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

[pepe of ohio]

Cruise control is a wonderful thing....like stated, couple miles over speed limit and forget it, let the crazy ignorant people pass all they want..... I never have to look at my speedometer when seeing a police vehicle since I'm never speeding!!

[Bearadise]

Originally Posted by edbo77

Virginia is by far the worst in my opinion. It is not uncommon for me to see more VA state troopers set up that in all the other states combined and I'm coming down from MA.

I'm actually making the drive down on Thursday, I will let you know if this still holds true.

Yes please, let us know what you see regarding speed traps. The family and I are heading down the third week in February and forewarned is forearmed!

_

[Disneyholic]

Originally Posted by pepe of ohio

Cruise control is a wonderful thing....like stated, couple miles over speed limit and forget it, let the crazy ignorant people pass all they want..... I never have to look at my speedometer when seeing a police vehicle since I'm never speeding!!

Just a warning about cruise control. It's not good on wet & slippery roads and if you are sleepy. If you fall asleep the car just keeps on going. If wet or slippery it can cause hydroplaning and hitting the brakes can cause further loss of control.

Saw an accident one time on the way down where the car left the road & plowed through a line of trees before a tree went through the drivers side windshield. Hopefully he fell over to the side when he dozed off. For how far the car went through the trees it looked like he probably had cruise control on & the car kept going at 65+ mph.

[happily single]

Originally Posted by stevil73

Looking for some tips from all the experienced drivers from Southern NH or MA. Family of 5 (3 preschoolers) planning to drive on Easter weekend. The plan is to leave southern NH on Saturday, March 30 around 6:30pm, hoping to get alot of the drive in while the kids sleep. Since we are driving at night, I was planning on this route: 495/MA Pike/84/684/Tappan Zee/GS Pkwy/NJ Tpke/95. Plan on stopping somewhere in the Carolinas, maybe GA if everything is going ok, then onto WDW the next morning. Since its a holiday weekend, any chance of hitting any holiday traffic? Does this route seem reasonable? Thanks

I can't help with the route, but if you were to leave at 6:30 p.m. (from Concord, NH) you would arrive in South Carolina approximately 15 hours later, which would be early in the day Sunday. Would you be able to sleep in the hotel while the little ones are wide awake? I've thought about driving at night to help with the kids (sleeping), but then when I would need to sleep the kids would be wide awake

[DSLRuser]

Originally Posted by pepe of ohio

Cruise control is a wonderful thing.....

, let the crazy ignorant people pass all they want..... !!

Personally, I don't like cruise controll. Makes me feal "disconnected" to the car / drive. i lose focus. Having to monitor my speed and foot position keeps me mentally aware.

why are people crazy and or ignorant because they drive faster than you?

Our highway systems speed limits are products of the 70's and 80's. todays cars and todays highways are capable of supporting much greater speeds in many areas. My set speed is based on many factors.

1- the speed limit for the road
2- the traffic in my area
3 - weather
4- highway condition
5 - terrain

I am no mario andretti, but routinely drive between 10-15 miles over a posted 65mph speed limit. 15mph extra over 15 hours can save close to 3 hours off a long trip.

[DSLRuser]

Originally Posted by Bearadise

I set it and stay in the middle/middle-right lanes. Let the slower people stay behind me or to the right of me, let the speeders pass me on the left.

_

THANK YOU! If everyone in our country would follow these simple rules, our highways would be much safer.

Simple....KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS

Check your mirrors people. If you are not in the right lane and someone moves up on your bumper, pull right and let faster traffic pass. i dont care if you are doing 80mph. if the ther guy wants to do 85mph, let him pass.

Nothing peeves me more than people so high and mighty that they want to be personal speed limit enforement cops by driving what they think is the safest speed possible in the left lane.

Simple....KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS


Even when i am doing 75 or 80, i drive as much as possible in the right lane, moving over to pass on the left, but imediatly moving back to the right.

[PlumDragon]

Originally Posted by remlover

Coming from extreme Northern Illinois (Wisconsin is only 2 miles from location), I was considering stopping half-way, or at least when we got to Atlanta (12 hours). But the more and more I thought about it and talking to my brother who drives straight through, it seemed it would be more practical not to stop when we leave in late March.

I'll probably be taking I-65 to 75. I can't stand I-57 in Illinois. It is so boring to drive I want to pull my hair out. I'm planning on leaving @ 1pm, that would get us to Disney by 10am-ish. I work 3rd shift, so driving and being up at night is no big deal.

We took this route last year (end of March). Do you have two drivers? If not, I would recommend stopping. I had planned to drive straight through, but was exhausted by the time we got to Georgia. Of course, we hit some pretty bad weather that slowed use down, so that might be why. Better safe than sorry, though, IMO.

I know people are recommending 57, but we took 65 and had no issues either direction.

[Bearadise]

Originally Posted by Disneyholic

Just a warning about cruise control. It's not good on wet & slippery roads and if you are sleepy. If you fall asleep the car just keeps on going. If wet or slippery it can cause hydroplaning and hitting the brakes can cause further loss of control.

Good advise. Here in New England when Ole' Man Winter dumps a load on the highways, we drive the old fashioned way, gas and brake pedals.

As for falling asleep at the wheel, yea, cruise control is kind of like an automatic pilot in an aircraft. You have to be the one to take off and land the plane. Cruise control will just keep the vehicle at speed, one still has to steer the car. In our case, we have three adult drivers. One will drive, one will be front seat navigator and the third will "sleep" till it's time to swap around.

