So I've had a more-than-slight change of plans and I'll be moving to NH (by myself) in four or five weeks. Is it too late? Am I going to be able to make that drive safely? Do I need to wait until spring?
I'm coming from Seattle... I'm going to start at the begining of Interstate 90 and drive it all the way to the end, just to say I did. ;D Then I'm going to turn around and go north to ... wherever it is I'm going to settle. Probably Manchester area, or thereabouts.
Anyone looking for a short-term roomie starting in November? NS, ND, no pets, quiet, professional, and financially independent and reliable...
It doesn't usually snow before thanksgiving, and the snow doesn't really stay until late december.
Quote from: Kat Kanning on September 20, 2006, 12:33 PM NHFT
It doesn't usually snow before thanksgiving, and the snow doesn't really stay until late december.
Thank you! I feel so much better now. I was having this awful vision of sitting on the side of the road struggling with chains and all my worldly posessions packed into the back of my truck and nobody to call for help and...
Should be no problem. For rents in Manchester, if someone has the contact info for the big houses that have rooms for rent, could you please PM it to the requestor?
I'm looking at Craigslist and stuff, too. I just haven't decided yet if I should settle down and then find a job, or find a job and then settle down. I kind of want to see what winter's like and just how tough a commute really would be if I, say, worked in Salem and lived in Manchester, or worked in Manchester and lived in Derry, or worked in Concord and lived in Auburn, etc. etc.
They plow the roads, btw. I've never used chains here.
Realistically, I would be more concerned traversing I 90 in late October than anything else, but you can just keep an eye on the Weather Channel for potential disasters, I guess.
Re: jobs, settling down--get your job and then settle nearby. IMO, commuting sucks, and commuting in the winter sucks bigtime.
My current commute is 10 1/2 miles, one way. I wouldn't want it to be ANY longer!
I know, I hate commuting, but on the other hand, "I just work here" is a lousy reason to pick a place to settle down.
Here in the Seattle area, I commute 7.2 miles - and that takes 45 minutes. I would like to not commute. Maybe I can find a telecommuting job.
I'd worry more about snow on the way here than actually being here.
Yes it routinely snows before Halloween, but it doesn't normally build up and create icy roads and treacherous conditions. That occurs between January and marc
Could be bad through the middle part of the country, huh? I've never been further east than Missoula Montana.
Some of the worst weather could be from Seattle to Missoula ..... and it could happen at any time. Driving way up North .... all the way across .... is dicey from Thanksgiving until March. If you have to drive in winter .... you may have to schedule extra time to deal with blizzards. Come before then and you should have it much easier. Leave in the next month and see great leaves from MN to NH. :)
Please call the FSP welcome wagon lady in Nashua and get a feel for if there are any openings at Free Stater places. You also might like renting from our guy (Freedominnh) in Hampton Beach over the winter. You could easily commute to Bahh-stun from there. If you can PM him and call him, you can reassure him that you are a decent person. :)
The worst snow section of I-90 is when you jog north around Buffalo, NY. Still not expected until December.
Quote from: Russell Kanning on September 20, 2006, 02:08 PM NHFT
Some of the worst weather could be from Seattle to Missoula ..... and it could happen at any time. Driving way up North .... all the way across .... is dicey from Thanksgiving until March. If you have to drive in winter .... you may have to schedule extra time to deal with blizzards. Come before then and you should have it much easier. Leave in the next month and see great leaves from MN to NH. :)
Please call the FSP welcome wagon lady in Nashua and get a feel for if there are any openings at Free Stater places. You also might like renting from our guy (Freedominnh) in Hampton Beach over the winter. You could easily commute to Bahh-stun from there. If you can PM him and call him, you can reassure him that you are a decent person. :)
I've talked to him on the phone, he's a good guy. That was back when I thought I was bringing my spouse and we were going to buy a place, though.
Shouldn't have too much snow to worry about over here on the west side, not before Thanksgiving.
Crap. I didn't think my day could get any better. So I'm getting a divorce and moving cross country by myself. I already sold my most beloved Battlewagon so I could buy something bigger that would get me and my spouse and our two dogs and two cats across the country. Now, that's not happening - it's just me. So of course, last night, that "something bigger" I bought broke down in a spectacular way.
