Saturday 27 August 2011

The Shell Smarter Driving Tour: Week Three

The Shell Smarter Driving Tour: Week Three:

18b_Montana


Our journey across the 48 states in a Chevy Cruze Eco continues and we are so close to the grand finale of the Shell Smarter Driving program! While there have been tough roads and driving conditions, we have loved every minute of it.


Day 12, Vermont

Day 12, Vermont


Day 12


Friday, August 12th: We headed from Rhode Island excited to drive through one of the most scenic states there is—Vermont (and state 32 on the list).


We drove through Woodstock, Vermont, and it was like stepping back in time. This town is on our wish list of places we’d like visit again. Difficult conditions in the hilly terrain kept us from using the momentum of the car to accelerate efficiently.


The spectacular surroundings continued as we made our way back to New York and west to Ohio.


Day 13, driving toward Buffalo, NY

Day 13, driving toward Buffalo, NY


Day 13


Saturday, August 13th: We departed Syracuse, New York, and started a long drive toward Buffalo with intermittent, unorganized road work along the way. As we get closer, traffic builds, but we’ve driven 766.2 miles on less than a tank of Shell gasoline and using the Smarter Driving tips!


We entered our 33rd state, Ohio, and wrestled a headwind once more, but we continued at a good pace (just under the speed limit). We passed through Cleveland toward Toledo.


The rich farmland had lots of interesting farm smells as we headed towards Detroit, Michigan (state 34). Mission accomplished, we navigated our way to Indiana, via Ohio (again).


Heading back through Toledo (we felt like we were in a scene from Groundhog Day), the wind is behind us. It was driving magic.


We called it a day when we reached Holiday City, Ohio, to enjoy some rest and relaxation.


Day 14, Ohio

Day 14, Ohio



Day 14


Sunday, August 14th: There was a dramatic change in temperature, last week it was 112 degrees F and this morning we have 60 degrees! We left Holiday City and there was light rain, but before long, we were in Indiana (state 35). We continued west toward Chicago and the weather deteriorated. Rain and foggy conditions gave us very poor driving visibility.


Chicago was hectic but manageable. We were amazed by the volume of traffic this afternoon. In most other parts of the world it quiets down on Sundays, but in the States, everyone is out and about. The aggressive driving style here means drivers typically spend 33 percent more on their gas bill. A Shell Smarter Driving tip: Drive in a straight line, without weaving in and out of traffic.


We stopped at the Shell in Madison, Wisconsin (state 36), for our ninth refuel. Back in the car, we agreed to get a few miles ahead, giving us a “catch-up” day tomorrow. We crossed the majestic Mississippi river and landed in Minnesota (state 37).


Day 15, catching up after crossing the Mississippi

Day 15, catching up after crossing the Mississippi



Day 15


Monday, August 15th: We were grateful to have time to catch up on planning and administration—a welcome change of pace. We made sure the next part of the 48 State jigsaw was in order to successfully achieve the world record.


Day 16, Iowa

Day 16, Iowa


Day 16


Tuesday, August 16th: We started the day early and the air was very brisk. Like us this morning, the car did not enjoy the cooler temperatures and hills, but patience paid off. Before long, we were purring along.


We left the highway at Rochester, Iowa, and headed south on the U.S. 63 to Waterloo. We enjoyed passing through all the cornfields, over Cherry Tree Lane and into Iowa (38th state).


There was so much beautiful scenery as we drove through Charles City, Iowa, with its manicured gardens and clear streams. We came across a detour, where, unfortunately, the instructions weren’t complete so we had to study the map. We recalculated and got back on track.


The Iowa wetlands were stunning, the landscape dotted with windmills set against a stunning blue sky with vibrant green fields.


We arrived at Nebraska (state 39), and headed to Iowa.


Day 17, South Dakota

Day 17, South Dakota


Day 17


Wednesday, August 17th: Arriving in South Dakota (40), we were confronted with miles of road blocked off into single lanes with absolutely no roadwork going on. We passed Laura Ingalls’ house (Little House on the Prairie), a television show we both grew up with and loved. After driving through several hills, we gravitated toward Mount Rushmore. Finally, we arrived into Wyoming (state 41). Only seven more to go!


Day 18, North Dakota

Day 18, North Dakota



Day 18


Thursday, August 18: We headed back east and were greeted by a beautiful sunrise as we left Wyoming. We waved goodbye to South Dakota on our way to North Dakota (state 42). As we drove through the small towns, we were amazed at how similar it was to our Aussie countryside.


After driving on some bad roads, we finally made it on to better pavment and reached Montana (State 43) thrilled!


A Shell Smarter Driving Tip for the day to help to get the most from your fuel: When driving a manual transmission, always get into the highest gear as early as possible without lugging the engine. It will reduce engine speed, delivering better fuel efficiency. If you’re driving an automatic vehicle, take off nice and gently and the automatic gearbox will get you into the highest gear much more quickly. Once you have gained sufficient momentum, back off the gas.


We make our way to Billings, Montana, for our twelfth fuel fill and decided to call it a night.


Be sure to check back next week for news from the last week of our drive, ending in Las Vegas, Nevada! For more information on the Shell Smarter Driving program and our drive, visit www.shell.us/smarterdriving.




Related posts:

  1. The Shell Smarter Driving Tour: Week One
  2. The Shell Smarter Driving Tour: Week Two
  3. Record Road Trip: Couple to Set Fuel Efficiency Record Across 48 Contiguous States


Source : Google Reader

No comments: