Driving and need suggestions..Tifton/Valdosta, Ga

[TTFN]

I posted this on the community board, but thought maybe the transportation experts over here could help.

My oldest DD is graduating college in a few weeks , and we are planning a celebration trip to (of course) WDW . Here's my problem....the three of us traveling (me, DD1 and DD2) will be coming from 3 different places. I will drive from North Alabama to DD1 in Auburn and leave from there. DD2 is in Macon, GA. It seems the best place to meet up with her would be the Tifton, Ga area. It's just a couple of hours from Macon, and is the point where the route from Auburn meets up with I-75. My problem is...where can we leave DD2's car? We don't want it to be towed for being abandoned for 6 days! She could also drive another hour to Valdosta if someone has a great suggestion for that area. Help!

Beth

 

[asktriplets]

hi.
congrats to your daughter! what an awesome mom you are for a celebration trip!

when we drove down through GA last nov, we stayed at the hampton inn in valdosta, just off 75. it was ok (if i recall, our room smelled a little funky, but the staff was very kind and the rooms looked clean).

if you stay at a hotel, i wonder if they'd let you leave your car there (especially if you are a hotel "member"...hilton honors, marriott rewards, etc) ? there is always the possibility that you'll book a room on the way back, too, right ( at least you could mention that to hotel staff, even if it is a REMOTE possibility)? or what about booking a room, then canceling, if you don't stay?

i travel quite a bit by myself with my 3 2-yr. olds, and we almost never stop anywhere but at a hotel (so the kids can stretch their legs and i can use a clean bathroom!)...i feel so much safer there than at a rest area. the hotel staff members (at all of the hotels i've stopped at) are always so kind and agreeable! ...just a thought....

good luck, and have fun!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Maybe the parking area at a local airport? Tifton probably only has a general aviation airport, but Macon and Valdosta should have airports with commercial flights. She'll have to pay for parking, but it should be more secure than just parking the car somewhere for several days.

Would it be too much out of the way to pick her up in Macon and she could leave her car at home? Personally I'd be as worried about someone vandalizing the car in a strange city as I would be about it being towed.

 

[TTFN]

Thanks so much for your responses! I have thought about just picking her up in Macon, but the road from Auburn to Macon is a lot of two lane back roads and takes sooooo long. She could meet us in Auburn, but it would be so much faster for her to go 2 hours down the interstate instead of 3 hours on the back roads. I think I will call the Valdosta regional airport and see if they have long term parking...thanks Obi-Wan. I won't be staying in a hotel on the way down, but we will probably leave late on check out day, so I could plan to stay in Valdosta on the way home and ask if it would be possible to leave the car there when I make a reservation...good idea asktriplets. Thanks again!

 

[clkelley]

Hi TTFN!!

I don't really have anything to offer except, I'm in North Alabama too, and your daughter picked a GREAT school to go to!!! WAR EAGLE!!!

Maybe Valdosta has one of those Thrifty Parking Places similar to what we have at HSV airport?? That way you wouldn't have to deal with going near the airport.

Also, if you decide to drive to Macon, I would take the crossroad from Auburn to Tifton, and just head North on 75 to Macon. It can't be much longer time wise than takin the back roads direct to Macon.

In my experience going up to 100 miles extra to stay on interstate is quicker and gas mileage effective. (I always go through Birmingham or Chattanooga to get to Atlanta

Carol