Geek Roadtrips Through the Heartland

While researching a roadtrip which I'll be taking from St. Paul, Minnesota to Placerville, Ca I did what any geek would do, I checked out the t-mobile hotspots along the route (some), did various searching on wi-finder (some) and other sites and have been doing some googling around on the topic. I know that there must be some 802.11b access points along and inside the towns along I-80, but for the life of me I'm finding it difficult for me to find any of them. I of course have various wireless sniffing apps, but that is hardly an efficient way to find access. I don't mind paying a small fee, so....with that in mind, if you were to take a trip across the country, where would you stop for access? For specifics, Read More... If you live along I-80, what are your favorite haunts with wireless? Specifically, I plan on stopping for meals or sleep in Des Moines, Lexington, Cheyanne, Rock Springs or thereabouts, Salt Lake City and maybe Reno and points along the long, bleak road between Reno and Salt Lake. But it's clear that the net needs a good reference for places to check your email through out middle america, so post here even if you want to talk about a great unknown spot in Oklahoma or something away from my route. If you own such an establishment, let us know!

On a side note, the futility of my search seems soemwhat silly, as there are clearly people who use the internet in these towns. Anyhow, I really look forward to seeing your responses! Also, any high quality, unique dining reccomendations would be really appreciated. Also, funny roadside attractions or must see geek spots are welcome, as I intend on blogging my cross country trip as it happens and would like to have something to talk about other than the state lines I cross and the number of retreads I dodge.

Comments

Trips

[dknj]

Don't take any computers if you can, you enjoy the world better when it has your complete attention.

I'm driving to Florida this week and told everyone they won't be able to reach me until I get back.

-dk

Re:Trips

[germinatoras]

I couldn't agree more. I just spent a few hours in one of our state's great parks. While I live in a fairly developed area (and getting more developed all the time), it's good to get away from it all for a while.

Taking a peaceful walk in the woods, or going for a long, straight drive down a quiet highway with the radio turned off and the laptop hundreds of miles away...it's very relaxing.

Re:Trips

[Lemmy Caution]

You know, ubiquitous presence is cool and everything (although not nearly as cool as it would have been, say, 5 years ago) but really, the world is not waiting with baited breath for real-time updates of your trip across the states. I mean, not that it wouldn't be nice or anything, but it *can wait till you get home.* The whole "wow" factor of getting a stupid IP address at any given spot is gone. It's done. It's about as exciting as "woo hoo! I can make a phone call!" or "yow! Flush toilets all the way!"

Re:Trips

[mstrjon32]

Amen. I hate my cellular phone. There are days I just want to throw it out the window on the freeway. When I am out, off work, I don't want other people interfering with what my life. It's a horrible electronic leash. When I broke my laptop last year, I was very upset for a few weeks, but I never replaced it and I couldn't be happier. Leave the internet and all the connectivity at home. You will be a happier person. I guarantee it.

Re:Trips

[foxtrot]

Don't take any computers if you can, you enjoy the world better when it has your complete attention.

But if you don't take any computers, what do you wire into the car stereo to play your mp3s?

Real geeks can't afford iPods anymore, you know. :)

-JDF

Re:Trips

[riqnevala]

Don't take any money, 'cause it's capitalist crap.
Don't take any clothes, you will enjoy the highway better in the nude.
Don't take any gas, as it is polluting the earth.
Don't take the car, you need the walk anyway.
Don't take this seriously, as this is sarcasm.

I can't understand why do people take such stress with computers, that they cannot relax if it is nearby. It is a tool, for fun and work altogether! I could manage my life without the computer, but I simly will not.

--
Forget humor to see the insightfulness.

Re:Trips

[/dev/zero]

Hear! Hear!

I took January off and spent it visiting various family members. Didn't take the laptop. Did take the digital piano and an amp.

Best, most relaxing vacation I've ever had.

Hell, I'm ready to do it again...

Gordon.

Re:Trips

[Megs]

Hey, who are you to judge? I like carrying my computer around with me and chilling on the internet from time to time. It's an ideal way to recharge my batteries (like about 25% percent of the population, I'm an introvert) so that I can "enjoy the world with my complete attention."

Although I do feel compelled to tell a lot of people on this thread to get the hell away from their computers and stop reading slashdot and whatever else is making you so damned unhappy. Maybe you need to keep an email address that you only give to people you care about hearing. Maybe you should do the same with a mobile, if you can afford it. No doubt you should tell your boss and your annoying ex-girlfriend or whoever that they won't be able to reach you until you get back from the vacation you so desperately need.

Re:Trips

[brandorf]

REAL geeks have minidisc decks in their car. ;p

Re:Trips

[dknj]

My cell phone was turned off a month ago (my father forgot to pay the bill and i 'forgot' to remind him to pay for it) and its been the most peaceful month ever. I can totally afford to front the bill myself, but I'm doing fine without the electronic leash.

-dk

Re:Trips

[phyrestang]

I guess I am just a hopeless internet junkie then. Back in sept. of last year I took a roadtrip from NY to Arkansas, then to New Orleans, LA. I brought along my whole computer (I have no laptop) with me. That's right folks, Full tower case, 19" CRT, keyboard, speakers, etc. I don't think it ever occured to me to not take it.

Re:Trips

[ejdmoo]

Bingo. Just because you have a computer doesn't mean you have to work. Just because you have a cell phone doesn't mean you have to turn it on or answer it.

Re:Trips

[Nessak]

Over last summer I took a road trip from New Jersey to Vancouver, B.C. I took my laptop and barrowed a freinds GPS. I had the time of my life. No, I didn't play games and the only music I played over it was 3-hour radio archives.

What the Laptop/GPS allowed me to do is really plan my route and not worry about having a ton of maps. I could zoom in on my location or see myself in perspective. I know some people might say "Get a handheld GPS" but honstly a laptop with CDs of Maps and good software was what was needed. A small GPS screen and limited storage just won't do.

So I would say I enjoyed my trip much better with the laptop, GPS, and ability to go on back roads and not get lost. I would have stayed on I-80 had I not had it....

Re:Trips

[Lemmy Caution]

Yay, Yoda grammar check.

OK, it's "bated breath." Although after the lobster bisque I had this evening, it's deba(i)table.

Apparently, "bated breath" is from the archaic form of "abated;" the breath is being held back, cut short, in anticipation.

Re:Trips

[mdlc]

I can't say that I agree with that sentiment. I work on a ship that thankfully is (un?)wired for internet access (I'm writing this from somewhere between Huahine and Raiatea) and have had a great time sending back pictures in real time from places like Antarctica, Rio de Janeiro, Easter Island, and the like. It becomes a real tool to share experiences with those close to you despite any real distance.

Re:Trips

[KanSer]

I don't know if you've noticed or not... but each Starbucks is the same as the next. Manufactured art-deco murals, the same damn tables, and the same idiotic, conglomerate mindset in each. Don't you see that putting Wi-Fi I-Net access in their stores is only pulling the wool over your eyes to the crap that is Starbucks? Support a little guy, hit up a local Coffee House, you'll meet much more interesting people (Unless you like talking to yuppies about their matching VW bugs and IMacs).

And if you don't... may you never say a disparaging word about Microsoft again, you hypocrite.

Re:Trips

[lewp]

I have a VW Jetta, like IMacs, and dislike Microsoft. Oh nooooo! I must be a hypocrite!

Die.

Re:Trips

[linuxelf]

Exactly, that's what our yearly camping trip is all about. Get away from technology, get away from pagers/cellphones. No one wakes you up with a server crash. If the company goes to hell for the week I'm gone, well, they should have hired someone else with my skill set.

Re:Trips

[Havokmon]

You know, ubiquitous presence is cool and everything (although not nearly as cool as it would have been, say, 5 years ago) but really, the world is not waiting with baited breath for real-time updates of your trip across the states. I mean, not that it wouldn't be nice or anything, but it *can wait till you get home.* The whole "wow" factor of getting a stupid IP address at any given spot is gone. It's done. It's about as exciting as "woo hoo! I can make a phone call!" or "yow! Flush toilets all the way!"

In a way, I agree with you. But at the same time, you can't beat sending updates to your webserver from a CRUISE SHIP OFF THE BAHAMAS.

"Monday: Boy it's hot down here. Had to retreat below decks. The chicks are hot in the shade too. Won $200 in the casino. Blew it at the bar on the ladies. Wish you were here! (not :P)"

Re:Trips

[Tackhead]

> Taking a peaceful walk in the woods, or going for a long, straight drive down a quiet highway with the radio turned off and the laptop hundreds of miles away...it's very relaxing.

GPS receiver. Laptop.

Scrap the long straight drive for Highway 1 down the Pacific coast, and crank up the radio.

Very different kind of relaxing. You'll gain a new appreciation for "fractal". I didn't think they made roads that curvy. The GPS track has to be seen to be believed.

Re:Trips

[racermd]

I'm in (mostly) complete agreement. The drive through Nebraska is about as exciting as watching paint dry at 70+ MPH, so I can forsee a need for the passenger(s) to have something to do other than watch the flattest state go by outside the windows of a car. Once west of Nebraska, however, there's nothing but beautiful landscapes for the entire trip, and there's no need for further entertainment.

I, too, live in MN. Bloomington, MN, to be specific. About once every other year, my G/F-turned-fiance and I take a 2 week vacation out west to visit my family. I've got a cousin in Portland, OR, and the rest live in or around Los Angeles. Our route usually takes us on the northern trail of I-94 to I-90 until we reach the state of Washington. One stop we always make is in Bismarck so that we can visit the only members of her family that don't live in MN. The drive from Bismarck to Portland will take the better part of 20 hours, even at over 80 MPH, so we'll decide to make a random stop somewhere in-between. Those 2 days are ones I look forward to every time we take that trip. The scenery is breathtaking, and some of the twisty canyon roads through western Montana and the panhandle of Idaho makes driving so much more fun!

Then there's the drive along the river into Portland. If you can time it so that you're travelling in late July, you might get to see some of the jets fly through the canyon to Portland for their annual air-show.

The winding drive south along California's PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) is also really beautiful. Just be careful of those cliffs! (Last year, I let my fiance drive my new full-size pickup from San Francisco to L.A. and she kept wanting to put the vehicle on the shoulder of the road because she wasn't used to being so high up. Driving south, the ocean is on the right-hand side, the side she kept pushing the truck. She was still using her points of reference from her Saturn, which caused her to think that she was too close to the center of the road and made her "correct" the placement of the truck onto the very narrow shoulder. In some places, there's a 300 foot drop into the ocean. Yikes!)

Going from L.A. to Las Vegas was rather uneventful, but that was a good thing. Because we made the last trip in late July and early August, the temps in Death Valley can easily creep into the 110+ degree F range. The temp sensor I have in my truck (temp and compass in the ISRV mirror) hit 113. Signs along the road tell drivers to turn off their A/C to help ease the load on their cars so that they don't get stranded in the desert heat. I left mine on during that trip figuring that I had a truck that's meant to haul moderately heavy loads and deal with heat better than your average car. We were also hauling very little in the way of luggage, and everything fit into the back of the extended cab with enough room for me to see out the back window. Sure enough, we made it with no problems at all, A/C cranked up the entire way. If you get a chance, go see Hoover Dam. It's one thing to see it on TV. It's a completely different experience to see it in person. When looking at it, just remember that it's a man-made object all the way down. Someone (a lot of someones, really) actually *created* it from nothing at all. Ponder humanity, buy a t-shirt, go about your business and your trip.

Vegas through Colorado is also very pretty in the summertime. Lots more mountain roads, but fewer twisty canyon runs to appease the enthusiast driver.

During the entire trip, we had my new laptop tagging along: a dual-battery Dell I8200. I had purchased an auto/air adapter for it, but the computer wants more current than the adapter can provide. So the computer has a provision for this called "Battery Optimized" mode, where the system runs at a lower speed and consumes less electricity than it would otherwise. I can set the system to run full-tilt on battery, if needed, but we really didn't find the need to do so. Actually, it runs at 1.2GHz in the crippled mode and is more than fast enough to watch DVDs and run the GPS/mapping package we used to track our progress. The only thing we lacked was an internet connection, but we didn't really need that for most of the trip, either. I have more than 300 hours of music that I've ripped to MP3 (about 20GB worth of high-quality conversion of my CDs), we brought along about 20 DVD movies for the laptop in-car or at a hotel/motel, and the scenery outside and simple conversation kept us occupied for the entire trip.

In short, UNPLUG AND ENJOY THE DRIVE. You'll thank me later. Connect when you get to your destination if you must, but leave the on-the-road wireless broadband connections behind. You don't need it, and it spoils the road-trip experience.

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Enjoy it

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not really the heartland you're traveling through. The heartland is just farm after farm after fricking farm. Traveling through Kansas is damned boring. I'd say enjoy the trip, because out west in the mountains is beautiful. Enjoy the scenery. And be glad it's not all wheat and corn fields reeking of cow manure. ;-)

Re:Enjoy it

[milktoastman]

Come on, if you grew up in that environment (corn and wheat fields, that is, which don't stink, only cattle and pig lots do), then you'd think it was homely and comforting. I did, and I while I appreciate mountains and enjoy the cities, they aren't home. Don't knock the heartland, bee-yoy.

Re:Enjoy it

[milktoastman]

Mark that....it is HOMEY...not HOMELY. Stupid me.

Re:Enjoy it

[Cloud 9]

The heartland is just farm after farm after fricking farm. Traveling through Kansas is damned boring.

Boring for some, yes. But having spent the first 12 years of my life there, and spending the next 12 years in New York, I find myself pining for that flat, open nothing more often than I'd like.

For instance, did you happen to look up at night while you were there? It's amazing.

Re:Enjoy it

[thellamaman]

Umm.. I think he's going through I-80 in Nebraska, which is pretty much "farm after farm after fricking farm." It's not that far away from Kansas (an hour or so in most places). I would call it the Heartland, at least until he gets to Wyoming. Then it's pure Joy and Beauty.

(from a Kansas native)

Re:Enjoy it

[Billly Gates]

I am from the midwest myself and glad I no longer live there.

I use to Live in New York and it feels like a prison. A really big prison. Maybe its because I didn't have a car but I never left manhattan for almost years on end. It just feels strange and condensed. I felt like I lived on a tomb almost and could never leave. I now live in the desert of the southwest and love it. Yes its alot more boring but I have huge mountains and mild winters and varied geography.

Last week I was bored and decided to drive up in the mountains to see some snow and walk around in the pine forests. After a few hours I got cold and drove back home in the warm desert. I am 30 minutes from 5 different climate zones. How cool is that? Even if its 70 degree's outside like today I can look out my window and see snow topped mountains. I love it out west and would never return to the dull plains again in my lifetime.

Re:Enjoy it

[m3000]

I agree. I grew up in West Texas, home of lots and lots of flat pasture and cotton/soybean farms. And I really like driving through it now when I go back to visit. It's so nice being able to see for miles upon miles in any direction.

Re:Enjoy it

[milktoastman]

Homely = ugly, or so I believed.

wifi is alive in central Iowa

[Anonymous Coward]

When you come the the Des Moines area, there is Prairieinet.net. They are a rural ISP that uses wifi. I don't know how open their sites are, but it is worth a try. http://www.prairieinet.net. and see a list of their sites.

We got the O-face

[Anonymous Coward]

Skip the stop in Des Moines and just keep on trucking into Omaha. I know our downtown area is rife with wireless networks. And if you don't want to run the risks of tapping into a local business's WLAN, there are several hotels in the area which have free wireless setup right in the hotel. and have fun making that drive.....iowa through to denver is about the flatest, boringest drive in the entire world.

Re:We got the O-face

[Moses Lawn]

Ah, I can see you haven't taken I-80 across Nevada. This is, without a doubt, the most godforsaken country I've ever seen, with the possible exception of Oklahoma or Texas. Flat, dead, dry, hot, with no redeeming features except for warehouse-shaped whorehouses and 75 MPH speed limits. The first gives you something to laugh at, the second gets you out of there faster. The primary visual stimuli are the messages alongside the highway, made by piling rocks up. Those are pretty cool. Otherwise, you might as well be on the moon.

Re:We got the O-face

[Ldir]

iowa through to denver is about the flatest, boringest drive in the entire world.

Actually, western Iowa is somewhat hilly. It doesn't get really flat until Nebraska. In western Nebraska, you can lock the steering wheel straight and take a nap. Seems like a couple hundred miles of straight, flat four-lane.

Assuming you're coming down I-35 and heading west on I-80, there are at least two restaurants with public Wi-Fi access near the I-35/I-80 junction on the west side of Des Moines. They are Legends American Grille and Autographs Bar & Grill. The Valley West Mall is also nearby, reportedly has Wi-Fi access in the Food Court area. All three require a free ID that you can get from I-Spot Networks. I haven't tried any of them yet.

Good luck with the weather. March is unpredictable in this area, you can get anything from sunny and 70's to ice storms to heavy blizzards. Don't trust any forecast more than a couple of days in advance.

Re:We got the O-face

[anto]

You dont know booring until you have driven in Australia. We have roads here that you can pretty much drive along all day without too much turning & hardly anything that would constitute a hill. Luckily our governmont thinks that internet access is a luxery so you will have plenty of time to think & be thankful you don't live in some of the places that you will be over-nighting in...

Re:We got the O-face

[YetAnotherAnonymousC]

But doesn't the excitement come from the roaming futuristic biker gangs?

Sorry, couldn't help it...

Re:We got the O-face

[anto]

Seemingly local governments & tourist operators have sought a solution to the problem of tourists being boored on long trips - its called 'lets get a tourist killed' the fun part of the game is to do it in a way that avoids prosceution. For the amatures playing at home "I did not realise there were croc's in there" has already been taken.

Seriousy there is tones of great amazing places to visit in Australia - most of which have a way lower chance of death than your local 7-11 :) We just have loads of open space as well..

Re:We got the O-face

[mess31173]

I live off of the Merle Hay Rd exit (Exit 131) and I have wireless 802.11 running. No giant antenna sticking off the roof though so you might not be on long. Anyway, enjoy it while you can.

Re:We got the O-face

[mvdw]

iowa through to denver is about the flatest, boringest drive in the entire world.

It may well be the flattest, boringest drive through the USA, or even through North America, but I seriously doubt that it's the flattest, boringest drive in the whole world.

Try driving Katherine -- Tennant Creek, NT some day. There is NOTHING between these towns, seriously NOTHING, except about 400 miles of straight road. There might be a few scattered towns, but nothing with more than a few hundred people in them.

Another long, boring stretch of road is on the Nullabor plain. Guess why it's called the nullabor plain? Hint: It's latin, null=no, arbor=tree. No trees, dead straight road, several hundred miles. And when I say dead straight, I mean DEAD STRAIGHT. No turns. Not even a bend. It's the longest straight stretch of road in the world.

THOSE are long, boring drives.

I know!

[mschoolbus]

Archive all your webpages you ussually look at on to a CD and bring it with you, that way you can read everything you normally would! =P

Re:I know!

[mmckinstUM]

That wouldn't really work for a site like slashdot. I mean, you'd put the CD in and load the front page and all the stories would be dupli..... oh wait, nevermind.

I don't get it...

[Otter]

You said you're willing to pay, right?

So, there's net access all over the place -- libraries, Internet cafes, any remotely modern hotel or motel. What's with the insistence on wireless access?

Re:I don't get it...

[aaarrrgggh]

Actually, hotels with wireless aren't as plentiful in many areas as you would expect.

Starved in Richmond, VA.

Re:I don't get it...

[Otter]

Actually, hotels with wireless aren't as plentiful in many areas as you would expect.

That's precisely my point. If he were willing to plug in, he'd have a far easier time. It's not clear to me why he thinks he needs wireless (apart from the coolness factor), thereby ruling out 98% of the possible solutions.

Re:I don't get it...

[aaarrrgggh]

"plugging in" in most places still means dialup. While that will do for many minimalist issues, "getting work done" sometimes requries more.

Re:I don't get it...

[petecarlson]

You said you're willing to pay, right?

