On a recent road trip I discovered a new reason to stop. I saw a sign that said "drive a tank $99"

What about hunger...

Hell, if you've got enough empty bottles dudes never have to stop. Piss jugs are the way of the road.

Are you just perpetually dehydrated?

Popping a squat is a lost art... My grandmother says.

Same. I'm feeling like dad 101 and traffic 101 had a crossover event.

goodbye my temporary friend. we'll always have the time in that patch of i75 together.

Then you see them at a gas station 100 miles later. "You see that Trooper get that guy?" , "yeah he was moving "

Fuck this post has me so torn. On one hand I 100% support road tripping and long drives.... gruelling even, but otoh....cracker barrel. If there's only one on the route. You kinda have to stop. Shopping is a no no tho. Dessert is right out.

Flying is cheaper when you're solo, sure. For a family of 4? Flying is expensive. But the really expensive part is having to rent a car where you're going.

For me, a ~12 hr drive to Florida for 1 week of vacation is about $400 in gas. That's a lot more than plane tickets, until you add a $600+ car rental when you get there. Plus the flight dates have to line up with the resorts dates, which they usually don't for cheap flights.

I hate it but driving is often the more economical option.

I learned that day that it's not a very scenic drive, but I made that trip a few times - one with a car full of camping and backpacking gear, and the other I drove a 26' moving truck for my brother.

Welcome to frontier. Here's a $75 per carryon item fee for each of your kids. Congrats. It's no longer cheaper.

Anecdote that happened to my dad:

My dad drove to Kansas with my mom and little sister; ~11 hour drive. Mom and little sis decided they would fly back instead, and my dad doesn't mind (he likes driving, and probably enjoyed the solitude).

Dad drops them off at the airport in Kansas, and starts driving back home. He made it home before them, and ended up picking them up from our local airport as well.

I guess my point (besides just a funny little story) is that sometimes flying vs driving is dependent on a lot of factors. At least in the US, from what I've experienced. It really all just depends on the situation and what you're trying to do. I have traveled a bunch within the US, both flying and driving (furthest drive being around 24 hrs straight, with a driving partner), and which one I choose is almost completely dependent on why I'm going and what I'm doing when I get there

Just my 2 cents though

16 hours of driving, let's say averaging 70mph, is 1120 miles. Even at a moderately shitty mpg for a modern car of 30mpg, that's 37.3gal. Around most of the Midwest I can count on gas averaging $3.50 or less a gallon, so that's $130 each way. That's cheaper than anything other than extreme budget airlines, if you don't need any luggage whatsoever. If you have more than a carry on, then you're already saving money.

I'm basing this off Midwestern multi state drives, since that's what I've done the most. I can get a cheaper flight on Frontier or Spirit, but again, that falls apart as soon as I add any luggage, and I prefer to travel with luggage when it's a reasonable option.