Summary of Tampa to Spokane Trip - Success!

[ScottFLA]

My wife, golden retriever and I left our main home in Tampa area heading out for Spokane (ok, it was actually Coeur d’Alene, considered part of the Spokane-CDA Metro area). Our property in CDA boarders a national forest and as stated in original post just felt like I needed some fresh air and wide-open spaces. With all meetings being handled by Zoom, I figured why not. I received a lot of great tips in original post and thought I’d share the experience, not only insofar as the 2020 MX, but just traveling during Covid. We did it only staying 3 nights in a hotel, so this was not a leisurely drive but wanted to minimize the # of hotel stays. We also loaded up a metal cargo carrying trailer for extra storage and to carry the 90 qt cooler and my golf clubs, and so our Golden wouldn’t be cramped. I bungeed it big time and it worked like a champ. The cooler had all of our food and beverages. Apart from 2 Jimmy Johns sandwich (During a charge) and 2 McMuffins, we ate only our own food the entire trip.


Planning Method
I just took the advice of someone who posted not to overthink it and let the Tesla do all the work. It worked INCREDIBLY well. The only white knuckler was getting to a a Supercharger with only 6 miles, but the average was 30 - 40 miles. I’ve driven TPA - CDA several times and it selected the route I’ve always used, which is the quickest. Even in the vastness of the mountain west, no issues. The Tesla algorithm is a thing of beauty. All stops below were exactly those given to us by the onboard planner with zero modifications or overrides. The only change was night 1 the Holiday Inn Express had a charger so we were able to top off.

Day 1 - Tampa to Nashville

• Lake City, FL
• Tifton, GA
• Macon, GA
• Marietta, GA
• Nashville, TN (the Holiday Inn)

Day 2 - Nashville, TN to Council Bluffs, IA

• Kuttawa, KY
• Mount Vernon, IL
• Columbia, MO
• Saint Joseph, MO
• Council Bluffs, IA

Day 3 - Council Bluffs, IA to Spearfish, SD

• Sioux Fall, SD (major Covid outbreak - First town with nearly all residents in masks)
• Oacoma, SD
• Wall, SD
• Spearfish, SD

Day 4 - Spearfish, SD to Coeur d’Alene, ID (Marathon Day)

• Gillette, WY
• Sheridan, WY
• Billings, MT
• Bozeman, MT
• Missoula, MT

Most scenic Supercharging station goes to Bozeman, MT (photo attached)

The autopilot was awesome and made the trip pleasurable. The handling was excellent. As for cons, I am not a big fan of the seats for long distances and mid-back seized up. I’ve made this trip in a Volvo XC 90 and was far more comfortable. Also, passenger compartment could be more quiet, again the XC 90 blows it out of the water. But man, that autopilot for a trip this long cannot be beat, and the trip planning baked into the MX was spot-on. I loved the way it doesn’t make you top off, which makes for shorter stops and is perfect for needing to stretch legs anyway. I think I only needed to top off twice.

 

[MrTomP]

is that silver metallic with black 22" rims? looks nice? Also, if those were 22s, do you think you could've made it with fewer charging stops?

 

[jjcyr]

Thanks for sharing!!

 

[ScottFLA]

is that silver metallic with black 22" rims? looks nice? Also, if those were 22s, do you think you could've made it with fewer charging stops?

Yes, Midnight Silver Metallic w/ 22" Onyx Black Wheels. Good question, and I'lll leave that to those who know more about 20" vs 22". Everything I've read is that that 20" is a better fit for the car, but since I'm normally more of an "in-town driver" I didn't care much and accepted the trade off of the very sleek looking 22" wheels.

