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Old 09-05-2007, 03:59 PM   #1
rps
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Massachusetts to Florida in Late December

Hello:

My wife and I will be heading to Florida for the winter from the Boston area right after Christmas and I am looking for recommendations for a route of travel and places to stop over.

I'm thinking we would travel about 200 miles per day.

I want to avoid Metropolitan New York City and am not sure how traveling I-287 from I-87 over to I-78 will be in the winter.

I also want to know how far south I would need to go before dumping the "pink stuff"

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
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Old 09-05-2007, 04:26 PM   #2
Mrs. CountryGuy
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When we head south just after xmas we don't do 200 miles a day. Normally, that is a good number, but when you are fighting weather, and pink stuff, you gotta run like the wind! We drive more like 300 to 400 a day.

Our goal is to get to Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, one of those states in less than 2.5 days. We watch the local weather and if it is not going to be below 32, then we dump the pink and take long hot showers.

There is another way to approach this (well, at least one):

Stay in motels till you reach the southern climes. Then you can drive 200 miles a day and don't care much if bad weather comes along.

Another, OntMont tries to do this: take the rig to Georgia in October, stay south till just before the holiday, drive truck home to the north country for the holiday and then drive truck south, pick up unit and proceed to winter destination.

To survive 2.5 days with no water, we take pre-prepared meals, and heat up in the microwave, etc. Take a couple of gallons of water to flush the toilet with, remember, less paper, more water. Take a lot of wet ones to freshen up with, you can use them for the counter tops and everything. Eat big lunch out, and snacks for dinner in, eat on paper plates.

We do NOT drive in snow or ice. PERIOD!! We get off the road and honker down someplace safe. We watch the weather for days before, weather bug is great, they have a travel section, I look at all the major towns and read their 3 to 5 day forecast, several times I day I check this. We do not leave the stick built unless we are pretty sure we have 3 FULL days of favorable weather.

Get south, get rid of the pink,and then slow down and enjoy the rest of the winter.

Have a great time!
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Old 09-05-2007, 04:32 PM   #3
sailer
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The best way ins how us far north people do it .. we leave here tomorrow and get to bonita springs, fl by oct 18 or so and never use pink stuff , we loved the north when we were young but now we are in wis 2 months of the year , even today its 93 but on sunday its going to be 68 high leave now john
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Old 09-06-2007, 01:41 AM   #4
steves
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When we leave for Florida - the departure day is Always dependent on the weather forecast. Have a target date but be prepare to adjust as necessary to avoid inclement weather. We will drive 4-500 miles south to get out of the cold on day 1 and usually stop at Wythville, Va. which is at the junction of Rt 81 and 77. We de-winterize there.
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Old 09-06-2007, 08:46 AM   #5
rps
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Hello:

Country Guy said --> stay south till just before the holiday, drive truck home to the north country for the holiday and then drive truck south, pick up unit and proceed to winter destination.
----

We thought about doing that, but have reconsidered wanting to keep the trailer in our sight ..

My main concern is getting around Metro New York, but at the same having safe passage thru the Mountains of Pennsylvania if we choose that route.
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Old 12-29-2007, 02:46 AM   #6
Jim Jarvis
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by rps

Hello:

Country Guy said --> stay south till just before the holiday, drive truck home to the north country for the holiday and then drive truck south, pick up unit and proceed to winter destination.
----

We thought about doing that, but have reconsidered wanting to keep the trailer in our sight ..

My main concern is getting around Metro New York, but at the same having safe passage thru the Mountains of Pennsylvania if we choose that route.
Anyone got any ideas on that? (Getting around NYC)

From the North.
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Old 12-29-2007, 05:06 AM   #7
capn chris
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Jim,
My suggestion would be I-84 to I-287, to I-95 (NJ Turnpike) to I-195W to I-295 (no toll and less traffis than 95), across DE River to Rte 1 south in DE. After crossing the C&D canal, exit immediately to Rt 13 south. Go a few miles to Rt 896, to Rt 301 south. Follow 301 south through rural MD, across the Chesapeake Bay to exit 13, 301 south. Follow into VA and stay straight to Rt. 95, just north of Richmond, VA. This may take a bit longer, maybe, depending on traffic, but avoids NYC, Phila., Baltimore, and DC. Just my ideas. You could go further west on I-78 to I-81, but 81 runs the mountain tops in PA and could have bad winter weather?!!! Best of luck and safe travels!
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Old 12-29-2007, 07:05 AM   #8
Jim Jarvis
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by capn chris

Jim,
My suggestion would be I-84 to I-287, to I-95 (NJ Turnpike) to I-195W to I-295 (no toll and less traffis than 95), across DE River to Rte 1 south in DE. After crossing the C&D canal, exit immediately to Rt 13 south. Go a few miles to Rt 896, to Rt 301 south. Follow 301 south through rural MD, across the Chesapeake Bay to exit 13, 301 south. Follow into VA and stay straight to Rt. 95, just north of Richmond, VA. This may take a bit longer, maybe, depending on traffic, but avoids NYC, Phila., Baltimore, and DC. Just my ideas. You could go further west on I-78 to I-81, but 81 runs the mountain tops in PA and could have bad winter weather?!!! Best of luck and safe travels!
Thanks very much Chris.
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Old 12-29-2007, 08:09 AM   #9
CmdrDewey
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I have been following Chris's route for four years now. It is definitely the way to go. I've done em all more than once and I will deal with the traffic and the lights. It is quite a bit shorter than going 95 and you don't have to deal with the Baltimore Tunnel (No propane)or the Key Bridge (stop and get checked to make sure its off) I haven't been over either for four years so my info may be outdated, or the Mixing Bowl (three interstates come together and the traffic is unbelievable).

For those looking for a place to dewinterize we stopped at Interstate Inn in Roanoke Rapids. They have a place out back with full hookups for $14.95 a night. It is a place to stop-nothing more but it was pretty quiet and felt safe.
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Old 12-31-2007, 12:48 PM   #10
rps
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Hello:

We left on Saturday 12/29 for Florida and arrived in Wade NC late this afternoon after stops in Allentown PA and Fredericksburg VA.

On Sunday 12/23, I cleaned about 2 feet of snow off the roof of our fifth wheel and snow blowed our side yard to get our Monty out to the street ...

We took the Mass Pike (I-90) to I-91 in Springfield, I-91 to I-84 in Hartford CT, to I-87 in Newburgh NY to I-287 to I-78.

After our stop over at the Comfort Inn Allentown PA, we took I-476 to I-95 in Philadelphia and have stayed on I-95 except for I-495 around Wilmington DE, I-695 around Baltimore and I-295 around Richmond.

We managed to beat the winter weather out of PA on Sunday, set up in the rain and dumped the "pink stuff" in Fredericksburg.

Had some issues with our furnace last evening (which self corrected ???) - we borrowed a space heater from the KOA, just in case.

Temps are supposed to be near 60 on Tuesday and we are hanging low here in Wade NC until Wednesday, then onto Savannah GA for 3 days and into Florida on Saturday.

Thanks for all the great advice and we look forward to meeting those in attendance at the Tampa RV show on 1/18.

Happy New Year
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