DP going up and down mountains
Hello. I have a 40' 1996 Monaco Dynasty. I am going to be a Snowbirds this year and I hear there are mountains whether one takes I- 75 or I-95. I would really like to hear all advice from those ...
Forum Discussion
While the OP's question was about hill/mountain driving, I wonder about the info he received about there being mountains on I-95 and I-75.
We travel from western PA to central FL on a fairly regular basis and I don't recall any hills of significance on 95. I haven't traveled all of 75 so can't say what is between Tenn. and north FL.
We usually avoid the Washington DC traffic by picking up I-81 at Hagerstown, MD and following it to southern VA and following I-77 to Colombia, SC and I-26 to I-95. There is one hill on I-77 that is a little steep and somewhat long just leaving VA and entering NC called Fancy Gap. I would call that scenic and a nice drive where others would be scared by it, but that's another subject.
I think the mileage I travel may be a little longer than some other possibilities, but we find it less difficult since the only really significant traffic is from Statesville, NC to about 30 miles south of Charlotte. Depending on the time of day and a few other things that traffic can be anywhere from heavy to nearly insane. I've tried to time my drive through there over the years with some success, now I just relax and go whenever. We also have no tolls or tunnels to worry about.
The OP could drive a similar route coming from NH down to Hartford and across I-84 to Scranton,PA and south on I-81. The only toll there would be the bridge over the Hudson River and I don't recall which way you pay and which one you don't, but it's only one direction. There are several hills on I-84 in NY and PA, but I've never found them to be much of an issue.
I guess the bottom line is simply slow down to where you are comfortable and relax. I often have someone ask how long it takes me to get to or from FL and my stock answer is anywhere from 20 hours to five days. Enjoy the trip more and worry less has become my mantra.
We travel from western PA to central FL on a fairly regular basis and I don't recall any hills of significance on 95. I haven't traveled all of 75 so can't say what is between Tenn. and north FL.
We usually avoid the Washington DC traffic by picking up I-81 at Hagerstown, MD and following it to southern VA and following I-77 to Colombia, SC and I-26 to I-95. There is one hill on I-77 that is a little steep and somewhat long just leaving VA and entering NC called Fancy Gap. I would call that scenic and a nice drive where others would be scared by it, but that's another subject.
I think the mileage I travel may be a little longer than some other possibilities, but we find it less difficult since the only really significant traffic is from Statesville, NC to about 30 miles south of Charlotte. Depending on the time of day and a few other things that traffic can be anywhere from heavy to nearly insane. I've tried to time my drive through there over the years with some success, now I just relax and go whenever. We also have no tolls or tunnels to worry about.
The OP could drive a similar route coming from NH down to Hartford and across I-84 to Scranton,PA and south on I-81. The only toll there would be the bridge over the Hudson River and I don't recall which way you pay and which one you don't, but it's only one direction. There are several hills on I-84 in NY and PA, but I've never found them to be much of an issue.
I guess the bottom line is simply slow down to where you are comfortable and relax. I often have someone ask how long it takes me to get to or from FL and my stock answer is anywhere from 20 hours to five days. Enjoy the trip more and worry less has become my mantra.