Does anyone know the best way of charging a minimal fee for 802.11 access?
When I first moved to Baltimore I had to get a busness account to get decent service. In order to pay for it I wired all my neighbors and we split the cost. I have recently gone wireless so that the people accross the street could get on the network. I would like to be able to let people who are passing through use the network but at the same time don't want to open the network up completly. I would love to be able to charge a couple dollars an hour for service but I have no idea how to implement that.

you will have to find them yourself

[stonebeat.org]

i go on long bike rides. i used to take my handheld PC with me, but soon i figured it is hard to find a wi-fi spot. So i bought a conector for my nextel phone (approx $45) to my IPAQ and I enjoy connectivity whenever and wherever i want.

Re:you will have to find them yourself

[namespan]

i go on long bike rides. i used to take my handheld PC with me, but soon i figured it is hard to find a wi-fi spot. So i bought a conector for my nextel phone (approx $45) to my IPAQ and I enjoy connectivity whenever and wherever i want.

I'm really interested in trying to do the same think with my laptop and my Nokia phone, but finding information on how to do it seems to be insanely hard. My suspicion is that the wireless phone co's really don't want you using their network this way (or would like to charge you more for it).

Any tips? What kind of connector do you use between your IPAQ and Nextel phone? Anyone know if there's a USB connector for the Nokia 5190? Do you need special software, or can you just treat it like a standard serial modem on the USB port?

(I have a Mac Powerbook G3, and suspect that if special software is needed I might be in trouble)

Re:you will have to find them yourself

[Dr. Sp0ng]

If you get a T68i with Bluetooth, and a Bluetooth adaptor for your Powerbook, you can get online that way (no wires at all!) You don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket, since Bluetooth reaches up to 30 feet or so. Once you have all the PPP settings set up, just hit "Connect" from OS X's Internet Connect to get connected, it's pretty slick.

Kinda pricey, though, they start charging by the K after 8MB/month (IIRC), and not the biggest speed demon at 19.2 max, but better than nothing.

Re:you will have to find them yourself

[ocelotbob]

I'd suggest looking at Ositech's equipment. They've got connectors for most phones, and they work all right, though like any cell service, some areas may be a bit spotty. Most of their equipment is pcmcia-based, but they do have a few USB offerings as well. Don't know about mac support, though. I'd imagine it shouldn't be that much of a problem.

Re:you will have to find them yourself

[toxorg]

You would need a better phone. The 5190 doesn't have a hardware modem in it and the soft modem software is proprietary from TDK. On top of that, there is only a serial cable for the 5190.

With regard to using wireless phone co. networks, prepare for SLOW connections (28k) so it may be worth your while to find the higher speed WiFi hotspots.

Re:you will have to find them yourself

[james_shoemaker]

With regard to using wireless phone co. networks, prepare for SLOW connections (28k) so it may be worth your while to find the higher speed WiFi hotspots.

not necessarily that slow, with sprintPCS vision's 3G network you can get up to 144k (in fact I am considering it as a replacement for my 26.4K maximum modem link at home)

Re:you will have to find them yourself

[Rosonowski]

Why is that you can't just have a phone that will let you use an rj-11 connector and dial out as pure modulated audio data?

Lincoln Neb.

[ender81b]

Well since you are on I-80 you will be driving through Lincoln, Nebraska. I have a couple of suggestions. One, you can try driving through campus (university of nebraska-lincoln) to pick up some internet.

Also, you could drive by my house - I leave a WAP open to all (well bandwith capped at 256/256 for non-fixedlease DHCP address's). Heh, I decided to do this right after I went on vacation and relied on other people's WAP's for internet. I would suggest driving around campus and the college areas, kids always leave open WAP's and the university has a number of WAP's open to all that you can pick up. Downtown also has a ton of WAP's.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[ender81b]

Cool! Kudos to you for doing that on purpose. How do you make sure your connection is not abused though?

Well like I said the connection is capped at 256/256kbits for non-leased IP's. I assign fixed-lease IP's by MAC address and if your mac isn't in the database you get one of the capped IP's. 256/256 I figure is plenty if people are jsut wardriving and wanting to check email/surf web, etc for a bit of time.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[Jonny 290]

I believe he's talking abuse as in somebody coming by and downloading a bunch of child porn and making threats on government officials' lives, not excessive leeching.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[strredwolf]

Here's my question. How do you actually do that? I can config DHCP to autoconfig any WLAN to .128 and above. Do you key off the IP address and cap it there with whatever program? Documenting this would be very usefull.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[ender81b]

I use ipcop and an jerry-riggged 2.4 kernel to accomplish this with QOS controls. You can find out all about it through ipcop and check out the "english support web" on where to find the modified kernel.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[xpurple]

There are lots of open networks in lincoln.

One I highly suggest is at 13th and P, there is a coffee shop that also offers 802.11b.

The best thing I can suggest is to drive around residential areas, the ones that tend to have the least security are found there. Sure it might only be a Tier1 DSl line, but free internet is free internet.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[ender81b]

Yeah but 22nd and holdrege is so much cooler tom! you know this man! Everybody loves stealing my tw cable.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[astrashe]

I'm not sure the university's WAPs are open -- they don't use passwords, but you have to give your wireless card's MAC address to the computing services people before you can talk.

You could clone someone -- this has happened to me, or at least I assume that it has, because I had an IP address collision -- but that's kind of lame.

Re:Lincoln Neb.

[Rosonowski]

Well, I think in this case, he has a legal basis for saying "it's not me, it was one of these IPs"

No one would likely beleive him, but it's a bit better.

I Would Be Willing To Bet

[n3rd]

Another editor starts the same journey in a few days and doesn't realize it's already being done until they both stumble across each other at 11:00 PM at a Motel 6.

at Slashdot editor's problem with dupes

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[account_deleted]

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My trip...

[PhaseBurn]

I live in Gold River, CA (not that far from Placerville) and basically did your trip in reverse... A co-worker of mine had to move back to Philly, PA, and we decided to road-trip it... Reno, believe it or not, doesn't provide an abundance of internet access at all... They want everybody to gamble instead... I think I found 1 cafe that provided internet access while up there (And it was for a LAN party months prior, not on this trip), and, it wasn't even wireless... was your standard RJ-45 jack, but it worked... There was nothing between there and Salt Lake City, at least on I-80... I didn't even see many signs of civilization, let along, technology...

Salt Lake City has a few internet cafe's, though I don't remember any of their names... I know they were relativly close to the highway... We only passed through Salt Lake, so I didn't get to patron any of them, nor do I know if they're wireless or not...

We then went out to Cheyenne and didn't find a hotel with access, or any establishments either... Over all, it was pretty dull... Nebraska was the same way... I did find a nice location out in Indiana that had wireless access advertized, but it was closed when we drove by... The only internet access I got my entire trip was in Chicago, when we stayed at a friend's house... He let me plug my laptop into his cable modem for a few to check my mail and what not... That's about the extent of my trip... We didn't look that hard, so I probably am missing a whole hell of a lot... but I hope it helps...

Best of luck, Chris, safe trip!

Re:My trip...

[sweetooth]

Reno has a cafe with Internet access? Where?

Anyway, I seriously doubt you will find wireless access anywhere in Reno that doesn't require using someone elses connection covertly. Or swing by my place I don't care if you use my access point.

Although, the proximity of Reno and Placerville makes me wonder why one would even want to stop except to get gas. I'd just pass right through town without thinking twice.

Also, beware the trip through Reno, there is currently road construction on I-80. Starting monday the west bound lane will be reduced to one lane and several exits/entrances will be closed through September.

Re:My trip...

[Billly Gates]

Your right about the casino's.

Did you know in Las Vegas they install cell phone disrupters in the casinos?

My brother came to Vegas this christmass at Treasure Island and could not get his cell phone to work. An employee told him to walk outside because the casino bans all cell phones. Within 20 feet outside the casino his cell phone worked. Unbelievable!

Same is true for internet access.

Anyway if your going on this trip I recommend that you enjoy the scenary around you. You can go on the internet anytime but not see the beauty of the rockies and desert.

Re:My trip...

[Moses Lawn]

Did you know in Las Vegas they install cell phone disrupters in the casinos?

Where can I get one of those? I need a portable one I can set up in restaurants and movie theaters, not to mention the really high power one for my car...

Re:My trip...

[BLAG-blast]

> Did you know in Las Vegas they install cell phone disrupters in the casinos?

Where can I get one of those? I need a portable one I can set up in restaurants and movie theaters, not to mention the really high power one for my car...

Hmmm, you'd probably find yourself getting rear ended buy cellphone using drivers who are wondering where thier signal when...

consider a plug

[mlknowle]

First, I'm sure a lot of people are going to suggest that you forgo the interenet altogether. There is something to be said for this; it sounds like you trip is, at least in part, designed to be an adventure, and being 'offline' might enhance it.

That said, if you do decide to go online, for blogging or e-mail, pick up a prepaid phone card, enter the 800#, your pin, and a juno access number into the PPP settings, and then every phone jack you see on your way will be a 'net access point. Wireless is fun, but if you just need to transmit text, the phone connection is easiest, redily availible, and certinly powerfull enough.

PS - it sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy yourself.

Re:consider a plug

[chrisd]

Yeah, I've got my list of dial-up numbers for my provider, I actually wouldn't mind not logging in, but I want to keep tabs on what's going on at my company and slashdot and stuff.

But thanks.

Chris

Re:Stop for Access?

[shepd]

>Can't you just enjoy the scenery?

BAH! BORING!

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, I guess. When I was a kid my parents would take me on such trips, and I'd lie in the back of the car and wonder if it is possible to sleep for 24 hours a day without going into a coma. "But the beach looks so nice, why don't you just enjoy it?". Pffft. Sleep time.

Now, give me something to do with some excitement, like watch a building collapse or riding the gravitron (for once being fat makes the ride more fun), and I'm in the zone. ;-)

don't miss the real hotspots...

[urbazewski]

Looks like you'll be passing some of america's finest roadside attractions as well, like the Mitchell Corn Palace, Bedrock City, and the statue of Crazy Horse under construction in South Dakota. After that it's straight into Jackalope territory ...

Re:don't miss the real hotspots...

[KnightStalker]

How could you leave out Wall Drug? Really, the place ain't much, but you can't fail to go there after seeing about nine billion billboards for it on I-80 through Montana.

