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

[MIChessGuy]

Leaving tonight from Michigan.... taking I-75 all the way. Car almost ready, oil changed, tires rotated, air filters changed, interior vaccumed and floor mats in wash machine. My DH will be proud

Now if I can only calm down enough to get some sleep before we leave.

On my southbound trip a few weeks ago, I went to Stockbridge, GA (south of Atlanta) on Saturday, then arrived in Orlando around dinnertime on Sunday. I save the nonstop ride for the trip back -- usually too broke for a motel by that time.

 

[chellewashere]

Urgh can someone go wake up my DH?? He has been taking a nap for long enough now me and DD are so ready to go!!

 

[Goofygirl17]

We're heading home to CT on Sunday. I'd like to leave fairly early but I'm not sure that will happen. We've had a great, fun two weeks and we're pooped. We're going to take the inland route again because it was great on the way down.

Does anyone know if I can just reverse the directions? No strange exit numbers or anything?

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

Well, we left our house in PA yesterday at 6:35 pm, with very dark, ominous clouds looming. We were fairly lucky and hit only the edges of several storms.

The weather slowed us down slightly for the first hour, but we didn't hit any significant traffic. Here are our times:

6:35 pm leave home (Collegeville, Pa)
7:17 pm enter Delaware
7:45 pm enter MD
9:00 pm - 5 minute bio break
9:35 pm enter Va
12:10 am - arrive at our hotel in Emporia, VA

I hope to leave here at 8:00 am to go to St Augustine, Fl (DS wants to see the alligator farm there), before completing our drive to WDW early tomorrow afternoon.

So far things have been smooth, probably due to all the great advice of the people here!

Ah, Emporia: a frequent overnight stop for us on our return-home drive.

I was thinking Emporia would be our stop on the way home. DO you recommend any hotel there?

 

[pwdebbie]

Booked our next trip today, exactly one year from the date I booked our last trip (Nov. 2010). Didn't get an email confirmation yet, so I checked online and yep, the trip is there. (Some other info is wrong, so I will be making a call tomorrow.)

I have one question. I do not recall what exit we took off of I-4 south in the past (just did what the GPS said to do), however the website says to use Exit 65 onto Osceola Parkway. Looking at this on the map, it looks like I should be getting off before that at Exit 67 onto Epcot Center Drive. Am I correct?

 

[ksc37]

Hey neighbor! Wonder if we know each other?? Continued safe drive! Did you go down 202 or the Blue Route to hit 95?? On another driving adventure, I figured out we can cut over to 30/Lancaster Ave. in KOP and pick up the Blue Route in Villanova rather than go down the Schuylkill. May not save a lot of time, but felt like we were saving miles!!

We took 202 last night because of the Phillies game. We usually do the blue route during non busy times. I've done the back way from KOP, too (I used to work in Radnor, so I know it well.

 

[ksc37]

We made it from Emporia to St. Augustine this afternoon - we had smooth sailing, except sadly there was a fatal accident on 95 around Yulee, FL. We got off in Kingsland and took an alternate route down to the Jacksonville area. Tomorrow we'll see some sights here in St Augustine and plan to get to the Wilderness Lodge around 3:00.

All in all, except for the accident in Yulee, our first drive has been a pretty enjoyable experience!

 

[ksc37]

I was thinking Emporia would be our stop on the way home. DO you recommend any hotel there?

We stayed at the Country Inn & Suites - it is newer and clean, with a free breakfast. It worked well for an overnight stay. The pool looked very small - but we didn't use it, so that wasn't a problem.

 

[PrincessMom4]

Hey yall, we just got into Wilson, NC and it was quite the day. I guess there was an accident over on the I66 and I95 at US1 also had an accident. We made a detour onto 64 and VA288. SO we went 81-64-VA288-95. Tomorrow will be a bit more relaxed.

 

[MamaJessie]

We're heading home to CT on Sunday. I'd like to leave fairly early but I'm not sure that will happen. We've had a great, fun two weeks and we're pooped. We're going to take the inland route again because it was great on the way down.

Does anyone know if I can just reverse the directions? No strange exit numbers or anything?