The shop just finally called. It needs $2200 worth of repairs just to feel safe getting me from here to there. That's not for anything fancy - just brakes and shocks.
Should I trade it in?
Do you think I could get around in winter in a little tiny hybrid like an Insight? Because that's what I really, really want.
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 20, 2006, 12:31 PM NHFT
I'm coming from Seattle... I'm going to start at the begining of Interstate 90 and drive it all the way to the end, just to say I did. ;D Then I'm going to turn around and go north to ... wherever it is I'm going to settle. Probably Manchester area, or thereabouts.
You'll probably see your worst weather just east of Seattle, in and around Snoqualmie Pass. Once you get past there, at that time of year, you'll probably be fine.
But just to be safe, I wouldn't take I-90 when there's severe weather imminent over eastern Washington, Montana, North Dakota, etc. The alternate route is to hit I-82 right after you come out of the mountains, follow it down to I-84, and hit I-80 in Utah. Then follow I-80 across to Chicago, where it meets up with I-90. I think the mileage is just about the same.
If it's the mountains around Seattle that are getting the severe weather, they usually do a good job of keeping the interstate clear, but you can always jog down I-5 to Vancouver/Portland (take the bypass) and take I-84 from there, but that adds about 100 miles or so...
Yes, I spent way too much time driving around the Pacific Northwest in a former life... :)
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 20, 2006, 02:22 PM NHFT
Do you think I could get around in winter in a little tiny hybrid like an Insight? Because that's what I really, really want.
I would recommend a front wheel drive car in snow. Since you will be driving on roads, an Insight seems like a good choice to me.
Quote from: Russell Kanning on September 20, 2006, 03:19 PM NHFT
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 20, 2006, 02:22 PM NHFT
Do you think I could get around in winter in a little tiny hybrid like an Insight? Because that's what I really, really want.
I would recommend a front wheel drive car in snow. Since you will be driving on roads, an Insight seems like a good choice to me.
You don't think it's too light to be able to get around in the snow?
Denis drives one and we drive a Prius. We haven't had any trouble through 2 winters. I'm definately not bragging. Please understand that, I am not bragging. (just in case fate is online)
Cathleen
Quote from: cathleeninnh on September 20, 2006, 06:10 PM NHFT
Denis drives one and we drive a Prius. We haven't had any trouble through 2 winters. I'm definately not bragging. Please understand that, I am not bragging. (just in case fate is online)
Hee hee! Thank you! That helps a LOT.
I think I'm going to buy an Insight and tow it out there behind a moving truck... what a waste of technology!
Quote from: cathleeninnh on September 20, 2006, 06:10 PM NHFT
Denis drives one and we drive a Prius. We haven't had any trouble through 2 winters. I'm definately not bragging. Please understand that, I am not bragging. (just in case fate is online)
Cathleen
Having spent a few hours in Cathleens and Don's Prius ( thanks to their generous nature or maybe they wanted to check out it's wieght hauling capacity) I was impressed. Quiet, smooth, enough power and a zillion mpg. ( I am not helping Cathleen brag)
Until gas go's to 5 dollars a gallon I will still be driving big cars though.
Quote from: cathleeninnh on September 20, 2006, 06:10 PM NHFT
Denis drives one and we drive a Prius. We haven't had any trouble through 2 winters. I'm definately not bragging. Please understand that, I am not bragging. (just in case fate is online)
Cathleen
This is where I, usually, tap my head ;)
You'll find that driving in the winter isn't actualy that bad, you just have to get used to it. There will be some bad driving days, during or right after snow storms, but on those days you just have to take it slow or wait for the roads to be cleared.
It's not as big of an issue as you might think, although I certainly wouldn't want to ride a motorcycle on icy roads.
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 20, 2006, 06:11 PM NHFT
Quote from: cathleeninnh on September 20, 2006, 06:10 PM NHFT
Denis drives one and we drive a Prius. We haven't had any trouble through 2 winters. I'm definately not bragging. Please understand that, I am not bragging. (just in case fate is online)
Hee hee! Thank you! That helps a LOT.
I think I'm going to buy an Insight and tow it out there behind a moving truck... what a waste of technology!
If you're going to for sure buy one, buy it in NH. You'll save a ton with no sales tax, plus you'll save on the car trailer, extra fuel and extra headache of towing. I towed my Ranger when I moved a couple months ago, but only because I've had it for years and know what I have in to it. If you're buying outright, I'd suggest doing it here.
