(Planned) Route 66 Centennial Road Trip (Ended up being Great Lakes/Niagara Falls Trip)

[N Wilson]

Day 3

Had to start off with a charge and the nearest DCFC was a Shell Recharge that was slower and only hit about 60kW max so charging took longer. We spent a while in the travel plaza thinking long and hard about the rest of the trip. We had been planning the Route 66 trip for months, but the thought of driving into the desert Southwest after the heat wave we were experiencing in the Northeast was suddenly not all that appealing.

We decided to take a bit to regroup and my wife found a campground just over the border in PA and we booked it for 2 nights. We made the decision to change plans on the fly and make it a Great Lakes trip instead. We knew that with losing the 2 days in the beginning of the trip, and getting a slow start once we got on the road, we'd never make the whole Route 66 trip anyway and would have to turn back partway through it.

After checking in at the campground, we unhitched the camper and took the kids to the beach on Lake Erie in Conneaut, OH that evening.

 

[N Wilson]

Day 4

This was July 4th, and we spent most of the day on Lake Erie again. That night we saw a great fireworks display over the lake. A much needed relaxing day after the previous hectic travel days.

We didn't have a 50A plug on our campsite, but I was talking to the owner for a while, and he let me plug the truck in to a 50A outlet on the side of his house. I gave him $20 and got a full charge overnight. Less than a DCFC session would have cost the next morning.

My wife found a Harvest Host location in Helena, OH that did not charge a fee for the next night, and we made a plan to head to Lake Huron after that.

 

[N Wilson]

Day 5 - 177 miles

Travel day from the campground in East Springfield, PA to the Harvest Host location in Helena, OH.

One charge stop at a grocery store near Cleveland. We needed supplies at this point so we did some shopping while the truck charged. By this point, we were getting more comfortable with DCFCs and learning more about what the truck could do while towing the camper, so things were starting to feel more relaxed. Also, my wife and I were a good team and got good at dropping the camper in only a few minutes at chargers where we had to in order to charge. We got lucky with a few chargers that were positioned so we could leave the camper attached, but basically, it wasn't an issue to drop it when we had to. My wife would hop out and start chocking the camper wheels right away while I started unhitching and getting ready to jack the tongue.

We got to the Harvest Host location in the evening and met the hosts, a very nice couple who also let me charge the truck on an extra 50A plug they had there. We went out for ice cream that night and got them a gift certificate for ice cream as a thank you for their hospitality.

 

[N Wilson]

Day 6 - 193 miles

Travel day from Helena, OH to Bay City, MI.

We made 2 charge stops but could have done it in 1 if I had made better choices of chargers. I used a Chargepoint in Brighton, MI that ended up charging slower than I would have preferred, not realizing there was a Tesla Supercharger just down the road that would have been much faster. I ended that session early and ended up stopping at a Red E charger in Flint, MI to top up before getting to Bay City.

Parked at the State Park Campground in Bay City, MI where we spent 2 nights.

 

[maynard]

Day 6 - 193 miles

Travel day from Helena, OH to Bay City, MI.

We made 2 charge stops but could have done it in 1 if I had made better choices of chargers. I used a Chargepoint in Brighton, MI that ended up charging slower than I would have preferred, not realizing there was a Tesla Supercharger just down the road that would have been much faster. I ended that session early and ended up stopping at a Red E charger in Flint, MI to top up before getting to Bay City.

Thanks for these day-by-day posts! Cool way to take us through your journey…

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

… EV travel callus.

What a great phrase!

 

[J Alynn]

Day 4

This was July 4th, and we spent most of the day on Lake Erie again. That night we saw a great fireworks display over the lake. A much needed relaxing day after the previous hectic travel days.

We didn't have a 50A plug on our campsite, but I was talking to the owner for a while, and he let me plug the truck in to a 50A outlet on the side of his house. I gave him $20 and got a full charge overnight. Less than a DCFC session would have cost the next morning.