Re:don't miss the real hotspots...

[reboot]

Thoes spots are on I-90. This trip is on I-80.

Re:don't miss the real hotspots...

[erave]

Some of those places are along a faster route than via Des Moines etc.

I've done proof-of-concept driving on this route on numerous trips to The Cities, and one to Burning Man. (For us easterners that means driving I-80 to Wadsworth NV, which is almost "all the way to Reno.")

1) US-169 to St James MN. Until Mankato this is a national scenic byway and correspondingly nicer than I-35.
2) MN-4 to I-90
3) I-90 thru Sioux Falls (www.getyourgameon.net) and Mitchell (the aforementioned Corn Palace, www.travelsd.com).

4a) Speed route: US-83 Murdo SD -> North Platte NE, where you take I-80. The Sand Hills mean no cops but also no net access. Some find this area boring; others find it aesthetically pleasing. Good prep for upcoming desert driving.

4b) Scenic route: continue on I-90 to the Black Hills, home of tourist stuff like Mt Rushmore, Wind Cave national park, Crazy Horse (Motto: "Hey, let's sculpt an entire mountain!"), and the for-kids-only (boring to adults) Bedrock City. From there, getting to I-80 is your problem; I've only ever taken the speed route. I-90 -> I-25 -> WY-220 -> US-287 looks promising... Teapot Dome, Independance Rock etc.

5) I-80 takes forever. The semi trailers thin out after Salt Lake but never go away; it's their road and we just drive on it.

In Wyoming, I recomend the Ft Bridger state historic site (remember the Oregon Trail games?) and/or a detour on US-30 to Fossil Butte national monument. Many old fish imprints there. Como Bluff (E of Medicine Bow) might also be cool.

Nevada is an cycle of coaxing your overheating car over the mountain, drop into the valley at 90+ mph, and spend two hours crossing the sagebrush valley to the next line of mountains. Repeat. Repeat. You'll pass like two or three federal prisons and almost nothing else. The Pyramid Lake is over-rated as a photo site - skip it. Forget net access... you'll only have either 0 or 1 radio stations.

Should take three days plus stop-and-look-around time. Enjoy.

- Eric

Re:don't miss the real hotspots...

[CAIMLAS]

The Corn Palace in Mitchel, SD, is worthless. It's simply a building covered with corn, and it's widely commercialized for tourism. Crazy Horse is similar - you can't get close to it unless you throw out nearly $100 for a helicopter ride to get closer.

However, if you're going to be driving through the Black Hills, I strongly suggest you take a look at some of the better tourist spots: the natural ones. Devil's Tower in Wyoming is fantastic, as is Needles Highway in the Black Hills. Mount Rushmore is also a nice spot to visit, if you've never been there before, and the trails leading up to it are quite nice.

If you're going through Montana, there's Glacier National Park in the NW, as well as Glacier Lake, which is breathtaking. They're not really tourist places, unless you really like the outdoors. Glacier Lake also has fantastic trout fishing, if you go out for that kind of thing.

As far was Wall Drug, SD, there are signs advertising it all over the world. There are some in Europe, some in S. Africa, etc. My parents saw several signs for Wall Drug when they were younger, growing up in New York. If anything, it'll make a decent spot to stop and take a piss on your way to the other places in the Black Hills. Additionally, there's a large ISP based in Wall called Golden West Companies, which supplies dialup, cable, and (I'm not sure baout this) possibly WiFi service.

Overall, you'll find mostly worthless tourist traps in the MidWest, and all the good tourist spots are still relatively unmolested by man, fairly off the main road. That is, all the good tourist areas are natural.

NE

[The Mainframe]

Hey... get on I-91 instead and cruise through New Hampshire. Stop by my house and you can use my 56K dialup-supplied acccess point...

About two years ago...

[foxtrot]

I took a road trip across the southern US. I loaded up my pickup truck with a tent and a laptop in Atlanta and wound up in Alamogordo, NM before I turned around and headed home.

Every KOA campground (er, "kampground") I stayed at had a phone jack for plugging your laptop into in one of the public areas, usually the rec room (though in one it was the laundry facility.) Dialup may not be sufficient for, say, uploading the day's digital pictures to your webswerver, but it's enough to check email and at least do the text portion of a 'blog.

I dunno where you're planning on overnighting on your trip, but if campgrounds have phone lines, I'd guess darned near any hotel does, too. And if you're not crashing at a hotel or a campground, please, find somewhere to take a shower. :)

Re:About two years ago...

[Chanc_Gorkon]

THANKS! I will be staying at a KOA for a few days coming up. I can try to use this when i am there. KOA's are cool. BTW, it will be teh Dayton Tall Timbers one for Dayton Hamvention 2003. I can't wait. 2.5 days of fun with radios and computer crap! I LOVE IT!

Why on *earth* not a modem???

[0x0d0a]

i can gurantee you that you will find some net access, if anything esle, you can always hit up down town cyber cafe'

Either cyber cafes or (simpler) a modem both came to mind. This seems far easier. If I needed 'Net access, I'd probably have a laptop, slap a modem and get an account with a national ISP, and be happy as a clam. This guy isn't going to be downloading movies onto his laptop during the road trip (I would imagine), so I can't see any reason this wouldn't work. There are phones *everywhere* in the US.

Ok, this is really freaky (or rather geeky)

[malraid]

Look, if you want to enjoy your trip, leave all your gear home. I enjoy technology, but it has to have limits. Shortly before year's end I took a trip with my friends to the beach. There was no cell reception, and it was great!!! I work as a freelance sysadmin/computer geek for hire, and generally have to stay in touch. I limited myself to check my voice mail a couple of times. In the only voicemail I got from a client, he was just calling to wish me a happy new year. Hell didn't break loose while I was "out of touch." I love techonoly (I currently have 5 computers setup in my room, but should drop to 3/2 soon) but there are times when everyone needs to unplug (or get away from wi-fi access or whatever) Do you really think you need to be hooked up? I'm pretty sure you don't, try it and you'll see.

Re:Ok, this is really freaky (or rather geeky)

[cybermace5]

currently have 5 computers setup in my room, but should drop to 3/2 soon

1 and 1/2?

Poor, poor half-a-computer! What are you going to do, remove its floppy drive? It will have no reason to live!

Warchalking Berkeley, SF, Madison ... what else?

[cfarivar]

I've got a list of (albeit mainly Berkeley and some SF) Wi-Fi hotspots, but lemme know if you find any more:

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~cfarivar/warchalking

The you can rape him

[Anonymous Coward]

Like all of the other school-boys you lure into your house.

what sort of holiday is it with computers?...

[EvilCabbage]

... a pretty bad one.

Why not try doing the "stupid tourist thing" and avoid computers for a while? See the sights, appreciate some wilderness, pick apples, etc..etc... just something that may give you a new outlook, and perhaps distance you a bit from the day to day life we all try and avoid when we go on a holiday.

Re:what sort of holiday is it with computers?...

[StacyKr]

Excuse me, but a cross country trip usually takes 3 or more weeks, and most of us (here in the U.S.) only get 2 week vacations. Maybe instead of blogging and emailing photos to friends he wants to be able to do some work! My husband and I want to make a cross country trip this summer that might take a month or six weeks. That is a long time to be away from the office/without a paycheck, and we would rather do this trip now, instead of waiting to do it when we're 60 y.o. and retired! He hopes to do some programming on the road (2-3 hrs daily) and upload his work every few days. We will find the sincere replies to this question useful, as well.

Re:Stop for Access?

[igotmybfg]

>Can't you just enjoy the scenery?

BAH! BORING!

There is something to be said for getting away and just seeing what's out there. The scenery can be boring; however, if you're going somewhere that you've never been before you should at least give it a look, and even go out and do something, like go swimming at the beach, for example. I mean, come on... how much can you know about yourself if you've never just done something to see what it's what like, instead of relying on modern technology to mediate your experiences? The thing to keep in mind is, there is always something to be learned no matter where you go - so go! and figure out what it is!

If you must

[djupedal]

Blogging across country? Please....

But if you must, pick up a GSM cell phone and simply dial in to Juno, etc. Otherwise you'll spend all your time looking for access, and not smelling the roses.

I mean what are you going to do...stop at every StarBucks just to tell the world you've stopped at every StarBucks?

Hey!!! Cool!!! I'm calling you from the airplane/highway/truckstop/motel!!!

Re:If you must

[saihung]

This is what I'll be doing. Using a GSM phone and my Zaurus with zgps (assuming they ever get the maps feature working, *crosses fingers). Other than basic functions and maybe email at the end of the day, again with the Zaurus and cell phone, I'm not bringing anything. The point of this trip is to cruise across the USA in my car, not, as many have said, to display geekitude that is SO 3 years ago. Na'mean? A full tank of gas and the horizon is what you need for a good road trip. Everything else is bunk.

on i380

[crablouie]

the hawthorne inn in cedar rapids (25 miles north of 80) has wifi access that blocks http but is open to ssh and pop3 last I checked.

It's not the first time I've crossed the country..

[chrisd]

I should also point out that when I was a kid, we crossed the country somethign like 2 tiems a year to go see family. I intend on checking things out, but I do have some work to keep up with and wireless will make it possible to do it quicker than with dialup, so I have more time to chill.

I totally appreciate the sentiment though.

Chris

Meet the locals at the library

[Anonymous Coward]

Find the local public library. You might have to register and show ID to get a machine with a fast connection but you'll see locals and get a chance to talk to real people.

Use the restroom, wash your hands, interact.

No one is saying it so I will:

[wirefarm]

AOL. ;-)
Cheers,
Jim

Put me in "Geeks Gone Wild" video

[Hao Wu]

Hao wants to host the first wet DeCSS t-shirt contest in history! Set me up with Natalie Portman please.

Re:Put me in "Geeks Gone Wild" video

[JDWTopGuy]

And the video will be duplicated by a beowulf cluster of DVD burners in soviet russia, you insensetive clod!

Darn it, there I go sabotaging my karma again.

location location location

[ohzero]

You're starting out in St. Louis and have an end objective of Placerville? That's like leaving hell to go ...somewhere even worse.

