SZ caravan route

[frenchblueC2]

Well here's what I've come up with:

Mike and I will be leaving the house at midnight. That's 12:00 am Thursday morning 5/17/07 (just to be absolutely clear )
12:45 am Meet Elky at the Chelmsford rest stop on I-495W (shortly after exit 34)
Jay and Matt, this rest stop is probably out of your way, so you could meet us at the Mass pike rest stop (see below). You guys could probably even meet up at a spot closer to you both first, then caravan down the pike together. I'll leave that up to you.
3:00 am Meet remaining New Englanders at Blandford, MA rest stop off Mass pike I-90W. It's located after exit 3. It has a McDonalds.
I-90 will take us straight through to the NY State Thruway where we'll eventually make our way up to Buffalo. Any stops before Buffalo will be purely based on our bellies and gas needs.
9-9:30 am Meet Pre98 and Black98CSVT off I-290 exit 2 at "Tops" to fill up on gas and prepare to cross da border.
We'll be in Canada roughly 3 hours.

Provided we don't have any issues, we should arrive at the hotel at roughly 4:00 pm.

Yes, this is earlier than previous years. I'll understand if there are some of you that would prefer to go later. No one has a gun to your head to caravan out with us.

For those that are making their first trip out to SZ:

Don't forget to charge the batteries on your two-way radios. I might have one available for someone to borrow. Maybe two.

Also don't forget toll money for the pike, thruway and Canada.
Expect to pay around $20 (it's slightly less than that actually).
Gas prices are sucking, so expect to pay more than $3 a gallon.
Total miles will be 880 for Mike and I. Most of you will have less than that.

Bringing snacks and drinks, especially water and Gatorade, will help you save money rather than buying stuff at each rest stop. We do end up stopping for breakfast usually some time after Albany (usually in Schenectady). The beauty of the 2-ways is we're all able to make these decisions on when/where to stop based on everyone's needs.

uhh that's all I can think of for now.

 

[Smalls]

sounds good kim!

 

[bishop375]

That's a hell of a good plan, Kim.

Matt, let me know if you want to meet up before that rest stop.

Don't forget passports if you have one. They're not required, but they'll sure make our lives easier, esp. getting back in.

I'm psyched for this!

 

[rouar]

yikes a midnight departure? This will be a big test of my nightowl tendencies, definitely sleeping first obv.

I do not have a passport. You must have some proof of citizenship other than license, so I am bringing a certified copy of my birth certificate.

MA people need to carry an insurance card while in Canada. I contacted my provider today and they are sending me one in the mail. They recommended I carry a copy of my insurance policy as well.

880 miles .. only two and 1/4 tankfuls for me ... though at $50 each tank.

Jason .. we can meet along an earlier rest stop .. perhaps 128S or the Natick one on 90-W?

Tolls. Can anyone state the states that accept Fast Lane / EZPass? Does NY, Canada, MI accept it? (I don't have one right now but I should, this is good reason to buy!)

 

[Goonz SVT]

MI wont accept EZ pass iirc, your cool all the way through NY

as it was the case with me last year, I went by the tolls with my EZ pass while the others were stuck in lines..

 

[rouar]

ok. That does it, I should buy one. I drive the Pike 3-4 days a week as it is. Added to the list of todo items.

 

[bishop375]

Matt,

Let's meet up at the Framingham/Natick stop. I'll either be driving the Mustang or the Vue. I'll PM with the cell number in case you can't find me.

 

[BrApple]

Chris and Tony, if you want to come up to my place in enfield before leaving your more then welcome. The rest stop is about 30 minutes away so you could sleep that much longer if you like ... just let me know

 

[BrApple]

ok. That does it, I should buy one. I drive the Pike 3-4 days a week as it is. Added to the list of todo items.

I don't know if you can get one in time ... I don't have one so I hope everyone waits up for me


and I don't have a passport either, just going to bring my birth certificate with me ...

 

[Cobra]

MI wont accept EZ pass iirc, your cool all the way through NY

as it was the case with me last year, I went by the tolls with my EZ pass while the others were stuck in lines..

I was able to use the easy pass the whole way. There are no highway tolls in MI, but there may be a bridge toll or something.

