Across-country move advice (Richmond, Roanoke: hotels, house, construction)

[Roanoke Bound]

Hello Roanokers,

My family and I are moving to the Roanoke area soon. We are SO excited to join your community and absolutely ADORE Roanoke. Although we are native Californians, Roanoke is everything we've dreamed of and we plan on staying in the area once retirement comes around. Could y'all kindly offer some advice?

MOVING METHOD: We currently have a 2,500 sq. ft., 4-bedroom house with lots of stuff stored in the garage. We plan on using the U-Pack company to get everything out there.

We are looking at homes now but won't move until we close. We're hoping that will be in late October but it could stretch into the spring. Fingers crossed that it will be sooner because we really want to get out there!

TRAVEL: We have two Volvo wagons to accommodate my husband and I, three kids, three dogs, and one cat (oh my!). We are torn between making the trip comfortable but fast and taking a little more time to show the kids the country. My husband travels for a living so he has thousands of points we can use to stay in hotels along the way, free. We have a certified service animal so that covers the animals with a little bit of care.

We will be moving from Sacramento, CA and a straight shot on 80 takes us straight to Roanoke. If we drove 80 at 8 hours a day we figure it will take us about 5 days to get there.

Alternatively, if we drive south in CA to travel on 10 or 40, it will take longer but is a little bit more scenic. I wouldn't want to do I-10 but considering I-40 so the kids can see the Grand Canyon and we have friends in St. Louis we would like to see so they'll see the Arch. Wherever we stop, it won't be for terribly long.

Do y'all have any suggestions for routes? Particularly when we get to the TN/KY lines? If we wind up traveling in winter, we could skip the Rockies -- again on 80.

Have any of you guys travelled that far with a big crew? I think it will be nuts but we're choosing to look at it as an adventure.

If we could choose, what is the best month to move? (We were thinking October to miss the winter snow).

Traveling advice? Moving tips and advice?

Thanks in advance!

[ersatz]

Originally Posted by Roanoke Bound

Hello Roanokers,

My family and I are moving to the Roanoke area soon. We are SO excited to join your community and absolutely ADORE Roanoke. Although we are native Californians, Roanoke is everything we've dreamed of and we plan on staying in the area once retirement comes around. Could y'all kindly offer some advice?

TRAVEL: We have two Volvo wagons to accommodate my husband and I, three kids, three dogs, and one cat (oh my!). We are torn between making the trip comfortable but fast and taking a little more time to show the kids the country. My husband travels for a living so he has thousands of points we can use to stay in hotels along the way, free. We have a certified service animal so that covers the animals with a little bit of care.

We will be moving from Sacramento, CA and a straight shot on 80 takes us straight to Roanoke. If we drove 80 at 8 hours a day we figure it will take us about 5 days to get there.

Alternatively, if we drive south in CA to travel on 10 or 40, it will take longer but is a little bit more scenic. I wouldn't want to do I-10 but considering I-40 so the kids can see the Grand Canyon and we have friends in St. Louis we would like to see so they'll see the Arch. Wherever we stop, it won't be for terribly long.

Do y'all have any suggestions for routes? Particularly when we get to the TN/KY lines? If we wind up traveling in winter, we could skip the Rockies -- again on 80.

Have any of you guys travelled that far with a big crew? I think it will be nuts but we're choosing to look at it as an adventure.

If we could choose, what is the best month to move? (We were thinking October to miss the winter snow).

Traveling advice? Moving tips and advice?

Thanks in advance!

Congratulations on your upcoming move, Roanoke Bound. You say that you are very happy to move to Roanoke but based on your posts so far, you have the enthusiasm and positive energy to be happy anywhere. I have been moving around the world since I was born and I can tell you that this makes a huge impression in childhood. The logistics of moving a large crew around are complicated but you are making memories your kids will treasure for a lifetime.

I agree that you are better off going sooner rather than later to avoid winter drama. But, I once got stuck in a blizzard in the Colorado Mountains in June. I recommend closely monitoring a good weather site while you are on the road and change route accordingly. I personally like www.wunderground.com. In addition to the standard weather forecasts offered by other services, they coordinate thousands of personal weather station data by weather hobbyists. You will be able to pinpoint weather on your route.

I looked at some of your other posts and saw that at least one of your kids is really into STEM. The New River Valley offers some wonderful opportunities for him, thanks to Virginia Tech. They frequently have events at the University for local schoolkids and sponsor various STEM-oriented summer camps. I presume that you are already aware of this but just in case, here's a link for that. Virginia Tech Summer Programs and Camps

One more piece of advice - I recommend you start a new thread in the CD Travel Forum. That's for people who love to travel and I'm sure they will be happy to provide you with some great tips.

Have fun and safe travels.

[Roanoke Bound]

Hi Ersatz!

Thank you so much for your input! Truly appreciated.

I love Wunderground myself! When I lived in Mississippi, I had it up on screen constantly. I knew of every single person on The Weather Channel (we were in Katrina) - enough to know that if Jim Cantore comes to your town, it's not good news. hahahaha!

Both boys are into STEM so I really appreciate the advice. I think they would love that! We do science experiments every week (rather than once a quarter in typical public) and they love it. Especially the dissections. Blech.

I wasn't aware of the camps at VT but that's awesome. The house we are pulling for is our absolute dream home and located about 35-45 minutes from VT (I'm told), so that would be a fantastic option for them.

And thanks also for the CD Travel Forum idea. I'll definitely post something there. :-)

Have a fantastic day!

[Watchful]

Well you knew I would put my two-and-a-half cents in.

Our move - Texas to Roanoke - was, of course, much shorter. 1,244 miles to be exact. But we were actually dropping a few things off (before the moving truck would arrive) and then heading immediately to Richmond for a meeting.

That wouldn't work with two long days, so we actually did one short day of driving to get started.
Only five hours. Then days two and three were pretty long.

Back in '09 when we stayed in Roanoke for two months, we were traveling with a cat, so that time we just split the trip into three short days instead of two long ones. But on the whole I like balancing longer days with shorter days.

As far as sightseeing/leisurely vs. commando long days - I think that TOTALLY depends on your family. For some that would add to the fun of the trip - for others it could be a nightmare.

I'm sort of inclined to say pick quirky attractions rather than major attractions. But if you won't be back to the Grand Canyon in a long time, you can definitely do it Chevy Chase style!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diZKuKxXCjg

Even if you go leisurely you might choose one day to drive farther than the days before and after.

What I did NOT do was to use an interactive GPS like Waze and I would definitely recommend that. One trip we sat for about an hour in road construction and the GPS can pre-alert you to mix in a detour that can be a great help!

ENJOY the trip!

[Roanoke Bound]

Hahahaha Watchful!

Thanks for the input. Helpful as always! And I hear you - my hubs and I tend to drive as long as we can and blow through but I think the kids would go NUTS. They are all sweet natured but our youngest is a talker to we would my husband and I would have to trade off -- haha!

Are there any particular drives you took once you got to the TN area?

Thanks!

[Watchful]

Originally Posted by Roanoke Bound

Hahahaha Watchful!

Thanks for the input. Helpful as always! And I hear you - my hubs and I tend to drive as long as we can and blow through but I think the kids would go NUTS. They are all sweet natured but our youngest is a talker to we would my husband and I would have to trade off -- haha!

Are there any particular drives you took once you got to the TN area?

Thanks!

We always just went Interstate on those moving trips - there are outstanding scenic drives galore but not for moving!

[Roanoke Bound]

Yeah - good point. :-D I don't know if I can handle any extra time with the kids and furry babies. I might end up duct taping them to the seat. Hahahaha! (totally kidding)