What's the inland route?

nm - googled this thread for the answer.

So what is the advantage of the inland route, less traffic?

 

[RutgersAlum]

Just arrived @ WDW a few hrs ago from NJ. Left NJ approx. 3:30pm Thurs, picked up Ds @ camp, and hit 78W around 4:15. Crowded but moved well 78>81 through to VA. Then we were in the thick of a good 5 or 6 weeknight construction zones. Most were not too terrible, but my, around Staunton, VA, we lost about 30 min waiting to merge to one lane. Also hit violent, angry lightening storms after that, lol, slowed us down more!
Expected to arrive @ our hotel on Jonesville, NC around 12am, pulled in around 2am.
Today, left Jonesville, NC approx 8:45am, went 77 to 95 in SC, no prob until left FL Welcome Center after we crossed FL border--just read ksc37's post that accident on 95 was fatal, so sad. It delayed us a good 30 min, then hit Jacksonville around 5pm (yeah, 5 o'clock on a Fri, great) and it was crowded but mostly moved. Hit WDW by 7:45.
Lessons learned:
1. We prefer starting our trip early (5am-ish), not 3:30-ish like we did.
2. Beware of weeknight construction on 81 in VA!
3. WDW is still WDW and our kids & we were so happy to get here

We'll leave WDW at approx. Noon next Sat, we're still debating whether to take the inland route (81) or the costal route (95) back to Jersey.

Hope this helps someone

 

[dvczerfs]

We're heading home to CT on Sunday. I'd like to leave fairly early but I'm not sure that will happen. We've had a great, fun two weeks and we're pooped. We're going to take the inland route again because it was great on the way down.

Does anyone know if I can just reverse the directions? No strange exit numbers or anything?

nope, all the same.

 

[disneymam]

Just arrived @ WDW a few hrs ago from NJ. Left NJ approx. 3:30pm Thurs, picked up Ds @ camp, and hit 78W around 4:15. Crowded but moved well 78>81 through to VA. Then we were in the thick of a good 5 or 6 weeknight construction zones. Most were not too terrible, but my, around Staunton, VA, we lost about 30 min waiting to merge to one lane. Also hit violent, angry lightening storms after that, lol, slowed us down more!
Expected to arrive @ our hotel on Jonesville, NC around 12am, pulled in around 2am.
Today, left Jonesville, NC approx 8:45am, went 77 to 95 in SC, no prob until left FL Welcome Center after we crossed FL border--just read ksc37's post that accident on 95 was fatal, so sad. It delayed us a good 30 min, then hit Jacksonville around 5pm (yeah, 5 o'clock on a Fri, great) and it was crowded but mostly moved. Hit WDW by 7:45.
Lessons learned:
1. We prefer starting our trip early (5am-ish), not 3:30-ish like we did.
2. Beware of weeknight construction on 81 in VA!
3. WDW is still WDW and our kids & we were so happy to get here

We'll leave WDW at approx. Noon next Sat, we're still debating whether to take the inland route (81) or the costal route (95) back to Jersey.

Hope this helps someone

Yes, this helps me! Thank you! May have to look into the 81 construction because on the way home, we will be driving through the night.

 

[Goofygirl17]

What's the inland route?

nm - googled this thread for the answer.

So what is the advantage of the inland route, less traffic?

We drove from CT down 95 last summer. It took about 21 hours but we hit traffic which was frustrating. I drive a standard shift so I hate stop and go traffic.

This time we took the inland route and hit NO TRAFFIC at all! It was great. The kids now call Pennsylvania the Land of Corn because that's all we saw for miles. It was a pretty trip and I loved that there was no traffic.

