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Welcome back to Sunny FL...
Long Driving
Long driving Update.
So ends another season of "Long Driving".....
Just got home last night from Florida. 17 hours 15 minutes. 1150 miles. Only two stops. Once at the Buc Eees in Georgia and the other at the Buc Eees in KY. Cheapest gas but very, very crowded. Just stopped long enough to gas up and use the bathrooms. As usual we packed our own food and coffee. Up at 4 am, out the door at 4:48 this time.*
Rained pretty much all through Georgia but clear and dry in Tennesse. Light rain in KY and Ohio but it didn't slow traffic.
Got through Atlanta with a minimal slowdown. Chattanooga was back upped and there was some lane closures in KY which slowed us down. The last time I checked (in Ohio) we were getting about 30 mpg in my wife's Buick Encore which is a small SUV.
If we sell our suburban house this year, next year with add 2-3 hours to our trip south from the woods house. That shouldn't be a problem with me, the drive is actually pretty easy. Listened to an audio book most of the way but my wife thinks it's too far (about 20 hours) in one trip. We'll see once we try it.
Overall is was a pretty good trip to Florida this year. We stayed the longest we ever had, 6 weeks. I got in a lot of exercise. Pretty nice to ride my bike every day down to the fitness trail. Once I got into some semblance of condition, I started some 20 mile bike rides every couple of days. Also golfed more than I have in decades. Went to Silver Springs with my brother/his wife to take a glass bottom boat ride. Also went up to Homosassa springs to swim/snorkel with the manatees. Not to mention a 9 night Caribbean cruise with scuba diving in Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
* in case anyone is interested in how I get up at 4 am. I usually go to bed at 11 and get up at 7-7:30. So about 5 or 6 days before we leave I make sure I get up no later than 7 am. Then about 3 days out, I get up at 6:30. Two days out I get up at 6 and still go to bed at 11. One day out I go to bed at 10 and get up at 5 am. That usually makes me tired enough to go to bed at 9 pm and get up at 4 the next day. I also make sure that I work out those days to make be tired enough to go to bed early.
That has worked out really well. I haven't gotten sleepy while driving at all. Of course I drink 4 or 5 cups of coffee in the car. This time I drank less coffee and ate more sweets in the car. We usually stop 3 times on the trip, twice for gas/bathroom and an extra time to go to the bathroom. This time only two gas stops/bathroom breaks. So less coffee and more sweets helped eliminate that extra stop. When we move up to the woods house I'll have to add another gas stop so I guess that point it moot.
Just got home last night from Florida. 17 hours 15 minutes. 1150 miles. Only two stops. Once at the Buc Eees in Georgia and the other at the Buc Eees in KY. Cheapest gas but very, very crowded. Just stopped long enough to gas up and use the bathrooms. As usual we packed our own food and coffee. Up at 4 am, out the door at 4:48 this time.*
Rained pretty much all through Georgia but clear and dry in Tennesse. Light rain in KY and Ohio but it didn't slow traffic.
Got through Atlanta with a minimal slowdown. Chattanooga was back upped and there was some lane closures in KY which slowed us down. The last time I checked (in Ohio) we were getting about 30 mpg in my wife's Buick Encore which is a small SUV.
If we sell our suburban house this year, next year with add 2-3 hours to our trip south from the woods house. That shouldn't be a problem with me, the drive is actually pretty easy. Listened to an audio book most of the way but my wife thinks it's too far (about 20 hours) in one trip. We'll see once we try it.
Overall is was a pretty good trip to Florida this year. We stayed the longest we ever had, 6 weeks. I got in a lot of exercise. Pretty nice to ride my bike every day down to the fitness trail. Once I got into some semblance of condition, I started some 20 mile bike rides every couple of days. Also golfed more than I have in decades. Went to Silver Springs with my brother/his wife to take a glass bottom boat ride. Also went up to Homosassa springs to swim/snorkel with the manatees. Not to mention a 9 night Caribbean cruise with scuba diving in Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
* in case anyone is interested in how I get up at 4 am. I usually go to bed at 11 and get up at 7-7:30. So about 5 or 6 days before we leave I make sure I get up no later than 7 am. Then about 3 days out, I get up at 6:30. Two days out I get up at 6 and still go to bed at 11. One day out I go to bed at 10 and get up at 5 am. That usually makes me tired enough to go to bed at 9 pm and get up at 4 the next day. I also make sure that I work out those days to make be tired enough to go to bed early.
That has worked out really well. I haven't gotten sleepy while driving at all. Of course I drink 4 or 5 cups of coffee in the car. This time I drank less coffee and ate more sweets in the car. We usually stop 3 times on the trip, twice for gas/bathroom and an extra time to go to the bathroom. This time only two gas stops/bathroom breaks. So less coffee and more sweets helped eliminate that extra stop. When we move up to the woods house I'll have to add another gas stop so I guess that point it moot.
Last edited by Mac66 on Wed Mar 19, 2025 6:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Long driving Update.
Yes... I find less coffee = less P stops, As to sweets, I use gummy bears. They last a long time if you don't chew and the sugar helps with a boost for the drive.Mac66 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 17, 2025 10:06 am Of course I drink 4 or 5 cups of coffee in the car. This time I drank less coffee and ate more sweets in the car. We usually stop 3 times on the trip, twice for gas/bathroom and an extra time to go to the bathroom. This time only two gas stops/bathroom breaks. So less coffee and more sweets helped eliminate that extra stop.
You can't fix stupid !