Anyone drive from Indiana lately?

[westjones]

Years ago, we used to make the drive from Indiana to Orlando every year, and then we became spoiled with good airfare and started flying.

So far, things are not looking good for March (still waiting for Southwest to come out), but we still want to go on our trip so our other option is driving.

Has anyone made the drive lately? How was it? Is there a lot of construction and delays heading that way (we go through Atlanta).

We have two teenagers now (twin 17 year old girls), so that is one of the big reasons we don't want to drive. It is easier with just my husband and I (then again airfare would be less expensive with just the two of us too).

Anyway........tell me your experience if you have made that trip lately. Was it awful?

 

[jbthi]

We make the trip about 4 times a year from central Indiana. It's not too bad. We usually stay around Tifton, Ga overnight and that gets us into DW around noon. There is usually construction going on somewhere on I-75 but it's usually just an annoyance rather than a problem. You never know what's going to happen in Atlanta (construction, accidents, heavy traffic). We have better luck driving straight thru on 75 rather than taking the bypass.

 

[Chelley00]

We're driving it in 68 days, with 2 kids (age 8 and 5) We've done it twice before, and it's long, but not that bad.

 

[westjones]

We make the trip about 4 times a year from central Indiana. It's not too bad. We usually stay around Tifton, Ga overnight and that gets us into DW around noon. There is usually construction going on somewhere on I-75 but it's usually just an annoyance rather than a problem. You never know what's going to happen in Atlanta (construction, accidents, heavy traffic). We have better luck driving straight thru on 75 rather than taking the bypass.

Oh my! 4 times a year! That is something! I will look on the map for where Tifton GA is and think about that as a goal for day one.

What time of day do you usually head out to get there the first day?

 

[westjones]

We're driving it in 68 days, with 2 kids (age 8 and 5) We've done it twice before, and it's long, but not that bad.

I hope it goes well for you! We did it a few times when our girls were this age and we played a lot of videos and they slept a lot. Now mine are teenagers and they complain a lot and argue, so it isn't as fun.

When mine were little like this we looked for McD's with indoor playgrounds and those made for nice rest breaks for DH and I and it helped wear out the kids so they might nap some more.

 

[Chelley00]

We stop at rest stops if the weather is nice. I always pack a soccer ball and Frisbee, and then let them run around for a little while before sticking them back in the van

We have 2 teens too. They just aren't going this time.

We've done it two ways:

1. We either leave at 4am and drive straight through

2. We leave after school, drive at least to Nashville and stop to sleep, then leave the next morning early to finish the drive. That's what we are doing this time.

 

[jbthi]

Oh my! 4 times a year! That is something! I will look on the map for where Tifton GA is and think about that as a goal for day one.

What time of day do you usually head out to get there the first day?

We usually leave around 6:00. I can't remember the mileage right now but it seems like it might be 680. We get there around 4 or 5 o'clock.

 

[westjones]

We stop at rest stops if the weather is nice. I always pack a soccer ball and Frisbee, and then let them run around for a little while before sticking them back in the van

We have 2 teens too. They just aren't going this time.

We've done it two ways:

1. We either leave at 4am and drive straight through

2. We leave after school, drive at least to Nashville and stop to sleep, then leave the next morning early to finish the drive. That's what we are doing this time.

Wow, really? You can drive straight through if you leave at 4:00 am? I know we couldn't handle it on the way home, but I wonder if we might be able to do that on the way down. That would be cool.

I have always said if it were only 10 hours, I could handle the drive, but 17 hours is SOOOOOO long! But I guess if we left at 4:00 am it would get us there by bed time. That is something to think about.

 

[Chelley00]

Wow, really? You can drive straight through if you leave at 4:00 am? I know we couldn't handle it on the way home, but I wonder if we might be able to do that on the way down. That would be cool.

Oh, we don't do it on the way back. We did it once. Never again. I literally cried the last 2 hours of the trip I was so exhausted :lol: No we usually stop in Chattanooga and sleep. It seems to be about halfway.

We leave at 4am with the kids in pjs and they sleep the first 3-4 hours of the trip. When they are good and awake, we stop and let them change and eat breakfast. Then back in the van until lunch and a rest stop/run around break and then drive until dinner. Sometimes we actually go in and eat, sometimes we make it a quick potty stop and grab dinner to go....it depends how the kids are doing and if they need a break. We usually pull in around 9pm or so.

It works on the way down because we aren't tired, and we everyone is excited to get there. The trip home is torture.

 

[westjones]

Thanks for the idea. That sounds doable for the trip down.