 

[Monknmom]

Hello Neighbor,

I have done the drive a few times. We too pick up dinner but eat in the car. I bring bagels for breakfast and sandwiches with drinks in a cooler for lunch. I dont want to lose to much driving time with food breaks. I also pack the bag of snacks. My husband always want something to crunch (pretzels) when he drives and I try to pick up snacks I usually don't buy to treat the kids. our list this year is twizzlers, string cheese, apples, pringles, rice crispy treats, pretzels.
granola bars. We are leaving in 1 1/2hrs and my food is all ready to go.

we have a cooler with iced tea and coke and water. theres a local deli that we pick up sandw. the day before we leave. we have a plastic tub that we put our snacks in. cheezits, cookies, pretzells, slim jims, do you want me to go on. we also go through a drive through quick, we never stop for a sit down meal. but we eat while we drive. we also bring most of the snacks home with us but like dw says, you never know what your going to be in the mood for.

Our last two drives we stopped for food on the way down but this time I am packing it. I figure we are saving money, I can make it fun, and we can spend our stop time running around at a rest stop instead of more sitting.

My kids car trip essentials are a blanket and pillow each, and then they have toys/books and coloring books. Need to make sure I have batteries for the leapster...

We need two new tires and an oil change and then I have got to clean the heck out of the minivan before we go.

thank you! Maybe I will bring sandwich stuff too because my son can't have fast food with his "issues". So I am going to plan a little bit of everything then so that we have something to always satisfy our cravings.... snickers anyone? Just kidding, just kidding thank you for answering my question! And bell of the ball I hope that you get there safe and without much of a hassle!

 

[cruisingkat]

i also use to fly into ohare and being a driver myself, i think i would drive it if i had to. everytime i get into ohare something happens. gate gets changed, planes brakes, dudes with the robes and tamborines come up to me. 10 billion people in an airport and they pick me out of the crowd.

I thought those dudes with the robes and tamborines have moved to Barcelona, Spain. We saw them there - they were setting up a concert/play on Las Ramblas. Haven't seen them at O'Hare in years.

 

[MamaJessie]

thank you! Maybe I will bring sandwich stuff too because my son can't have fast food with his "issues". So I am going to plan a little bit of everything then so that we have something to always satisfy our cravings.... snickers anyone? Just kidding, just kidding thank you for answering my question! And bell of the ball I hope that you get there safe and without much of a hassle!

yeah I am trying to figure out what I am packing for food and have settled on grapes, salad on a stick (cuke, olives, 2matoes, cheese cubes) mickey shaped rice krispies treats and mac and cheese muffins. Oh and carrot sticks. Because sometimes it is more about crunching something than being hungry. My kids always ask for food about 7 minutes into a long road trip Drinks too but I have learned better and wait about an hour before I let them drink anything.

 

[MamaJessie]

We drove from CT down 95 last summer. It took about 21 hours but we hit traffic which was frustrating. I drive a standard shift so I hate stop and go traffic.

This time we took the inland route and hit NO TRAFFIC at all! It was great. The kids now call Pennsylvania the Land of Corn because that's all we saw for miles. It was a pretty trip and I loved that there was no traffic.

Well if you are a half hour north of new haven you are pretty darn close to me so this sounds like good advice. I will have to go over it with DH. He has veto power since I don't drive until the night shift.

 

[patclairesmom]

yeah I am trying to figure out what I am packing for food and have settled on grapes, salad on a stick (cuke, olives, 2matoes, cheese cubes) mickey shaped rice krispies treats and mac and cheese muffins. Oh and carrot sticks. Because sometimes it is more about crunching something than being hungry. My kids always ask for food about 7 minutes into a long road trip Drinks too but I have learned better and wait about an hour before I let them drink anything.

Ok, please share...what are mac and cheese muffins???

 

[sharadoc]

yeah I am trying to figure out what I am packing for food and have settled on grapes, salad on a stick (cuke, olives, 2matoes, cheese cubes) mickey shaped rice krispies treats and mac and cheese muffins. Oh and carrot sticks. Because sometimes it is more about crunching something than being hungry. My kids always ask for food about 7 minutes into a long road trip Drinks too but I have learned better and wait about an hour before I let them drink anything.

A couple trips ago, we discovered we loved taking hard boiled eggs. We cook them a day ahead, peel them and put them into a ziplock bag in the cooler. Great protein, along with pretzels, nuts, cheese sticks, granola bars and candy and we're all set. Kids like to get fast food, but DH and I prefer to just snack on what we bring.