My wife found a Harvest Host location in Helena, OH that did not charge a fee for the next night, and we made a plan to head to Lake Huron after that.

Love the sudden -throw all plans in the air-and then start over. Sometimes those are the more memorable trips and experiences

 

[J Alynn]

Day 6 - 193 miles

Travel day from Helena, OH to Bay City, MI.

We made 2 charge stops but could have done it in 1 if I had made better choices of chargers. I used a Chargepoint in Brighton, MI that ended up charging slower than I would have preferred, not realizing there was a Tesla Supercharger just down the road that would have been much faster. I ended that session early and ended up stopping at a Red E charger in Flint, MI to top up before getting to Bay City.

What is a red E charger. Haven’t heard of those

 

[J Alynn]

What a great phrase!

Thanks. I use the word tournament callus a lot in archery because pressure is way different when the game/match/round is on the line and when a child or adult is new to it, they don’t realize the anxiety and fatigue that come with it. I realized as a new EV owner as well, it kinda feels the same way so glad you like it.

 

[N Wilson]

What is a red E charger. Haven’t heard of those

They are fairly common. We used a few of them on our trip. Not the cheapest price per kWh, but not the most expensive either. https://www.redecharge.com/

 

[N Wilson]

Day 7

Beach day on Lake Huron. The beach was nice, but the water was a bit mucky.

The State Park beach was right across the road from the campground and there was a free L2 charger in the beach parking lot so I plugged in and charged while we were at the beach. Very convenient. Plugged in at 54% and left the beach with 80% that day.

The state park campground had both 30A and 50A sites available and the difference in cost between the two was less than $10, so it was a no-brainer to get a 50A site so we could leave the next morning with 100% SOC.

 

[cyure]

Day 7

Beach day on Lake Huron. The beach was nice, but the water was a bit mucky.

The State Park beach was right across the road from the campground and there was a free L2 charger in the beach parking lot so I plugged in and charged while we were at the beach. Very convenient. Plugged in at 54% and left the beach with 80% that day.
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Beautiful scenery. How common are free chargers?

 

[maynard]

Day 7

Beach day on Lake Huron. The beach was nice, but the water was a bit mucky.

The State Park beach was right across the road from the campground and there was a free L2 charger in the beach parking lot so I plugged in and charged while we were at the beach. Very convenient. Plugged in at 54% and left the beach with 80% that day.
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Were you guys in the thumb or the mitten portion of Michigan facing Lake Huron?

(we live 25 miles south of the Blue Water Bridge near Marine City on the St. Clair)

 

[J Alynn]

Day 7

Beach day on Lake Huron. The beach was nice, but the water was a bit mucky.

The State Park beach was right across the road from the campground and there was a free L2 charger in the beach parking lot so I plugged in and charged while we were at the beach. Very convenient. Plugged in at 54% and left the beach with 80% that day.
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Smart planning and wish more cities and parks would get on that. Even if a flat fee of $10 per charge.

 

[N Wilson]

Day 8 - 268 miles

Travel day from Bay City State Park to Brimley State Park in the Upper Peninsula of MI on Lake Superior. We took the advice of some of the employees at the State Park in Bay City and took the route along the shoreline instead of the highway straight up through the middle of MI. It was a longer drive, but worth it for the better scenery.

We made 3 charging stops, but probably could have done it in 2 with a bit better planning. First stop was at a combination hardware and grocery store. Second was at a gas station in Alpena, MI where we got some cold drinks and pulled out our chairs and took a break and watched the world go by while the truck was charging.

Third stop was at a Tesla Supercharger in Mackinaw City where we had dinner at a restaurant across the street while the truck charged. By this point, I had figured out the right settings for ABRP and felt confident that it's range estimates were correct so I pushed further and arrived with the lowest SOC yet based on the estimate from ABRP.

This charger was in a hotel parking lot and we got lucky because there was a row of parking spaces behind the chargers that were empty, so I swung the truck and trailer across some of those empty spaces and didn't have to drop the trailer for this charge stop.

