Originally Posted by Aces4 (Post 2380017)

Impoverished? I'll bet Dalton is surprised to hear that. All the years we've stayed there we never had any issue with poverty, hmmm. But then again, it depends on one's sense of pretentiousness.:icon_wink:

Is Dalton, GA a good place to live?
Living in Dalton offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. Many families live in Dalton and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Dalton are above average.

What is special about Dalton, GA?
Dalton | Explore Georgia
Dalton's charming downtown, with numerous unique shopping and dining choices, is great for an afternoon of shopping and dinner. Dalton's attractions include: Festivals, Fine Arts, Civil War history, and Prater's Mill Country Fair.

Yeah, Dalton sounds like a real dive...

Originally Posted by ElDiabloJoe (Post 2380067)

Dalton also has one of the very largest Mexican-American populations in the entire southeast. So, if you're looking for a quinceñera dress or some authentic pan dulce, this is your place to stop.

As for ATL, I spent my entire adult life driving the freeways of Los Angeles - often considered the worst in the country if not the world. Arguably. I bet the folks in Rome might disagree.

I would put Atlanta's at much worse than L.A.'s.

Much of that is due to the poor driving. Too many knuckleheads swerving from the inside lane to the exit ramp after they're already almost past it, and all the pole-positioning that goes on as people shoot in and out of lanes cause a lot of accidents. That of course, causes a lot of traffic. And stress. And injuries. And damage. Yeah, ATL blows.

Originally Posted by Aces4 (Post 2380086)

...

BTW, Dalton GA produces 75% of the worlds carpets.

Originally Posted by kschwi (Post 2379764)

Any suggestions? Are there any roads closed due to the hurricane?

Originally Posted by Bilyclub (Post 2380156)

It’s not just Atlanta anymore. Chattanooga has gotten worse too. The thing about Atlanta is nobody follows the HOV lane rules and the express lanes don’t cover Atlanta proper. We take 65 South, with a stop in Athens Alabama and down thru Dothan.

Originally Posted by kschwi (Post 2379764)

We had terrible luck heading north from the Villages on April 6th. We left at 6:30 am and didn't get through Atlanta until around 4pm. It must have taken close to 5 hours to get through that metropolitan area.

Therefore, we are trying to decide when would be the most desirable time to drive through Atlanta and where would be a safe place to stop if we need a bathroom break.

One option would be to avoid Atlanta altogether. My son flew down last March to visit and rented a car and drove through Alabama instead. Google maps says that is out of the way and will add an hour to our trip although it assumes Atlanta is not a mess. However, I wouldn't think Alabama has the potential for major traffic delays that are possible in Atlanta.

Last year on our way down to the Villages, we lucked out. We made it to the Atlanta are around 5:30 on Dec 31st and stayed in a hotel in McDonough GA and then left early on New Year's Day. We could do something similar this year but we might have a different experience since it won't be Sunday Dec 31st.

Any suggestions? Are there any roads closed due to the hurricane?

Originally Posted by Pugchief (Post 2379814)

There was another, similar thread about 2 weeks ago. Google maps and Waze will almost always route you thru Indianapolis, Chattanooga and Atlanta, as this is the shortest distance. However, if you take 57 to 24 to 65 and then US 231 from Montgomery, thru Dothan and then pick up 10 in the panhandle, you will avoid the insane traffic that the shorter route entails. Yes, it is more miles and maybe more time (debatable), but you will swear less for sure. YMMV, literally.

Originally Posted by kschwi (Post 2379764)

We had terrible luck heading north from the Villages on April 6th. We left at 6:30 am and didn't get through Atlanta until around 4pm. It must have taken close to 5 hours to get through that metropolitan area.

Therefore, we are trying to decide when would be the most desirable time to drive through Atlanta and where would be a safe place to stop if we need a bathroom break.

One option would be to avoid Atlanta altogether. My son flew down last March to visit and rented a car and drove through Alabama instead. Google maps says that is out of the way and will add an hour to our trip although it assumes Atlanta is not a mess. However, I wouldn't think Alabama has the potential for major traffic delays that are possible in Atlanta.

Last year on our way down to the Villages, we lucked out. We made it to the Atlanta are around 5:30 on Dec 31st and stayed in a hotel in McDonough GA and then left early on New Year's Day. We could do something similar this year but we might have a different experience since it won't be Sunday Dec 31st.

Any suggestions? Are there any roads closed due to the hurricane?