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marielg
Conversationalist ⭐
April 30, 2023

Driving from Pennsylvania to Florida

  • April 30, 2023
  • 25 replies
  • 15650 views

I am looking for any suggestions/advice on a route to travel from NE Pennsylvania to Port St Lucie Florida. My daughter moved there last year and I would so like to visit my granddaughters for Thanksgiving. I have never visited them and miss them so much. I would rather drive than fly so I have the option to bring along what I want to.  I would be driving alone. I know RT 95 is a straight drive down there but I do not want to drive through Washington. I thought AARP Roadside assistance still had the trip planning assistance where they help plan and supply paper maps, but seems they no longer offer it. Only online apps which I prefer not to use. Suggestions? Advice? Words of wisdom?

    25 replies

    KellytheBelly
    KellytheBelly
    Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
    April 30, 2023

    GPS? 

     

    (I, personally, prefer paper maps, too. I drove cross-country, though, with the dreaded GPS (and walkie-talkies), which I will never use again, unless I travel beyond 500+ miles. Go to your local book store, and buy a map. Write it down. And, hopefully someone can do what Claire Colburn did in, 'Elizabethtown.' lol Oh my gosh! If anyone did that for me, I'd be over the moon and back, and repeat! Mapping my journey with music, audio, and history. That'd be Awesome.)

    ⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑... ⌞What the GLITCH!⌝ ... ⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑(っ ͡ ͡° - ͡ ͡° ς) Made of flesh and bone, not chips and blips.
      C
      ChaviB814890rest
      Community Manager
      April 30, 2023

      (4 comments) @EricC28201 , @KellytheBelly - I prefer GPS, now that I have it as of 2018 on Android my daughter bought me.

       

      BEFORE, it was a NIGHTMARE "reading/following" a PAPER map = stress!!!/lol. 😱😱

       

      But GPS can "mess" you up as ROUTES change and Google is CLUELESS about the change. 🙄

       

      Glad my daughter will be driving my u-haul back to Florida from Virginia. At age soon-to-be 65, I could NOT do it.

       

      Please stay in touch if you can @marielg , WE would luv to hear how it all works out for you. Good Luck and be Safe....

       

      Nicole 🙃

        KellytheBelly
        KellytheBelly
        Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
        April 30, 2023
        @Anonymous wrote:

         

        BEFORE, it was a NIGHTMARE "reading/following" a PAPER map = stress!!!/lol. 😱😱

        😂

        ⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑... ⌞What the GLITCH!⌝ ... ⭑ ๋࣭ ⭑(っ ͡ ͡° - ͡ ͡° ς) Made of flesh and bone, not chips and blips.
          EricC28201
          EricC28201
          Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
          April 30, 2023

          Do you wish to avoid D.C. badly enough to start out by going west to Harrisburg?

          Generally speaking you could run I-81 to I-77 to I-26 circling back to I-95 south of Columbia S.C..

          If you're not averse to asking AAA for assistance they have a program called TripTik.

           

          BTW...Also prefer hardcopy maps...saw a news report not to long ago that they're making a comeback.

            M
            marielgAuthor
            Conversationalist ⭐
            April 30, 2023

            I will consider this route as I am close to 81. I have AARP Allstate Roadside Assistance which does not have Trip Tik like AAA. I may consider switching to them as well.

              D
              DavidS720244
              Contributor ⭐
              April 30, 2023

              I think Eric had the way to drive, but I-77 is difficult through WVA and they have a toll on the road. Unfortunately, I-95 is what most people use (it's crowded and dangerous) and but it IS a straight route.

              I have driven the I-77 to I-26 to I-95 several times.  Last fall I gave up driving to FL and took to the air.  You could ship with UPS the items you won't carry on the plane. I did.

                M
                marielgAuthor
                Conversationalist ⭐
                April 30, 2023

                Thank you all for your suggestions. Oddly I have a pretty good sense directions.

                I study the maps and write down my plan. Type it large enough on the computer that I can read if I glance over while driving. I suppose the GPS could be back up.  