 

[frenchblueC2]

Yeah the border/bridge tolls don't take EZ Pass, unless something has changed.
Unlike Haroon, we will wait up for the non EZ pass people.

birth certificate is good to have. Honestly I have never seen them check it, but they always tell you to have it just in case.

We usually have everyone prepped with the same schpeal to tell the border agents.
They normally just take the licenses for everyone in the car. They ask where you're from, where you're going, why you're going there, how long you'll be in Canada, etc.
Then when you're going back into the states they ask if you went on any farms, and ask how long you were in Canada and what for.

So we tell them we'll be in Canada for roughly 3 hours. We're merely driving through on our way to Grand Rapids, MI, via Port Huron. We don't plan on making any stops. We're travelling to a car show event.
Once they hear the same story from the second or third car, and they see we all drive the same car, then they push everyone else through a little faster.
If anyone by chance gets picked for vehicle inspection, we'll all park to the side and wait until everyone is good to go.

 

[BrApple]

MA people need to carry an insurance card while in Canada. I contacted my provider today and they are sending me one in the mail. They recommended I carry a copy of my insurance policy as well.

I think every company and state is different so its best to look into this

from my insurance company

Considering a trip north this year? With favorable exchange rates and exciting destinations relatively close to home, Canada is a popular choice. But if you're planning to drive across the border, the Canada Non-Resident Inter-Province Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card, or the Canadian Card for short, is a must.
The Canadian Card is required to show you are in compliance with the country's mandatory auto insurance laws. Minimum liability auto insurance limits in Canada can differ greatly from limits set in the United States, and they also vary from province to province within Canada.
After you've planned your trip, call Amica to arrange for your free Canadian Card. The card serves to notify Canadian authorities that required limits of liability are being met, wherever you drive in Canada.

 

[bishop375]

It'll be my luck that I'm stopped. My last name doesn't match my birth certificate (long story), so it would raise eyebrows. Passport will just make it easier for me.

 

[frenchblueC2]

Well the beauty of it is they only ask for license. I've never seen them ask to see the birth certificate, except that one time when I was up there on business.
(they didn't like the idea of an american company going to do an audit on a canadian company's books, so we had to go through a lot of poopoo).

 

[69Boss302]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html



Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

• Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
• As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

I can't get to the official clearance guide from home but I can from work. I'll try to copy and paste the current rules and stuff tomorrow.

I may also try to catch up with ya'll somewhere along the way.

 

[rouar]

yeah ... thankfully that isn't happening till next year. I only been out of the US once (to Canada) so it's a total waste of money and time until absolutely necessary.

 

[frenchblueC2]

Mike, wouldn't you be better off going below the great lakes rather than follow our route?

 

[69Boss302]

That's why you planned it that way, isn't it?

The route I have planned out is about 680 miles and 11 hours. I'll only have to stop once for gas which is sweet.

 

[frenchblueC2]

Here's a small checklist of stuff you guys might want to pack.
Some of this stuff is just plain obvious, but sometimes those are the things that we forget to pack:

2-way radios
camera
folding chairs (for all that sitting around we'll be doing)
road snacks/drinks - a small cooler to keep inside the car is often helpful
money (duh)
Ez-pass, or about $15-20 for toll money each way.
passport or birth certificate
cell phone charger
battery charger or extra batteries for all electronic devices
Advil or whatever headache medicine you like
Energy drinks or caffeine pills
Napkins or paper towel
Small garbage bags
Good mix of cds or mp3's, I think we go through about 12-15 cd's
tools
maps
sunscreen
sunglasses
car detailing products
Check tire pressure, fluid levels, spare tire pressure

It will rain during the drive. Your front bumper will collect bugs. It's just how it goes. You'll have time between arrival and the show n shine to clean up your cars, so don't sweat it.
Also, Canada enjoys spreading manure over its fields this time of year, so pray that you don't smell it.
"It smells like toes or toe-jam" "More like toes dipped in ****!" :laugh:

Feel free to add to my list.

 

[Pre98]

I will not be surprised if I'm stopped for all the goods I'm selling at SZ. Between wheels, subframe connectors, a muffler and speakers- it might raise an eyebrow with the border guys.

Won't it?
Am I being overly cautious? :laugh: