For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (III)

[cruisingkat]

I think I'm being sold on the I-57 idea more and more. From my experience it is not busy. Especially once you get past Kankakee, IL. My only concern are the speed traps on 57. I got hit with a ticket (7 over) way down. I'm not sure if its before the I24 cut-off or further south going towards the border. Heck, I have even see a Corvette as a police squad car.

Do you guys and gals keep to the speed limit or a few over? I try to keep up with traffic, but when you are alone sometimes it's hard to hide.

We have seen very few speed traps in IL on I57 - but we travel weekdays. We have seen about the same amount of speed traps in each state we travel through - except for one state. Actually the worst spot for speed traps on the drive is in GA - especially in Turner Cty (approximately milemarker 87-74). The Turner Cty sheriff's dept. have been listed as issuing the most traffic tickets in GA and they do use laser. Also, GA has a super speeder fine - if you are going 15 or more miles per hour over the limit, you are hit with an additional $200 fine.

 

[dvczerfs]

Personally, I don't like cruise controll. Makes me feal "disconnected" to the car / drive. i lose focus. Having to monitor my speed and foot position keeps me mentally aware.

why are people crazy and or ignorant because they drive faster than you?

Our highway systems speed limits are products of the 70's and 80's. todays cars and todays highways are capable of supporting much greater speeds in many areas. My set speed is based on many factors.

1- the speed limit for the road
2- the traffic in my area
3 - weather
4- highway condition
5 - terrain

I am no mario andretti, but routinely drive between 10-15 miles over a posted 65mph speed limit. 15mph extra over 15 hours can save close to 3 hours off a long trip.

(im not a andretti but close.)

THANK YOU! If everyone in our country would follow these simple rules, our highways would be much safer.

Simple....KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS

Check your mirrors people. If you are not in the right lane and someone moves up on your bumper, pull right and let faster traffic pass. i dont care if you are doing 80mph. if the ther guy wants to do 85mph, let him pass.

Nothing peeves me more than people so high and mighty that they want to be personal speed limit enforement cops by driving what they think is the safest speed possible in the left lane.

Simple....KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS


Even when i am doing 75 or 80, i drive as much as possible in the right lane, moving over to pass on the left, but imediatly moving back to the right.

amen! i love watching people pull up next to a semi and just hang there. just asking to get killed.

You would make a good New Jerseyian. If we go only +5 around here, we're stopped for suspicious behavior.

they do +5 trying to pass you on the shoulders of the highways! (while reading the paper and eating a donut!)

 

[remlover]

We took this route last year (end of March). Do you have two drivers? If not, I would recommend stopping. I had planned to drive straight through, but was exhausted by the time we got to Georgia. Of course, we hit some pretty bad weather that slowed use down, so that might be why. Better safe than sorry, though, IMO.

I know people are recommending 57, but we took 65 and had no issues either direction.

It will be my DW and I doing the driving. I just need her to spend me a few hours here and there. I already have my eye mask and ear plugs to help me get some sleep. I'll have plenty of cold Monster to go. I made a deal with my DW if I get a twinge sleepy we will switch no matter what. My hubris will have to take a break.

 

[Indy Denise]

Three years ago on our way to Orlando we hit a heavy downpour just as we entered Florida.

It was bad. My DH was not happy with me when I insisted he pull over ( as many other cars had done )

As we sat and waited for it to let up we watched some other drivers zoom by. My DH was getting more upset with me saying "look, THEY get to go because they don't have a freaked out wife"

Rain let up, we started going again...then traffic deapstopped. After finally starting up again, at a crawl, we saw what the hold up was. An accident..a bad one...one mini van was upside down, sitting on it's roof. The other vehicle was down in a ditch. ....and thrown all over the highway were a child's stuffed animals along with other belongings.

My DH looked at me and said " well that is sobering. Thank you honey. Nothing is worth getting in such a hurry over.." I think of the stuffed animals when ever I see stupid drivers.

 

[nono]

amen! i love watching people pull up next to a semi and just hang there. just asking to get killed.

Or worse, you are the one next to the semi and they've decided that they're past it, will match its speed in the passing lane and now you're the sitting duck.

On our way to FL, we do maybe +5 the whole way. We get great gas mileage and have it timed out to hit certain places at certain times. We spend a lot of time in the right lane on these trips. It's kind of fun - like going to a foreign place (being from NJ and generally using all the lanes of the GSP!). I have seen plenty of safe drivers at speeds that are in excess of ours. Just please look our way -- we usually have a game of Rubberneckers going on, which occasionally requires us to get other drivers to do something like at us.

 

[ThreeKMom]

We are leaving our home Saturday night around 5:00 and driving straight through. We did the same thing in August of 2011 and arrived at the world around 10:30 am the next day, it really wasn't a bad drive at all.

Is there any construction that we should be aware of or try to avoid?

