evicted, with finality

Quote: billryan

My dog had never been in a car for more than 15 minutes when I brought him cross country from NYC. He got sick before I even got out of Manhattan and was terrible the first day. He didn't stop for one minute, jumping from one window to another, barking at trucks, flies, clouds, seemingly everything.
We got to the hotel, and he jumped on one bed, jumped over to the other and went to sleep. For the rest of the trip( four more days), he was great.
One important thing- make sure you keep water with you. Our last night was on the Arizona/New Mexico border so I thought I'd be in Vegas in a few hours so I didn't get any more water. Sure enough, an accident shut down 40 and we were stuck in the blazing sun for hours. I had to ask around for some water for him.

Thank you for that. it gives me hope. My dogs are both around 80 pounds and have never been in the car more than 10 minutes.

Here's another option:

Buy a van and travel in the van: lots more room, esp. for the dogs.

Quote: DRich

Thank you for that. it gives me hope. My dogs are both around 80 pounds and have never been in the car more than 10 minutes.

What I forgot to add was the first day his bed was rolled up in the front seat. Once I laid it down in the back seat, he was great. I'm not sure if you met him but he was a big dog. 90-95 pound when we left NY.

Quote: BoSox

Great Post Mr. Ryan! I wish that I had the balls to carry out some of your ideas. Being a widower now for almost 14 months is not how I envisioned spending the golden years.

Sorry for your loss.

Quote: MrV

Here's another option:

Buy a van and travel in the van: lots more room, esp. for the dogs.

Ask that VP double up bug guy to borrow his awesome RV.

Quote: JohnnyQ

I heard some advice for Driving in Vegas recently, DON'T BE THE FIRST TO PULL INTO AN INTERSECTION.

That’s true. The red light runners can be bad here.

About a month ago I was leaving Red Rock east exit. Traffic light was green. As I crossed thru the intersection, some dumbass in a minivan blew straight thru the light at about 40 mph. He missed my back bumper by inches. 2 seconds earlier he would have T boned me. Someone was watching over me.

Quote: TDVegas

That’s true. The red light runners can be bad here.

About a month ago I was leaving Red Rock east exit. Traffic light was green. As I crossed thru the intersection, some dumbass in a minivan blew straight thru the light at about 40 mph. He missed my back bumper by inches. 2 seconds earlier he would have T boned me. Someone was watching over me.

Drivers on Charleston Blvd are the worst. Too many drunks from the bars and casinos, and Charleston Blvd is like a freeway with three lanes in each direction. The speed limit is 45 but you can do 65 on this big roadway.

Quote: JohnnyQ

I heard some advice for Driving in Vegas recently, DON'T BE THE FIRST TO PULL INTO AN INTERSECTION.

This is sound advice across the country.

There is lot of bad driving going on.

I think it's a combination of more people with more flexible schedules and more stress, but whatever the cause, getting in a car wreck is probably -EV.

Be paranoid on the roads.

Quote: MrV

Here's another option:

Buy a van and travel in the van: lots more room, esp. for the dogs.

We looked at renting an RV and driving that across country so the dogs and wife would have room and a bed to sleep in while on the road. It is a consideration but it will cost about $5k and it will still require me to drive.

What kind of vehicle will you be driving if you don't rent an RV?

BTW- When I made the trip in 2016 there were far more big dog friendly motels on 40 than there were on 10.

The only way I would move cross country is hiring a moving company and flying. Some people love road trips, but I just don’t get it. I’d rather spend 20 hours in the dentist chair than a car.

Having dogs kind of throws a wrench in all that, or any other travel plans really.

As much as I love dogs, I think my current dog might be my last. They are too much of a pain if you have to leave the house for more than 8-10 hours.

Quote: billryan

What kind of vehicle will you be driving if you don't rent an RV?

BTW- When I made the trip in 2016 there were far more big dog friendly motels on 40 than there were on 10.

Honda CRV. A basic mid sized SUV. It will be cozy with 5 of us.

If it were two humans, you could fold the back seat down and give the dogs more room.
I remember something about a guy putting a dog in a carrier on the roof of his car awhile back.

Quote: DRich

We looked at renting an RV and driving that across country so the dogs and wife would have room and a bed to sleep in while on the road. It is a consideration but it will cost about $5k and it will still require me to drive.

Consider buying an RV, not renting.

Tow your car behind it.

Sell the RV when you arrive in Florida, unless you decide to keep it for future travel.

Quote: billryan

If it were two humans, you could fold the back seat down and give the dogs more room.
I remember something about a guy putting a dog in a carrier on the roof of his car awhile back.

I think my vehicle has a split back seat 60/40. I will put the 60% down for the dogs and put the cats crate on the 40.

Honestly, I am just assuming that. I have never put the seats down before.

Quote: MrV

Consider buying an RV, not renting.

Tow your car behind it.

Sell the RV when you arrive in Florida, unless you decide to keep it for future travel.

That sounds like a lot of effort. I would want a nice and reliable one so that would probably cost me $40k. registering and insurance and selling it. Too much effort. It would probably end up costing more than renting one. I am also not sure that I would trust myself towing the car behind. Just driving the motorhome will make me nervous.

Quote: DRich

Honda CRV. A basic mid sized SUV. It will be cozy with 5 of us.

Calling a CRV a midsize is pushing it. Saying it's cozy is really pushing it. All the way to Florida with that much cargo? Better you than me. I rented a CRV once and I think you're dreaming.

Quote: EvenBob

Quote: DRich

Honda CRV. A basic mid sized SUV. It will be cozy with 5 of us.

Calling a CRV a midsize is pushing it. Saying it's cozy is really pushing it. All the way to Florida with that much cargo? Better you than me. I rented a CRV once and I think you're dreaming.

I know it is going to suck. Other than the animals we will have nothing but a few days worth of clothes. The only real cargo is the two dogs and a cat.

It's five days, at worse. You'll have to choose between four long days of driving or five shorter ones.
There is an app that will alert you to dog parks within a few miles of the interstate if you want to give them a good break or most interstate reststops have doggie runs these days.

Quote: billryan

It's five days, at worse. You'll have to choose between four long days of driving or five shorter ones.
There is an app that will alert you to dog parks within a few miles of the interstate if you want to give them a good break or most interstate reststops have doggie runs these days.

Knowing my wife, I hope it is only 5 days. If I didn't have the wife and dogs I would do it in 3 days.

I once drove by myself Las Vegas to south Florida, to New York City, to Seattle, and then back to Las Vegas. That was basically the perimeter of the country in one trip.

Quote: DRich

Knowing my wife, I hope it is only 5 days. If I didn't have the wife and dogs I would do it in 3 days.

I still don't understand why you want to live in Las Vegas or in Florida. I would not live in either one if it was free. If somebody said hey Bob here's a free house to live in. I probably would have 30 years ago but to me at my age quality of life is way more important is there is no quality of life in Vegas or Florida. It's mostly hiding from life. Babs lives in Florida and she said here once that her life was get everything done that has to be done outdoors before 8 a.m. Because of the heat. Then the rest of the day was running into the different places you were going from your air conditioned car into more air conditioning. To me that would be an awful life.

Quote: EvenBob

I still don't understand why you want to live in Las Vegas or in Florida. I would not live in either one if it was free. If somebody said hey Bob here's a free house to live in. I probably would have 30 years ago but to me at my age quality of life is way more important is there is no quality of life in Vegas or Florida. It's mostly hiding from life. Babs lives in Florida and she said here once that her life was get everything done that has to be done outdoors before 8 a.m. Because of the heat. Then the rest of the day was running into the different places you were going from your air conditioned car into more air conditioning. To me that would be an awful life.

Obviously we are different people. I lived in the midwest the first 18 years of my life and wouldn't consider moving back there for twice my current salary. Cold bothers me much more than heat. I am fine in Vegas as long as it is under 110 degrees. I would not have moved to Nevada if I knew how cold it gets in the winter. Florida sounds nice to me with lows in the 50's where I am looking.

I remember the first time I went to Florida in the eighties to see my dad. It was in early May and I open the car door and it was like a wet hammer slammed into me. I got out of the car and fought I couldn't breathe. And that was May. The locals will laugh and laugh at you and say better never come here in July or August. I don't care what month I went it was always way too humid. I remember the Travis McGee books written in the 60s and 70s. He lived in Florida on a houseboat. The author mentioned air conditioning so often that it was almost like a character in the books. I hate air conditioning and only turn it on when I absolutely have to.

The solution to this problem is to become a snowbird. Two locations, two different climates.

Quote: DeMango

The solution to this problem is to become a snowbird. Two locations, two different climates.

i agree, i m just lacking the second bank account to fund it.

I've driven from Vegas to Florida, California to Florida, and many trips from Texas to Florida (lots of drug running, ya know).

Rushing always caused more stress than less. With more occupants in the car and animals I'd just be picnic-ing all the way down. Snooze at the rest stop and let your dogs run around a bit. I

I did do 10 and 12 hour drives at times. Felt like crap after those.

Quote: rxwine

I've driven from Vegas to Florida, California to Florida, and many trips from Texas to Florida (lots of drug running, ya know).

Rushing always caused more stress than less. With more occupants in the car and animals I'd just be picnic-ing all the way down. Snooze at the rest stop and let your dogs run around a bit. I

I did do 10 and 12 hour drives at times. Felt like crap after those.

Sadly, I only have 5 days off work and have to get a new house setup to live in. I absolutely hate driving. I haven't driven more than 3 hours in about 20 years. If I have to drive I am one of those people that will push it as hard as possible with my only goal is getting there. If it was just me I could probably do 15 hours a day for a few days. My thought is the only time stopping is allowed is to fuel the car. If you want to get something to eat or go to the bathroom you have those 10 minutes while pumping gas. Then it is back in the car until the next gas stop. If travelling with me all of your meals will be purchased at the gas station.

Btw, it might not be a bad idea to start carrying the dogs ( or one of them at a time) around in your vehicle a week or so before the trip. Get their mind right for the trip.

This seems like a good place for my car ride from hell story.

It was around 2008 and my Aunt calls me up out of the blue and tells me she is going to hire me to drive her and my mother to my sisters house in Florida. She doesn't ask me, she tells me. I call my mom and she says my aunt has made up her mind and would I please do it. We do a little back and forth and I reluctantly agree to it.
My Aunt calls me back and says she will cover all expenses both ways and give me $500 for my trouble. It's a one way drive as they will fly back in a month or so.
We make plans to leave at 430 AM so we can be out of NYC before rush hour but the night before, my Aunt calls to say she needs a medicine and her pharmacy doesn't open until 8AM so we set out five hours late. Not even two hours later, she wants to stop for lunch. Soon it is 430 and while I expected to be in Virginia by now, we are still in New Jersey. My Aunt decides we should get a hotel so we can freshen up before dinner.
We do so, have a nice dinner and we agree we will have a light breakfast and be on the road no later than 8AM. At 915, my Aunt is finally ready but insists we go to IHOP because she gets car sick when she is hungry. By the time we get going it is after 11AM and at 1, she wants to stop for lunch. I suggest we grab some food when I get gas and we can eat in the car but she has never done that and thinks eating in the car will get her sick. We stop for lunch and decide we will drive on until bout 8PM before stopping for the night. As we are passing Washington, my aunt suggests it would be really nice to stop and see the Vietnam Memorial since we are so close by. She is really hurt when we refuse and goes into a tiff. We get into Virginia and my mom decides we should call it a day even though it is just 6PM. Incredibly, after two days we are 24 hours behind schedule.
The next day is even worse and finally, four days after leaving NY, we arrive in Palm Beach. I tell my sister the only thing that kept me sane was thinking about going swimming in her pool and she tells me no ones been using it so the heater has been off and it will take 24 hours to heat up.
I take a quick nap and start to get ready to drive back. I am maybe two hours into the trip back when I realize my Aunt hadn't given me any money. I didn't care about the $500 but wanted my gas and meal money. I call my mom to have her remind her sister about the money when my aunt insists she had given me an envelope with a thousand dollars the morning we left. My aunt died a year or two later and her lasting legacy to me is the memory of that road trip from hell.
BTW- when I got back to NY and was cleaning the back seat, there were two piles of vomit on the floor that I'm fairly certain weren't there when we started.