At one of the earlier charging stops on this leg of the trip, I noticed some dry-rot cracks starting on the camper tires on the left side which caused me some concern. I decided to keep an eye on them and check them every charge stop to make sure they weren't getting worse. I was looking in my mirrors every few minutes when going over the 5 mile long bridge to the UP from Mackinaw City hoping I didn't have a blowout on the bridge.

We arrived at the campground in Brimley just in time to catch a beautiful sunset on the beach.

 

[maynard]

Day 8 - 268 miles

Travel day from Bay City State Park to Brimley State Park in the Upper Peninsula of MI on Lake Superior. We took the advice of some of the employees at the State Park in Bay City and took the route along the shoreline instead of the highway straight up through the middle of MI. It was a longer drive, but worth it for the better scenery.
View attachment 17092

We made 3 charging stops, but probably could have done it in 2 with a bit better planning. First stop was at a combination hardware and grocery store. Second was at a gas station in Alpena, MI where we got some cold drinks and pulled out our chairs and took a break and watched the world go by while the truck was charging.
View attachment 17095

Third stop was at a Tesla Supercharger in Mackinaw City where we had dinner at a restaurant across the street while the truck charged. By this point, I had figured out the right settings for ABRP and felt confident that it's range estimates were correct so I pushed further and arrived with the lowest SOC yet based on the estimate from ABRP.
View attachment 17094

This charger was in a hotel parking lot and we got lucky because there was a row of parking spaces behind the chargers that were empty, so I swung the truck and trailer across some of those empty spaces and didn't have to drop the trailer for this charge stop.
View attachment 17093

At one of the earlier charging stops on this leg of the trip, I noticed some dry-rot cracks starting on the camper tires on the left side which caused me some concern. I decided to keep an eye on them and check them every charge stop to make sure they weren't getting worse. I was looking in my mirrors every few minutes when going over the 5 mile long bridge to the UP from Mackinaw City hoping I didn't have a blowout on the bridge.

We arrived at the campground in Brimley just in time to catch a beautiful sunset on the beach.
View attachment 17096

Beautiful…

Pure Michigan

 

[J Alynn]

Day 8 - 268 miles

Travel day from Bay City State Park to Brimley State Park in the Upper Peninsula of MI on Lake Superior. We took the advice of some of the employees at the State Park in Bay City and took the route along the shoreline instead of the highway straight up through the middle of MI. It was a longer drive, but worth it for the better scenery.
View attachment 17092

We made 3 charging stops, but probably could have done it in 2 with a bit better planning. First stop was at a combination hardware and grocery store. Second was at a gas station in Alpena, MI where we got some cold drinks and pulled out our chairs and took a break and watched the world go by while the truck was charging.
View attachment 17095

Third stop was at a Tesla Supercharger in Mackinaw City where we had dinner at a restaurant across the street while the truck charged. By this point, I had figured out the right settings for ABRP and felt confident that it's range estimates were correct so I pushed further and arrived with the lowest SOC yet based on the estimate from ABRP.
View attachment 17094

This charger was in a hotel parking lot and we got lucky because there was a row of parking spaces behind the chargers that were empty, so I swung the truck and trailer across some of those empty spaces and didn't have to drop the trailer for this charge stop.
View attachment 17093

At one of the earlier charging stops on this leg of the trip, I noticed some dry-rot cracks starting on the camper tires on the left side which caused me some concern. I decided to keep an eye on them and check them every charge stop to make sure they weren't getting worse. I was looking in my mirrors every few minutes when going over the 5 mile long bridge to the UP from Mackinaw City hoping I didn't have a blowout on the bridge.

We arrived at the campground in Brimley just in time to catch a beautiful sunset on the beach.
View attachment 17096

Brave new world and you are getting braver every new leg. Funny how we all fear the mighty EV and after a few rounds it’s like F-it. I got this.

