1800 mile trip with our 4Runner

[Ripsnort]

We just returned from an 84 hour trip from Seattle to Walnut Creek, CA for my oldest son's college recruitment camp (California Gold).

The 4Runner was fully loaded including a Yakima Skybox (16) on a stock rack/bars. I estimated the total additional weight about 1000 lbs in persons, equipment, coolers, etc.

We drove straight through the first day to our destination (Son and I took turns driving, 13 hours total), then took two days coming home through Napa, then cut over to Sonoma valley, visited wineries, drove througgh the Avenue of Giants at the Redwood Nat'l forest and finished with lunch at Crater Lake, OR.

Freeway speeds averaged 75 mph. Air Conditioning on 80% of the time. Gas mileage was 20.5 mpg !! Very good!!

The day we arrived it was 106 degrees!
2 days later in Crescent City, CA, the high was 63 degrees!

Short video of the trip (2.5 min) below. Still loving this 4Runner!
https://vimeo.com/45790962

Pictures and video were done with an Asus Transformer Prime 10" tablet, an LG Revolution cell phone (tethered via bluetooth to Tablet, using my cell phone data plan) and a Canon HD camcorder (Lacrosse portion only)

 

[nw_4Runner]

We just returned from an 84 hour trip from Seattle to Walnut Creek, CA for my oldest son's college recruitment camp (California Gold).

The 4Runner was fully loaded including a Yakima Skybox (16) on a stock rack/bars. I estimated the total additional weight about 1000 lbs in persons, equipment, coolers, etc.

We drove straight through the first day to our destination (Son and I took turns driving, 13 hours total), then took two days coming home through Napa, then cut over to Sonoma valley, visited wineries, drove througgh the Avenue of Giants at the Redwood Nat'l forest and finished with lunch at Crater Lake, OR.

Freeway speeds averaged 75 mph. Air Conditioning on 80% of the time. Gas mileage was 20.5 mpg !! Very good!!

The day we arrived it was 106 degrees!
2 days later in Crescent City, CA, the high was 63 degrees!

Short video of the trip (2.5 min) below. Still loving this 4Runner!
https://vimeo.com/45790962

Pictures and video were done with an Asus Transformer Prime 10" tablet, an LG Revolution cell phone (tethered via bluetooth to Tablet, using my cell phone data plan) and a Canon HD camcorder (Lacrosse portion only)

I've done the Bay Area to PDX/SEA quite a few times ... fun drive (and puts into perspective how freakin' long the state of CA really is). Thanks for sharing ... what a great trip, for a great reason... you're a fantastic dad.

So what did he think of the college?

 

[1engineer]

Sounds like a fun time! We used our 4Runner last year too going to several different colleges who were interested in my son. Total travel for that was about 2,000 miles over several weeks. What sport?

 

[Ripsnort]

I've done the Bay Area to PDX/SEA quite a few times ... fun drive (and puts into perspective how freakin' long the state of CA really is). Thanks for sharing ... what a great trip, for a great reason... you're a fantastic dad.

So what did he think of the college?

There were 25 colleges in attendence.
He's narrowed his choices down to GCU (AZ) and Sonoma State. University of Oregon is interested in him too.

1Engineer-Lacrosse. The fastest growing sport in the US in the past 10 years.

My oldest (16 y/0) has played it for 5 years (gave up football to do Lacrosse year around) and my youngest (13 y/o) has played it 1.5 years.

The oldest finished 43rd in state statistics out of 4500 HS Lacrosse players this spring. He's got some colleges actively recruiting him and he's not even a junior yet in HS!

Both kids are on Elite travel teams (Seattle Starz in the summer, South Sound Starz in the fall, then there is school spring lacrosse that starts Feb and ends in May) Elite travel teams work like this: You try out for the team, if you make it, your parents are "Lacrosse-poor" from spending so much $$.

Between May 25th and Aug 8th this year we have or are attending 14 tournaments/Camps/Recruitment camps, in PA, CA, NC, WA. College coaches/recruiters attend most if not all of these.

Whew I'm tired! Philly this week-end, U of NC next week! (Flying! not driving!)

our schedule so far since May 25th....

