Boy, did we pick the wrong day to leave.

[gkbutler]

Left Naples, Florida this morning around 9:15am. We pulled into the KOA in Valdosta, Ga at 6:00pm this evening. Normally this trip takes about six hours. We had three long traffic back ups. Two were for accidents, but one was for a state trooper sitting in the median. That one was about twenty miles long. I have never seen the traffic so bad. Looked like every snowbird and college student on spring break was headed north.

Then we stopped for fuel between Tampa and Ocala at a Flying "J". Of course with all of the traffic, the station was really busy. However, the idiot in front of us got out of his vehicle, went into the store, came back out and pumped his gas, then sauntered back into the store. Would he or any of the people in his vehicle move it to a parking place in front so we could get to the diesel pump, Nooooooooooooooooooooooo. Finally he sauntered back out of the store and left. We waited close to thirty minutes to get our fuel.

Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Of course, we could have had it as bad as Ozz. I think I will take the traffic rather than the weather.

[Ozz]

Better luck tomorrow, Gary.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

SnoBird Lesson #1....
NEVER EVER leave Florida on the 31st of March or the 1st of April. Especially so if those dates occur on a weekend. We have at least 20 to 30 SnoBirds leaving Avalon on Saturday and Sunday. Multiply that by every RV, MH park in the state the numbers are overwhelming. That doesn't even include the SnoBirds that own a home or condo. Than add in the thousands upon thousands of spring breakers. Having all these folks on the hiway and having only I-75 and I-95 as the primary escape routes equals MAJOR, MAJOR traffic jams. Many SnoBirders wit until the 5th to the 15th of April but even than you will have heavy traffic. This is the primary reason we leave the first week of May, usually around the 6th.

[dsprik]

We're leaving here April 22nd, Glenn. Hoping to avoid what we knew would be a problem on the roads. I know that's pushing it, but need to get going.

Good luck, Gary! What was the price of that diesel there?

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Dave, you shouldn't have much of a problem by the 22nd.
Most Americans have left so they can get their taxes done by the 16th but the Canadians have until the 30th for their returns and so you may get some of that crowd.

[rvfirefighter]

Listen to Glenn, we left last year on the 1st from Palm Harbor, took us 12 hours to reach Atlanta, last time we do that.

An alternate road going north, Hwy. 41, we used it some and no traffic, just a two-lane though.

[gkbutler]

We learned a valuable lesson this year.

Dave,

Diesel at the Flying J there was $2.77. At the Flying J in Valdosta, it was $2.59. Not so bad right now considering I was paying $2.87 in Naples.

[BillyRay]

I know the feeling!

[gkbutler]

Today was more like it. We left Valdosta at 9:15 and were sitting at the Carterville, GA KOA at 3:15pm. Traffic was light today, only one slow down and that was when a rain storm hit and visibility went to almost zero. Much nicer on the nerves. Unfortunately I forgot that the local Walmart does not sell beer on Sunday so I gotta watch the race with no Busch Lite.

[ken]

Gary
We left for Va on the 23rd and missed all of the traffic you memtioned. However, we encountered the same problem of pumping fuel at Flying J in Ga. The problem was that their computer operating the pumps wouldn't take the credit cards and we all had to go inside to pay for the diesel fuel.

[virgil47]

I stopped in March at the same Flying J just south of Valdosta, Ga and had the same issue with the credit card...the lady at the counter told me that they only needed to see my ID the FIRST time I used the credit card at their pump. I haven't had the opportunity to fill up at a Flying J since then to check her statement.

[dsprik]

I many times budget cash for diesel purchases during a long trip. Kind of a pain having to go in and pre-pay. However, sometimes it eliminates a LOT of hassles.

[deerrahn]

Some of the Flying-J's are not very RV friendly. You speak of the Flying-J just north of Tampa on I-75. Prices there are usually higher than other places. I do not buy fuel there. The one located on I-4 east of Tampa usually has a good price. Better manager probably. Usually it is the 3rd week in April when the big rush to leave Florida occurs. It is bumper to bumper on most hi-ways heading north. Diesel prices here in St. Pete now range $2.69 to $2.89. They are going up-just in time for us to leave home and start toward Ma.

[dsprik]

Richard I hope you are wrong about the 3rd weekend being bad. We are leaving on the morning of the 22nd. Hoping most are off the roads by then...