 

[J Alynn]

Day 8 - 268 miles

Travel day from Bay City State Park to Brimley State Park in the Upper Peninsula of MI on Lake Superior. We took the advice of some of the employees at the State Park in Bay City and took the route along the shoreline instead of the highway straight up through the middle of MI. It was a longer drive, but worth it for the better scenery.
View attachment 17092

We made 3 charging stops, but probably could have done it in 2 with a bit better planning. First stop was at a combination hardware and grocery store. Second was at a gas station in Alpena, MI where we got some cold drinks and pulled out our chairs and took a break and watched the world go by while the truck was charging.
View attachment 17095

Third stop was at a Tesla Supercharger in Mackinaw City where we had dinner at a restaurant across the street while the truck charged. By this point, I had figured out the right settings for ABRP and felt confident that it's range estimates were correct so I pushed further and arrived with the lowest SOC yet based on the estimate from ABRP.
View attachment 17094

This charger was in a hotel parking lot and we got lucky because there was a row of parking spaces behind the chargers that were empty, so I swung the truck and trailer across some of those empty spaces and didn't have to drop the trailer for this charge stop.
View attachment 17093

At one of the earlier charging stops on this leg of the trip, I noticed some dry-rot cracks starting on the camper tires on the left side which caused me some concern. I decided to keep an eye on them and check them every charge stop to make sure they weren't getting worse. I was looking in my mirrors every few minutes when going over the 5 mile long bridge to the UP from Mackinaw City hoping I didn't have a blowout on the bridge.

We arrived at the campground in Brimley just in time to catch a beautiful sunset on the beach.
View attachment 17096

Such a beautiful sunset. Ahhh-to have beaches closer than 3-1/2 hours would be nice

 

[cyure]

Day 8 - 268 miles

Travel day from Bay City State Park to Brimley State Park in the Upper Peninsula of MI on Lake Superior. We took the advice of some of the employees at the State Park in Bay City and took the route along the shoreline instead of the highway straight up through the middle of MI. It was a longer drive, but worth it for the better scenery.
View attachment 17092

We made 3 charging stops, but probably could have done it in 2 with a bit better planning. First stop was at a combination hardware and grocery store. Second was at a gas station in Alpena, MI where we got some cold drinks and pulled out our chairs and took a break and watched the world go by while the truck was charging.
View attachment 17095

Third stop was at a Tesla Supercharger in Mackinaw City where we had dinner at a restaurant across the street while the truck charged. By this point, I had figured out the right settings for ABRP and felt confident that it's range estimates were correct so I pushed further and arrived with the lowest SOC yet based on the estimate from ABRP.
View attachment 17094

This charger was in a hotel parking lot and we got lucky because there was a row of parking spaces behind the chargers that were empty, so I swung the truck and trailer across some of those empty spaces and didn't have to drop the trailer for this charge stop.
View attachment 17093

At one of the earlier charging stops on this leg of the trip, I noticed some dry-rot cracks starting on the camper tires on the left side which caused me some concern. I decided to keep an eye on them and check them every charge stop to make sure they weren't getting worse. I was looking in my mirrors every few minutes when going over the 5 mile long bridge to the UP from Mackinaw City hoping I didn't have a blowout on the bridge.

We arrived at the campground in Brimley just in time to catch a beautiful sunset on the beach.
View attachment 17096

I don’t know how old your kiddos are, but you are creating memories that will last a lifetime.

 

[N Wilson]

Day 9

Beach day on Lake Superior. My youngest daughter and I were taking a walk on the beach and found a cicada that had gotten into the water somehow and was in danger of drowning. She's a future entomologist and is fascinated by bugs anyway, so we picked it up and put it on a tree so it could dry out and have another chance at life.

It was noticeably cooler on Lake Superior, a welcome change from the heat we encountered in the beginning of the trip. The campground we stayed at in Brimley was right on the beach and we had a nice time relaxing there.

We went to Sault Ste. Marie that evening to do laundry, and while there we saw a big cargo ship passing through the Soo Locks.

We had a 50A campsite again so charged to 100% overnight for the first leg of the next travel day.