Quote: billryan

This seems like a good place for my car ride from hell story.

It was around 2008 and my Aunt calls me up out of the blue and tells me she is going to hire me to drive her and my mother to my sisters house in Florida. She doesn't ask me, she tells me. I call my mom and she says my aunt has made up her mind and would I please do it. We do a little back and forth and I reluctantly agree to it.
My Aunt calls me back and says she will cover all expenses both ways and give me $500 for my trouble. It's a one way drive as they will fly back in a month or so.
We make plans to leave at 430 AM so we can be out of NYC before rush hour but the night before, my Aunt calls to say she needs a medicine and her pharmacy doesn't open until 8AM so we set out five hours late. Not even two hours later, she wants to stop for lunch. Soon it is 430 and while I expected to be in Virginia by now, we are still in New Jersey. My Aunt decides we should get a hotel so we can freshen up before dinner.
We do so, have a nice dinner and we agree we will have a light breakfast and be on the road no later than 8AM. At 915, my Aunt is finally ready but insists we go to IHOP because she gets car sick when she is hungry. By the time we get going it is after 11AM and at 1, she wants to stop for lunch. I suggest we grab some food when I get gas and we can eat in the car but she has never done that and thinks eating in the car will get her sick. We stop for lunch and decide we will drive on until bout 8PM before stopping for the night. As we are passing Washington, my aunt suggests it would be really nice to stop and see the Vietnam Memorial since we are so close by. She is really hurt when we refuse and goes into a tiff. We get into Virginia and my mom decides we should call it a day even though it is just 6PM. Incredibly, after two days we are 24 hours behind schedule.
The next day is even worse and finally, four days after leaving NY, we arrive in Palm Beach. I tell my sister the only thing that kept me sane was thinking about going swimming in her pool and she tells me no ones been using it so the heater has been off and it will take 24 hours to heat up.
I take a quick nap and start to get ready to drive back. I am maybe two hours into the trip back when I realize my Aunt hadn't given me any money. I didn't care about the $500 but wanted my gas and meal money. I call my mom to have her remind her sister about the money when my aunt insists she had given me an envelope with a thousand dollars the morning we left. My aunt died a year or two later and her lasting legacy to me is the memory of that road trip from hell.
BTW- when I got back to NY and was cleaning the back seat, there were two piles of vomit on the floor that I'm fairly certain weren't there when we started.

Great story, I am guessing mine will be similar but take a full week of hell.

Well, at least she wasn't over-exaggerating her issues with motion sickness.

Quote: rxwine

I've driven from Vegas to Florida, California to Florida, and many trips from Texas to Florida (lots of drug running, ya know).

Rushing always caused more stress than less. With more occupants in the car and animals I'd just be picnic-ing all the way down. Snooze at the rest stop and let your dogs run around a bit. I

I did do 10 and 12 hour drives at times. Felt like crap after those.

Have done several cross country trips in the past of 10-12 hours…today 6 to 8 hours is my limit. After that I want to escape the vehicle. Plus my back is a giant monkey fist afterwards.

Quote: TDVegas

Have done several cross country trips in the past of 10-12 hours…today 6 to 8 hours is my limit. After that I want to escape the vehicle. Plus my back is a giant monkey fist afterwards.

Thank you, that brings up a point for me. I don't think I have been in a car for more than 45 minutes since my back surgery. Great, just another thing that can go horribly wrong.