In Twin cities area

[dieman]

www.surfthing.com -- free wifi.

St. Paul Wireless

[SuperQ]

Hopefully, you're aware of the Twin Cities Wireless User Group.

http://www.tcwug.org

We have a map system of available access points, and other fun stuff

why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[dknight]

What, exactly, is so great about unplugging for a while?

I take my laptop and cell phone on every trip. I dont use them to work, I use them to play. I like to stay in touch, to be able to talk to people, and to do all the fun things I do with them when I'm not at work.

Plus, on the off chance that some emergency should come up (it's happened), I CAN be reached.

As far as people griping about the whole wireless thing, I think it's pretty cool that he's looking for wi-fi hotspots. Ok, so the world may not all be wireless yet, but we're trying, and what's the point of implementing this cool new tech if nobody's gonna use it? Sure, when I go places with my laptop, I fully expect to have either no net access, or dialup, but I bring a LAN cable and my wireless card anyway, just in case I luck out, and when that happens, I am one happy camper.

There's just something about being able to lie on the beach, work on my tan, and be playing starcraft with my friends back home that appeals to me ;)

Remember folks, for some of us, technology makes our lives BETTER. I dont think I've ever thought of tech as a burden, and before I get all those angry comments asking if I've ever stepped outside and appreciated nature, yes, I have. I thoroughly enjoy rock climbing, ice skating, roller blading, and a variety of other non-tech outdoor activities. I've been to italy, greece, turkey, and about half of the 50 states. I've seen the world, and you know what? With a few exceptions (greece was seriously bad ass), it was pretty boring, and some good tech would have made it much more fun for me.

Re:why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[gvonk]

We are taking a road trip next week for spring break, and I will bring my cell/camera/laptop...

the thing is, these items SUPPORT having a good time on the road. I agree with you completely.

I plug in the laptop (DON'T FORGET, people, to lock that thing to the desk when you leave the room) at night and jack in to upload the day's pictures off the digital camera. (god bless my parents' AOL account)

I use the web to find restaurants in our area, attractions to see, and driving directions to our next stop.

The cell is an obvious one, so I can be contacted by either my friends in other cars when we caravan or by others who will have no other way to reach me (of course, in an emergency).

Re:why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[colorblind]

"What, exactly, is so great about unplugging for a while?"

If you have to ask...

Re:why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[ahoehn]

Every time I see a post telling somebody to unplug their laptop and interact with people, smell the roses, and enjoy the scenery; I want to gag. While we all admire those poster's 1337 aestheticism, they need to realize that they're not quite so brillant and revolutionary as they might imagine. As though we didn't know that intense computer usage tends to make people antisocial.

That said; I have found some definite up-sides to being away from the computer. I've been living in Belize since September, and until Christmas I didn't have any real computer access. I was able to use an old 386 to send e-mail to my friends and family back in the states, but nothing else. During that time I realized that I simply thought more. With less access to other people's thoughts I found that I had to create my own. Since acquiring a laptop for Christmas I've found that while it's nice to have access to more information, I form weaker opinions and don't explore the limits of my mind as often as I did before.

I still gag every time I see another "smell the roses" post, but I do believe that there is something to be said for the occasional intentional separation from computers.

Re:why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[germinatoras]

The point is that for a lot of us, technology has become invasive. It's not like I oppose technology or progress - in fact, I actively encourage it through my own high-tech consumer spending. But technology really does carry with it some kind of psychological burden that needs to be lifted periodically. People drive technology, but technology also drives people. I find that I need to completely separate myself from it every now and then.

For example, I don't understand why you would enjoy playing Starcraft on the beach more than just kicking back, relaxing, listening to the sound of the waves breaking against the sand, feeling a cool breeze float by, and just lay there doing absolutely nothing but soaking up the environment. I mean, it's kinda cool for the "gee whiz" factor, but after you've done it once, what's the point? Most people go to the beach to escape that.

Re:why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[kiwimate]

I've been to italy, greece, turkey, and about half of the 50 states. I've seen the world, and you know what? With a few exceptions (greece was seriously bad ass), it was pretty boring, and some good tech would have made it much more fun for me.

So why did you go?

Honestly...what on earth was the point of you going to these places? What did you want to get out of your trips? What did you do in, say, Italy? Did you visit some of the most beautiful classical architecture to be found in the world? Or taste real Italian food, just to see what it's like? Enjoy a canal trip in Venice?

I'm honestly curious to know why you went, what you expected, and why you were disappointed. Mate, if you simply must take technology with you so you can be doing exactly the same things in a foreign country/state as you would be doing at home, that's your prerogative. I understand wanting to be contactable in the event of an emergency. (That's why God invented GSM and Internet cafes. Heaven forbid the U.S. wireless phone companies should ever get their act together so you can easily purchase a phone that'll work in the U.S. and the rest of the world -- you know, that whole GSM thing.) But in that case -- why spend the money to go to those countries? I'd have thought you'd rather spend it on a few nice geek toys for yourself, if you don't enjoy experiencing other countries and cultures.

(And by the way...half the U.S. and three other countries is not "seeing the world".)

Re:why is everyone so down on bringing gear along?

[dknight]

I went for the experience. I think that everyone should get out and see things at some time or another. This summer I'm going to Ireland and Scotland.

While on my trip, I visited the ancient greek and roman cities, the ruins, the museums. It was for the cultural experience, I suppose.

There is just something interesting about seeing how things are in other parts of the world than here at home, and I value the experience far more than I would simply getting myself a new geek toy ;)

As for my disappointment... It wasnt that the place didnt live up to my expectations, it was rather that once I had done what I was there to do, there was nothing left. I was bored. And I can only check out the view for so long.

Re:From Saint Paul

[Publicus]

Not sure if it's only Twin Cities or what, but Dunn Brother's coffee shops are offering wireless internet for free.

They're less evil than Starbucks... :)

Stop at Apple Computer Stores

[maclassicuser]

All their stores should have wi-fi. And there is also excuse me cough cough cough coughcough cough I think you get the picture ^_^.....

Re:Stop at Apple Computer Stores

[Phroggy]

Locations

A different kind of wireless...

[Pettifogger]

I usually leave my computer at home when on the road. However, I do participate in a different kind of wireless that I enjoy every bit as much as the Internet- Amateur Radio. The Technician license is easy to get, you can get a mobile or handheld 2m radio for under $200, and there are never any access fees. Repeaters are everywhere and there are lots of people to talk to. Great fun, try it.

Slightly OT, but if I were you...

[norweigiantroll]

I'd see some geocaches along the trip. Not only are they fun, they often bring you to cool places to see that only locals would know about.

Re:some sites.

[m_xiphias]

Heh, and I thought he was talking about that McDonalds and rest stop built on an old overpass over the road. I forget where that is, but it's somewhere in the trip between Iowa and Nebraska... yeah, I was asleep for most of that trip :) -m_xiphias

The Pilot...

[steveargonman]

The Pilot baby.

afford?

[stego]

real geeks trade labor w. the local mac shop for iPods

One place to stop

[Schemat1c]

I just did the reverse of that same trip last spring . Petaluma, CA to Rochester, MN. It has to be the most boring and barren drive I've ever taken. I stayed at Holiday Inn's all along the way and they all had broadband connections that you could pay in 24 hour chunks. It was about $10.00 as I remember but it worked very well. Didn't really have a need for a connection while driving so that worked just fine for me. I would recommend a stop at the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. It's good for some laughs. That was about the only point of interest I saw along the whole way, except of course for Reno!

-----

Woah...

[NilObject]

I live in Placerville!

Tips:

1. War drive through Main Street, there is quite a few hotspts that you can nab. There's a Starbucks too, if you happen to have a tmobile account (That's a little further east, on Broadway). Most people here are... Computer illeterate, so you might not find many hotspots, but the ones you do find will be unprotected. I have yet to spend longer than 10 minutes On Main Street looking for a good hotspot.

(Super Secret Tip: Park out front of Gelato's. That's the best spot.)

2. There are *no* good computer stores up here. None. Office Max doesn't count. The closest good computer store is in Sacramento (CompUSA). There's a Fry's on Northridge Road, which is really nice.

3. There is no number 3... THERE IS NO NUMBER 3!!!

Retards

[kavachameleon]

"as I intend on blogging my cross country trip as it happens and would like to have something to talk about other than the state lines I cross and the number of retreads I dodge." So talk about the state lines and the number of retards you dodge. (just avoid /. for maximum retard dodge-age).

Other must see places ?

[ukoda]

I am travelling from New Zealand to San Francisco with couple of days on Los Angeles in late April and I was wonder some of the same kind of things. What are the 'Must See' things for a Hi-Tech tourist in thoses areas ?

Re:Other must see places ?

[DJPenguin]

That'll be one hell of a road trip...!

Duluth, MN!

[coop0030]

Make a detour up to Duluth. I'm pretty sure my landlord who set up our wireless doesn't know what WEP is. :)

is that the GNU/I-80?

[Mantorp]

it's a freeway

I have some book recommendations

[Jon Abbott]

My girlfriend and I are planning a road trip for this May (our planned route is listed below), and I came across some books that you may want to look into. While they don't deal with wireless hotspots or technology in general, they do deal with things that are essential for any cross-country trip: weird stuff and good food.

The first book is called Eccentric America by Jan Friedman... It highlights many interesting, different, and just plain weird places to visit. For example, there's a guy in Washington state who is building and plans to fly a hydrogen peroxide-fueled rocket, not unlike what John Carmack is currently doing. The book is also useful to find out what is weird/eccentric/etc. in your own city or town.

The second book is called Roadfood , by Michael and Jane Stern. It is a compendium of restaurants, ice cream parlors, highway diners and so on across the country. I haven't read in too much detail, but it should come in handy.

For those of you who are interested, my girlfriend and I are planning the following waypoints for our roadtrip: Tallahassee, FL -> New Orleans, LA -> Austin, TX -> Roswell, NM -> Albuquerque, NM -> Grand Canyon -> Las Vegas, NV -> San Francisco, CA -> somewhere near the CA/OR border -> Eugene, OR -> Portland, OR -> elsewhere on the way back home. The trip back will wind through Helena, MT and Denver, CO to visit some relatives, with everywhere else just being nightly waypoints. Am I bringing my laptop? Probably not... Am I bringing a digital camera? You bet!

Re:I have some book recommendations

[ocelotbob]

Ah, Albuquerque, my stomping grounds for the moment. Though you're probably not too interested, as you're probably not gonna bring your laptop, there seems to be a decent amount of open connectivity in this town. Downtown area especially -- the Shell/McDonalds at Lomas and Broadway has open ethernet, the Doubletree on 3rd has open wifi, as does the KOA on the east side of town.

There's really only one choice for road food. You have to eat at the Frontier if you want to get your full dosage of what the people of Albuquerque are like. It's on Central right across from the University. Ask any local and they'll tell you exactly where it is. The Route 66 cafe is also good, as is the May cafe, if you like Vietnamese food. The most important thing to remember about food in Albuquerque is that the food here is spicy; green chiles dominate the menu. So if you have an ulcer, you're not going to have a good time, but if you have a good stomach, you'll love it.

For sightseeing, you've got to head up to Sandia Ridge, either via the Tramway, or via the back road through Tijeras. Great view. If you head into town a bit early, which it sounds like you will if you're coming from Roswell, check out the acquarium and botanic garden down near the Rio Grande. The moon jelly exhibit in and of itself is worth the cost of admission. Also worth checking out is the National Atomic Museum. Most guides have its location as being on the Air Force base, but it's moved across town, due to post-9/11 hysteria.

As far as the rest of your trip, definitely sounds like a great journey. Make sure to take the side roads out of Kingman, for whichever way you decide to get out to Vegas. Going over the Hoover dam is great, and you've got to take the tour; fascinating stuff. Though if you don't want to take the dam tour, I'd recommend taking old route 66 over into Oatman and taking 95 up into Vegas. It's slow, but it's a great drive through stark scenery on a wonderfully old, windy, mountain road.

Good luck on your trip. You may want to bring your laptop, if just to use to dump all your photos. Trust me, you're going to be taking a lot of them on that route.

Re:I have some book recommendations

[Jon Abbott]

Hey, thanks for all the tips! Just out of curiosity, would you want to host a couple of kind souls for the night? I can talk about Linux and OS X all you want (although my girlfriend most likely will not). :^) We would be coming through there about May 10th...

Re:I have some book recommendations

[ocelotbob]

I'd love to go out for a drink or two, but my apartment is entirely too small to accomodate anyone other than closest friends and family. A year from now, I'd probably say sure, but that's once I can get a house, etc.

Re:I have some book recommendations

[Jon Abbott]

OK... Thanks anyway!

Re:I have some book recommendations

[errxn]

Well, I can tell you from experience that you might as well just pack up the cell phones, wi-fi, and even the car radio, for that matter, as soon as you leave Austin, and get ready to enjoy a few hundred miles of absolute...nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean *nothing*, until you get close to El Paso.

A bit of friendly advice for anyone driving that stretch of I-10 for the first time: start looking for a gas station as soon as the tank reaches half full. Trust me, unless you are driving a Honda Insight, you will need it.

Re:I have some book recommendations

[Jon Abbott]

Are there any places online that show where gas stations are along that corridor of I-10? I've been contemplating taking the road trip via motorcycle, but it only has a 130 mile range before it needs to be refueled. I will probably need to bring extra gas somehow...

Re:I have some book recommendations

[errxn]

I would recommend taking some extra gas just in case.

From San Antonio west to El Paso, stops with gas that I know of for sure are in Kerrville, Junction, Ft. Stockton, and Van Horn. If it's daytime when you ride, you can add Sierra Blanca, Sonora, Ozona, and and Exit 328 (Iraan/Sheffield) to the list.

The main thing is to fill up when you get the opportunity. If you've never been through west Texas before, you are in for an experience.

Re:I have some book recommendations

[Jon Abbott]

Hey, thanks! I'll take a closer look at these places on maps.yahoo.com...

MOD PARENT DOWN

[KnightStalker]

Sorry, nevermind, that's I-90. :-)

Bring a camera for Utah, Wyoming and Nevada

[Billly Gates]

Do not stop at Reno. The stripers there call it drano and half the hotels and casino's are goind under and are very junky. Stop near lake Tahoe if you can find room instead. Its georgeous country.

I also recommend you stop not at Salt Lake City but the Uitina Mountains about a few hours outside of salt like city. They are really georgous. If you have extra time visit the Desert peak just west of salt lake city assuming the road to the top is still open. Its so cool to see desert in the valley below, shrubs in hills surrounding them and forests and snow where you are at the tops of the mountains.

Just beware that snow is very very bad at the high elevations at route 80 this time of year. Its not just cooler higher up but snow and rain come down harder because the combination of the cooler air condensing the moisture out of the clouds, and mountian block. It may only snow 4 inches in Salt lake city but the mountains can get up to a foot! Plan ahead and check the weather before you leave! If the weather forcasts call for snow prepare alot of extra time or find an alternative lower elevation route.

I would never visit these mountains in the winter for this reason. But I do visit them in the summer.

Leave the laptop at home? Never.

[Graspee_Leemoor]

I don't get all these people saying that you should leave your laptop at home and just enjoy the trip- I think they must all associate the laptop with work or something.

I always take my laptop when I go on holiday- not for internet access, but so I can upload my digital pictures to it, play go in the hotel late at night if there's nothing else to do, type up notes on the trip (because I can't read my own handwriting) etc.

Also it's cool that I can go to Japan, buy PC software and then use it while I am there.

graspee

Customization

[HaloZero]

The difference between checking a web-based email account (hotmail.com) and using your own, either business-related or ISP (nycap.rr.net, in my case) is rather large. Perhaps someone either doesn't want an @hotmail.com name for fear of shame in front of fellow computer-users (geeks - I mean, who else?) or just uses the one ISP provided or other sortof non-browser adaptable email. I can relate to this.

Using public computer terminals is fine and dandy if you want something done quickly, and aren't worried about leaving your information on that machine, perhaps, then sure! But if you want your own system to work from, with your own mailbox, your own controls, your own preferences, a wireless-enabled laptop is the way to go. Plus, it's better than being constrained to just a desk and a library, or something.

Re:Customization

[Moses Lawn]

I agree with all you say here, but why do you have to have wireless? It's a whole lot easier to plug into a phone jack, dial up, and do your thing. If you're lucky, your ISP provides a web-based interface like TWIG. If not, you can always SSH in (you *do* get a shell account from your ISP, right?)

Here is what I do when I am out of my house

[mpost4]

I have the wireless web added to my Sprint's plan, I also have the cables for my cell phone to my laptop and my palm, I would be hesitant to take my laptop. I would take my palm pilot. the cell phones (on 2g networks, if you have a 3g network you probably don't care about this) is only good for e-mail, and a palm pilot can do that well. I don't know the reason for your trip, if it is just a there and back again, I would leave the laptop at home, but if you are going to be at your final location for a long time take the laptop, this just MHO so take it for what it is worth.

The Sprint PCS wireless web is only $5 more a month, and I can now use my voice minutes for the web (I have 300 peak and unlimited off peak, also unlimited pcs to pcs calling)

When in Nebraska...

[Crazy Brian]

...don't forget to visit CarHenge in Allaince. Not exactly on I-80, but it's awfully cool anyway. Here's a link: /htmlCarHenge

I-80 Resident

[Cyberop5]

I live along I-80 near Auburn (just north of placerville) in California. There are very few wi-fi hotspots between Auburn and Rocklin, however, a quick trip through rocklin, off Highway 65 will reveal hundreds of open APs. Most of the APs coming down the mountain are blocked by trees and hills anyways.

Your best bet for getting any hotspots will always be in suburbia.

Why wireless??

[NineNine]

Why in the hell do you need wireless? Is a phone cable too heavy to carry? Get a free trial with a national ISP, and most have local dialup numbers everywhere.

Re:Why wireless??

[JDWTopGuy]

Wireless is often faster, troll master.

Placerville???

[blender98]

The real question is why the hell (unless on the way to Tahoe) would anyone want to go to Placerville???

Re:Placerville???

[heff]

i was thinking the same thing.. christ.. 30 more minutes and you could hit san francisco and at least get some decent chinese food..

but placerville.. my god.. its the home of the happy cows.

Situation probably hasn't changed much...

[Trolling4Dollars]

I live in Cleveland Ohio. My wife and I took two trips out west two years in a row. In 2000, we went out west to Carlsbad NM via US 40. All along the way, I found nothing. Granted, that wireless access really hadn't burst onto the mainstream scene yet. In 2001, we took another trip out west to Glacier National Park via US 80 and 90, and again there was no wireless access anywhere. Not only was wireless access non-existant, but large parts of the west barely even have dial-up access.

My boss and I have often discussed why it is that broadband combined wireless haven't taken off in places like hotels and rest stops. At this point they are VERY inexpensive and it wouldn't be hard to implement at all even for those organizations with little money. On many of my trips around the US, I've found that broadband and wireless are only available in the most expensive accomodations (A Radisson in Massachusetts for instance). We did happen to stay in a Comfort Inn in PA once that actually had ethernet in the room (LodgeNet was the ISP) that gave decent speeds for a reasonable price ($4.99 for 24 hours. Of course, Radisson's wireless access was free of charge). But, that was a 1 in 25 experience in terms of frequency of occurence.

Just last month we took a trip to Australia and found that what appears to be common there are coin-op internet access stations nearly everywhere. Again, I didn't find any wireless or wired access in any of the hotels we stayed in (Mostly "Flag" hotels. Also a few Ibis). I was able to get dial-up with Telstra Bigpond, but 28.8-42K feels pretty slow these days.

I think the problem is that a lot of hotels, rest areas, airports, etc... think that this stuff is really expensive. So... it's time for all you WiFi hacktivists to get out there and spread that word that wireless is here, broadband is here and they are both reasonably priced. In fact a lot of those hotels could cut down on their outside lines and use that money for the DSL line or two to give their customres high speed access.

Oh well... just a few thoughts on this subject, but not much else to say.

And who could forget...

[tunabomber]

Carhenge!

