Will a VW Jetta Baby x2?

"450X_FTW" (mistermic) 08/26/2015 at 10:15 • Filed to: None

0

55

My wife is about up on her Chrysler 300 lease, and we’re going to have kids in the next year or 2. She’s “considering” a VW Jetta, but her concern is that it won’t be practical with 2 kids, 1 yes, but 2 not enough space. Going to 1 income when we do have kids, I like the price of it (only about $21k for the Sport trim, which is loaded and it drives really nice) she likes how cute it is and the great mpg. Does anyone have a Jetta with kids in Oppo world that can speak up to this? Also she didn’t like the Passat, so that is out.

I did find this, kind of a useful youtube series on cars and child seats, the new version of Will it Baby if you will

bob and john > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:17

0

it should baby. if you want the extra space, why not a Golf wagon?

450X_FTW > bob and john 08/26/2015 at 10:18

0

She refuses to do the wagon. The “I’m only 27, I will not drive a wagon, I will not drive a minivan” has spoken haha

bob and john > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:20

1

...*sigh* Tell her it will be your car and she takes your current car :D

CalzoneGolem > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:20

3

Won’t the lease be up by the time kid 2 rolls around? They take 9 months to cook and you’ll probably want a few months off in between.

LongbowMkII > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:22

1

add Turbo badges. Turbo badges make things better.

450X_FTW > bob and john 08/26/2015 at 10:22

0

Debated that too. She doesn’t want my Ram 1500 climbing in and out of with a baby at only 5’3”

crowmolly > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:23

0

Check out the Passat. The extra space will be worth it.

georgechristensen > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:24

0

If my parents could baby both my sister and I in a 3 door 1988 Ford Laser than I’m sure a Jetta will do you + two kids fine.

My citroen won't start > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:24

1

Not sure the Jetta will fully baby, you need a wagon, and that wagon is the Golf Variant.

EDIT: Show her this.

Jcarr > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:25

1

My wife and I have a MkV Jetta and a 1.5 year old. There’s probably enough room for 2 kids for trips around town and such, but no chance there’s enough room if you’re going anywhere for the weekend or something.

If we are going out of town we take our Envoy because all the of the stuff we need to take simply won’t fit in the Jetta.

Example of how much stuff we needed for just a two-night trip recently:

Our plan is to replace the Jetta sometime soon with a wagon/crossover of some sort. Right now, I’ve got my eye on a Ford Flex.

bob and john > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:25

0

ah.

well, if I could recommend something TOTALLY different....

finding an older (I mean 2000-2002) saab 9-3. it will be WAY cheaper, the motors are pretty friggen bullet proof, it doesnt have that station wagon look, but the trunk is an absolute cavern. Plus they are pretty mice in side, and being swedish, you could sell her on safety, whilst still having some turbo fun for yourself

450X_FTW > CalzoneGolem 08/26/2015 at 10:26

2

This was one scenario we discussed as well. Seems like it will be the route we go. Have time until she’s even pregnant too. There’s still a goalie in the net but there’s some slap shots being fired......

450X_FTW > Jcarr 08/26/2015 at 10:27

0

Long weekend/camping trips we’ll take my truck so we can pull the camper. She’s concerned that just going to the grandparents house for the day, or night with 2 kids would be over cramped.

CalzoneGolem > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:28

0

Yeah, it can take a loooong time to get preggers when you want to.

Jcarr > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:30

1

It might be, just depends on how much stuff you “need” to bring. I’m still floored by how much stuff we have to lug around for someone who is 2 feet tall and weighs 28 lbs.

450X_FTW > CalzoneGolem 08/26/2015 at 10:31

1

Always sucks that those that want to get pregnant have the hardest time doing so, and those that don’t want to get pregnant get pregnant the easiest.

450X_FTW > Jcarr 08/26/2015 at 10:32

0

hahaha yes agreed.

Nibby > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:33

4

2 kids? Your wife needs this.

The Dummy Gummy > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:34

0

I don’t know why, but this was reading this made me laugh and cringe.

450X_FTW > The Dummy Gummy 08/26/2015 at 10:36

0

Just turned 30, she’s 27, kids going to happen sooner or later

Ash78, voting early and often > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:38

1

She refuses to do the wagon.

I’m sorry to hear about your pending divorce. Let us know if you need any emotional support!
:D

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jcarr 08/26/2015 at 10:40

1

bro

way too much stuff

scale that shit back

Ash78, voting early and often > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:41

3

Having kids is lifechanging (just dropped our oldest off at Kindergarten this morning). And that extends to cars and homes, especially on one income — we’re in the same boat.

My best advice: Picture yourself in 5-7 years and what you’ll need. Because you probably aren’t going to have much time or money to face those decisions over the next 5-7 years. Buy more car and more space than you need. We outgrew our B5 Passat wagon not long after the second kid arrived, and it’s about the same interior size as the current Golf/Jetta Sportwagen. It wasn’t the personal space that pushed us over the edge — it was the STUFF. So the wife’s in a minivan now (a large crossover would also work, but that’s just a wagon!). And now I’m in the old wagon.

No way in hell would a small-midsize sedan cut it for two kids in most of the US, but YMMV depending on lifestyle, trip plans, daily usage, etc. Much of the world may differ from my opinion here, but deep down if you’re not constrained by urban space and parking issues, you’re doing yourself and family a disservice by buying too small a car.

The Dummy Gummy > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:42

3

Oh, I’m totally cool with that, but “some slap shots being fired.” Just killed me haha.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:48

1

I’d suggest a Honda Fit. Lots of room, tall roof for loading in kids that can;t buckle themselves in yet, and great MPG, plus even a new one is only like 20,000 with a bunch of potions. It’s like a mix of having a minivan, and a Geo Metro.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 10:53

3

My Milan, which I think would be a relatively comparative size, has been more than suitable with 1 back there. And we fully expected it to support 2, and it will some day. You have to be smart about which car seats you buy. Remember when the big convertible one is rear facing (probably 6 months to 1 year) is the biggest you’re going to have back there. Babies R Us actually lets you take their display seats out to your car to see if they fit if you leave your license at customer service, that way you can be SURE it fits.

We take the Commander for road trips/lots o luggage, but the Milan has a shockingly, shockingly large trunk. Like fit 4 golf bags in it. Or in this case, a full size folded up stroller, plus luggage.

450X_FTW > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 08/26/2015 at 11:00

0

Not happening, that thing looks pretty hideous. and lacks having a truck space

BigBlock440 > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 11:03

1

Assuming you’ve got a crew cab truck that you could use on longer/overnight trips, you should be fine with a smaller car. I’d say it’s too small if you plan to do any travelling with it, but on a day-to-day that size vehicle would be fine.

450X_FTW > BigBlock440 08/26/2015 at 11:08

0

Yep have my 4 door truck for the long camping trips. Maybe an overnight or 2 at the grandparents sometimes.

Jcarr > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 08/26/2015 at 11:21

1

That wasn’t even all of it. To be fair though, we were carrying my sister’s boy’s pack and play and high chair because they didn’t have room.

Also, tell that to my wife. :)

AprilsFools > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 11:34

1

Talk to other parents and find what they had and how it worked out for them.

We had a Toyota Sienna, my wife swore we needed ample room for the kids to go on an outing, and never used 1/4 of the space we had. Everybody says you need stuff, it is what you want, not need. The kid isn’t going to explode because you didn’t bring mega blocks to grandma’s for over night. You and her can make a Jetta work, it isn’t difficult, the biggest thing you will haul is a pack and play and a stroller, we did it in the trunk of a Corolla with room to spare.

The new compact CUV, give ease of loading, along with good space, if she wants a sedan go for it. The kids are now 10, and she wanted to downsize, so we got a 2015 CRV, I really wish we bought that instead of the van.

You best know your wife and if she is a maximist or minimalist. Keep that in mind when purchasing.

450X_FTW > AprilsFools 08/26/2015 at 11:40

0

She really wanted a Mazda CX-5, but it’s $10k more for what she wants and gets 7mpg less.

I was shocked with the Jetta sport because it’s almost fully loaded and only cost $21k.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jcarr 08/26/2015 at 11:42

1

Haha ok, if you were carrying extra.

But seriously, scale that shit back. Tell her I said so. We didn’t carry nearly that much around with our son when he was that age.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 11:48

1

I’m in the same boat. Before last week I thought I was fine with my midsized sedan (1st baby due in February). But after last weeks week long road trip I figured there is just no way in hell it would be big enough for anything more than weekend trips.

I told my wife to pack light and this is what we needed for 7 days on the road.

No way in hell would we have been able to put a carseat and stroller in there too.

Although more than adequate for day to day use. For long road trips(which we love to do) there’s just no way.

We are already planning a northern Canada/US trip(Yukon/Alaska) for 2017 and we might be on kid number 2 by then so it looks like a larger crossover is in our future.

Right now I’m leaning towards the Hyundai Santa Fe XL. Tremendous value for the space/power plus it was lockable 4wd for the trickier spots.

450X_FTW > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 08/26/2015 at 11:49

0

I have my 4 door truck and travel trailer for the long road trips thankfully.

Two Drink Minimum > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 16:27

0

I really don’t know if the Jetta is gonna do it for you guys. You could get a roof rack and a large roof box for longer trips. We do that with our Mazda6 and it works pretty well.

450X_FTW > Two Drink Minimum 08/26/2015 at 17:05

0

Long trips I have my 4 door truck and our travel trailer

Vicente Esteve > 450X_FTW 08/26/2015 at 22:50

1

My family of 4 took a trip from Mexico to Las Vegas and all our baggage of 2 weeks in a Jetta. I was comfortable and everything fit. Spacious is one thing this gen. Jetta is.

BoulderZ > 450X_FTW 08/27/2015 at 01:38

0

This is a lot of info, but your question is actually fairly complex. We have a Mark IV Jetta, 2004 1.8T with about 40,000 miles on it, bought new. Our boy’s about to turn 3. We have always had plenty of space in that car. When they’re tiny and in the “baby bucket” car seat, kids will fit in nearly any car. It fit in my truck with no problem, might have even fit in the “extra cab” bench seat, though there was no point (no airbags, 1989). It fit in the Z passenger seat, no problem (no airbags, 1978), though that car requires a locking clip that can be sometimes hard to find. Hell, I could have fit his bucket seat in the hatch of the 280Z if I could have found a way to legally anchor it, and a reason to bother, other than that he would have loved it.

The seat that comes after “the bucket” is a bit bulky, or at least the one we have is (Britax of some sort). Because they’re expensive and you really can’t get much for them used, if you can sell them at all, we went for one that could start out rear-facing and then turn around for front-facing and work up to about 40+ pounds or so, hopefully skipping to a booster after that. That seat leaves *just* enough room for an average US adult male (about 5’10”) to comfortably sit in the front seat with enough room for the kid in the back. We’ve done 12-hour (each way) road trips with that, worked fine. That seat fits in the front passenger seat of the truck, but not in the “extra cab”. It fits in the Z, but not with much room to spare. I think with two seats like that in a Jetta, it might be a little tight on the driver side, certainly for any one much at all taller than average. They do have some kid seats smaller/lighter than that one, but not by much and in our view not worth the premium.

But, remember, they’re only in the bucket for about 18 months, and the regular car seat for about 3 years, then it’s the low-bulk booster for quite a while. So, whether swapping cars for all that is worth it would depend on your situation. If you have one kid, and they move to a booster on the rear driver side when kid 2 comes around, you might be fine. Depending on the “stuff”. About that...

Everyone says, “Holy crap! There’s so much gear!” That seems very true for a lot of people; but, we never really had that problem for some reason. Every kid and family’s different. Maybe we’re just weird; I know we have always packed really lightly (2 weeks, 4 countries, 1 backpack each). That was before kid, of course, but we also just did a two week trip to the US West Coast (1 week) and then HI (second week) with two decent duffel bags, two day packs, and 2-year-old-sized backpack for his toys (which he likes to carry anyway). Easy, though his sleep was massively screwed up after that, as you’d expect. Early on around town, diaper bag for store trips, nothing else was needed. Once kid two rolls around for you, that would likely change, depending on age of kid 1, etc. FWIW, we fit all three of us in the Jetta for weekends of tent camping, including a compact portable crib, firewood, stove, etc. It was packed, but it worked. With two kids, I don’t think camping would have worked; maybe with a Sportwagen.

