Cross country trek advice

[deniseann]

Hello -

I am new to this board but not new to crossdressing. My story is very similar to many others. I am in my mid forties and I have been a crossdresser since as long back as I can remember. I sometimes would go years without dressing but I always find my way back.

Last summer, my SO and I had grandma watch the kids and we spent four days together with me dressed 24/7. It was wonderful!:p

Well, I need to go to S. California for some training in July. I plan on driving out and I am thinking of going en femme. I am looking for some advice from people who have done this. Any good spots to stop and visit between Chicago and Los Angeles? Any places to avoid?

Any insights would be welcomed.

Deniseann

[trannie T]

Don't forget your autographed photo of Julie Newmar.
Have a good trip, keep a journal and let us know about your adventures.

[deniseann]

LOL Thanks for the comment trannie T. I will have to watch Julie Newmar again before I go. I'm not going until July so I have plenty of time.

I want to figure a general route and I hope to learn from people on this forum.

[Lori SC]

Hi Denise,

Are there interesting places to stop!!!! :p

How about anywhere you find interesting? But for me, I think a picture of me enfemme throwing the dice at a craps table in Las Vegas would be one of those must have pictures - Although Karen Hutton has probably already done that :heehee:

Although you will probably be fine, and have no problems, remember to pack a set of guy clothes where you can easily get at them. And don't forget to take some moist towelets to remove makeup. Just in case you do have car problems out in the middle of nowhere.

Depending on your tolerance for risk and the condition of your car, consider joining Tripple A for the same car breakdown potential.

And yes - Do keep a diary and take plenty of photos.

Hugs, Lori

[vbcdgrl]

Femme or no, I'd follow the old Route 66, the "mother road". Lots of stuff to see. I don't want to burst your bubble, but, remember the ID issues when dealing with hotels and motels. Also, it will be hot in July, not really conducive to traveling en femme.

Vikki

[sandra-leigh]

Well, I need to go to S. California for some training in July. I plan on driving out and I am thinking of going en femme. I am looking for some advice from people who have done this.

I haven't done anything like that, but you will have to plan your bathroom strategy before you go, as it may affect your choice of routes. The larger highways will have drive-off gas-station slash restaurants, but probably anywhere like that will have multi-person womens washroom: you need to decide whether you are going to be comfortable using the womens in strange locations when there are other women in there. If, though, you were to go by the lesser highways, then you are more likely to end up stopping in a town along the way (possibly leaving the highway itself for short distances), and gas stations or restaurants you stop at in those places are more likely to have single-user washrooms. A hybrid strategy would be to take the limited-access highways between towns/cities that are good pit-stop distances apart, go into the town, do your duty, and go back onto the highway.

The distance you propose is too far to travel in one session, so you will be needing to find places to stay along the way. Hotel or motel? Register while femme or not? If while femme, are you planning to use a credit card in your femme name or in your male name? (You could probably get a card with an initial and last name.) Some places insist on photo-id with credit cards now: plan which photo-id you will show.

You might have already dealt with these kinds of things before; sorry, it's hard to tell what your level of experience is and your comfort level.

[AllieSF]

For a scenic route, I would see Mt. Rushmore, Rocky Mountian National Park, Denver and any TG/CD friendly bars, restaunrants, outings, Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak, Air Force Academy, Taos and santa Fe, New Mexico, Sedona, Arizona, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Utah, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam to LA. I did all that in drab in 2001 from Detroit to San Francisco. Had a ball and would love to do it again.

[deniseann]

Wow! Thanks for all of the thoughts.

I have thought of the bathrooms but not quite so thoroughly. In my opinion, I am not doing anything wrong unless I am a man in a women's restroom. I know some places have unisex, single person restrooms but it is difficult to know just where. I like the idea of a smaller place, off the beaten path being more likely to have a single user facility. I love the term tess-leigh, "hybrid stragegy."

I like the idea of a credit card with just the first initial. I planned on leaving in drab and the first night away, staying in a hotel and switching over. I think I pass fairly well except for my voice. I need to work on that.

I guess when I said interesting places to stop, I guess I meant any TG friendly places that people knew of that I could visit on my way out.

The moist towelette idea is a good one too Lori. I will have my guy clothes because during the training I will need to be in drab.

Thank you all for the thoughts and suggestions. I really appreciate it.

Hugs,

Deniseann

[Dragster]

When I read your start and finish points, my first thoughts were the same as vbcdgrl's. "It winds from Chcago to LA, More than 2000 miles all the way" came ringing into my ears. On a holiday to the USA a few years back, we drove about 40 miles of Route 66, east from Kingman. It was through an Indian reservation too, and the guys sitting by the roadside in the inhabited areas didn't look too friendly, as though we were intruding on their patch. We didn't feel like stopping at the diners there, and we weren't dressed en-femme! Hope you find a more friendly welcome wherever you go.

If I lived nearer, I might have invited myself along for the ride! Good luck,

Tony

[deniseann]

I appreciate all of the suggestions.

I have been searching for TG friendly places along the way from Iowa to California. Has anyone had a really good experience getting a makeover some place along the way out west?

I had my only one last summer a couple hours from my home and it was such an awesome experience, I would love to repeat it.

[Joy Carter]

Denice this is a dream/trip of a life time. You will have a super time I'm sure. I'm going to Chicago in four weeks and do plan to drive all dolled up. The only advice is that we need to be on the lookout for "Billy Bob". There are those out there who's warped views tend to over take basic thinking. Take a club or something just in case.