967 miles

[mcsap]

Saturady morning , I flew down to Orlando Florida after working a 12 hour midnight shift. After a couple of hours of occasional napping , I arrived at the airport.

Not wanting my daughter to have to drive the 25 miles to come get me, I took the local bus to a mall near her apt. The otherwsie uneventful 90 min ride was interrupted by a young " gangster wanna be who went to everyone on the bus asking for " just a dollar". Needless to say I told him NO. He got into an altercation with another guy about 20 in which words were exchanged, the gangsters cell phone went airborne which was follwowed by the gangster making a lot of threats and " my homeboys are going to take care of you " and the famous " you dont know who you are !@#$% with.

The decent guy told him what stop he was getting off and if he wanted to settle it , to get off. Needless to say , young Mr. Gangster didn't get off.

I got to her apt and spent a couple of hours cleaning up and packing her car with her. She went to say goodbye to her friends ( she has been there a year on a Disney Internship). by 9pm , I was asleep.

At 0430 We were up and at 0500 , we were rolling.

The first hour os so was the toughest , at least unti the sun came up. Traffic was light and I did 65-70 most of the time.

200 mile mark we entered Georgia. Made me think of Norm357 Expected the gas prices to be LOW as they have been in the past but they weren't. Finally stopped for gas at the GA/SC border.

290 mile mark , hit SC. Start to see fewer and fewer Palm trees. Not many Troopers out but I have the cruise set at 72 in the 70 zone. I like being a SMALL fish in an ocean of whales A couple of organ donors went by ay mach 6 on their croctch rockets. " See you down the road someday fellas , we'll be cleaning you up like roadkill with a shovel and a spatula". BTW, Sc has THE bumpiest roads on I-95. I mean , do you patch a concrete road with macadam and expect it to last ?? People at the gas station were talking funny. I best be heading north again

343 mile mark ( still in SC) a guy in an overloaded pickup truck blew a tire in front of me. A few pieces of rubber rained down on my daughters car but there was no damage. If I was on duty and has my scales...

487 mile mark , stopped for a bite just before South of the Border. What a dirty looking tourist trap. I was so sick of the billboards advertising the place. Do not stop there unless you are desparate or crazy !! The place I got gas said they had the cleanest rest rooms on I-95. Can I sue for misrepresentation ? We are now about half way and it is only 1 pm. We hit torrential rain and have to slow to 50 mph and even then it is hard to see. This only lasts for a short while and then we are in NC at the 490 mile marker.

530 mile marker. A steady " diet " of Mountain Dew and Vault and I am doing fine. Up in front of me in the fast lane I see brake lights and swerving. I slow down in time to see a suitcase that " exploded " on the road. Within about 1 minute, the contents have been flattened many times. PS Don't carry stuff on the roof of your vehicle , it can fall off !!

NC is a big state. Up near the 700 mile marker we hit the VA line. Gas is way cheaper here that anywhwere ! And a car shreds a tire in front of us , again it is overloaded. Learn from others peoples mistakes !!! The rest area just inside the state line is very " Williamsburgish'. What looks nice on the outside isn't so nice on the inside. :mad:

I decide to go through Richmond on I-95 instead of going around it. It was a good move. Traffic was decent for 5 pm on a Sunday. But just north of Richmond , traffic started backing up. We did the move along at 20 -30 -40 -30 -40 -50-40 mph thing for about 40 miles !!

I was actually thinking it would be nice to get to the DC beltway !! There were no crashes or paving , just everyone going home from the weekend !

853 miles and we hit the DC beltway. It's about 8 pm and traffic has thinned. We make good time and make fun of the next set of organ donors that go flying past.

895 miles and we are back on I-95 headed for Baltimore. I am feeling a little tired but not sleepy. I decide to keep going and my 20 yr old daughter is not bugging to drive.

910 miles and we are circling Baltimore. The beltway is nice and we make good time. Finally , I see a sign that says York, PA is 44 miles away. I keep the cruise at 70 and we just head north.

938 miles and we hit the PA line. Fatugue is a little more noticeable but I am pumped because I am almost home.

967 miles and 17 hrs later I pull into my driveway.

I get 5 1/2 hrs sleep and get up at 430 am to go spend 10 hrs under garbage trucks on Mon.

Mon evening and the weariness is most certainly kicking in. Thing is, if I go to sleep to early , I'll sleep in and if I sleep more than 8 hours I get a headache.

[RemyG]

Sounded like fun :D. Glad your travel within NC boundaries was uneventful! ;)

[ngcsubutterbar]

WB home.

[Norm357]

Welcome home Sarge. I wish that you had let me know that you were in the area. I would have bought you and the Daughter a chili dog at the Varsity.

