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

[Shir Kahn]

Well, it happened again. Second straight trip we've driven more than 4000 miles roundtrip with zero problems only to have something happen to our vehicle shortly after arriving home. Last time, the day after we got back, someone smashed in one of our windows so they could steal a gps mount and a wire. About 25 minutes ago, someone ran into our parked RVR and smashed in the drivers side front bumper and lights. Love paying those deductibles.

 

[DSLRuser]

someone smashed in one of our windows so they could steal a gps mount and a wire. .

That stinks.

When I park, at home or on vacation, the inside of the car is spotless. No trash, no blankets, not a single cell phone charger. i want to give zero reasons for someone to attempt a smash and grab.

 

[Shir Kahn]

That stinks.

When I park, at home or on vacation, the inside of the car is spotless. No trash, no blankets, not a single cell phone charger. i want to give zero reasons for someone to attempt a smash and grab.

Yeah, I do that too. The gps mount and wire were in the compartment between the seats, not even visible.

 

[mrjef]

I am excited to find this thread! We live in central Indiana and drive down at least once a year. We just do qualify for the 2000+ mile roundtrip club. Our commute to WDW is basically 1000 miles from front door to WDW. We are weird and really like the drive. I will have to do some research to see how many times we have made the drive. Our route is I65 to I24 to I75 to the FL Turnpike (SR 91) to I4 to WDW. Often we will also sneak in a quick stay at New Smyrna Beach at the beginning or end of our trip only adding to our roundtrip mileage?

What classifies as a "non-stop" trip? I am assuming that means you drive straight through without spending the night in a Hotel. If someone is truly making a non-stop trip, they either have a bladder of steel, wear depends (gross), or have good aim in bottle (again gross). Speaking of bladder of steel on our last return home, we made back with only stopping two times! That is two stops with two adults and five kids (ages: 9,7,4,2,2). That has to be some kind of record! I am not sure we will ever duplicate or better that trip.

 

[sharadoc]

I am excited to find this thread! We live in central Indiana and drive down at least once a year. We just do qualify for the 2000+ mile roundtrip club. Our commute to WDW is basically 1000 miles from front door to WDW. We are weird and really like the drive. I will have to do some research to see how many times we have made the drive. Our route is I65 to I24 to I75 to the FL Turnpike (SR 91) to I4 to WDW. Often we will also sneak in a quick stay at New Smyrna Beach at the beginning or end of our trip only adding to our roundtrip mileage?

What classifies as a "non-stop" trip? I am assuming that means you drive straight through without spending the night in a Hotel. If someone is truly making a non-stop trip, they either have a bladder of steel, wear depends (gross), or have good aim in bottle (again gross). Speaking of bladder of steel on our last return home, we made back with only stopping two times! That is two stops with two adults and five kids (ages: 9,7,4,2,2). That has to be some kind of record! I am not sure we will ever duplicate or better that trip.

Welcome. A lot of us on here are "weird" too! Yes, you're correct, by non-stop we mean no sleeping overnight anywhere. Potty breaks are acceptable

 

[LadyBeBop]

I am excited to find this thread! We live in central Indiana and drive down at least once a year. We just do qualify for the 2000+ mile roundtrip club. Our commute to WDW is basically 1000 miles from front door to WDW.

We live fairly close to you. We're in the Cincinnati area.

We are weird and really like the drive.

You are not weird.

Often we will also sneak in a quick stay at New Smyrna Beach at the beginning or end of our trip only adding to our roundtrip mileage?

We're actually at about 1,800 miles round trip. But we stay offsite, so we always travel a couple of hundred miles around the Orlando area to build it up to 2,000. Last time (2010), we departed a day early to beat an snowstorm that was hitting the Tennessee mountains. Because we would arrive a day early, we took a side trip to Tarpon Springs. That added onto the mileage. This time, we're taking our youngest daughter. She doesn't have many vacation days left, so no side trips here. Besides, we shouldn't have a snowstorm in Tennessee in October.

I hope.

Speaking of bladder of steel on our last return home, we made back with only stopping two times! That is two stops with two adults and five kids (ages: 9,7,4,2,2). That has to be some kind of record! I am not sure we will ever duplicate or better that trip.

In other words, you only stopped every 330 to 340 miles? Wow. We always have to stop every 150 to 200 miles. At least, to give the driver a break.

 

[DSLRuser]

In other words, you only stopped every 330 to 340 miles? Wow. We always have to stop every 150 to 200 miles. At least, to give the driver a break.

From st. louis e stop about every 300 miles. paucha KY, north of Atlanta, and Ocala Florida.

My wife takes the 1st and last stint, that gives me the 2 in the middle which happen to be over night. Leave at 6pm, arrive at 11am.

