How long does it take you to drive to the beach?

[Mermaid]

On the subject of having extra drivers for the trip - we drove down in July with FOUR teens in the car. We were like a pile of sardines stuffed in a can. We couldn't leave until past midnight because half of the kids needed to go to Borders Bookstore to pick up the newest Harry Potter, which was released that night.

So here it is 1:00 am and we're off. I figured my husband could drive until about 3:00 am and then our son could take over. I mean, he's the kid who parties until dawn, so it shouldn't have been any trouble for him to take the wheel for the 3:00 to 6:00 am shift...right?

No way! We weren't even onto the highway before every kid in the car was asleep. Yes, asleep. And they didn't wake up until nearly 10:00 am when we stopped for breakfast. Some help they were!

 

[Paula]

Thanks, Paula. It turns out we're gutting the condo we bought so the two trips we had planned to re-do the place might turn into a LOT more! I don't mind driving for a whole day for a little R&R, but for Renovation? I don't think so...

You're welcome. There's always a layover from Detroit in either Memphis or Atlanta. No direct flight yet, but I hope there's one when the new airport is built -- and reasonable prices, too.

 

[beachmouse]

If it's at all close price-wise (and they're usually about $10 apart), it usually works out so much better to go Northwest through Memphis than Delta through Atlanta. Delta's lucky to have a 30% on time percentage in these parts.

Memphis is smaller, and generally far less congested to go through.

 

[Mermaid]

I'm going to get on Travelocity and put in some new cities for Fare Watchers. You never know when a tempting airfare might pop up!

 

[Beachlover2]

American Airlines now has a direct flight from STL. Don't know how far Indianapolis is from STL - I'm guessing 3 hours - but once you get on the flight in STL you are in Ft Walton Beach (VPS) in two hours.

 

[wetwilly]

On the subject of having extra drivers for the trip - we drove down in July with FOUR teens in the car. We were like a pile of sardines stuffed in a can. We couldn't leave until past midnight because half of the kids needed to go to Borders Bookstore to pick up the newest Harry Potter, which was released that night.

So here it is 1:00 am and we're off. I figured my husband could drive until about 3:00 am and then our son could take over. I mean, he's the kid who parties until dawn, so it shouldn't have been any trouble for him to take the wheel for the 3:00 to 6:00 am shift...right?

No way! We weren't even onto the highway before every kid in the car was asleep. Yes, asleep. And they didn't wake up until nearly 10:00 am when we stopped for breakfast. Some help they were!

Unfortunately, predictable for teens. Don't you remember the days when you could party all night, hit a concert or club even after little or no sleep, and/or do what you wanted to do for many hours but when it came time to do something for your parents, school, yard work etc then you were sick, "fried" or "beat". My 12 yr old is already going there and he was never a sound sleeper or "lazy". Teen attitude. Those were the days.

Try as we may, kids/teens will be be teens. It is their duty, right, and tradition to uphold this time tested behavior.

On topic: It takes us 6.5 hours door to door even with a 30 minute fast food lunch break in Montgomery. 7 hours if we stop for breakfast at Waffle House (30 min) and fast food lunch in Montgomery (30 minutes). That is Alpharetta, Ga. to Eastern Lake area in Seagrove

 

[lollygal]

My best time trial ;-) was 6 hours door to door; but that was just me by myself. I tend to crank the music and hit the pedal pretty hard. If Mr. Lolly is driving, we can maybe make it in 7!!! UGH! :roll: I tend to be of the mindset that if you're going to the beach, then get there already!!

 

[Mermaid]

Wetwilly--about "teens will be teens"--that's why we didn't wake any of them up! They looked so cute asleep with their heads on each others' shoulders. It would have been really hard-hearted of us to have disturbed them when they looked so adorably young. We just shrugged our shoulders and kept on drivin'.

We always stock up on books-on-tape from the library. A thrilling novel makes the miles whiz by. This time we listened to "Pompeii" which was a fictionalized account of the days leading up to the eruption...eerily like hearing about NO.

 

[OhioBeachBum]

Well, I just now catching up - looks like I missed a fun thread yesterday. (but Otter hasn't "Valentine One" yet so the thread must still be young :laughing1 )
Takes us about 12.5 hrs door to door. We're about 70mi north of the OH/KY border, 'bout a mile off of I75. We usually leave about 3:30-4am on a Sun morning (lot less traffic that way), and stop only for fuel - as in "whiz now or hold it for another 350" - for the most part. Do a brief 30-40min sit down to eat & leg stretch in the "civilized" portion of 'bama :laughing1 (around LandLocked). Usually have just enough time (after flinging luggage into condo) to enjoy some late afternoon beach time.

Used to make better time, 'til I picked up $200 worth of paper in TN, and that straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back cost me a grand a year for 3 years in non-preferred tier insurance premiums Been too tight to drop 4 bills on Otter's gadget, and once I noticed I was burning on s*** load more fuel at 80+, I decided to just keep it a "speed suggestion" + 7 or 8 - heck, got way too much work stress load anyway, no sense adding to it driving ;-) [excluding stress induced from d*** foos on the road that were licensed from a cracker-jack box].

 

[katie blue]

85 --> 185 --> 80/280/431 (Phenix City) --> 231 --> Hwy 109 (south of Dothan), becomes Hwy 77 --> Hwy 20 --> Hwy 79 --> 98.

The bold is the key, and then you can go whichever route from Dothan and all are about the same time, unless you go through Panty Maw City.

Yeah, to all us regular folks, it is. but i live with a Map Geek, who takes peculiar pride in shaving off 4 minutes from the drive, if he can find a way. it's his way of amusing himself on the drive down i suppose. this is his "latest and greatest route." which of course doesn't factor in the rogue tractor on any of these farm roads, which could throw the whole deal off. silly, aint it.