[Kerri]

Haha, I remember when I was little and went down to FL with my parents I used to love reading all the signs for South of the Border. Now that I am older the last few times I went down through that area I stopped for traditions sake. Always seemed to be night when I got there. The diner I ate at with my two friends I was helping move from Philly to FL the one time I went down that way was terrible. Agree with you on avoiding that place unless you want a couple of crappy souvenirs. Yet for some reason I will probably stop there anyway the next 5-10 times I am driving on through. Seems to be one of the few good memories I do have of when I was little.

Either way welcome back to PA

[Creeker]

... 290 mile mark , hit SC. ...BTW, Sc has THE bumpiest roads on I-95. I mean , do you patch a concrete road with macadam and expect it to last ?? People at the gas station were talking funny. I best be heading north again

... 487 mile mark , stopped for a bite just before South of the Border. What a dirty looking tourist trap. I was so sick of the billboards advertising the place. Do not stop there unless you are desparate or crazy !! The place I got gas said they had the cleanest rest rooms on I-95. Can I sue for misrepresentation ? ....

Agreed re:I-95

I intentionally avoid that route due to the perpetual NY and Conn. Yankees in their Escalades and newfangled Eldorados traveling at 85-90 as well as the apparently intentional potholes aimed at slowing them down.

Re: SOB

The one thing that Hurricane Hugo did in our favor was to knock down most of those silly assed billboards. They are no longer one per mile for the last hundred miles as they once were. That place has been a dive since before I first came to SC back in 1968,but it used to be a much bigger one then than now.

When I ever travel to the northern states, I do what I can to use I-77 to I-81 to avoid the aggrevation of the by-passes and the people in the huge hurry... I don't really care if the drive takes a few more hours, I'm not going to be stressed out when I get there anymore... besides, the drive is much more enjoyable going thru the Shanendoah area.... ;)

I'm heading to Niagra in November and using I-79 for the first time.

[ChesCopPodz]

If you're going to Niagra I imagine you're taking 79 to 90, then 90 to Niagra? If so you'll be in my old stomping grounds. I grew up in the Erie area.


And mcsap, had you bothered to call while you were in my city, I'd have been able to warn you about the construction going on up on 95 ;)

[Creeker]

If you're going to Niagra I imagine you're taking 79 to 90, then 90 to Niagra? If so you'll be in my old stomping grounds. I grew up in the Erie area.
...

Yes, that is nearly exactly what I'm doing, except I'll be making a stop in Punxatawny before I head to Erie and drive up along the Lake.

Re: Punxatawney... I've just always wanted to see the town and the area since I was a kid... I've just never been in that end of the state to do it

[Creeker]

BTW, MSCAP, on my way back on that Niagra Trip, I'm hoping to be able to catch up with you as well as maybe some of the western VA RP guys at different points for a few minutes, but things aren't firmed yet.

We'll be stopping at my wife's Aunt's place in Toms River, NJ for a few days, my Aunt & Uncles in Southern Lancaster Co., PA the following night (hopefully), then heading towards Gettysburg through Red Lion before heading south.

[GoDirectly2Jail]

From Richmond to DC, I-95 really needs to be three/four lanes.

As long as I'm wishing, I-64 from Richmond to Va Beach needs to be three lanes at least, as well.

[ChesCopPodz]

Especially on weekends in the summer. I know you're a bit north of me, so it might not be as much a time saver as it is for me, but I take 460 to the Tidewater area now instead of 64. Some days 64 is ok, others it's a parking lot from Richmond to VA Beach. First time I did it to visit my wife's family in Portsmouth, it took 4 hours since it was a Friday in the summer. From my door to Portsmouth on 460 takes an hour 45 every time.

[GoDirectly2Jail]

460 is too far south for me (don't want to go the the 'Burg'), but I will use Route 60, which is what everyone used before there was a 64. Now 60 is the road less traveled.

[BP348]

967 miles and 17 hrs later I pull into my driveway.

That's good to know. I have about that far to go in October when the family and I make the trip to Ft. Benning to see the oldest step-son graduate from Army boot camp. Of course if it took you 17 hours it will probably take me about 20 since I'll be traveling with a 7 & 5 year old.

[ChesCopPodz]

460 is too far south for me (don't want to go the the 'Burg'), but I will use Route 60, which is what everyone used before there was a 64. Now 60 is the road less traveled.

For a second I forgot which side of the city you were on. On my side of the city, Rt 60 is smack dab in the ghetto.

[ChesCopPodz]

That's good to know. I have about that far to go in October when the family and I make the trip to Ft. Benning to see the oldest step-son graduate from Army boot camp. Of course if it took you 17 hours it will probably take me about 20 since I'll be traveling with a 7 & 5 year old.

I've got 1600 to do next month. We're taking it in 3 days with stops in Georgetown IN, Topeka KS, then CO Springs.