                  M
                  marielgAuthor
                  Conversationalist ⭐
                  October 8, 2023

                  Well in about 4 weeks I will be on my "adventure" to visit my daughter, her husband and my 3 granddaughters as well as my son. All off whom I haven't seen in about 1 1/2 years. I was disappointed that my AARP Roadside assistance does not offer any help with planning the trip or even maps. I have decided to take Rt 81 down to RT77 to Rt 26 to Rt 95. I am trying not to overthink my route. If anyone knows of any issues I may encounter please feel free to share . Thank you!

                    EricC28201
                    EricC28201
                    Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
                    November 1, 2023

                    Happy and Safe travels and Family Time @marielg .

                      SummerOnTheWay1
                      SummerOnTheWay1
                      Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
                      February 27, 2024

                      📎  (2/26/24) @marielg , how was your trip?  🤔

                       

                      [*** @marielg wrote:

                      I am looking for any suggestions/advice on a route to travel from NE Pennsylvania to Port St Lucie Florida. My daughter moved there last year and I would so like to visit my granddaughters for Thanksgiving. I have never visited them and miss them so much. I would rather drive than fly so I have the option to bring along what I want to.  I would be driving alone. I know RT 95 is a straight drive down there but I do not want to drive through Washington. I thought AARP Roadside assistance still had the trip planning assistance where they help plan and supply paper maps, but seems they no longer offer it. Only online apps which I prefer not to use. Suggestions? Advice? Words of wisdom? ***]

                      M
                      marielgAuthor
                      Conversationalist ⭐
                      February 27, 2024

                      Thank you for asking. However due to a medical emergency with my husband I did not go in November. However I am trying to figure out when a good time to go after April 15th. I volunteer as an AARP tax aide and want to wait until tax season is over. Although I have to admit I am getting a bit more nervous about that drive. Not so much driving through the states before Florida , but Florida itself. I live in the mountains of PA and have enjoyed a relaxed driving for my time here and from what I understand Florida is not relaxed driving. 

                        SummerOnTheWay1
                        SummerOnTheWay1
                        Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
                        March 5, 2025

                        📎  [Wednesday 3/5/25] @marielg , a belated happy new year. We have not chatted since Thanksgiving. Hope your trip back from Florida went well in December. Take care, Nicole  👵

                        M
                        marielgAuthor
                        Conversationalist ⭐
                        March 6, 2025

                        Hi Nicole! Sorry I haven't written. My driving to and from Florida was actually surprisingly pleasant once I got further south such as southern NC. People drive so differently down south, I know there are problem a few  that are not but it seems most are courteous. Keeping their distance, allowing you to merge, change lanes etc. Being from PA it was a shock. Florida is so flat and the clouds seem higher than here in PA as well. The weather was cooperating as well, not hot.  My time with my children and grandchildren  was wonderful. Thank you so very much for thinking of me.

                          SummerOnTheWay1
                          SummerOnTheWay1
                          Community Champion ⭐⭐⭐
                          March 6, 2025

                          📎  [Thursday 3/6/25] @marielg you are welcome and I am SO PROUD of you!!!  👏

                           

                          There is a $45 special from Roanoke, Virgina to Sarasota, Florida ONE WAY. Wish I still enjoyed flying. Need to see my daughter. She is NOT in Sarasota, but WE could vacation there. NEVER been.

                           

                          Anyway, at age 67 this year will NEED to move back to Florida when the State of Virginia and/or my Medicare Doctor takes my keys AWAY from me.

                           

                          DREADING that day as I luv my Virginia Mountains and Spring & Fall.

                           

                          Take care,

                          Nicole  👵

                           

                          [*** @marielg wrote:

                          Hi Nicole! Sorry I haven't written. My driving to and from Florida was actually surprisingly pleasant once I got further south such as southern NC. People drive so differently down south, I know there are problem a few  that are not but it seems most are courteous. Keeping their distance, allowing you to merge, change lanes etc. Being from PA it was a shock. Florida is so flat and the clouds seem higher than here in PA as well. The weather was cooperating as well, not hot.  My time with my children and grandchildren  was wonderful. Thank you so very much for thinking of me. ***]

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