(©2019 photos are copyright)
I recently completed a 7,800 mile (12,500 KM) road trip from Eastern Canada, to Mexico, up to California, and home to Ottawa, ON. I haven't heard of many trips like that so thought I'd post - enjoy!
I didn't record a blog for this trip, so I'll just add some notes to give you some highlights:
I recently completed a 7,800 mile (12,500 KM) road trip from Eastern Canada, to Mexico, up to California, and home to Ottawa, ON. I haven't heard of many trips like that so thought I'd post - enjoy!
I didn't record a blog for this trip, so I'll just add some notes to give you some highlights:
- I love my Tesla!! (what can I say?) [Model 3 LR dual-motor / AWD, Red, 18" wheels]. This car continues to be a pleasure to drive and live in and explore with.
- AutoPilot drove my car for about 98% of the highway driving. I couldn't have safely driven up to 12 hours / day (avg 8 hours / day) if I didn't use AutoPilot. AutoPilot drove through a raging, nighttime thunderstorm with aplomb while on the busy highway passing Cleveland. It was pretty incredible.
- I drove home in a hurry from San Francisco to Ottawa (comparable to NYC) in just 4 days (2,900 miles / 4,670 KM) - yeah, I kinda wish I'd had more time to stop and meet people and learn more about the places I was passing through.
- I planned to drive west from Monterrey and ferry to Baja California. But then I found out
- that our Canadian and US models' LTE doesn't work in Mexico (losing maps was OK, but I was more worried losing "Tesla save me!" if I got a flat tire!)
- that it would take 2 extra days travel that I didn't have the luxury of
- that my insurance doesn't extend to Mexico. Whoops.
- I had to pass through some sketchier regions of the country - I've backpacked through some 45 countries, so I'm comfortable off the beaten path, but not in a beautiful Tesla!
- I did have one accident. While distracted and on AutoPilot, I hit a pylon which smashed my passenger side mirror. It was little consolation that 2 days after I got back, I received v.10 which detects pylons! Oh goody.
- I spent $365 in SuperCharger charges. I used a destination charger at one hotel (but usually those locations were more expensive than a cheaper motel + SuperCharger).
- I brought my single foam mattress, pillow and blankets. I slept in the car saving money 5 nights. Super comfy as I just set the temp and fell asleep under the stars (BTW I'm 6' tall). I would fold the mattress into the trunk during the day. One late night I stopped at a deserted, rural Catholic Church parking lot. At 2 AM I got a loud rap on the window. State troopers asked me to drive several miles down the road to a rest stop. Whoops.
- Highlights included (some shown in my Tesla photos):
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
- SpaceX @ Boca Chica (I also saw Falcon Heavy launch during my springtime road trip to Florida)
- Crossing into Mexico (Reynosa) without ever being stopped and asked for my passport (what??)
- Monterrey city and nearby Parque La Huesteca
- Desert Sunlight Solar farm in the California desert (and the Arizona and New Mexico deserts)
- Big Sur Highway 1
- Tesla Fremont factory tour
- Bonneville Salt Flats
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