scottnelson,

I live in Port Angeles, WA which is where the Victoria ferry lands. Victoria, BC is one of the prettiest cities in North America and I recommend that you see Butchart Gardens, the Royal Canadian Museum, and the Empress Hotel.
When you get to Port Angeles, the Hurricane Ridge road to the top of the Olympic Mountains may be the most incredible drive (with apologies to the Dragon) that you ever take. Let me know when you plan on arriving and I'd be happy to join you.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jim
[B]I took some extra oil.

 

You didn't mention luggage. I would suggest that you use duffel bags rather than hard or soft side luggage as you will not waste "empty space". You can also use one to put in all of the other stuff that people have recommended above so it's not bouncing around loose in your trunk.

In addition to the sunscreen, take a hat with a leash on it. You might even consider a floppy hat for extra ear protection. It's mighty sunny and if you plan on driving with the top down as much as possible, you might need it.

If you've got the CD changer, buy an extra magazine or two (the Alpine magazines work fine).

I've read some of the suggestions above and it's not like you're going going off on some wilderness safari or your car is a beater. There are plenty of Honda dealers and auto parts stores along the way, so I'd forget about taking that kind of stuff with you, other than a quart of oil. Your chances of a breakdown are so low it's probably not worth even worrying about and wasting the space.

When you get to San Diego, just in case you're tempted to drive into Mexico, be aware that you need Mexican car insurance. It's sold in plenty of places near the border. But I would STRONGLY discourage you from driving your S2000 into Mexico! If you feel the need to go, park near the border and take the foot bridge.

 

I had thought of going into Mexico and driving east along the border, but then I looked up several web sites with information on what it takes to get a car in and out of Mexico. I quickly cancelled that idea. I just want to get close enough to the border to take a picture of the car with the border crossing in the background.

I was in San Diego last December and went into Tijuana, so I'm familiar with the area. I just need to make sure I don't miss the last chance to exit before I get to the border.


As for Port Angeles, Washington, I expect to be there sometime Thursday morning, May 17. However, at that point in my trip I could easily be off by a day. I've marked the Hurricane Ridge Road as one of the "detours" I must take. It's the one from the Info Center to the top of Mt. Angeles right out of Port Angeles, right?

You guys have all been a great help.

 

scottmelson,

Never been out there, and I'm not really sure about Hurricane Ridge Road, the only thing I can find on my map is Heart O the Hills Rd leaving Port Angeles and heading up through the Olympic National Park. I hear that is a great drive, but that came from someone I know with a Land Cruiser.

Agreed, Seattle is a good place to avoid for traffic reasons.

 

I was also thinking about a long 1300 mile trip each way (total: +2600 miles).

Regarding a GPS, where to buy and how much?

 

Beware of a change in the behavior of your S-02's. I started a drive to Florida and back from Texas with about 7000 miles on my stock tires. Outbound all was fine even in heavy rain. Along the way back the wet traction gave up the ghost and I found myself hydroplaning at 55 mph. Just be careful, these aren't the best choice of long distance tires for a variety of reasons.

 

Throw out all that crap that people have suggested. You don't need any of it. Take a long a hot chick, and you won't need anything else! Heck, you may never even leave your driveway!

 

Garmin eMap Delux, about $230 on the net. Can be used with a laptop... or if you have a laptop, I prefer Street Atlas Road Warrior edition 8.0 about $45. Plug the GPS into the laptop and away you go. The eMap aquires pretty fast, DeLorme has a package with the street atlas and a GPS, it works, but acquires very slowly.

-Shing

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by osugrad97
[B]Throw out all that crap that people have suggested.