Driving advice from any sw Florida residents?

[My2Girls66]

I am in Naples and am renting a car to drive to Disney tomorrow. My gps and mapquest say to go rt 17 but the iPhone say to go 75 to 4. What would you do? I am hoping to leave here around 1pm.

 

[ukcatfan]

Go 17! It will cut a half hour off the trip. There are not a whole lot of places to stop along the way though, so be sure you have a full tank of gas. Well, there are places to stop, but most look to disgusting to consider it. Pick up 17 off 75 at Punta Gorda. We take it all the way to US-27 in Haines City and take it to I-4. From there, WDW is only a couple exits away.

 

[Icemann]

Or you can go Rte 80 (Palm Beach Blvd) off of 75 thru Labelle Rte29 and pick up 27 to Rte 4 this is a nice drive kinda backwoodys small towns nice places to eat and the only place in Florida you can get goats milk fudge and it's very good just before you get to the Rte4 turn off have fun

 

[ukcatfan]

Or you can go Rte 80 (Palm Beach Blvd) off of 75 thru Labelle Rte29 and pick up 27 to Rte 4 this is a nice drive kinda backwoodys small towns nice places to eat and the only place in Florida you can get goats milk fudge and it's very good just before you get to the Rte4 turn off have fun

We see that place on our small part of our route on 27. We have been too afraid to stop and try it! I guess it is good?

 

[Icemann]

We see that place on our small part of our route on 27. We have been too afraid to stop and try it! I guess it is good?

So was I then one day we stopped and tryed it and have gotten ever since.I took some to the shop one day and after they ate it I told them what it was.Now when we go up WDW I better come back with some or I better not come into the shop. Sorry didn't mean to hi-jack your thread.

 

[My2Girls66]

Thanks for the replies! I feel much better about taking a backroad. Is 80 to 27 as quick as 17?

 

[ukcatfan]

Can't answer that one for you. From Cape Coral it would be longer for me because I would have to first get over to 80/27. Being in Naples, it is easier to get to that route, so might be just as fast.

 

[ukcatfan]

One warning to you. Be sure to watch for speed limit changes. There are a number of speed traps on 17. There are places where it goes from ~65 to 35 within 1/4 mile or so. Just drifting to slow down is not enough and that is where the cops wait.

 

[Icemann]

17 verse 29,29 is just alittle faster not much? Lake Placid just before the Tower restaurant they hide on the west side,down by the hospital is were uk was talking about 65 to 35 and in Avon Park but their aren't their all the time.

 

[ukcatfan]

17 verse 29,29 is just alittle faster not much? Lake Placid just before the Tower restaurant they hide on the west side,down by the hospital is were uk was talking about 65 to 35 and in Avon Park but their aren't their all the time.

Actually, I was talking about on 17. Thanks for the tip on the other route. There are about six spots on 17 where the speed drops like that and I have seen cops. Off the top of my head they are at Nocatee, Zolfo Springs, Bowling Green, Fort Meade, Eagle Lake, and Lake Alfred.

 

[My2Girls66]

Well, I picked up the car at RSW. I planned on taking 17 after the advice here and the woman at the counter said she would take 75-4 but 17 would save me a 1/2 hr. I get onto 75 north from the airport and realize I can pick up 17 from rt 80 or I can take 75 farthur north and pick it up. I didn't know which would be best, faster time made on 75 or my Garmin wanting me to take rt80. The decision was made when not 1/8-1/4 mile before the exit for rt 80 the traffic on 75 stopped dead. This was around 3pm on 2/23. I heard later that there was an accident and 75 was closed down. Luckily I slipped off the rt80 exit and sailed on up to Disney. I did notice all the changes in speed limits and was trying to follow them. I had never driven through the middle of Florida before and coming from New England I found it strange to have 65mph speed limits on what we would consider 'backroads'. It was a nice drive and I am glad I got to see interior Florida. I had never seen orange groves before!
Thanks for all the advice. I was computerless from last Tues until today so thats why I am late in responding

 

[Icemann]

I 'm glad you had fun and got to see alittle of the interior of the state.Did you stop and get any fudge?

 

[My2Girls66]

We didn't make any stops. Not even for fudge!