Thanks for any tips or advice!

 

[amcnj]

Cruise control can have its advantages, aside from helping gas mileage. I know sometimes after driving many hours I get a pain in my leg and using the cruise control gives me some time to move my leg position to alleviate it.

 

[nono]

We are leaving our home Saturday night around 5:00 and driving straight through. We did the same thing in August of 2011 and arrived at the world around 10:30 am the next day, it really wasn't a bad drive at all.

Is there any construction that we should be aware of or try to avoid?

Thanks for any tips or advice!

Looks like Jacksonville has some overnight construction.

 

[cruisingkat]

If you have a smart phone, you can find out about traffic incidents from
http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/traffic/
We got stuck in a traffic tie-up which wasn't showing up on our GPS traffic alert. I started searching on my browser to see if I could find out what the problem was and found this website - it is updated every 5 minutes and gives when the problem was reported and the status (lanes closed, road clear, etc). There is also a link for FDOT construction info.
You do have to know what county or area you are in(several counties form a troop area), but you can get a good guess from the map (just click on the map where you approximately are). Thanks to this website, we have been able to detour to avoid the problems 2 different times since I found it. One time we weren't able to avoid the problem as it occured at the next exit on I75 but at least we knew what the problem was.

 

[DSLRuser]

Three years ago on our way to Orlando we hit a heavy downpour just as we entered Florida.

.... An accident..a bad one...one mini van was upside down, sitting on it's roof. The other vehicle was down in a ditch. ....and thrown all over the highway were a child's stuffed animals along with other belongings.

.

that stretch of the highway, just after I-10 merges is the worst, most dangerous highway i have ever been on.

People are in their last few hours of a very long drive, they are tired and want to get the drive over with. Everyone drives 95+. If you dont, you get run over.

Ad to that the rain downpoors, fog, smoke from fires, it is crazy. 2 years ago there was a 100+ car pile up because of fire smoke. people just kept driving at ludicrous speeds into the smoke.

you were smart to pull over.

And georgia is the one state I only do 5+ over the limit. cops are everywhere and very strict.

 

[Indy Denise]

Here is hoping that any Disers traveling today through Georgia (and the South ) are safe and sound. :


Some scarey stuff out there...

 

[your friend]

I know this has probably been asked before but I having no luck with searches but is there an alternate route to Orlando coming down 95?

 

[sharadoc]

I know this has probably been asked before but I having no luck with searches but is there an alternate route to Orlando coming down 95?

Can you explain what you mean? Alternate from where? What do you want to avoid?

When traveling down 95, you exit onto I-4 to go to Disney. There is an alternate of 417 at Sanford to Disney.

If you tell us what you need I'm sure someone here can help you.

 

[your friend]

I want to avoid Jacksonville.

 

[justakrazymom]

Joining back in! Making our 3rd round trip ( about 2600 miles) in September!! Been debating between driving and flying but driving is going to win out!

 

[your friend]

Can you explain what you mean? Alternate from where? What do you want to avoid?

When traveling down 95, you exit onto I-4 to go to Disney. There is an alternate of 417 at Sanford to Disney.

If you tell us what you need I'm sure someone here can help you.

I want to aviod Jacksonville

 

[sharadoc]

I want to aviod Jacksonville

You can use 295 around Jacksonville. It's a pretty new road and very nice. It takes a little longer but completely avoids all of the main freeway.

 

[sharadoc]

Joining back in! Making our 3rd round trip ( about 2600 miles) in September!! Been debating between driving and flying but driving is going to win out!

Wow, seems like you just came back from your last trip.

 

[gotdbltrbl]

Looking for some tips from all the experienced drivers from Southern NH or MA. Family of 5 (3 preschoolers) planning to drive on Easter weekend. The plan is to leave southern NH on Saturday, March 30 around 6:30pm, hoping to get alot of the drive in while the kids sleep. Since we are driving at night, I was planning on this route: 495/MA Pike/84/684/Tappan Zee/GS Pkwy/NJ Tpke/95. Plan on stopping somewhere in the Carolinas, maybe GA if everything is going ok, then onto WDW the next morning. Since its a holiday weekend, any chance of hitting any holiday traffic? Does this route seem reasonable? Thanks

I was wondering the same thing. We are coming from Maine and taking the same route. Leaving on a Thursday night, trying to get through past Maryland by morning. Staying overnight in GA, getting into Orlando on Saturday. Is there a better route? Or is this the one to take when driving through the night? Thanks!

 

[BC1836]

I was wondering the same thing. We are coming from Maine and taking the same route. Leaving on a Thursday night, trying to get through past Maryland by morning. Staying overnight in GA, getting into Orlando on Saturday. Is there a better route? Or is this the one to take when driving through the night? Thanks!

If possible, try and get through the southern MD/DC/northern VA area by 6 a.m., if indeed you are traveling during the work week.

All the best.