A decent compact folding stroller takes care of longer excursions when they’re old enough to sit up. Those fit in all but the smallest of trunks. We run a lot, so we have a BOB running stroller, too, and that fits in the trunk easily as well. That also filled the stroller function before he was old enough to sit up in a regular one, because the BOB has good adapters for the “kid bucket” seats. We looked at those “travel system” seat/stroller/whatever combos and really disliked them on both cost and function; the BOB was a much better solution for us. Again, though, every kid/family is different on this stuff, and I can only report on what worked for us, with our kid. Not statistically robust sampling.

For us, we could probably do two kids in our Jetta. I’d be confident enough to try it, anyway. But: we are exceptionally low-gear, light-packing, travel-loving, people of average height who drive very little, have 2-mile commutes with non-car options, and day-care right in the middle. We liked (and still do) our pre-kid cars, they were/are in good shape and long since paid off, depreciated, and inexpensive to insure, register, and maintain. We tend not to break things. The cars accumulate mileage slowly, taking off a lot of pressure for replacement. Still, when confronted with an emissions repair on my truck last week, I did consider getting something else . I have since decided it’s smarter to just repair and keep it. Our much taller neighbors have a 1 year old and 3 year old, a crew cab Tacoma 4x4 and a Forester, and they all fit in for stores, zoo, museums, parks, camping, biking, vacation, etc.

So, while it’s worked great for us, you’ll want to consider if you’re in the same boat or a very different one. Just be sure to do what you think will work best for you and your family, and don’t hesitate to change plans if the first plan doesn’t work out. Most of all, good luck and have fun!

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 08/27/2015 at 01:40

1

Agreed, the convertible seats are huge. Kids aren’t in them for all that long, a few years give or take, but they are a pain in terms of bulkiness and weight. I’m glad not to haul that thing on airplanes anymore.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 08/27/2015 at 09:11

1

Man we fly at least once a year, commonly twice a year (my kid kicks ass on airplanes for all those who read this, and I mean that he never yells and i keep the kicking on lock down, tablets are a gift from god) and that seat is the death of me. It’s too wide for the aisle on the airplane so I have to lift it OVER the seats all the way down the plane.

The best moment ever is when you can turn the seat around face forward. That changes everything because it fits so much better face forward than rear facing.

Rico > Ash78, voting early and often 08/27/2015 at 09:42

1

My cousin is going through the same thing. He’s got a 4 year old and another on the way and just got rid of his Accord. While it’s big enough for 1 child car seat, if you had to put 2 car seats you’ve used up all of the space. He needs something with 3 rows now and is thinking about getting a used Pilot.

Some people will chime in and say “Back in my day my parent’s didn’t need an SUV for me and my 3 siblings” to which I will reply child seats weren’t mandatory for kids under 7 in their day.

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 08/27/2015 at 10:02

0

Exactly! Glad you have an easy traveller, too. The seat, though. Oof. Have to carry the thing overhead all the way down the aisle. We just switched to a CARES harness on the last trip and checked the car seat (free on most airlines). Worked incredibly well, and a huge improvement on speed/convenience. The kid has to be over something like 25 pounds, though.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 08/27/2015 at 10:19

0

wtf is a cares harness?!!?!?!

Yeah they’re free to check, they beat the crap out of them but if my life is easier I’ll take it.

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 08/27/2015 at 23:46

1

This is a CARES harness. Basically, a few pieces of webbing and some buckles. Fits in a coat pocket. Installs on the regular airline seat back (under the tray table for the person behind, causing no issues for them), and converts it to a 4 point harness, FAA approved and has great big labels to tell the flight attendants you’re legal and good to go. You can pick up like-new, used-once, or never-used ones off of Craigslist or similar, usually. We’ve flown our Britax seat (checked, while we used the CARES on board) on about a half dozen roundtrips so far, up to maybe 6 hours each way, with no damage. I’d heard that car seats could get beat up in checked luggage, but found:

Use a real car seat bag (cheap from Craigslist, or borrow from another parent), and it’s well protected. It also has wheels and handles/straps so it follows like a weirdly shaped, large, but light roll-aboard bag. Put a carabiner on it and you could tow it behind your own luggage. Drag it to the bag check, and you’re done.

Talking to some actual ramp workers, kid seats get loaded last because they’re so large and weird-shaped, so that avoids a lot of crush worries. They’re also lighter than bikes and golf bags, so they end up on top of the odd-sized last bits anyway. While that’s not a guarantee, it stacks the odds in your favor for damage-free travel. That did not used to be the case 10+ years ago, though. Even the kid-seat manufacturers now say checked is a-okay.