--Jeremy
Quote from: Insurgent on September 20, 2006, 07:33 PM NHFT
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 20, 2006, 06:11 PM NHFT
Quote from: cathleeninnh on September 20, 2006, 06:10 PM NHFT
Denis drives one and we drive a Prius. We haven't had any trouble through 2 winters. I'm definately not bragging. Please understand that, I am not bragging. (just in case fate is online)
Hee hee! Thank you! That helps a LOT.
I think I'm going to buy an Insight and tow it out there behind a moving truck... what a waste of technology!
If you're going to for sure buy one, buy it in NH. You'll save a ton with no sales tax, plus you'll save on the car trailer, extra fuel and extra headache of towing. I towed my Ranger when I moved a couple months ago, but only because I've had it for years and know what I have in to it. If you're buying outright, I'd suggest doing it here.
--Jeremy
That's a good thought, Jeremy, thank you. One reason I was going to buy it here was because I'll have a much easier time financing here, when I've already got a residence, a job with tenure, a good income, etc - I don't know yet how things are going to be for me when I get there. But I could consider not-financing, I suppose, and paying cash instead. Something to think about.
September 21, 2006:
(http://mountwashington.org/weather/comments/2006/firstsnow1.jpg)
....atop Mt. Washington, of course. ;D
Hey, PatK... ya think they need a powerhouse operator up there?
Where is Mt. Washington? :o
I bought an AWD Subaru wagon today. Now I just need a few rainbow stickers and I can look *just like* I'm from Seattle... er...
Quote from: KBCraig on September 21, 2006, 10:11 PM NHFT
September 21, 2006:
(http://mountwashington.org/weather/comments/2006/firstsnow1.jpg)
....atop Mt. Washington, of course. ;D
Hey, PatK... ya think they need a powerhouse operator up there?
Well my BEER would stay cold.
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 22, 2006, 01:30 AM NHFT
Where is Mt. Washington? :o
Within a figurative stone's throw of all previous PorcFests. Here's a photo taken with a mere 135mm lense, from the main parking lot at Roger's Campground:
(http://etasigma.org/nh2006/nh2006-Images/14.jpg)
Mt. Washington is the highest point in the northeastern U.S., at 6,288 feet. It's also the home of the world's worst weather, and the site of the highest recorded straight-line windspeed on earth (231 mph, on April 12, 1934).
It's the most challenging peak of the Appalachian Trail, and the one that throws a big roadblock in the way of hiking the AT straight through. It's dangerous, because of the weather.
I posted the frosted pickup photo as a joke. The weather on Mt. Washington is no more typical of NH than it is of Sarasota.
Lots more information: http://www.mountwashington.org
QuoteI bought an AWD Subaru wagon today. Now I just need a few rainbow stickers and I can look *just like* I'm from Seattle... er...
Not to worry. With enough rainbows, you'll just look like you're from Vermont.
Kevin
"I bought an AWD Subaru wagon today. Now I just need a few rainbow stickers and I can look *just like* I'm from Seattle... er..."
You and Sandy can swap Subaru wagon cross country driving tales.
Don't worry, Mt. Washington isn't in your path.
Quote from: 9thmoon on September 20, 2006, 01:56 PM NHFT
Could be bad through the middle part of the country, huh? I've never been further east than Missoula Montana.
I've never been further west, excluding stopovers on flights and Hawaii, than either Buffalo NY in the northeast, or Sarasota/Anna Maria Island Florida
I've never been further west than San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, and believe me, you aren't missing anything. The Wrong Coast is rapidly deteriorating into socialist authoritarianism, and anyone who loves liberty really should get out of there while they still can.
Now that's a bit excessive. There are plenty of wonderful things to see on the west coast. It's just the government that sucks.
Oh yes, there are plenty of wonderful things to see. But they tend to be far away from any government agents. :)
Which one of us is Sandy? Did his/her Sub wagon have a breakdown on his/her way to NH or something?
Sandy is "Friday" on this forum.
Oh, of course =)
Don't worry about the drive cross-country. It's the FN INTERSTATE for chrissakes. If it snows by some godaweful chance just pull over and get a motel and 12 hours later it will be clean and dry if you don't feel up to driving in it.