-

[nono]

Originally Posted by DSLRuser

I am no mario andretti, but routinely drive between 10-15 miles over a posted 65mph speed limit. 15mph extra over 15 hours can save close to 3 hours off a long trip.

You would make a good New Jerseyian. If we go only +5 around here, we're stopped for suspicious behavior.

[stevil73]

Originally Posted by happily single

I can't help with the route, but if you were to leave at 6:30 p.m. (from Concord, NH) you would arrive in South Carolina approximately 15 hours later, which would be early in the day Sunday. Would you be able to sleep in the hotel while the little ones are wide awake? I've thought about driving at night to help with the kids (sleeping), but then when I would need to sleep the kids would be wide awake

The plan is the have DW (if she can sleep in the car) occupy the kids for a few hours during the day so I can catch a decent nap. On paper, this plan is great, I guess we will see how it plays out in real life.

[cruisingkat]

Originally Posted by remlover

I think I'm being sold on the I-57 idea more and more. From my experience it is not busy. Especially once you get past Kankakee, IL. My only concern are the speed traps on 57. I got hit with a ticket (7 over) way down. I'm not sure if its before the I24 cut-off or further south going towards the border. Heck, I have even see a Corvette as a police squad car.

Do you guys and gals keep to the speed limit or a few over? I try to keep up with traffic, but when you are alone sometimes it's hard to hide.

We have seen very few speed traps in IL on I57 - but we travel weekdays. We have seen about the same amount of speed traps in each state we travel through - except for one state. Actually the worst spot for speed traps on the drive is in GA - especially in Turner Cty (approximately milemarker 87-74). The Turner Cty sheriff's dept. have been listed as issuing the most traffic tickets in GA and they do use laser. Also, GA has a super speeder fine - if you are going 15 or more miles per hour over the limit, you are hit with an additional $200 fine.

[dvczerfs]

Originally Posted by DSLRuser

Personally, I don't like cruise controll. Makes me feal "disconnected" to the car / drive. i lose focus. Having to monitor my speed and foot position keeps me mentally aware.

why are people crazy and or ignorant because they drive faster than you?

Our highway systems speed limits are products of the 70's and 80's. todays cars and todays highways are capable of supporting much greater speeds in many areas. My set speed is based on many factors.

1- the speed limit for the road
2- the traffic in my area
3 - weather
4- highway condition
5 - terrain

I am no mario andretti, but routinely drive between 10-15 miles over a posted 65mph speed limit. 15mph extra over 15 hours can save close to 3 hours off a long trip.

(im not a andretti but close.)

Originally Posted by DSLRuser

THANK YOU! If everyone in our country would follow these simple rules, our highways would be much safer.

Simple....KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS

Check your mirrors people. If you are not in the right lane and someone moves up on your bumper, pull right and let faster traffic pass. i dont care if you are doing 80mph. if the ther guy wants to do 85mph, let him pass.

Nothing peeves me more than people so high and mighty that they want to be personal speed limit enforement cops by driving what they think is the safest speed possible in the left lane.

Simple....KEEP RIGHT, EXCEPT TO PASS


Even when i am doing 75 or 80, i drive as much as possible in the right lane, moving over to pass on the left, but imediatly moving back to the right.

amen! i love watching people pull up next to a semi and just hang there. just asking to get killed.

Originally Posted by nono

You would make a good New Jerseyian. If we go only +5 around here, we're stopped for suspicious behavior.

they do +5 trying to pass you on the shoulders of the highways! (while reading the paper and eating a donut!)

[remlover]

Originally Posted by PlumDragon

We took this route last year (end of March). Do you have two drivers? If not, I would recommend stopping. I had planned to drive straight through, but was exhausted by the time we got to Georgia. Of course, we hit some pretty bad weather that slowed use down, so that might be why. Better safe than sorry, though, IMO.

I know people are recommending 57, but we took 65 and had no issues either direction.

It will be my DW and I doing the driving. I just need her to spend me a few hours here and there. I already have my eye mask and ear plugs to help me get some sleep. I'll have plenty of cold Monster to go. I made a deal with my DW if I get a twinge sleepy we will switch no matter what. My hubris will have to take a break.

[Indy Denise]

Three years ago on our way to Orlando we hit a heavy downpour just as we entered Florida.

It was bad. My DH was not happy with me when I insisted he pull over ( as many other cars had done )

As we sat and waited for it to let up we watched some other drivers zoom by. My DH was getting more upset with me saying "look, THEY get to go because they don't have a freaked out wife"

Rain let up, we started going again...then traffic deapstopped. After finally starting up again, at a crawl, we saw what the hold up was. An accident..a bad one...one mini van was upside down, sitting on it's roof. The other vehicle was down in a ditch. ....and thrown all over the highway were a child's stuffed animals along with other belongings.

My DH looked at me and said " well that is sobering. Thank you honey. Nothing is worth getting in such a hurry over.." I think of the stuffed animals when ever I see stupid drivers.

[nono]

Originally Posted by dvczerfs

amen! i love watching people pull up next to a semi and just hang there. just asking to get killed.

Or worse, you are the one next to the semi and they've decided that they're past it, will match its speed in the passing lane and now you're the sitting duck.

On our way to FL, we do maybe +5 the whole way. We get great gas mileage and have it timed out to hit certain places at certain times. We spend a lot of time in the right lane on these trips. It's kind of fun - like going to a foreign place (being from NJ and generally using all the lanes of the GSP!). I have seen plenty of safe drivers at speeds that are in excess of ours. Just please look our way -- we usually have a game of Rubberneckers going on, which occasionally requires us to get other drivers to do something like at us.