Avoiding Atlanta and Nashville?

The route suggested through N. GA seems like it might be better suited for the summer or spring - Sounds like it would be pretty.

rwess - will take a look at that route - since we'll be going back by way of AL.

A very enjoyable and beautiful route would be to get off I-75 in North Georgia on Ga. 76. It goes all the way across North Georgia to Clayton. Then get on US 441 to I-16, another very enjoyable trip and take I-16 to Savannah.

Thanks for all the suggestions - We've revised somewhat and are heading to Savannah GA then on to FL -- who has a plan, our plan is to not have a plan :) Anyway we're heading to Mongomery, AL then east.

Just go through Nashville. It is not a large problem.

We are heading to Jekyll this weekend. Will be there till Jan. 3rd. When are you going?

Hankjoe wrote:
Mapquest takes me through Nashville & Atlanta from St. Louis to Jekel Island, GA and St. Augustine, FL. I really would like to avoid those 2 cities. Anyone with any suggestions?

Usually go through Memphis to go to Gulf Shores, AL, but trying a different area this year.

Don't know what you are pulling, or your timetable, but here is what we are doing this year, which is just slightly different than our other 35 or more trips from Illinois to SW Florida.

We are staying at Clarksville RV, in Clarksville TN (I-24) just prior to going through Nashville. The next morning we will leave early, since we are only about 40 minutes from Nashville, and get through there by 7:00 am.

We get on I-65 and head to Montgomery AL and stay there in a CG. The next day we take US RT 231 down through Dothan GA and on to I-10, then we take I-10 over to Tallahassee FL and use a CG there.

We then utilize another CG prior to getting to Ft. Myers.

We found that the advantages of this route is that you avoid Chattanooga/Mounteagle and Atlanta. We didn't mind the grade going up to Mounteagle but in years past we have experienced unbelievable fog, accidents, and one year ended up getting snowed in up there for 3 days. Atlanta was never that bad depending on when you went through, but the route we are using now really only has one congested city to deal with, that being Nashville.

US RT 231 has been improved in the past several years. It is almost entirely 4-lane divided and much of it is new pavement. There are several small towns you go through and some stop lights. I anticipate the stop lights and keep my speed at the speed limit and rarely even have to use my brakes or get stopped on that route.

Thanks - gives us some more options -- think we may try rwess route, want to look closer at the map. When heading back North for home we'll probably go through Mobile and up through AL & MS. Don't mind the extra miles -- that's just part of the trip.

When we went to Fl from MO we took I-55 S to West Memphis/Memphis, to 240 to 78 ( aka 4 or Future 22 ). That takes you through MS to Birmingham AL to I65 Montgomery AL. You would then take 82 to 231 and that will take you to I-10 in FL. The road through MS is a good one, the Road I-55 in Arkansas is poor, they were working on it last time we went through though.

You could go I-55 to Jackson, US-49 to Hattiesburg, US-98 to Mobile, then I-10 to Jacksonville, and up I-96 the short distance to Jekyll Island. This adds about 280 miles to the trip.

But I'm not sure that going through Memphis is any better than going through Nashville, and have no idea how Jax compares to Atlanta, since I turn south just east of Tallahassee to get to my destination. I avoid Memphis by starting south at Little Rock on I-530/US-65, but that doesn't work for starting at St Louis.

The difference in mileage doesn't bother me much because I have stops to make on the Gulf Coast anyway, and no longer have reason to visit Nashville since my daughter moved away from there. When I was going through Nashville, I used I-65 to Montgomery, 231 to I-10, to get to Florida or southern Georgia.

Briley Parkway around the north side is one good way around Nashville, although the parkway is also crowded during rush. Last time I was there, it was freeway only as far as I-40, surface streets continue to I-24. Coming from the west and going south I-440 works OK some times of the day, but during rush hours it is badly overloaded and tends to get clogged around interchanges.