But, i have done all 1008 miles and 16 hours straight by myself. stopping twice for gas at the 450 mile mark each tank.

 

[NJRRK]

From st. louis e stop about every 300 miles. paucha KY, north of Atlanta, and Ocala Florida.

My wife takes the 1st and last stint, that gives me the 2 in the middle which happen to be over night. Leave at 6pm, arrive at 11am.

But, i have done all 10008 miles and 16 hours straight by myself. stopping twice for gas at the 450 mile mark each tank.

Wow 10,008 miles non stop, and only 16 hours, are you sure you stay on land?

Lol, but it was a funny typo.

 

[theyoungs07]

I'll jump in here. We drive about 1200 miles each way from N IL (NOT CHICAGO). We always stop on the way so we aren't too drained when we get there. 2008, 2010, and will April 2013. In 2010 we decided to try going through Alabama to avoid hitting ATL during a busy time...it was a mistake I think. We still got stuck in traffic in Birmingham, got to dodge armadillos late at night, and I can't say that I liked the panhandle very much.

This time my goal is to leave early AM, and if kids allow, get through ATL late the same night...then stop. My wife gets very nervous driving Monteagle at night, so we're hoping to hit it before sundown.

With a pile of young kids, I've always thought driving through the night might be a good idea, but then my wife reminds me of how my mood is when sleep deprived .

 

[Gumbo4x4]

From st. louis e stop about every 300 miles. paucha KY, north of Atlanta, and Ocala Florida.

My wife takes the 1st and last stint, that gives me the 2 in the middle which happen to be over night. Leave at 6pm, arrive at 11am.

But, i have done all 10008 miles and 16 hours straight by myself. stopping twice for gas at the 450 mile mark each tank.

We'd never make it. We're about an hour West of STL and Paducah is always stop 2 or even 3

 

[mrjef]

We live fairly close to you. We're in the Cincinnati area.

We are in the Indy area. We tried going through Cincinnati once, but it was a little bit longer than our normal path.

 

[LadyBeBop]

We are in the Indy area. We tried going through Cincinnati once, but it was a little bit longer than our normal path.

It's a nice diversion than going 65/24 (and I hate going through Nashville...even more than Atlanta). However 74/75 is longer than 65/24/75.

 

[marius97]

It's a nice diversion than going 65/24 (and I hate going through Nashville...even more than Atlanta). However 74/75 is longer than 65/24/75.

We're a ways north of Indy and we HATE going through Nashville. We go through Cincy every time now. I'd have to agree, with the bypass and all the extra lanes, Atlanta is way better than Nashville.

 

[Shir Kahn]

It's a nice diversion than going 65/24 (and I hate going through Nashville...even more than Atlanta). However 74/75 is longer than 65/24/75.

We've got no problems going through Nashville, but we absolutely hate going through Atlanta. We haven't driven through Atlanta yet without at some point having to come to a complete stop because of something or other. This trip, on the way down it was because of some serious accident that had taken place 10 hours earlier and they were still cleaning up after it, causing us an extra hour getting out of there, and on the way back we were doing 0-15 mph for a good 10 mile stretch for no reason that we ever found. The trip before was a nightmare, 3 separate accidents on a one-mile stretch of road. It took us forever to get past that.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We zinged straight through Nashville and Atlanta, but lost an hour in Chattanooga of all places LOL

 

[Chuck-PA]

Thank you to all who responded to my questions.
This is a great thread.

 

[DSLRuser]

going down

We hit Nashville around 10:00pm. Highways are genreally pretty quiet. Altanta is around 2:00am. Again no issue what so ever. these are the bonuses of driving straight thorugh over night.

now on the way back, atlanta is around 7:00pm. usually its on a weekend, but if there is a baseball game traffic can be bad. just watch google maps and the signs. be ready to take one of the bypass loops on a moments notice.

Nashville in the way home is at around midnight. only problem here is the last 5 hours of a trip after a long vacation are the worst. we just want to get out of the car at this point.

 

[DSLRuser]

on a related note. A coworker just did the drive this weekend from st louis. 64 > 57 > 24 > 75 > turnppike. He drove down for a short weekend. thursday to monday.

but said no issues on the drive. no major construction that set him back.

We go March 15. hope that hold true for us as well.

 

[DSLRuser]

We'd never make it. We're about an hour West of STL and Paducah is always stop 2 or even 3

Read your trip report.

you are not too far from us. You are in the Sullivan area, we are in eureka.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Read your trip report.

you are not too far from us. You are in the Sullivan area, we are in eureka.

Hey neighbor

I'm actually about 20 miles North of Sullivan - we're in Union school district, although actually closer to both New Haven & Washington

My nephew goes to Eureka HS