Driving from Pennsylvania to Florida

[marielg]

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?

[SpringIsHereVA]

[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  👵

[marielg]

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.

[SpringIsHereVA]

[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  👵

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[*** @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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[marielg]

Nicole, how ironic we both are 67 years old. I know what you mean about flying, I would rather not. Another strange thing - you living in VA. I have been looking for 6 years for a place to move to in Virginia. I prefer nature to people. My daughter also would like me to move to Florida but no thanks. Too flat, humid and crowded. Take care my friend

[SpringIsHereVA]

[Friday 3/7/25] @marielg , be CAREFUL where you move to in Virginia. For example WEST Virginia has AWFUL healthcare for ALL ages and getting worst. As I AGE, I am seeing what old folks have been saying. Lots of doctors want ZERO to do with MEDICARE. I lost my 1st one and now HOPE my 2nd is still doing Medicare NEXT January 2026 for my YEARLY visit. My daughter HATED Virginia. We had BOTH moved here in 2015. She went back to Florida in 2018. Flying is too much STRESS for me. And forget Amtrak and Greyhound. Take care my friend, Nicole  👵

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[*** @marielg wrote:

Nicole, how ironic we both are 67 years old. I know what you mean about flying, I would rather not. Another strange thing - you living in VA. I have been looking for 6 years for a place to move to in Virginia. I prefer nature to people. My daughter also would like me to move to Florida but no thanks. Too flat, humid and crowded. Take care my friend. ***]

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[SpringIsHereVA]

[11/4/24] Any UPDATES @marielg ? Have you left on your journey, still packing and so on. Thanks, Nicole.

[*** MARIELG wrote on 10/29/24: Well, I am finally worked up the courage to take the drive alone to Florida. I am leaving next Wednesday. I am taking Rt 81 to RT 77(Wytheville) to Rt 26 To Rt 95. That is about all I have planned - to drive as far as I can each day, singing to my prerecorded music and seizing the day. Let's see how it goes. ***]

[SpringIsHereVA]

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

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[*** @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? ***]

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[marielg]

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. 

[marielg]

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]

Happy and Safe travels and Family Time @marielg .

[marielg]

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.  

[DavidS720244]

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.

[EricC28201]

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.

[marielg]

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.

[KellytheBelly]

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.)

[Anonymous]

(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 🙃

[marielg]

Well, I am finally worked up the courage to take the drive alone to Florida. I am leaving next Wednesday. I am taking Rt 81 to RT 77(Wytheville) to Rt 26 To Rt 95. That is about all I have planned - to drive as far as I can each day, singing to my prerecorded music and seizing the day. Let's see how it goes.

[SpringIsHereVA]

[10/29/24] Yikes @marielg , personally I would wait until after or before hurricane season.  😱😱😱

Anyway, please be safe my friend.

Nicole  🙃🙃🙃

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[*** MARIELG wrote: Well, I am finally worked up the courage to take the drive alone to Florida. I am leaving next Wednesday. I am taking Rt 81 to RT 77(Wytheville) to Rt 26 To Rt 95. That is about all I have planned - to drive as far as I can each day, singing to my prerecorded music and seizing the day. Let's see how it goes. ***]

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[marielg]

Well I did it. Took me 20 hours broken down into 2 days driving 9 hours each and the third day was a leisurely 2 hour drive to my destination. Wasn't too bad.

[SpringIsHereVA]

[11/23/24] Hi @marielg , are you staying until Spring? How is your husband doing? Glad he was better so you could head out. Your friend, Nicole  👵

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[*** MARIELG wrote: Well I did it. Took me 20 hours broken down into 2 days driving 9 hours each and the third day was a leisurely 2 hour drive to my destination. Wasn't too bad. ***]

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[marielg]

No, I am not here to spring. I am returning to PA the 2nd week of December. My husband is fine but did not want to come, he didn't want to leave our dog. And my one granddaughter is afraid of dogs. So it was just me driving down and back.

[SpringIsHereVA]

[11/24/24] @marielg , maybe one day she will overcome her fear. ENJOY your Thanlsgiving in Florida. Wish I was there with my daughter. Nicole  👵

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[*** MARIELG wrote: No, I am not here to spring. I am returning to PA the 2nd week of December. My husband is fine but did not want to come, he didn't want to leave our dog. And my one granddaughter is afraid of dogs. So it was just me driving down and back. ***]

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[marielg]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[SpringIsHereVA]

Thank you SO MUCH @marielg  🤗🤗🤗

Have some Turkey for me my friend!!!

SO GLAD you are with your daughter.

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[*** MARIELG wrote: Happy Thanksgiving! ***]

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[marielg]

Thank you Nicole. I too am 65 and never drove that distance so I am kinda' nervous. Where are you in Virginia? My husband and I would like to move there, in a rural area

[Anonymous]

(1 comment) Hi @marielg , I am in Cave Spring but alot of people call it Roanoke.

It is cheaper than Florida but I need to be "closer" to my daughter as I age.

Hmmm, not really rural as like other places it is being built up unfortunately.

Nicole 🙃

[marielg]

I hear you. Seems like everywhere is getting built up . I don't think I could live near my daughter in Florida I turn into the wicked witch in high humidity

[KellytheBelly]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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

😂