If any of y'all were on I-75 coming north from Tampa and beyond, hope y'all made it home okay. We came home last night from Sarasota Fl to Warner Robins GA. Normally a 7 hour car ride, normally a 8-8.5 hour trailer haul, but yesterday took us 11.5 hours. Got on the road a little late (1100), and by 3 PM, we had gone a whopping 100 miles. Traffic was horrible. Construction, accidents, all the way through Ocala. I think we got into Ocala somewhere around 5 to 6 PM. After Ocala it wasn't bad,.. busy, but not bad.I would have stopped for the night, but grandkids were anxious to get home, so we pushed through. Saw lots of RV's on the road, so I gotta imagine at least one or two were members here.Tried to get a pic of a guy towing a trailer with a van. The combo was so tongue heavy, it was a V. Man, talk about unsafe. Sure hope he made it home okay too.Nice to be home with one more day to recuperate before going back to that four letter word... WORK.Mike

Headed that way tomorrow, hope it clears up.

Too late but, why didn't you take the lightly traveled 599 Suncoast Parkway toll road from Tampa to just south of Ocala??

Tom N wrote:Too late but, why didn't you take the lightly traveled 599 Suncoast Parkway toll road from Tampa to just south of Ocala??Habit.. and the failed thought that it was clearing up "just ahead".And the fact that I wasn't aware of that route. Thought also about taking 41, but in the end dealt with it. Lesson learned.Mike

Hardly a surprise on the last weekend of a long holiday. I sure there will be people who leave Frisco after a day of skiing today who will take four hours to go the 60 miles to Denver this afternoon.

4runnerguy wrote:Hardly a surprise on the last weekend of a long holiday. It's winter and it's Florida. Main roads are frequently clogged.It clears up a bit about the first of May.I'm going to have to look into the 599. It was mentioned in the paper here a few days ago. Must be one of the best kept travel secrets in the country.(Edit )Looks like most of it is known as SR 589 and it goes too far west for most people's liking.

Crazy traffic coming back from Florida | Good Sam Community

jplante4
Explorer II
Jan 03, 2016
Headed that way tomorrow, hope it clears up.
Tom_N
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Too late but, why didn't you take the lightly traveled 599 Suncoast Parkway toll road from Tampa to just south of Ocala??
Walaby
Explorer II
Jan 03, 2016
Tom N wrote:
Too late but, why didn't you take the lightly traveled 599 Suncoast Parkway toll road from Tampa to just south of Ocala??

Habit.. and the failed thought that it was clearing up "just ahead".

And the fact that I wasn't aware of that route. Thought also about taking 41, but in the end dealt with it. Lesson learned.

Mike
4runnerguy
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Hardly a surprise on the last weekend of a long holiday. I sure there will be people who leave Frisco after a day of skiing today who will take four hours to go the 60 miles to Denver this afternoon.
Sam_Spade
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
4runnerguy wrote:
Hardly a surprise on the last weekend of a long holiday.

It's winter and it's Florida. Main roads are frequently clogged.
It clears up a bit about the first of May.

I'm going to have to look into the 599. It was mentioned in the paper here a few days ago. Must be one of the best kept travel secrets in the country.
(Edit )
Looks like most of it is known as SR 589 and it goes too far west for most people's liking.
phillyg
Explorer II
Jan 03, 2016
Took me 19 hours from Englewood to Williamsburg VA. Normally a 14 hour trip. Couldn't even find a hotel room. First time we've ever drive straight thru.
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Jan 03, 2016
I left Sarasota at 6:30 am on New Year's Day ( not towing ) and arrived in Glen Allen VA ,which is north of Richmond at 7:30 pm...

Yesterday I left Glenn Allen at 6:30 am and made it to my home in Bucks County ( just north of Philly) at 10:30 am... Sounds like I missed all the fun coming home...

Gosh knows I hit it all going south the day after Christmas... Horrible traffic the entire trip
Craig_A
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
I 75 from just north of Tampa to Wildwood is a nightmare with all the construction and narrowed lanes with no emergency lane. If there's another way to get where you're going it would be a better route.
JoeTampa
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
We drove from the Fort Meyers area to just north of Tampa (exit 275) in the afternoon/evening hours on Saturday and had no issues with traffic at all.
tomkaren13
Explorer
Jan 03, 2016
Tom N wrote:
Too late but, why didn't you take the lightly traveled 599 Suncoast Parkway toll road from Tampa to just south of Ocala??

Does not end just south of Ocala!!!! Ends in the middle of nowhere. You either go west and end up on 19 near Homosassa or a ways East and then are on 41 Brooksville. And it is a Toll road