You will have a much greater chance of getting snow in the Dakotas than anywhere else but even then I would not worry too much about it. Just take your time and don't push it. You can rest your head in Chicago and maybe get a footrub if you ask really nice...
Quote from: polyanarch on September 22, 2006, 11:41 PM NHFT
Don't worry about the drive cross-country. It's the FN INTERSTATE for chrissakes. If it snows by some godaweful chance just pull over and get a motel and 12 hours later it will be clean and dry if you don't feel up to driving in it.
Yeah, I know. And it's not like I'll be in a hurry. I have all the freedom in the world, now. *sad smile*
Quote from: polyanarch on September 22, 2006, 11:41 PM NHFT
You can rest your head in Chicago and maybe get a footrub if you ask really nice...
But then I'd have to go to
Chicago! I don't want to get shot at!
It is hard to avoid Chicago between Seattle and NH ....... unless you want Canada.
Just stick to I-80 and you'll pass fairly well to the south of Chicago. The worst of it, anyway.
I-80 is a mess right now You don't want to be on I-80 as it skimms past the southern part of Chicago Maybe next year when it is done
Then again, as you come through Chicago on I-90/94 you will hit some nasty construction too but almost all the lanes are open all the time and you will peel off on the Skyway to Indiana before the worst of it anyhow (when it links up with the big mess on I-80) Then I-80/90/94 are pretty much all one road for a few miles or at best are seperated by just a few miles
Plus, there might be some people in Chicago you might want to miss, who are staying right off of I-90/94 for a while when they are not in NH
I-80 has been a mess through south of Chicago for years. But it's nothing like the traffic you'll generally get trying to pass through Chicago.
Last time I looked, the Dan Ryan was a complete mess, all the way from the loop to the skyway and beyond. It took an hour to get from the loop to the skyway in early afternoon; I can't imagine how horrible it would have been during rush hour. Even IDOT is saying to avoid the Dan Ryan (http://www.avoidtheryan.com/) if possible.
And then you have the open road tolling upgrades (http://www.illinoistollway.com/) going on, which tend to snarl traffic.
The I-80/94 project (http://www.kingeryexpressway.com/) is minor in comparison, and shouldn't result in significant delays traveling through on I-80, while it can take three hours or more to cross Chicago.
All this reconstruction was long, long overdue, and you can count on the state to screw things up, even after the projects are finally finished...
Unless it is between the hours of 3-7PM or 7-10AM on a weekday the traffic through Chicago isn't that bad I drive it almost every day When I got here last week coming from NH we arrived at about 4PM on a weekday and we got through the Skyway and traffic was not bad. Took probably 30 minutes from the skyway toll all the way up to the 90-94 split -which is almost what it would take at 2AM
Then again, there have been a few times coming from Wisconsin at 7PM where it took 2 hours to get from the DesPlains toll (worst toll on the Kennedy still because of construction -and I do have an I-pass that I will use at times when it helps but at other times will keep in the glove box and pay double toll just to keep anonymity) 4 miles south to where my exit was Since then I've learned the surface streets and found a route that will get me through in about 40 minutes even in rush hour at that point if the Kennedy Expressway is a parking lot.
My problem with the traffic isn't that I wind up stopped for hours, by itself -- it's that I wind up stopped for hours IN ILLINOIS, one of the least free places in the country, and one I try to avoid, or failing that, pass through as quickly as possible. :)
Fortunately, I'll only have to do that once more -- when I leave Madison for NH.
Where in Madison are you?
I grew up in Madison, went to school there and lived there (and around) full time until Jan of this year when I moved in with a GF in Chicago part-time and have been commuting between the two cities when I am not in NH (Nashua)
I agree that Ill noise FIB-land is very UN-free and may be one of the most unfree areas of the country. It's almost as bad a DC in the city and even more corrupt.
Yesterday I just got back to Chicago after being in Madison for a few days. I do the trip on an almost weekly and at the most bi-weekly basis so I've got a pretty good handle on the travel times. Compared to the drive to Nashua and back the trip is just a morning commute for me.
I have some other FSP friends in Madison and have spent some time organizing and handing out fliers at local Madison events like the annual pot rally that Ben puts on and others. I thought I knew all the Freepers from the Madison area.
