2nd big trip in the Prime

Parking wasn't really a problem like it was in and around Arcadia. There was a short period of "stop and creep" coming in, but we found a spot as soon as we got into the lot. It was busy, though and we had a brief delay leaving while a tow truck hauled away a car. Not sure if it was a breakdown or someone overstayed their welcome.

We were back roads all the way yesterday to the lighthouse. Then a little Interstate on the way to our night in Bedford, NH.

Today was different. Interstate pretty much all the way. We drove in or through, NH, MA (a first for both of us), RI (a short detour to add it to the list of states we've been in, and yes, we did get out of the car. LOL!), CT (a first for me), NY, PA, MD, WV, & VA. Nine states in one day. I'm pretty sure that's a record for us.

We're making plans to drive tomorrow down the Skyline Drive & BRP to Ashville and see friends in that area. Then home on Tuesday.

Some pix of yesterday's lighthouse:

 

Now that I see it, I think you're right. That's the one I was thinking of. But the ones we went to were great, too. Just not enough money in the bank to stay long enough to see everything we'd like to see. I guess we have several reasons to come back someday.

And another plus is that people in NE seem so much more civilized than in the Tampa area. We met nice folks everywhere we turned.

 

Believe it or not, literature indicates that the regular gen 4 has a CD of .24 and the Prime is .25, so the Prime is slightly less slippery. But the ability to use both MGs for propulsion helps it be more efficient. My wife has a regular Gen 4 and the same trip in the same weather with the same driver gets better mileage in the Prime.

Edited to change "Gen 2 to Gen 4."

 

Eleven years a member here and you first post is on this thread? Wow! I'm flattered. And what an amazing trip you must have had in your Prime!!!!

BTW, you might want to update your profile with your new car info, unless you still have the 2010 and want to keep that there.

 

We're back!! Like a good running back, we saw the opening between storms and got to New Hampshire just as the hurricane was leaving. And we passed through the mid Atlantic on the way home right in front of that nasty weather. We did miss getting to the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway due to rain and time constraints. Now we have another reason to go back there and also back to NE for those lighthouses we missed. (HA!! We didn't really see any openings. We just went and the Lord worked out the rest. )

Total trip was not quite as efficient as the one out west a year and a half ago. I don't know why. I was expecting better. But I'm not complaining.

4,180 miles
77.6 gallons
53.9 mpg
$244.73 for gas

Here are some shots from our two days on the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway.


Looking into the morning sun.


The storm clouds are gathering in the west.


There were so many views like this on our first day up on the Skyline and BRP, we'd still be there if I tried to capture them all!


Toward the end of our 1st day on the BRP. We were almost to the point near Roanoke where it was closed because of a landslide. It was almost supper time at that point so we stopped at a hotel in Roanoke.


Almost to the next road closure. This is late afternoon the 2nd day on the BRP. We didn't have time to go down and come back up and still get to our friends' house. So, we got in the car and went down the steep road to the Interstate. It was about the twistiest and steepest road I've ever seen. Before we for on it, we'd talked to a couple who had just come up in in a Porsche and they said they were terrified. We went down it in rain and fog for bonus points. LOL! Then we drove through a downpour in Asheville and on to our hosts' house outside Franklin, NC.

Yesterday was the long slog, 2/3 on the Interstate to get home.

 

LOL! Thanks. I was typing the correction while you were telling about my boo boo.

 

OK! I found out why the mpg was lower than I thought it would be. I included the initial fill-up before the trip AND the final one when we got back. Removing that 3.283 extra gallons and 283 kWh before the start, makes quite a difference. And makes it very close to the 56.6 mpg we got on the 2019 trip out west.

 

Good questions, Sid. Hmmm. Gotta think a little on those.

The best scenic spot/s is a hard decision. Maybe a tossup between the drive up Mt. Washington or the visit to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. Mt. Washington had unusually clear weather, so the views were spectacular even if they were a bit hazy. It was expensive, though. They charge $39 for a car & driver and then $14 per passenger. So, $53 for the two of us. But I'd do it again for sure! We were the 3rd car at the gate, so we had the place almost to ourselves for a while till the cog trains and other cars started coming in. The weather and the view at the lighthouse were spectacular. It was also uncrowded. We spent several hours there including eating our picnic lunch.


The best food? Hmmm. I think we splurged twice. One was the best and one was the worst. Everyone said we had to try the lobster rolls in Maine. So we got one to share in Bar Harbor even though it was stupid-expensive. We're neither one of us fans of lobster but we love most seafood and hoped that it being a lobster "roll" would help it out. I think it was the opposite. I'd have been less disappointed if a $50 bill had blown out of my hand at the top of a seaside cliff. But the best was the teriyaki steak tips we had at J's Corner Restaurant & Takeout in Gorham, NH. It was right next to the Top Notch Inn where we spent a night and got our only charge on the car (for free!) of the trip except a few minutes at a gift shop on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

What I enjoyed most, was just sharing the adventure with my wife. (And no, you can't borrow her! ) Driving the Skyline Drive and BRP was a huge treat, especially in a Prime, but having someone to share it with makes it double good.

What to avoid for a long journey? Well, some things are obvious. Be as sure as you can that the car won't get in your way. Good tires, fluids stable and at proper levels, etc. Aside from that, if the long trip is to get somewhere far away and get back, make sure you know your limits and don't try to drive farther in a day than you can keep your eyes open. If the goal is to make the actual travel the main point, then it's nice to plan ahead to see what kinds of stuff you want to see on the way. And then, allow time for those things as well as a surprise discovery or two along the way. We are planners, but when we started down Skyline Drive, we had no plans for that night. We didn't know how far we'd get. Sometimes, you just want to see what happens. As it happened, there was a road closure near Roanoke, and it was almost supper time when we got to it, so we just drove down to the city, ate a sandwich at Wendy's, and drove a few more blocks to a hotel that turned out to be way way better than the AirBnB where we stayed the previous night. For the same price.

BTW, my wife totaled up the expenses. The whole thing was just under $2,000 dollars. And we spent almost as much on souvenir shirts and hats as on gasoline. She's been complaining about my old Roatán, Mt. Rushmore, etc shirts getting tattered. So I used that as leverage to stock up a little. And she got a few shirts, too.