Quote: DRich

Thank you, that brings up a point for me. I don't think I have been in a car for more than 45 minutes since my back surgery. Great, just another thing that can go horribly wrong.

Also for the trip, consider some podcasts and audio books to listen to. If all else fails, a bottle of OxyContin.

Quote: rxwine

Also for the trip, consider some podcasts and audio books to listen to. If all else fails, a bottle of OxyContin.

I'm sure the wife will have books on tape and podcasts. Our rule is whoever is driving controls the radio. It will be 50 hours of sports talk radio for me. I'm guessing one of the driving days will be a saturday so I can listen to college football all day.

DRich, given your health issues (back) and stated aversion for driving, why not pay movers to move your possessions, including car, and then you, your wife and the hounds could fly?

I recall you thought pets cannot fly due to covid, but American Airlines seems to allow it:

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/pets.jsp

Of course, if you cannot afford it that is another kettle of fish entirely...

Quote: MrV

DRich, given your health issues (back) and stated aversion for driving, why not pay movers to move your possessions, including car, and then you, your wife and the hounds could fly?

I recall you thought pets cannot fly due to covid, but American Airlines seems to allow it:

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/special-assistance/pets.jsp

Of course, if you cannot afford it that is another kettle of fish entirely...

No, most airlines are only taking in-cabin pets and my big dogs do not qualify for that. I would agree to buy them each a first class ticket if it was permitted. I even looked into having a friend of mine fly us down in his jet but the fuel was close to $15k which is out of my budget. My friend wouldn't have charged me for his time or the plane but the fuel was my responsibility.
.

Quote: DRich

No, most airlines are only taking in-cabin pets and my big dogs do not qualify for that. I would agree to buy them each a first class ticket if it was permitted. I even looked into having a friend of mine fly us down in his jet but the fuel was close to $15k which is out of my budget. My friend wouldn't have charged me for his time or the plane but the fuel was my responsibility.
.

It’s always easy to spend someone else’s money….. But if you are saying it will only cost you $15k to fly you, your wife, your dogs, your cat, and your stuff down, in say 5 hours…. Instead of paying for 5 days of gas, crummy food, motels, insufferable back pain, fights with the wife, dogs whelping, cat crying, speeding ticket, flat tire, rainstorm, etc…. Just figure you will get $15k more for your Vegas house than you think you will get and the flight is free.

Frankly, I am surprised you are even considering NOT taking the private plane.

Quote: DRich

I'm sure the wife will have books on tape and podcasts. .

So you haven't sold your house yet, is it even up for sale yet? You haven't found a house in Florida because to do that you need to sell your house. So before any of this can happen, you making the big move, a whole hell of a lot has to come about. You have to be looking towards the end of the year or even into next year before you get moved into a house in Florida. Anybody who's ever sold a house knows it never goes the way you think it's going to.

Quote: SOOPOO

It’s always easy to spend someone else’s money….. But if you are saying it will only cost you $15k to fly you, your wife, your dogs, your cat, and your stuff down, in say 5 hours…. Instead of paying for 5 days of gas, crummy food, motels, insufferable back pain, fights with the wife, dogs whelping, cat crying, speeding ticket, flat tire, rainstorm, etc…. Just figure you will get $15k more for your Vegas house then you think you will get and the flight is free.

Frankly, I am surprised you are even considering NOT taking the private plane.

That fee would just be to move the wife and animals. It is a small plane. I think it only has 7 passenger seats. We will still be shipping a few thing and I have to transport at least one car, we are planning on selling the other one just so we don't have to move two cars.

There is a network of truckers that will transport dogs around the U.S. as they otherwise go about their freight business - as a service to pet owners who are moving. I understand they can be contacted through an internet site.

If your dog is not traveling within the cabin of a plane, i would definitely not recommend airplane transport.