Oregon (Reilly-Tournament) 4-1
Western Washington (Reilly-Tournament) 3-3
Denver, Colorado (Reilly-Tournament)6-1 In U13 Championship, took 2nd.
Northern Washington state (Reilly-Tournament)5-2, Lost in Semi's, took 3rd.
Baltimore, Maryland (Gordon-College Recruitment camp)
Tahoma, Washington (Gordon and Reilly-Sizzler Tournament) Both teams lost in quarter finals
Los Angeles, CA (Reilly-Tournament)7-0 Won U13 championship
Tacoma, WA (ya! One close to home!) (Reilly-Training camp)
Danville, CA (Gordon-College Recruitment camp)
Philly,Pennsylvania (Reilly-Tournament)
Sonoma, CA (Gordon-Tournament)
Chapel Hill (UNC), NC (Gordon-College Recruitment Camp)
Seattle Stealth Academy Tournament, WA(Gordon-local tournament)
Elite 80 Camp,WA

Closing in on 5 events out of 14 left.
Started May 28th, will finish Aug. 8th.

 

[DannyLlama]

Thanks for sharing OP.. Great video and best of luck with your son's college search.

 

[1engineer]

There were 25 colleges in attendence.
He's narrowed his choices down to GCU (AZ) and Sonoma State. University of Oregon is interested in him too.

1Engineer-Lacrosse. The fastest growing sport in the US in the past 10 years.

My oldest (16 y/0) has played it for 5 years (gave up football to do Lacrosse year around) and my youngest (13 y/o) has played it 1.5 years.

The oldest finished 43rd in state statistics out of 4500 HS Lacrosse players this spring. He's got some colleges actively recruiting him and he's not even a junior yet in HS!

Both kids are on Elite travel teams (Seattle Starz in the summer, South Sound Starz in the fall, then there is school spring lacrosse that starts Feb and ends in May) Elite travel teams work like this: You try out for the team, if you make it, your parents are "Lacrosse-poor" from spending so much $$.

Between May 25th and Aug 8th this year we have or are attending 14 tournaments/Camps/Recruitment camps, in PA, CA, NC, WA. College coaches/recruiters attend most if not all of these.

Whew I'm tired! Philly this week-end, U of NC next week! (Flying! not driving!)

our schedule so far since May 25th....

Oregon (Reilly-Tournament) 4-1
Western Washington (Reilly-Tournament) 3-3
Denver, Colorado (Reilly-Tournament)6-1 In U13 Championship, took 2nd.
Northern Washington state (Reilly-Tournament)5-2, Lost in Semi's, took 3rd.
Baltimore, Maryland (Gordon-College Recruitment camp)
Tahoma, Washington (Gordon and Reilly-Sizzler Tournament) Both teams lost in quarter finals
Los Angeles, CA (Reilly-Tournament)7-0 Won U13 championship
Tacoma, WA (ya! One close to home!) (Reilly-Training camp)
Danville, CA (Gordon-College Recruitment camp)
Philly,Pennsylvania (Reilly-Tournament)
Sonoma, CA (Gordon-Tournament)
Chapel Hill (UNC), NC (Gordon-College Recruitment Camp)
Seattle Stealth Academy Tournament, WA(Gordon-local tournament)
Elite 80 Camp,WA

Closing in on 5 events out of 14 left.
Started May 28th, will finish Aug. 8th.

Just substitute soccer for lacrosse and you have our family. My daughter plays in college now and my son will be playing this fall. He will be redshirted his freshman year due to age (won't be 18 until sophomore)

 

[Ripsnort]

Just substitute soccer for lacrosse and you have our family. My daughter plays in college now and my son will be playing this fall. He will be redshirted his freshman year due to age (won't be 18 until sophomore)

:thumbsup:

Both my kids played soccer and football at one point.
Lacrosse is their only sport now, it's sort of like soccer, but you have a weapon and can hit people.

 

[rlumpy]

"There were 25 colleges in attendence.
He's narrowed his choices down to GCU (AZ) and Sonoma State. University of Oregon is interested in him too."

Stay away from GCU. My granddaughter investigated it and we found out it is a for-profit enterprise masquerading as a Christian College. Google "Grand Canyon University scams" and you'll find all kinds of bad stories about ripping off grant money and bad loans. :rockthrow:

 

[Liam1234]

Great video!!!!

 

[RubiconSS]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing that. Was it comfortable? (Front seats, back seats) ride etc.