car is over 16 years old and, at this writing, has just over 94K miles on it.  The Boxster has always been serviced by the Porsche dealer (thank you, Gunter) and I am confident we will have no mechanical problems on the trip.  We recently had the 90K service done and, at that time, we replaced the front struts.  We also recently put on four new Kumho Ecsta tires, which are not quite as “sticky” as the Pirelli’s we ran previously, but so far we like the ride and they should last a little longer.

Chantal SL92-TUltimateCupHolders (2)One of the shortcomings of the early model Boxster is the lack of a good place to put a coffee cup.  We’ve tried several after market cup holders, without much success.  Recently, I bought two cup holders from Mike at www.ultimatecupholders.com and we have found them to be the perfect solution!  Because the cup holders are at floor level, there is less risk of spilling coffee when you are cornering.  Couple these great cup holders with our recent new Chantal SL92-T Travel Mugs and we are ALMOST ready to go.  The last item is the coffee!  We suspect there will be a few Starbuck’s along the way, but I’m fairly confident there will be areas where we won’t be so lucky, so we bought a small Presto 6 Cup Stainless Steel Percolator to use when there are no other options.

Next blog I’ll talk about Music, Bluetooth and Hands-free Microphones . . .

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Roadtrip Planning Software – The Search and Selection

Monday, March 17th, 2014

We knew the minute we started mapping our route, that we were going to need three tools:

  1. Good planning software for the tablet (in our case, a Lenovo Helix running Windows 8)
  2. A real paper map (we are old school and still like the visual that a map gives you)
  3. A new GPS for the Boxster

First, the Software

We started with the planning software.  We looked at (and tried) several products:

  1. Google Maps (maps.google.com)
  2. Roadtrippers (www.roadtrippers.com)
  3. AAA’s TripTik (www.aaa.com/travelinfo)
  4. TripIt (www.tripit.com)
  5. My Scenic Drives (www.myscenicdrives.com)

We chose My Scenic Drives because it was easy to learn and use, and it had some features that we really liked, for example:

  • You can set your start date, so you know when you might actually arrive at your ultimate destination (assuming not too many side trips!)
  • It lets you set your estimated MPG and what you think fuel will cost, giving you an estimate of the cost of the entire trip.
  • You can set your default speed to the speed limit, or 5%, 10%, 15% or 20% slower.  Since we know we are going to be stopping to take photos, (and, of course, we would never exceed the speed limit in our Boxster), we are opting for 20% slower.
  • You can set your default daily start time and the number of hours per day you plan to drive.  These defaults can be overridden easily for each leg of your road trip.
  • You can opt to avoid highways by default (my favorite) and also opt to avoid tolls.  Again, easily overridden.
  • You can add notes to each destination (I’ve added average temperature, so I know how to pack for this trip) and you can add activities (like stop for ice cream).

During the coarse of our planning, I have sent emails to the developer asking for help and he has always been responsive (a very important “feature”).

Second, the Map

We chose the National Geographic Road Atlas – Adventure Edition.  It had everything we needed and it was spiral bound, which we think will hold up better.  It is rather large, which could be a problem given our limited space.  We’ll let you know!

Third, the GPS

In our case, since we had an old Garmin and we had good luck with it, we decided to stick with what we knew and just buy an updated version of the Garmin.  So we chose a nüvi® 50LM.

 

So, with these three tools, hopefully we won’t get unintentionally lost; although we will, no doubt, get intentionally lost a number of times!

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A Life Long Dream . . .

Sunday, February 2nd, 2014

I’ve been a Porsche driver since I was 18, having owned a 914/6, a 912 and a Boxster.  The Boxster was purchased new in December, 1997 (yep, it’s an oldie, just like me).  I’ve always wanted to drive across the country, taking my own sweet time to enjoy the scenery and meet the people and learn about this great country of ours.  That dream will soon become a reality for my husband and me.

People say we are crazy, doing this in a Porsche.  “Why not do it in an RV?”, is the comment we keep hearing.  Well, if you drive a Porsche (or any type of fun car), the answer to that is obvious.  This site will allow us to share this adventure – the planning, the preparation, the travels, the trials, the fun, the photos, the works.

Just so you know, this originally started out as a “Let’s take the northern route from the Bay Area to Boston, timing it so we arrive in October, to experience autumn.  Then we can take the southern route home.”  Well, that has grown into ” . . . and let’s make sure we stop in all 48 states!”

And so the adventure begins . . .

Boxster 0001

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