Quote: EvenBob

So you haven't sold your house yet, is it even up for sale yet? You haven't found a house in Florida because to do that you need to sell your house. So before any of this can happen, you making the big move, a whole hell of a lot has to come about. You have to be looking towards the end of the year or even into next year before you get moved into a house in Florida. Anybody who's ever sold a house knows it never goes the way you think it's going to.

No, the house is not up for sale yet. I have a friend that is interested and I would love to sell it to him so I could save the $40k in realtor commissions. His financing opportunity is questionable so I am giving him a few more weeks to try to put it together.

We are still hoping to have this process all complete by early November but as you said anything can go wrong. In a few weeks we are heading to Florida to scout out a few areas that we are interested in. The plan was to make an offer on a house that weekend, but that is looking unlikely now. It is very likely that when we make an offer on a house it will be site unseen for us. Obviously we will look at the picture online and make an offer the same day. Most of the houses that we are looking at are selling for cash within two days of being listed and no contingencies.

Given all your issues / concerns, I keep returning to the following as your best option:

Buy a nice, used RV (the kind you drive, not tow behind) and use it to tow your car to Florida when it is time to go.

If you buy the right RV it will allow for a very comfortable trip, with onboard facilities for potty breaks, meals etc.

Pay a moving company to store your stuff until you purchase a new home in Florida, then have it shipped.

When you get to Florida you can live in the RV til you find and close on a house, and when you're finally moved in you can sell the RV unless you decide to keep it.

Quote: MrV

Given all your issues / concerns, I keep returning to the following as your best option:

Buy a nice, used RV (the kind you drive, not tow behind) and use it to tow your car to Florida when it is time to go.

If you buy the right RV it will allow for a very comfortable trip, with onboard facilities for potty breaks, meals etc.

Pay a moving company to store your stuff until you purchase a new home in Florida, then have it shipped.

When you get to Florida you can live in the RV til you find and close on a house, and when you're finally moved in you can sell the RV unless you decide to keep it.

Knowing what I know about RV’s (and I have to imagine the used market for them is crazy right now, like everything else) I think the $15k private plane trip might be less risk financially.

Just drive to Texas coast and get on a boat to Florida. Are there any trains? Do they take dogs?

Here are some interesting offers…

redfin.com/blog/unique-real-estate-offers-that-won-the-deal

The first might be especially useful to you if you can time it right… Namely, this clause: “… 60 days to lease back their home free of charge…”!

I came across this story while searching for another, which I didn’t find. The GF told me about a couple selling their home in Northern Nevada to move to Washington state. Of the large number of offers, the one they accepted was at or above asking price, plus offered to buy them the Washington home outright for cash!

Just hold out for an offer like that and you’ll be golden (or should I say Sunshine!)

Bonus if they’ll cover the $15K in jet fuel as well!!!

Quote: rxwine

Just drive to Texas coast and get on a boat to Florida. Are there any trains? Do they take dogs?

Just getting across Texas (in any direction) is half the trip, not counting travel to or from!

I was wondering the same about the train…

Quote: rxwine

Just drive to Texas coast and get on a boat to Florida. Are there any trains? Do they take dogs?

I had not even thought of a train.

Edit: Amtrak doesn't have an option for me and they don't take big dogs.

Quote: DRich

If travelling with me all of your meals will be purchased at the gas station.

Salty, sugary gas station junque food will likely increase your fatigue.

There are ways to cook vaguely healthy food in a moving car. A lunchbox "stove" can be purchased at most truck friendly gas stations for around $40. If you can wrap it in foil and bake it, it can go in there for 45 minutes.

Stopping to stretch every 2 hours is generally recommended. The dogs will appreciate it too.

Quote: Dieter

Salty, sugary gas station junque food will likely increase your fatigue.

There are ways to cook vaguely healthy food in a moving car. A lunchbox "stove" can be purchased at most truck friendly gas stations for around $40. If you can wrap it in foil and bake it, it can go in there for 45 minutes.

Stopping to stretch every 2 hours is generally recommended. The dogs will appreciate it too.

Clearly you don't know me. A gas station hot dog will be the healthiest thing I eat most weeks.