http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110323/03003713593/homeland-security-says-they-could-strip-search-every-airline-passenger-if-they-wanted-to.shtml
My wife and I have pretty much ceased flying due to the inconvenience. If both of us are going it's easier to drive, and we can bring more clothing, and have more options.
Last year around Halloween, we went to Free Enterprise Day in Denver, CO. We rented a compact car with cruise control and packed food, clothing, my pocket knife, her nail clippers, and whatever size shampoo bottle we felt like. Fuel and car rental were about $300, which was cheaper than 1 ticket once you added in airport fees. We used a rental, as the cost of fuel, tire wear, and an oil change for our car would have cost more.
In fact, two round-trip tickets, and 3 days of car rental would have been about $700 plus fuel. Also, we didn't spend 3 days of parking or the $20 in fuel round trip to the airport. Then I would have had to buy (or ship to myself) a pocket knife, and perhaps pay for extra clothing. So we drove 1 day each way, no sorry, 2 days on the way home because we were either really tired or fighting a cold, so we did spend $60 on a motel. Either way, we saved around $400 for the trip by driving.
I can't recommend it for everyone. Both my wife and I are road warriors. She's driven 14+ hours and I've driven 21.5 hours in a day. She drove from Apple Valley, CA to Humboldt State University. I drove from Colorado Springs to Victorville, via the Devil's Hwy (Rte 666) and Phoenix, AZ because I was avoiding snow in Flagstaff, AZ.
So we lost the equivalent of $100/day each. That's about $12.50/hour each. I think it was well worth it, because I like the view. Also, the passenger can read. There's time for discussion, and slug bug...or the alphabet game, if you prefer.
I understand, not everyone has the time or inclination to drive that far. Some don't have the ability. I think my grandma says that you shouldn't drive more than 500 miles. But all the people in my family are road warriors, regularly making 800+ per day. I have also driven from Victorville to Portland, Ore, and Boise, ID in a day.
And, we got some future vacation ideas for places to visit. There's so many sights to see along and off the highways across America.
