Quote:
Originally Posted by douga
Looks like lots of snow planned for Dec. 26/27 in the Northeast so maybe will have to travel interstate 81 on Christmas day heading towards The Villages.
Are most gas stations eg. flying J open on Christmas day?
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We've done the 14-15 hours from just north of DC several times.
We get out at 6 PM after work on a weekday, arrive TV sometime 'round noon.
Because of the horrendous traffic Dc and south on 95 (our usual route) we opted for 81/77/and whatever joins to 95 in southern SC
Well, we missed the 90 minute back up south of DC, but noticed the huge volume of large trucks for the first 150 mi.
Got a bit better in the wee wee hours of the AM
During the day, the scenery is better than 95 but traffic is thicker too.
Because of threatening wind and snow in the mountains through which 81 goes, we opted for 95 coming back Tuesday this week. We left TV at 6 (wanted to get out at 3 to avoid DC AM rush) and it was fast and smooth (though bitter cold all the way) and we hit an hour back up in Va. west of DC.
We caught an hour nap 50 miles south to let the rush hour of the Va suburbs pass, but it lingered well after 10. Ironically, as we were in the thick of it, the radio kept reporting that the three wealthiest and best educated population zones in the USA were Falls Church, Fairfax county, and Loudoun county, all three trough which we were passing, or going by.
Shows to go ya, being rich and smart doesn't get you out of being the center of some of the worst back ups in the country.
If you take your time, you will not have the rushing we did, and you can enjoy 81's scenery. We have a boxy full size van, and they react more sensitively than what you might be driving when passing or being passed by a huge truck or driving across a high pass.
Have a safe trip.
L and L