The ‘Dry Run’ Road Trip
A friend visiting from Europe joins me for my first-ever mini-road trip…
The ‘Dry Run’ Road Trip…
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Please click stageIVtesla.com/support to help propel the journey.
ROAD TRIP RECAP
‘Dry Run’
I shared my road trip plans with a friend, Ben. He expressed concerns almost immediately. I’d spent most of the winter indoors battling shortness-of-breath and exhaustion… was driving across the country a wise idea? Before I embarked on something nation-wide, perhaps a ‘dry run’ road trip was in order.
Ben would be visiting America during the summer. He agreed to set aside time for a Tesla road trip…
Outfitting the Tesla
We’d be sleeping in the back of a Tesla. We’d need a mattress… sheets… and more. What about a plug for my CPAP? How about privacy? It was time to get a crash course in #TeslaCamping, quick…
Day 1: Niagara Falls
Did you know that Nikola Tesla developed the world’s first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls? I didn't, either, but once I spotted the statue erected in his honor it felt like a pretty fitting place to have begun our road trip. Ben had never seen the Falls before, and we combined it with an overnight visit (free charging!) with friends who took us to the Anchor Bar, the original of which had invented the Buffalo chicken wing. Score!
Day 2: Route 5
This was a road trip, and we wanted to see some road. We knew we’d have to take some expressways at some point to make it to Holland and back, but the first part of our trip would follow Route 5 along Lake Erie. I’d heard there were some cool roadside attractions and a state park in Erie, PA that came highly recommended.
And Route 5 did not disappoint…
Day 2: Presque Isle
We were running behind schedule when we stumbled upon the gem that is Presque Isle State Park. It offered free admission, more than a dozen beaches, public bathrooms that were private - which any cancer patient will tell you is a Godsend - and free EV charging!
“This place has everything!” Ben exclaimed once we’d discovered the free chargers. “Why would we go anywhere else?!”
Day 3: A Screeching Halt
Did you know that townships in Pennsylvania don’t have police - and that they rely on the Pennsylvania State Police to come down off of the highways, where they’re constantly running speed traps, to investigate accidents? We didn’t - until we were in one. We spent our first night in the Walmart parking lot, until joyriding teens doing donuts were stopped from slamming into my Model 3 by the tree we’d parked next to. Policing - and road safety - leaves a lot to be desired in Pennsylvania.
Day 3: Just Another Day in Paradise
The Pennsylvania State Trooper who’d come down off of the highway was in such a rush to return to his perch that he didn’t bother to get my information before he left. I was fortunate that I’d at least asked for his - but we learned he worked the overnight shift and wouldn’t return for 24 hours. Ben and I decided to cancel the rest of the road trip and stay over in Erie, hoping to meet with him before we left the state. In the end it wouldn’t matter.
At least if we were stuck in Erie we’d be able to return to Presque Isle…
Day 4: Time to Go…
We’d arrived in Erie expecting to make it all the way to Holland, Michigan. Teens joyriding and poor police work would send us home early, with $2,500 or more in vehicle damage and a reality check as to the mirage of safety parking in a big box store parking lot actually provides.
Still, we’d discovered an amazing place in Presque Isle - and had actually Tesla Camped in a campground for the first time. This was a trip I’d do again on my own in a heartbeat - minus the Walmart parking lot. And Ben had visions of joining me on different legs of a longer road trip at some point in the future.
Post Trip & NYC
New York City hadn’t been a part of the plan - I’d never driven there before, and definitely didn’t want to get stuck in rush hour traffic in Manhattan. Ultimately, that’s exactly what would happen…
Observations…
Don’t listen to what they tell you - Walmart parking lots aren’t a safe place to sleep. Any parking lot in rural Pennsylvania, really - teens have no fear of the police there, and use parking lots as a place to play battering ram with stolen cars. Find a campground.
These tips, and many more, coming soon…