-Jim
Ha, I didn't know there were ANY other FSP members here. I think maybe I should try to find them.... I'm over on the west side around Hilldale.
When are you moving, error?
Next spring sometime, I think.
Quote from: error on September 24, 2006, 03:46 PM NHFT
Next spring sometime, I think.
What are you waiting for? =)
...she says, as she takes a break from packing for her upcoming move.
I know of 2 that still live in Madison/Middleton full time. The rest have moved like me or have dropped out of FSP like dweebs. (one of them is my X-wife who was the person who got ME involved in the first place)
If you want I can send them your email address and have them contact you. There used to be a S. Wisconsin FSP meetup and a yahoo group too but I don't remember the exact names/addresses or even if they are still around.
There are a few more Milwaukee members and a few in Chicago. They meet once a month in Chicago but I've only been to one meeting. I hate meetings myself. Either nobody ever goes or all they do is talk and never DO anything.
I'm a DO-er, not a talker and going to a meeting every month talking about when I was going to leave would drive me crazy. Mostlly I just hang around like-minded people and oftentimes they are FSP members who want to move out to NH soon. If I didn't have a serious GF in Chicago I'd be in NH full-time instead of commuting... Maybe I need a serious GF in NH too!
How serious is it, if she isn't moving to NH with you? :)
On your drive to NH ..... you could get hijacked in Chicago .... like this thread.
I could tell you how serious it is but the proof is in the pudding. And that pudding is too dirty for even the internet! If I'm going to produce pr0n, I am going to get paid for it...
I live in NH part-time. I live in Chicago part-time. I am a resident of North America and I go where I please when it pleases me. Home is NH, I'm just visiting in Chicago, Madison, Kentucky, and Killeen. I've got lots of friends/family willing to put me up when I blow into town. I put a lot of miles on my various vehicles driving across the country. I don't think I will ever settle down in one place for most of a year. NH is too cold (so is WI) in the winters. I have family in TX and always planed to over-winter there for a good portion of it even before I met this Chicago sweetheart.
As a poly guy, I can always have more than one sweetheart. Perhaps someone from NH might be interested in piqueing my interest in spending more than a few months a year at home in NH...
Quote from: error on September 25, 2006, 04:50 AM NHFT
How serious is it, if she isn't moving to NH with you? :)
That's just what *I* said...
Quote from: Russell Kanning on September 25, 2006, 07:01 AM NHFT
On your drive to NH ..... you could get hijacked in Chicago .... like this thread.
They'll never take me alive!!!!! :iroc:
:jailbird: Uh-oh.
LOL
Now that you have a nice AWD car to drive across the country with that isn't an american-made POS with maintenance needs that outvalue that of the vehicle it should be a snap.
:icon_pirat:
Quote from: polyanarch on October 03, 2006, 08:00 AM NHFT
Now that you have a nice AWD car to drive across the country with that isn't an american-made POS with maintenance needs that outvalue that of the vehicle it should be a snap.
:icon_pirat:
Yeah, as long as I don't end up towing that worthy vehicle behind a goll-durned U-haul...
It's snowing in Montana and Wyoming today...
Is 9thMoon in the fog of the move?
9thmoon flaked out and decided to move to Texas instead, unfortunately.
Texas? That isn't even on the WAY to NH!
Quote from: error on November 06, 2006, 06:39 PM NHFT
Texas? That isn't even on the WAY to NH!
Trust me, that's the wrong direction. >:(
Quote from: KBCraig on November 06, 2006, 06:46 PM NHFT
Quote from: error on November 06, 2006, 06:39 PM NHFT
Texas? That isn't even on the WAY to NH!
Trust me, that's the wrong direction. >:(
If you see 9thmoon, get him turned back around and pointed northeastward. ;D
Some call it love
Quote from: error on November 06, 2006, 07:06 PM NHFT
Quote from: KBCraig on November 06, 2006, 06:46 PM NHFT
Quote from: error on November 06, 2006, 06:39 PM NHFT
Texas? That isn't even on the WAY to NH!
Trust me, that's the wrong direction. >:(
If you see 9thmoon, get him turned back around and pointed northeastward. ;D
Her.
I emailed her and haven't heard back.
Bah, I stand corrected.
She'll get there eventually. Maybe TX will just be a detour.