 

[ScottFLA]

Having traversed the nation it was interesting to see the varying attitudes about Covid from region to region. The Deep South no one seemed to take precautions. As stated, Sioux Falls was the only area that had a really weird vibe with the concern visibly on people's faces (the Supercharger was near a hospital, pharmacy, and liquor store). Those people were not screwing around and everyone was wearing a mask. I was glad to bring some smiles to a lot of faces that passed by and saw our Golden sitting by the open Falcon door. You could tell they wanted to come over and pet him but no one did, they'd just smile, comment and move on. (photo attached)



Covid and hotels: In some areas, hotels were completely closed down. For example, in IL they were closed. The Supercharger station in Mt. Vernon was at an exit with several nice and newer hotels. Completely closed and parking lots barricaded. Fortunately for us, all of our planned stops had open hotels. We had the double challenge of finding open hotels that were also pet friendly. No issues. As for hotels and Covid precautions: In Nashville and Council Bluffs there were ZERO precautions. Same process of going in with CC and ID, passing back and forth, and using their pen to sign. Also, desk clerks wearing no masks. In Spearfish, SD big props to Holiday Inn Convention Center. Only hotel with protective glass between clerk and guest, cc swiper set back 6', no required signing the cc machine, show ID through glass, etc.

The Comfort Issue: In fairness, this is subjective. Also, I had tweaked my mid-back the day before leaving picking up something heavy. Nothing major, just a minor muscle strain that has already healed since the trip finished. Still, the seats made it worse, not better. I just wish the seats were more comfortable. The cabin noise is surprising. For a 100K car it should be quite a bit better, but also not horrible.

Another reason I did the trip is I am under a lease with 12.5k miles/year, and dammit I am using those miles. I plan on buying at end of lease term since my residual is 60K, but still, just in case. I'm also paying for auto insurance I wasn't using. Screw that.

Traffic During Covid: There is little positive to say about Covid other than the traffic, or lack thereof. My favorite thing about the on-board trip planner was how brief the stops were until the rural areas of the Mountain West that require 50 minute top-offs. It felt no less inconvenient than having gas. Just a quick 15-20 min stop for stretching legs. This is a long 2500 mile trip and the fact we did it staying only 3 nights in hotel --- same as in past with gas --- was really good. That said, you don't normally zip through downtown Atlanta during rush hour at 75 mph, so all the people working from home made a huge difference. It took me 3 hours to get through Atlanta last time. This time, about 15 min.

 

[BoerumHill]

@ScottFLA -

thanks for sharing! Sounds like an amazing trip.

Curious...how often did you wear a mask?

 

[IdaX]

@ScottFLA
Curious...how often did you wear a mask?

No need while driving at least -- and I thought that Biohazard Defense Mode was an unnecessary toy!

 

[BoerumHill]

No need while driving at least -- and I thought that Biohazard Defense Mode was an unnecessary toy!

Yeah, I guess I should have clarified “whilst checking into hotels, dining, et al.”

Here in NYC you cannot enter any place of business without a mask. But it seems most of the rest of the country is having a different experience with the pandemic.

 

[ScottFLA]

@ScottFLA -

thanks for sharing! Sounds like an amazing trip.

Curious...how often did you wear a mask?

Of course all N95s have been sold out, but wife and I had several homemade masks. We wore them at all times in any public place when around people, such as popping into a store. Got a few strange looks, especially in the south. A few people look at you like you're a coward or something. It makes me feel like saying, "This mask offers me ZERO protection. I am wearing it to protect you. I am taking no less risk being in this store than you are taking." I hate to say it, but most people are completely clueless. As a society, we've reached the point that wearing a mask to protect those around you is some kind of political statement. That said, I don't look down on people who don't wear them. I wish they would, but I also know they don't understand and I'm not going to be an a-hole.

 

[BoerumHill]

Of course all N95s have been sold out, but wife and I had several homemade masks. We wore them at all times in any public place when around people, such as popping into a store. Got a few strange looks, especially in the south. A few people look at you like you're a coward or something. It makes me feel like saying, "This mask offers me ZERO protection. I am wearing it to protect you. I am taking no less risk being in this store than you are taking." I hate to say it, but most people are completely clueless. As a society, we've reached the point that wearing a mask to protect those around you is some kind of political statement. That said, I don't look down on people who don't wear them. I wish they would, but I also know they don't understand and I'm not going to be an a-hole.

We live in interesting times, don’t we.

Mask usage is virtually 100% in Brooklyn & Manhattan. Occasionally I see young males without a mask. What you are describing is similar to Staten Island, but the norms & mores there are markedly different from the other boroughs.