Kids seem to dig the harness. My son likes that it’s like race car harnesses, and that he has his own straps and seat. Maybe it makes him feel like he’s more a part of traveling, I don’t know.

Note: I am not affiliated with nor enjoy any remuneration or reward from the AmSafe/CARES business. I just happen to use and like the product. Makes it possible to get travel moving back up to a “regular” part of our lives.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 08/28/2015 at 09:57

1

I’m seriously looking into this, we’re flying for T-giving, my son should be a little over 30 pounds so he fits the requirement.

Ever have someone in the seat behind you get pissed that it looped around?

It’ll definitely keep his feet further away from the seat in front of him, though he is a huge fan of his carseat cup holder lol. Definitely bringing this up with the wife. We have one of those car seat bags from when he was young enough that he didn’t need his own plane ticket. (life was so much cheaper then haha)

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 08/29/2015 at 02:21

1

I’ve never had anyone get pissed about it. Granted, sample size of a half dozen, but there you have it. I’ve installed it on United, Frontier, and Alaska jets, Boeing and Airbus. If you get early boarding for a kid or other reasons (so inconsistent...), drop the back tray, loop it and tighten, put the tray back up. They don’t even know it’s there.

A couple of times, someone was already seated behind him. Here’s the thing: you’re in the right, and even legally obligated to install and use the harness. But, “selling” it will go a long way to making it a good scene for everyone. Have the loop already set up, like a race harness with everything adjusted max-wide and ready to tighten, and then “Terribly sorry, FAA requirement for a kid harness, won’t take but a second.” Don’t wait for a reaction or permission, just smile and quickly open the tray table just a tiny bit (not flopping open in their lap) to slide the webbing in, re-latch the tray table and proceed with the rest of the installation. If it’s quick, no one cares, or even has a chance to think about it.

On almost all planes, the strap goes between the tray table and the seat back, no interference at all. I suppose there are a few older planes out there with tray tables that aren’t the modern thin veneer-style. You know, the old ones that recess in to the seat back. But, the last time I saw one of those was in 2012 on a regional Delta connection from Atlanta to Jackson, MS on a 737 that still had armrest ashtrays.

After one not-great experience with a flight attendant who didn’t know their own company’s and FAA regulations regarding rear-facing seats (same as cars, non-negotiable no matter who wants what), I started printing the policies from the airline and the FAA and sticking that in my carry-on pack. If push came to shove, and you had to argue it, you’d have the Ace up your sleeve to calmly set things straight. Not pleasant, but you didn’t pick the fight.

T-giving might be a little tougher. On holidays, it’s amateur hour. “I paid $300 for this ticket! Where’s my complimentary hot meal and cheap cocktail and movie and snack!” When we switched to the CARES harness, we also worried about the loss of familiarity he had with his car seat. Turns out he didn’t care. Loves the straps, loves being in a seat “Like Mom and Dad seats”. And, he gets the window anyway, in a seat in the sky. You’re right, though. 50% increase in airfare over when my wife and I travelled on our own, or even with him in a lap. That can really sting. C’est l’vie; I’m excited to show him the world, and feel lucky I have the chance to do so.

In any case: congratulations on your boy, and I wish you and your family smooth, safe, fun travels!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 08/29/2015 at 12:15

1

All great advice, thanks, definitely presenting this to the wife!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 09/16/2015 at 15:29

1

Oh man, never has someone on OPPO made such a sincere impact on my life haha. (closest is shop-teacher who recommended some awesome tires for me)

I had to unexpectedly travel to see my grandmother before she passed away this past weekend. My wife couldn’t come with me, but I wanted my grandmother to see her only great grandchild one more time giving he’s what kept her going for most of the last year.

So I had to fly with my 2.5 year old. By myself.

I promptly jumped on Amazon and ordered a CARES harness. Got it in 2 days with free prime shipping stuck it in a tiny pocket on my backpack and off we went. A couple times people were taken a bit back when I popped their tray down to put on the harness, but no complaints. One actually without even looking up, locked it closed right after I opened it haha. So then I unlocked it again, they tried again - excuse me, I have to put this harness on, I need your tray down “oh, ok, sorry”.

Only difficulty is he likes to look out the window which he couldn’t do, sat too low in the harness. But it worked, it worked so much better than the car seat and it made this trip drastically easier for me, so I owe you a huge, huge thank you. There’s no way I would’ve been able to wrestle the car seat onto the plane (it’s too wide for the aisle even and takes more work to hook up than the CARES harness)

Also, yes I know I had the red strap too high in the picture above. I fixed it after the picture, I wanted to take the pic and send to my wife before we had to “airplane mode” the phone.

If you’re out in Metro Detroit - I owe you a beer or a whiskey. Thanks again, who would have thought I’d need it so quickly!

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 09/17/2015 at 02:25

0

First, I’m really sorry to hear about the motivation for the last-minute travel. I’ve had my share of that this year as well. I think we, who have had a morbid past 12 months or so, all need to meet for a round or three of something really quite strong.

That’s so funny you mentioned the height of the red strap. Every damn time I install the harness, and then seat my boy, I’m thinking, “Well, that’s completely wrong...”. Something about the perspective makes me want to anchor the harness wayyyyyyy too high. At least it’s easy to fix, right?

I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear it worked. Some small experience I shared helped someone, even a little bit. Even better it’s an Opponaut whose posts I quite respect. I spent today checking messages and watching court logs for an update on what will be an interminable legal wait to put some sort of finish on a very personal family death. Bottom line, I have to wait another month for a trial date or plea deal on the situation. Your message really gave me a bright spot I sorely needed.

The window bit is tough. It’s a total crap shoot for how the seat rows and windows line up, and last-minute family emergency travel removes many of your choices. The only guarantee I’ve found is the last row seat seems to always line up with a window. Of course, that row might not recline and is right by the bathroom which can be terrible (that large dude from 29F that hit Fiesta Taco before boarding a trans-Pacific flight) or great (toddlers who love unfamiliar bathrooms for some inscrutable reason).

I will happily take you up on the beer/whiskey offer. Detroit is on my must-see list, and we (work) are in the process of laying out our data acquisition and field work for 2016. The gist is an up-the-east-coast (US) and across-the-upper-midwest campaign, which could quite obviously include Detroit. I will let you know if that happens. I have put in for deployment on that. Likewise, if you’re in the Denver, CO area, let me know.

Congratulations on a wonderful, savvy, young man (the photo of his tasteful consideration of the food and travel section of the inflight magazine is great) who seems quite at home jetting off with his Dad. I hope the fun part of travel helped offset the circumstances, and that all went as well as possible.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 09/17/2015 at 10:27

0

It sure does sound like Detroit could happen for you. I don’t know if you’re aware, but whiskey is kind of my thing. Search “The Cask” if you’d like to see some of my reviews. Maybe we’ll just get a bottle.

I may be out in Colorado for a wedding next summer, but I’m not sure yet.

2015 is going definitely going down as one of the worst of my life, so I wish you good luck with your battles. I don’t know if you saw but a little more than 2 months ago now we lost our daughter to a heart defect about 6 months into the pregnancy.

Yeah it’s a good thing that straps easy to slide down, because I think i placed it too high on 3 out of 4 placements haha. The window was more a height issue than an alignment one, he’s too short once he’s all buckled in.

Overall, he did really well, they were probably flights numbers 12 through 16 for him. Damn, maybe even 16-20. He flies a lot so it’s ok, he plays on a kid edition kindle fire throughout most of them too.

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 09/18/2015 at 01:45

0

Our families seem to be on very similar flight schedules/volumes. The longest flight we’ve done was Hawaii, which worked fine. We used a similar Kindle strategy, with great results, plus sticker books, matchbox cars, etc. What’s the longest flight you’ve done with your son? How did that work? Hawaii was fine as a trip, but recovering from the time zones and jet lag was pretty bad for my son. It was probably compounded with a week long stop in Seattle for the memorial services and the schedule disruption that went with that, too.

I haven’t checked in on The Cask as much as I should. While I’m primarily a gin man, I very much appreciate what brown (whiskey, bourbon) can do for me, and good recommendations are very helpful. I’ll check out your posts! With my current job, I am looking to perhaps try home production and see if I’m any good.