Totally

[tunabomber]

Dunn Brothers on Wabasha in downtown St. Paul used to be my old bandwidth feed trough before I moved far, far away. Also, the MSP airport has Wi-Fi access, but I think its 'doze only and you have to pay for it.

what?

[Skulk]

They still make stereos that dont play mp3s?

Wow, that's weird.

REAL Geek roadsite attraction hotspots are ...

[MarkMac]

No geek trip across the country should be done without stopping at least once to see a HUGE BEING or a WORLD's LARGEST ROADSIDE ATTRACTION!!

Even Kansas has such remarkable attractions to see :-)

(Heck, if you insist on blogging while traveling, at least include something amusing and worth reading about ...)

huh?

[/dev/trash]

I intend on blogging my cross country trip as it happens and would like to have something to talk about other than the state lines I cross and the number of retreads I dodge.

Who will be driving? Or will you be using Voice to Text?

the upside to being plugged in

[RestiffBard]

last year I took a trip to the states local to Virginia. Never logged into anything till I got to Ohio and used a friend's link to acces my webmail to hook up with a friend I was going to drop in on in NC. Then we used the cell phone when we were close to Charlotte to get precise directions. But, dude, when you're in a bar you would look a little odd carrying along a laptop.

Use university computer labs!

[Moses Lawn]

My suggestion would be to hit every college and university you can. I drove across the country and back 2 years ago, and imagined I'd find lots of wireless too. School computer labs or plain old dialup was *much* more realistic.

Along your route, I stopped at University of Utah (Salt Lake City), which has a big lab in the library, with wireless. However, you have to be a student to get access. I just used a floppy (remember floppies?) to move stuff from the laptop to a lab machine and did the FTP from there. Or, try unplugging an ether cable from a lab machine and plugging yours in. Might work - it does at University of Vermont (heh heh).

While on campus, try wandering around outside the dorms. I imagine you'll pick up a few access points there.

As for stuff to see, if you're not in a huge rush, take the scenic route across North Dakota and drive through the Teddy Roosevelt National Park, then go south and see Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial (crazyhorse.org, thanks to a previous poster). I cannot say enough about this one - it's about the most awesome sight I've seen. I hit it before Mt. Rushmore (they're about 35 or so miles apart) and it made Rushmore look small and insignificant.

When in Green River, Wyoming, don't forgt to see the Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport (along the road to the Flaming Gorge Dam and Recreational Area). Then again, don't bother - it looks like this. The Bonneville Salt Flats are mightily impressive.

One other thing - you will not get a decent cup of coffee until you get to California. When I was in Cheyenne, I drove half an hour out of my way to find a Starbucks. Get a french press (you can get them in plastic - reccomended) and grind up some beans before you leave.

One other other thing - never eat, or even stop, at Stuckeys. Trust me on this.

Other than that, have a great trip, and like others here have said, don't let the tech get in the way of enjoying it.

Re:Use university computer labs!

[ProfMoriarty]

As for stuff to see, if you're not in a huge rush, take the scenic route across North Dakota

HAHAHAHAHA ... scenic route across North Dakota ... HAHAHAHAHA ..

Awww man ... never laughed so hard ... :)

Seriously ... I live here ... there's NOTHING scenic about the route across North Dakota ... (I-94) ... unless you like counting grain silos.
Sure ... after Bismarck it gets a little more interesting with the badlands ... and the drive south (after Dickinson) to hit South Dakota is the longest without ANY reststops/gas stations in ND.

Though, you do drive past the highest point in ND, and make sure you see the "open range" ... literally ... its a range without a front on it, and a sign by it telling the people who don't get it what it is ... (its really for the Montanians)

Heh ... ND scenery ... heheheh ...

The Desert

[jmitchel!jmitchel.co]

You do realize that you are crossing the great american spiritual and cultural waste-land, right? The reason you don't find many wireless hot-spots is that there aren't many. The whole mid-section of the continent, from the Great Lakes west, is underserved or unserved by everything that a geek in an urban center would consider important. Bring a modem and an account with a nationwide ISP or forget about internet access.

Moreover, the image of the goofy mid-west, full of strange characters and goofy atractions is a myth pomulgated by a sentimental media. There are one or two things to do, though nothing that's stuck in my memory, but in most cases, once you get past a superficial exoticism, these sorts of places are all the same. I have crossed and re-crossed the west, always looking for something to elevate the trip above sheer tedium, and I have yet to find it.

There are two pieces of adivce I can offer, that make trips like this bareable:

1. Stay off the freeway. Every inch of freeway, from Washington to Washington DC looks the same. It takes longer to drive on the US and State highways, but there is enough variety to justify the effort, unless you are in a hurry.

2. State and National Parks are usually worth the effort. The long scar of the Badlands which streches rather farther than I'd expected, is a good example.

Good luck and may your god have mercy.

Easy way to find WiFi Access points

[K-Man]

Wireless access points are easy to find along the highway; just look for the skidmarks and wreckage left by previous users.

And while you're nearby...

[jellisky]

... remind yourself of our nuclear prowess!

http://www.ci.kimball.ne.us/gotte_park.htm

(I've visited both this park and Carhenge. Terrific pit stops for travellers and storm chasers. ;) They give us storm chasers something to remember if we don't see anything significant during that day's chase.)

-Jellisky

oops...

[urbazewski]

my roadside picks are, pointed out, on I-90.

But I-80 has the barbed wire buffalo in Gothenburg, Nebraska (& the sod house museum & pony express station)....

Gear

[simpl3x]

once i took a trip to the boundary waters on the canadian border with my ten year old son. as it rained on our heads while we were on the river, drenching ourselves in deet (i know...) to avoid the continual hum of mosquitos, i discovered that the cell phone actually worked in the wilderness! $40 phone calls to my girlfriend. being connected is nice, but wishing wi-fi upon the world isn't going to make it happen soon. i use a cell phone card which gets up to 144k (more like 90k) in areas with coverage and 19k elsewhere. loading /. in 5 seconds has turned out to be just fine! bandwidth can be overrated. connection matters. no strings on me!

Free 802.11b access in Des Moines

[iphayd]

http://www.i-spotaccess.com/

They limit you per month, but have several access points including a mall, a jazz bar (Doc's), and other sites.

Truckstops

[inyercells]

Truckstops such as Flying J and TravelCenters of America offer dialup as well as 802.11b access. Most of the drivers I know would be lost without their laptops.

Wireless 56k with Sprint PCS Vision

[tedhiltonhead]

I took a roadtrip across the state recently and brought my Treo 300, laptop, and serial cable. Using Sprint's PCS Vision service and the phone as an external modem, I had a wireless 56k connection the whole way. My Vision service is unlimited, so I was streaming audio, AIM, reading Slashdot, etc.

I used WirelessModem, a shareware PalmOS app that bridges the Treo's serial port and built-in wireless modem. Yes, it works in Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supposedly, the USB cable even works in Linux and MacOS.

Be aware that Sprint's transparent proxy re-compresses Web images, similarly to AOL. The maximum theoretical rate is 144kbps, but I haven't yet achieved that due to weirdness in Windows's modem drivers.

SprintPCS or Cross Country Wardrive...

[tz]

If you get a good (7.5 Db or better) antenna, you can wardrive across country. There will be gaps but more than a few open APs. I was picking up APs on the strangest points along I-80...

Beyond that, Sprint PCS with unlimited Vision should work if you are going to stay on the freeways (or Verizon's equivalent or others).

AOL. No, really.

[JamesOfTheDesert]

I just drove cross-country, and wanted some sort of Net access. I bit the bullet and installed AOL from one of those "1K free hours" CDs.

So kill me.

The result was that, at all but one hotel, I had free local calls and I could relax on the Net whilst sitting in my underwear watching CNN.

Yeah, it was slow, but not the end of the world. I could read E-mail, check somw sites, update my blog with travel news, and snarf porn.

Six days later, end of trip, call to AOl, cancel account.

Don't take a computer.

[rice_burners_suck]

Taking a computer along on a road trip is just plain wrong. Shit, man, I'm a geek if I ever saw one, but when I go out in nature or when I take a road trip across country, both of which I do as OFTEN as possible, I don't take along a cell phone. I don't take along a computer. I just take along a backpack containing a bunch of clothes and lots of food. It's like when I went to Sequoia last year during the winter. I was in the lodge for breakfast and I saw someone on the other end of the lodge on his laptop and I thought, "What a loser... Giant trees, clean air, lots of snow, possibilities for skiing, snoe shoeing, sledding, hiking, etc. and he's wasting away on his computer. Blah."

Try living in the desert for a week or so. Personally, I like to go in the winter, when it's cold, because I don't like heat. There is no running water, no electricity. I sleep in a tent if it's wet or under the stars if it's a clear night, and believe me, it gets COLD. But the best part? Being able, in the complete darkness, to see every single star in the universe and just imagine the grandness of everything. The last thing I want crossing my mind is how life revolves around computers nowadays.

WiFi in SD

[__aajelt3877]

If your're visiting Mt. Rushmore or the Black Hills, enetis.net has 801.11 APs in Rapid City and Hill City. They use hardcoded subscriber MACs but maybe they would cut a ond-day deal for visitors.

hm

[prell]

it looks like you're right on top of wi-fi and cell phone hotspots! now, how is the list of things to stop and take a look at on your road trip? ;-)

wireless? heartland? ha ha ha!

[192939495969798999]

Yeah, it might be hard to find wireless, considering at least 80% of folks around these here parts don't have *electricity*. :)
Here's what wireless sounds like here:
(john boy, from across the holler): Hey maw!
(maw): What is it, John Boy?
(john boy): I got me a wireless! yeee hawww!
(maw): Well, shut my mouth and paint me red!

Damn Straight

[Cyno01]

Old pentium laptop with a hardrive upgrade plugged in with a tape adapter. I dont need no fancy hardware mp3 player.

no the excitement comes from the hoop snakes

[wadiwood]

or just the plain brown snakes that cross the road, or just sunbake in the middle.

Not to mention the roos, when it is drought and there is more grass along the road sides and grain from passing trucks. Galahs and Cockatoos are fun windscreen smashers too.

And just when you think you can set and forget the cruise control and tie the steering wheel up, you come across herds of cattle or sheep using the road as a stock route or long grass paddock.