Binary thinking is the bane of our society. It’s quite strange to see the level of disdain for expertise and science with a not insignificant portion of our country. I don’t know what can be done to reverse anti-intellectualism.

Anyway, sorry for the detour. That picture from Bozeman is spectacular. Feel free to post more.

 

[jbcarioca]

FWIW I have made quite long trips with Model X equipped with 20" and 22". IME, the 20s are far quieter and smoother.
I do not remember what tires were on each, just the sizes. I do know the original tires and been replaced on both of them. The 20" one I drove from Milan across Northern italy, to Slovenia (North to South) and Croatia. That car had more than 140,00km when i began the trip, but was quiet and stable, the Bioweapon Defense Mode really proved itself when passing through several heavy industrial areas dominated by mass quantities of heavy trucks.

Your trip was very interesting in COVID-19 times. From my sequestered base in, luckily, my very nice and spacious home, I am very jealous of your trip and destination. Thanks for posting.

 

[SKeller]

Where did you charge in Marietta, GA?

 

[kpedraja]

Really interesting. My girlfriend and I have been kind of semi-seriously talking about packing up our dogs and doing the reverse drive, from Seattle to Cape Coral, in my Model 3 to see my 87 year old mom. Great info here to see what it might entail.

 

[kpedraja]

Also, @ScottFLA how many hours a day did you drive on average?

 

[igranderojo]

.....This is a long 2500 mile trip and the fact we did it staying only 3 nights in hotel --- same as in past with gas --- was really good. That said, you don't normally zip through downtown Atlanta during rush hour at 75 mph, so all the people working from home made a huge difference. It took me 3 hours to get through Atlanta last time. This time, about 15 min.

Assumption 70mph average....I don't know what your average speed was...
2500 miles / 4 days = 625 miles per day average
625 miles / 70 mph = about 9 hours per day driving time
Wow!
9 hours / 5 charging stops = 1.8 hours average driving between charging stops
Wow!
total driving time about 36 hours

 

[jbcarioca]

Assumption 70mph average....I don't know what your average speed was...
2500 miles / 4 days = 625 miles per day average
625 miles / 70 mph = about 9 hours per day driving time
Wow!
9 hours / 5 charging stops = 1.8 hours average driving between charging stops
Wow!
total driving time about 36 hours

On one trip about three years ago I drove a friend's S70 from San Francisco to Atlanta in 21/2 days, including a half day in a Denver Service center fixing a drivetrain problem. I admit that I slept upon arrival.

 

[jasonh4451]

Great summary, thanks for sharing.

We are thinking of doing a cross-country run from San Francisco to New Jersey in our Model 3 in June to see family. Similar style as fast as possible but realistically with two kids I don’t think we could do more than 8 - 10 hours per day probably with a break in the middle. Considering camping but that seems like a drag moving that fast and we would still be exposed to public bathrooms.

People are pretty careful in SF so hearing how different regions are more relaxed about Social Distancing is a real concern. I worry about our exposure risk during the crossing particularly since we’d be going to see older relatives in NJ.

 

[5HOLSN1]

This is my first post on this site, but the next time that u go on a trip and need to plan for supercharging...the best website is "abettterrouteplanner.com"....try it you'll like it.

 

[rsusi]

Thanks for sharing your trip. Thinking about doing a similar trip from Sarasota to the west coast and then back. Also have a 2020 Model X with extended range. Will probably put my bike hitch on and take two bikes. Going to wait a month or so and she what happens nationally. We would like to take a senic leisurely trip and therefore hope motels and other attractions are safe and open.

 

[billion]

Awesome post, Scott. We live in Tampa, have friends in Coeur d'Alene, and we also have an MX 100. Your road trip story inspired some planning thoughts to visit them. My longest road trip in 2 1/2 years has been several trips to north Georgia for cycling events. Experiences on the road are similar to yours. The seat comfort and noise compared to my Porsche Cayenne Diesel were disappointing. But the enhanced auto pilot and Supercharger routing are amazing. I love my MX and will do it again.