I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your daughter. I don’t have any great words to offer, just heartfelt condolences and best wishes for you and your family. I’m afraid I missed your post due to the timing. I wish I had seen it then. It’s excellent and heart-felt writing, and the sort of thing worth more consideration. My post and the aftermath we’re working with was around then, too. I hope others had a good 2015. I think for a good number of us, though, we’ll be happy to kick this year to the curb on 31 Dec.

We probably should have met and opened a decent bottle then, but let’s see what travels bring. Our work field season is kind of a May through July sort of a thing. I really do want to make it to Detroit, specifically, and MI more generally. Alternatively, CO in summer is a treat, if you end up making the trip. For whiskey and bourbon, you’ve got Stranahan’s distilling in Denver, and Breckenridge (prob my wife’s current favorite) up in the mountains, and a bunch of smaller ones have popped up in the last few years. For cars, we have The Golden Super Cruise, the Good Guys meet and cruise events in Loveland/Longmont, High Plains Raceway open lapping and events, Bandimere Raceway, Cars and Coffee, and tons of local (disorganized, but good) shows. As you might expect, there are a lot of great outdoors opportunities as well.

So, let’s see what we can do. I will do my level best to get to Detroit. And if you’re in CO, let me know.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 09/18/2015 at 09:59

0

Wow man, during my own mess I didn’t see your post, and I wish I had seen it on time as well. I’m so sorry about your brother. I’ve said some things about certain cyclists but I never have anything negative to say about responsible ones which it sounds like he very much so was. I’m a runner and I even called a runner a jackass on the way into work (seriously, 45 mph road with a sidewalk and he’s running on the road during morning commute hour. Come on.)

The loss of 2015 will weigh heavy on both of us for a long time. There’s no words for either of us to say to help each other through, and that sucks too. I’m a writer, was supposed to be my career but got side tracked into some cool jobs and happy where I am, but even with my ability to craft words I still can’t seem to come up with the right ones in these scenarios.

I’m supposed to fly to Vail for my cousin’s wedding. I don’t know if I’ll have the cash for freaking VAIL though (thanks for picking a cheap city guys...) So I also don’t know if I’ll be able to get around much while out there. Definitely hit me up if you’re in Michigan, I live about 20 minutes from the Metro Detroit Airport.

BoulderZ > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 09/19/2015 at 01:08

0

For cycling, I’ve ridden, raced (road, track, and mountain), and commuted for about 30 years. I’ve been a car guy for a little longer than that, and I am also a runner (HS track and XC, 5 marathons, tons of halfs and 10k’s). But I will readily affirm there are a ton of bad cyclists. And bad drivers. And, weirdly enough, bad pedestrians and runners. Your story about the 45 mph road w/ sidewalk has me baffled, too. It’s really shocking how otherwise perfectly decent folk can turn in to major league assholes in transit, often very specifically by mode, oddly.

It really helps to know that even a professional writer feels that words come up short on losses like yours and mine. There just is no shortcut around tragedy. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the simple, basic responses are very helpful. You’re absolutely right; 2015 will weigh on us for a long, long time.

For Vail, summer rates are usually much more reasonable, and be sure to look for accommodations in the nearby towns. The distances are really not that bad with a rental and decent highways with summer conditions. Even Denver’s only 2 hours from Vail. I’ve heard good things about the Air-BnB or VRBOs there, too. Flight’s in/out of Vail are usually much more expensive than DEN. The Vail flights are also fairly prone to cancellations, etc. for mountain weather making the already thrilling approach/departures impossible. Let’s see how our travels turn out.

How do you like the Detroit airport? I’ve not been there, but my FIL used to fly there all the time for business and spoke well of it. Of course, that was 20 years ago, so I don’t know.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BoulderZ 09/19/2015 at 21:28

0

Your comment about people turning into major league ass holes based on more is hysterical, and very accurate.

I think the plan was to fly to Denver and drive to vail. We’ll see though. As for Metro Detroit Airport, I prefer the new terminal, which is basically everything not Delta. But that’s for ease of flying out (parking attached, no shuttles) the main terminal for Detroit has an awesome fountain and underground tunnel. If you only use Detroit to connect, leave enough time between flights to go under the runway in the tunnel, it’s an awesome experience, especially the first time. Definitely let me know if you’re out this way, I told my wife about this on going discussion yesterday and she was all for us meeting up if you’re out here.

Whiskey tasting!