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Oh and another thing I forgot to add, don’t ever pass by gas station when you have a quarter tank of gas. My wife almost ran us out of diesel in the Virginia- d.c. area, by the time we found diesel it was over priced and in the ghetto.
Once outside Atlanta get down to Griffin and take US-19 that will take you right down the to the east coast, suggest jumping on I-275 when you get to Tampa and go over the Skyway Bridge then either pickup US-41 for the scenic route to Port Charlotte or jump on I-75
Painey has a good plan, although 75 through north florida isn't bad, it's actually kinda pretty, and 441 between Gainesville and Ocala is beautiful and doesn't add any time to the trip. Best option if you want to do it in one day, although that'll be a long day.
If you follow Painey's Route, consider stopping in Cedar Key. Beautiful little town and way, way, way more fun than appearances might suggest.
275 has good water views but I wouldn't try it during rush hour The skyway bridge across the mouth of tampa bay scares the beejeebus out of me but still its pretty cool
Watch the weather, the afternoon thunderstorms are brief but shockingly intense. Don't even think about toughing it out lol. Good news is, once the storm passes the weather is awesome
Excellent stuff, thanks all. We just signed a lease on a house in North Port, which we will rent for a year. We decided to go this route rather then just buying outright so we can be sure we are going to like it. So my adventure ride has turned into a destination. Now that moving takes priority, my plan is to get the apartment packed, get everything on a moving truck. Once it leaves, I get to drive the jeep down with our bird (that should be a fun 20 hours). Once I arrive and ensure power and internet are set, my OL will get on a plane with the cat to arrive the day after the movers drop everything off. This will allow me to unpack and setup single-handedly. Also fun. Then I'll fly back up, finish clearing out all the crap we will be abandoning and hand over the keys. Then its me and the Road King. I think since time will be of the essence I'm going to wimp out and take the auto train from VA to Orlando just to get my *** there as quick as possible. Once settled I'll have plenty of time to reverse the ride and visit the sister in Dacula Ga,
I'm going to wimp out and take the auto train from VA to Orlando just to get my *** there as quick as possible. ...
Took this option last October the opposite way. Left Orlando at 4pm and arrived next morning at 9am. There was a group of 10 of us, we basically did a u-turn when we got off the train and made our way to the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and then proceeded to ride the full length, all 469 miles of it. We had to take an extra night in Asheville when Hurricane Micheal came through. Then it was over to the Dragon to scape some boards before making our way back down to Tampa.
Lots of good ideas here. My wife and I drive between our home in SW Florida and the Jersey Shore at least 4 times a year. If your coming from Downstate NY, you might want to take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 0 (yes, there IS an exit 0!) and take the Cape May Ferry to Lewes. Delaware, and wind your way down the Delmarva Peninsula on U.S. 13, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and westward across Virginia on U.S. 58, to pick up I-95 in Emporia.
You won't save much if any time, but when you arrive off the ferry in Lewes Delaware, you will have avoided the very worse of I-95 through NJ, PA, DE, MD, and DC. Plus the trip is much less stressful, and much more scenic. If you take 58 across Virginia, be careful, it's an 80 mile long speed trap, limit 60 MPH, but a good road and scenic, at least compared to the alternative.
When you get off I-95 in Jacksonville, take the beltway west to I-10. After 10-15 miles, get on U.S. 301 south at Baldwin, (watch out for the speed trap at Lawtey), continue south to Waldo, then west to Gainsville and pick up I-75 there. From there it's clear sailing to Northport. You could take I-10 all the way to I-75 but you'll be going 35-40 miles out of your way.
Don't even think about taking I-95 to Daytona, then I-4 through Orlando to I-75, unless you're doing it between 2 AM to 4 AM or you want to sit in slow moving traffic for hours.
We're about 100 miles south of Northport in Naples, and we usually stop in Florence, SC for the night (556 mi), and for you it'll be about the same distance to Northport.
Lots of good ideas here. My wife and I drive between our home in SW Florida and the Jersey Shore at least 4 times a year. If your coming from Downstate NY, you might want to take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 0 (yes, there IS an exit 0!) and take the Cape May Ferry to Lewes. Delaware, and wind your way down the Delmarva Peninsula on U.S. 13, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, and westward across Virginia on U.S. 58, to pick up I-95 in Emporia.
You won't save much if any time, but when you arrive off the ferry in Lewes Delaware, you will have avoided the very worse of I-95 through NJ, PA, DE, MD, and DC. Plus the trip is much less stressful, and much more scenic. If you take 58 across Virginia, be careful, it's an 80 mile long speed trap, limit 60 MPH, but a good road and scenic, at least compared to the alternative.
When you get off I-95 in Jacksonville, take the beltway west to I-10. After 10-15 miles, get on U.S. 301 south at Baldwin, (watch out for the speed trap at Lawtey), continue south to Waldo, then west to Gainsville and pick up I-75 there. From there it's clear sailing to Northport. You could take I-10 all the way to I-75 but you'll be going 35-40 miles out of your way.
Don't even think about taking I-95 to Daytona, then I-4 through Orlando to I-75, unless you're doing it between 2 AM to 4 AM or you want to sit in slow moving traffic for hours.
We're about 100 miles south of Northport in Naples, and we usually stop in Florence, SC for the night (556 mi), and for you it'll be about the same distance to Northport.
Good luck and ride safe!
Thanks. Question, why Florence SC? Seems to have the highest crime rate in the state? I'll be making a few trips some with a trailer so I want a relatively secure location for overnight parking I think?
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The skyway bridge across the mouth of tampa bay scares the beejeebus out of me but still its pretty cool