That's the Hay plains (NSW Sydney to Adelaide). And then there is the nullabour (Adelaide to Perth), where a passenger can go to sleep for five hours (550km), wake up and wonder if we've moved at all.

And not a wi-fi or even a mobile phone signal the whole way. But our capital city CBDs are full of free unprotected wi-fi. Just no good for road trips. If you don't count Canberra, the closest they get together is 800km (500miles).

I live in des moines

[netblade83]

I live in desmoines.. afaik, there arent many wifi hotspots.. we dont have good broadband here, even in the cities, so wifi also isnt very good

Green River, UT - crystal geyser (CO2 powered!)

[SailFly]

There is one of two cold water geysers in Green River, Utah. The other is somewhere in Switzerland (so I hear). I was last there about 5 years ago when you could stand next to the geyser and lean into the stream while errupting. Pretty cool if you're into natural phenomenon.

Crystal Geyser

Iowa City

[rperson]

The University of Iowa has pretty extensive wireless networking in the buildings, but I don't know if it's open. There were a couple of students who were talking about starting a company to provide wifi coverage to the entire Iowa City area, but since I've been at Caltech for the last couple year, I don't know how that's progressed.

Iowa City, Iowa

[raindown]

The Sheraton on Burlington St. still has WiFi access.. it sits on a "ped mall" and you should be able to get access from around that area. I lived there for a couple years (grew up in SE Iowa but lived in I.C. before I moved to Philadelphia). I would recommend staying in Iowa City instead of Des Moines. Better people, more things to do.. etc etc.

Sorry that my post is all over the place!

Maybe this link will help. http://www.nodedb.com/unitedstates/?

WiFi hotspot in Reno

[Avenel]

One of the local pizza places (New Yalk Pizza at the corner of Virginia and Moana) has a public wifi hotspot. I haven't tried it (no laptop) but I assume it works. They have a big sign and instructions on how to connect. More importantly, the pizza is pretty good (it's thin crust, east coast style). There is also a good sandwich place (Cross's Deli) less then a block west on Moana.

Hey, hey, easy, kids!

[errxn]

Everybody in the car. Boat leaves in two minutes... or perhaps you *don't* want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth, which is only four short hours away!

My apologies to Clark W. Griswold....

road trip w/laptop

[johnnyringo]

I went on a trip with a buddy of mine in the august/spring of '99 and brought along a laptop to update a website along the way (check the site to see our route, pictures, and writings). It was great fun posting it to a site as friends and relatives were able to follow, e-mail suggestions and generally cause a little buzz and fun in other peoples lives. It worked out well- doing the writing and image editing during the long car rides (rt 80 can be a BORE at times), and update to the site in 10 minutes via a hotel room phone jack. I think trying to find wireless networks along the way might be too much of a time-waster when all you are doing is sending small amounts of data to your site anyway. Another poster suggested a data connection to a cell phone. That idea would probably be best, followed by the telephone line, and lastly, wireless. After all, you don't want to be limited by technology, but served by it.

Have a blast!

Small towns

[Quixotic137]

Your primary concern is wi-fi internet access, so I'll address that first. Seriously consider researching which small towns along the way have broadband internet access. Perhaps unsurprisingly, small town people like high speed internet. They also dislike running cables. Therefore, they buy a cheap router/access point from Best Buy, plug it in, and never look at it again. I'm from a town of about 2500 people. I went wardriving one day just for fun and found 10 access points without even trying very hard.

Secondly, why are you stopping in cities anyway? Why not get some of the local "culture" along the way? Diners tend to be as cheap as fast food, and depending on the time of day, faster. Not to mention you don't have to deal with going through the city to get to a restaurant.

Takes all types

[Lurkingrue]

I guess it depends who you are, really.

I moved from NYC to Boston, and I find it booooooring and provincial. I have no idea how I'd handle living "out there". When I'm away from NYC too long, I get antsy, like I'm being locked up somewhere away from activity. Coming back is like getting a hit when you've been in withdrawl.

When my wife takes me camping, I'm good for the first few hours...after which, I start wondering how long it'll take to get back to civilization. I think I'd find your 5-different-climate-zones cool for the first few minutes, and then be really, really bored.

Oddly enough, I was never had a problem with Milwaukee. Takes all types.

Moving Blog

[Protocron]

Well folks, I just moved across the country and let me say how much there was nothing on the subject. Roadtrips are Roadtrips, but they weren't much help ass far as moving. I found very little on the net about someone moving across country. No tips, nothing like that. I just arrived about 4 days ago and am still putting the finishing touches on my "Move across America."
I did bring a laptop but no wireless access. To be honest just having a dialup acount would have been great. But does anyone know if the Love's Truckstops across our great nation have wireless access? Anyway the laptop was fairly useful.

The fewer wires, the better.

[HaloZero]

Why? Well, you're right. Jacking on and dialing in is fine. If that's what you want to do. It'll get the job done, but it's a minimalist approach. If you have the technology, by accident or design, USE IT! When I bought my PowerBook G4, I didn't necessarily buy it for the fact that it came with an AirPort Wireless networking card, but more or less for the fact that it had a nice screen, a long battery life, and the development environment I needed for school. If you've got some IBM ThinkPad with just a RJ-45 jack, then you've got little choice (ignoring PCIMCIA).

To that end, having a wireless attachment (no matter how contradictory that phrasing sounds! :-p) is liberating. It means I don't have to be within six feet of a phone jack, and that when my fiancee or whomever runs across, say, the hotel room, I don't have to worry about her/them tripping on the wire and sending me, my machine, and the wall jack to the floor. It's happened. Besides, in the case of a hotel, who wouldn't pass up the chance to go sit in the elevator and freak everyone out? :-p

It all depends on your preferences, and your technological constraints. I still say, if you have the technology, use it.

East of Cheyenne

[Hokie Bird]

There is a town off I-80 called Dix, Nebraska. It's about 45-55 miles East of Cheyenne. Go to a little bakery off the main road and get a cabbage burger...mmmmm. No technology whatsoever in this little town of about 300, but good local eats.

Dial-up

[jdoff]

We used dial-up. It was slow and painful, but it worked. Here's our story.

not so much "down on bringing gear..."

[linuxelf]

It's not so much that I'm down on bringing gear. There is a time and place. My day usually goes something like this. iPaq wakes me up, I go check email, VPN into the company servers and check things out. Grab a quick bite, and I'm off to work, sit in front of various systems all day. Most of the conversation revolves around work and the computers therein. I go home, get back on my computer and check email again, work on a website or a programming project and go to bed late. Often I get called in the middle of the night to fix problems.

I give myself one week to forget all of that. During that week, we bring no technology. Not because it's impossible to use technology for entertainment, but because it is easy to use technology for entertainment. If the laptop was there, I know I'd be doing the exact same thing you mentioned, sitting around playing StarCraft. I can do that at home. We go technology free because you definitely do enjoy the experience more if you don't have the temptation to revert back to your computer.

Anyway, this is just why I don't bring gear along on my trips, YMMV.

Empty space

[MrResistor]

I don't think you've fully grasped the sheer amount of empty space that I-80 cuts through. I can't speak for your whole trip, but I've traveled as far east as Salt Lake City (from Grass Valley). Between Sacramento and Salt Lake City there's basically nothing. Sizable communities between those points include Reno/Sparks, Elko, Auburn, Colfax, and Truckee. Since you live in Placerville, I think you understand what I mean when I say that those last 3 would be considered "sizable communities". Of course, you'd skip those 3 since you'd probably take 50 to Placerville anyway, very few people are masochistic enough to take 80 to 49 to Placerville if they don't absolutely have to.

Anyway, I remember Elko being roughly comparable to Auburn with a bigger hotel, but the rest of those "towns" were basically mostly empty trailer parks with a gas station (with a slot machine if you're lucky!) and maybe a post office. Not exactly the kind of places one would expect to find many WAPs, and even if you did find one I very much doubt it would be hooked up to broadband of any sort.

When I made the drive from GV to SLC it took about 12 hours, with the only real stop (for more than gas) was at the Denny's in Elko. For some perspective on just how far it is, I had Hot Poontang waiting for me in SLC, so it would probably take longer under more "normal" circumstances.

*groans*

[ReidMaynard]

The whole point of being young & going on a road trip is getting the experience to be as close to a "B High School Movie" as possible.

Drunk white trash chicks and a cheap video camera will make you a legend even unto your great-great-grandsons.

At 17 yo I did one of these: 72hrs, 1400 miles, stole 5 Kilo of weed and got one sweet titty-fuck.*

If only we had cheap vieo back then...

*Note: all true except for the titty-fuck. I would have, but after we took the weed we didn't want to stick around Columbia SC.

er...

[ReidMaynard]

should read,
At 17 yo I did all of this in 72 hrs: drove 1400 miles ....

(damn my old age)

Only nine?

[Some Woman]

I counted over 40 coming from the other direction (Minnesota). Classy place, that Wall Drug. :)

Not wireless, but free broadband

[kcb93x]

I'm staying at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency Hotel for our state DECA conference, and I'm also on my laptop sitting in the *totally free* Business Center. Two Dells, with 17, if not 19" LCDs, P4s, a printer/scanner all in one (HP Laserjet 3330, it's about a foot to my right) and room to hook up either on their broadband (wired, CAT5, DHCP) or dial in through the phone. I'm sitting on the broadband connection, and downloading GTA 1 through Shareaza, as all of the download servers are just packed. If you need any more stuff, email me tonight, I'll check in morning, we leave tommorow afternoon.

Truck stops!

[xidge]

I know you're mainly asking about wireless, but if you're ever in a crunch and need to check your email (especially in them big rectangular states,) almost every truck stop (Transamerica, etc.) has an internet kiosk. Can't do much besides check email, but, it can be useful. Another good place: public libraries (also any and every college campus you come across, as has been mentioned.)
I did this same trip along I-80 this past summer, and it was wonderful. Have fun!
-Jen

Re:It's not the first time I've crossed the countr

[malraid]

Ok, maybe the original post sounded a bit too over the top for me. I personally think "techie" vacations are not as ejoyable as "unplugged" ones. If you need to keep up with work, that's pretty much reasonable. Anyway, have a nice trip and enjoy!!!!