East Coast to West Coast travel route

Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 12:58 PM
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East Coast to West Coast travel route

I am relocating to Seattle area from Boston and wondering what is best driving route for November, possibly December, timeframe. Is driving across Canada a possibility?
Or I could fly but I am worried about putting my dog in cargo hold of an airplane, does anyone have experience with this?
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 01:16 PM
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The later you go, the higher the odds you'll encounter wintry weather, particularly in mountain passes. How much time do you have for the trip?

My basic suggestion would be to leave as early as possible, make sure your car is ready for winter, and stick to I-90. If the forecast is for snow/ice, just stop for an extra day in some dog-friendly motel and wait it out.

I suppose it would be feasible to head south, then across the country on a more southern route (even as far south as I-40, out to California, then up the coast, but that would add a thousand or more miles to the trip, and even the southern tier roads cross some high country (e.g. northern Arizona) which could see snow/ice.

I-90 has the lowest "highest" elevations among the various east-west interstates (namely, the Continental Divide near Butte, Montana, and Lookout Pass at the Idaho line) and it's also quite scenic, with several interesting places en route, such as the Badlands, Black Hills, etc. But take your time and don't be a hero in bad conditions. Remember daylight is short, too.

As for crossing via Canada, it's a lot longer, with more mountains and more 2-lane roads. Gas is a lot more expensive, too. On I-90 you see a lot of Canadian plates while crossing the continent; that tells you something.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 02:31 PM
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Thanks for your reply. If it was Spring or Summer I would be looking forward to the trip but as you said there is a high likelihood of snowy weather this time of year. I think I will have the ability to take my time and stop if I need to. Thanks.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 03:01 PM
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Also consider flying and shipping your car. It will likely be cheaper and you don't have to worry about the weather.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 05:03 PM
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There is no way I would put a dog in the hold of a plane in midwinter - so unless the dog is small enough to go in the cabin forget about flying.
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Old Oct 22nd, 2014, 06:01 PM
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As long as you get a non-stop flight it should be fine (It is summer when I'd worry about a pet on the tarmac and in the hold)

I flew my Scotty from London to San Francisco and it was no problem. I didn't want to do it, but had no other choice. I'd never do it w/ connecting flights or in summer . . .
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 01:00 AM
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If you drive through Canada with all your stuff in your car, you can expect a nightmare at the border crossings.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 03:51 AM
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Another suggestion. Train. Either Amtrak.com or Canada
http://www.viarail.ca

Have your car shipped to Seattle. Get a small roomette on the train. Boston to Chicago and then transfer to Seattle. Not sure what their policy is on either train about pets but you can always ask.

The cost may be higher but if you consider the wear and tear on your car, the gas expense, the possibility of being stuck somewhere for few days because of the weather, food expense, hotel/motel expense then perhaps it's not that much higher. If you get a roomette your dining is included in the price.

The joy of not driving 3K miles in December through some of the most treacherous mountain areas is an added bonus.

Good luck.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 04:25 AM
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I put a cat in the hold on a long flight once, and vowed I would never do it again. She was totally traumatized, probably through no fault of the airline or weather or anything else--it just sucks for them to fly that way.

I would look into the idea of the train; normally, I dislike Amtrak for long trips, but in the winter it might well make sense.

Best of luck!
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 07:52 AM
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<The joy of not driving 3K miles in December through some of the most treacherous mountain areas is an added bonus. >

Most of those 3K miles are not in the mountains at all. And interstates are not really routed through the most treacherous areas. Plus the train between Minneapolis and North Dakota is notoriously late due to the heavy freight traffic going to the oil fields.

I would just plan on driving as far as Chicago on the fastest route, it is unlikely you'll hit any major winter weather before then. At that point you have several options - I-94, I-90, I-80...it depends on what the forecast for the next several days is saying. 94 gives you the fewest options for bypassing weather, 80 has the most available re-routes.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 08:30 AM
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My understanding is that only service animals are allowed on Amtrak - not pets - but do check. But, then you can take a limited amount of things with you.

I would just do the trip by car - leaving plenty of time to allow for bad weather - and being sure the car is in good shape and you carry everything you need with you for bad weather.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 08:51 AM
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But, then you can take a limited amount of things with you.

I would just do the trip by car - leaving plenty of time to allow for bad weather - and being sure the car is in good shape and you carry everything you need with you for bad weather.


Like I said, I'm not sure about pet policies on Amtrak, but if the OP chose my suggestion why couldn't she just pack up her car anyways and have it transported by a truck. Lots of wear and tear on a long trip like this, ga$, motels/hotels, food expense, looooong drive? OP would not have to carry much, just some luggage for the trip.

Again, it's just a suggestion.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 09:18 AM
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This is a link to Amtrak's pet policy.

http://tinyurl.com/kxxqsgw

None of the routes that are allowing small dogs as carry-on pets would take the OP to Seattle. So unless she has a service dog (which doesn't sound like the case) she would need to drive or fly.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 09:41 AM
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Then there is a

www.viarail.ca
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Old Oct 23rd, 2014, 10:01 AM
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also there is/was a pet only air transportation only, meaning they get to chill out in their little cages in the main cabin, but it's pets only so the OP would have to arrange different transportation.

Don't know if they are still in business but it was very big just few years ago.

The OP should investigate that option as well.
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Old Oct 24th, 2014, 10:02 AM
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We drove across from DC to Seattle using the northern route and did not have to put the chains on until we reached LaGrande, OR. But one experience is pretty useless for your purposes. Time permitting, I would take the most southern route...south of I-70. The pass on I-70 is way too high for me.
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Old Oct 24th, 2014, 10:40 AM
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It's really easy to get your pet designated as a comfort animal. I know a lot of people that do that.
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Old Oct 24th, 2014, 03:38 PM
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Thank you to everybody! Lots of good ideas. I'm going to check out the train policy. As for a service animal, my dog might qualify as she has the temperament and personality and I have a condition which may be considered a disability although I have not tried to do anything official. That designation might take too long. Sadly, I will most likely have to leave most of my "stuff" behind and perhaps ship only the most necessary items. I'll check out putting my stuff in the car and then shipping the car also. Talk about putting chains on my car is a bit scary but I remember when people used them regularly in the winter...wow that dates me.
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