Thanks Steve
Those are directions I can follow and will be using them in 2 weeks.

[samhass]

Yes, Thanks Steve. I'll try it. 301 can be awful up through Waldo and some of those other towns. How long does it take to get to Ga going this way? I normally eat up about 3 hours getting out of Florida. I'm 1003 miles door to door to my northern home.

[SteveFromNY]

Samhass, I'd guess it's still close to 3 hours. It's about 1 1/2 hours to Ormond Beach (where 95 meets 40) and then about another 100 miles up to the GA border. Total of about 175 miles.
But the trip will be completely different. 42 is a bit windy, but 19 and 40 are fairly fast roads and usually empty. You can make time on 95 if traffic is light and you drive that 100 miles at or a little above the speed limit. So where you spend a lot of time on 301 going thru towns, using 40 to 95 is a much more relaxing drive to me.

[Bubbalarry]

Originally Posted by SteveZ

Have tried several different routes. I-10 to US 301 to Rt 24 (at Waldo) to Gainesville to Rt 331 to I-75 to Rt 484 (Exit 342, I believe) to Rt 475 to Rt 466 works for me. It's the shortest and has the least headaches for construction and delays.

Every other way adds considerable mileage and time. I-95 south of JAX can be a royal construction mess, and if there are any fires, the smoke across the road is miserable.

I totally agree on this route except I go all he way on I-75 to Wildwood and then North to 466A.

It has saved me at times from 30 to 45 minutes. All other routes add miles and tons of time. Your only on RT 301 for about 30+ miles. Just when the cops start looking for us Villagers.

[Sidney Lanier]

Regarding the Ormond Beach route, wouldn't it be simpler (even if a mile or two longer) to take Rolling Acres to 441, and then 441 straight up to 42 and then east to 19? Fewer turns....

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by Sidney Lanier

Regarding the Ormond Beach route, wouldn't it be simpler (even if a mile or two longer) to take Rolling Acres to 441, and then 441 straight up to 42 and then east to 19? Fewer turns....

As it looks to me there would be one extra turn but then the lights on 441 to deal with between Rolling Acres and 42. It would be a left off 466 onto 441, then right on 42 vs a right on Griffin, a left on 25, then a right on 42. Like I said, it sounds a little complicated, but once you've passed Home Depot on Rolling Acres, the road dead ends at Griffin Ave. Make a right there and go a short distance (2 blocks or so) to the intersection of Griffin & 25. Griffin Ave is the southern border of the historic Villages. Just follow it until they end and there's the left for 25.
But if it's easier to go to 42 on 441 for you, go ahead, it'll work. Like you said it's a little longer - you'll travel 2 sides of the triangle formed by 441, 42 & 25 vs 1 - but no big deal.

[Barefoot]

We live in the "western" end of TV.
We took 301 North to 42 (turn right).
42 East to 19 (turn left).
19 North to Route 40 (turn right).
40 East to 95 North.

We found it to be an extremely relaxing and pleasant drive, much nicer than 301 north.
We also used the 9A bypass at Jacksonville as suggested on TOTV.

Thanks everyone for the directions. ;D We had a great trip to Canada, only 26 hours!
Fireboy likes to drive straight through and I like to take three days, so we compromised by doing it in two days. This time we drugged the cat, and the two dogs are good travellers.

Barefoot in Canada
Counting the days until I can return to TV

So nice to have directions for my drive North. Thanks everybody and glad Barefoot had a safe trip!

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by samhass

Ok..one more time...from Buena Vista in TV to Jax...how do you get there to pick up 9A?

Thanks to Barefoot, I now see a simpler way to get to 42 form Buena Vista.
Take Buena Vista north until it ends at 42.
Make a right on 42.
Left on 19, right on 40 to I-95 north near Ormand Beach.

Thanks Barefoot. My house is south of 466 and I almost forgot 42 goes all the way across the north end of TV. Glad your trip was good.