Long story short, I have an opportunity to drive back to MI for Christmas with my girlfriend, Denise, her friend, Rachel, and three dogs - two ours, one hers. The trip will include two over-night runs, stops in Beulah, Sault Ste Marie, and Birch Run, MI. Looks like it will be about 3100 miles, and about 50 hours in the vehicle.

To make room for our guest and the three dogs (all about 40Lbs each), I already put the spare tire on the roof. I'm going to try to fit our small 5 gal. fuel can up there too for emergencies - we'll be driving over the plains (Nebraska, Iowa) where they can and will shut down the expressway for snow or ice. We'll all be packing very light, but will have to take our cold weather gear too.

Anyway, should be COZY to say the least. I'm not a huge fan of the over-night drives anymore, since I make enough money to get hotels, but the time available requires it. We'll be getting home around 5am Monday morning and Denise and I will have to work that day! I'm also not looking forward to the stopping every 230 miles for fuel.

So, yeah, if anyone's near any of these places and wants to get together, let me know.

We'll see how the fuel mileage is at 75 MPH with the tire on the roof... Last time we did this, we got about 18 MPG (hence the 230m range), with nothing on the roof.

Wish I could! I'm going to Traverse City in July. When you get to Birch Run, stop at the Tony's at the Birch Run rd. exit off 75. Have a steak sandwich for me! Pizza cheese and mushrooms. Best in the country. Wave at my sister as you pass through Mt Morris on 75. Have a safe trip!

My wife and I are traveling to Indiana just across the border from Michigan for Xmas. Maybe we will run into each other....Well hopefully not literally! I am planning on making some time to hit a few light trails for the first time while I am there. Have safe travels!:pepper:

P.S. Get some pics!!!!!

Well, the trip went well. The drive was the worst part, both the time and weather. We racked up 3200 miles with an average 17.1 MPG - 98% expressway at mostly 70-75 MPH. The short stints of 80, driven by Rachel, killed the MPG. Denise and I spent 52+ hours in the Jeep over the entire weekend!

The drive out was pretty hairy. We decided to go sough through Kansas and Missouri since the weather reports suggested rain on I-70 rather than snow. Turned out to be freezing rain with 1/4" of ice building up on the front of the Jeep and road. After having to slow to 40 MPH for about an hour, we decided to take a nap in the back of the Jeep. The nap was interesting with three people, three 40Lb dogs and gear - COZY to say the least. We again hit ice in southwest Michigan for a bit, but got in to Rachel's near Traverse City around 1:30am Thursday. The drive to the Soo was windy but okay. The drive from the Soo to Birch Run was rainy. Our short stint from Birch Run to Kalamazoo was half great and half blizzard. The long drive home was okay with high winds and some blowing snow. Nebraska into Colorado was clear though.

There was a TON of carnage from the blizzard that came through the plains while we were in MI. Cars, vans, SUV's, trucks, semi's all over the place. The most interesting I saw was a semi with 40' trailer about 30' off the right shoulder, facing east on the west side of the highway. Not too impressive until you consider it was not jack-knifed or otherwise messed up - straight as an arrow. The funniest was a stack of 10 or so pallets of product from a semi in the median, but no semi in sight! And then there were the idiots who managed to go off-road while the road was dry...

Saw a red Pat from AZ rolling through Nebraska with a roof-top carrier - anyone here?

All-in-all, the Patriot held its own as I knew it would. I still hate the small fuel tank. We put the spare on the roof for more room inside. The power outlet came in very handy for charging phones, dog collars, and laptops.

Oh, and I'm now 3400 miles over the oil change!!!

Glad you returned safe and sound. My trip was much easier in both directions and I only caught some freezing rain for a an hour or so on the way there. Traffic on the way back was a breeze with some snow and low visibility. Then again I was traveling from Indiana to Chicago. Not much on distance. I am planning a road trip down to AZ, or maybe even up the East coast for spring.

Glad to hear your trip went well. I hope the weather for mine is better, though. I'm going to the Cherry Festival in Traverse City on 4th of July, then over to Alpena for a few days and down to Saginaw.