RocknRick

I've been reading some post and quite a few have been mentioning how slow the forums have been lately, so I thought I would post my upcoming Road Trip agenda.
My family and I are planning a Holiday Road Trip to visit my ailing mother in Green Coves Springs Florida. My mother has emphysema and will eventually need a lung transplant. I don't get to visit her often, so I wanted to make time to visit her during the Holidays. Prayers please.
We will be leaving early Saturday morning from just north of Indianapolis. I plan to take Interstate 65 to Nashville, then 24 to Chattanooga and then 75 down to Macon Georgia to stop for the night (any good barbecue in Macon)? We will then leave Sunday morning and take 75 down to 10 East, should only be about 4 hours from Macon. We're looking forward to some warmer temps. It's been in the teens here the past few weeks. Teens and below are usually Jan & Feb. temps here in North central Indiana.
I plan to keep my foot out of the skinny pedal and see if I can make it to Florida on 2 tanks of fuel. I tend to get caught up in the Nascar traffic and blow my MPG's when Interstate traveling, so this time I'm going to to utilize some restraint and stick to the 70 mph speed limit. I'm hoping the deletes can get me there on 2 tanks. It's about 1000 mile trip one way.
Anyone else traveling this Holiday Season? If so, be safe out there and Happy Holidays to All. God Bless!

Rick

bigfoot

I don’t know if you have driven that road before but you will be going down MT. eagle ......the steepest grade on the interstate highway system.
Plus it made for a good song by Johnny Cash.

Lary Ellis (Top)

Prayers and safe journey Rick! We will keep your Mother and your Family in our prayers

Merry Christmas!

bigfoot

Math Illiteracy affects 8 out of 5 People

No wonder I can't find qualified people

RocknRick

Lary, Thank you for Prayers. My Mother is a strong woman and has had a tough life. The Lord has his way of humbling us. She has been addicted to smoking her whole life, but she has turned to him for help. As far as I know she has quit smoking and God willing she will have the opportunity to get a new lung. Yes I said lung. Since she was a smoker the Mayo Clinic will only allow a 1 lung transplant. It only takes 1 to live and to us that would be a Blessing. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well


Bigfoot, I did not know that Mt. Eagle was the steepest grade. Thanks for the info. My mother has pretty much lived in Fla. my whole life, so I've taken this route many many times. But this will be the first trip down in the Cummins. I'll have to listen to the MAN IN BLACK on the way over the mountain. Take Care

NE frmhnd

Indianapolis down is under 900 miles. If you don't mind taking a little more time, cut cross country out of Macon to Waycross and then down to Jacksonville. I always liked getting off the interstates in southern Georgia.

patdaly

Rick, I moved from Winchester Indiana to GCS back in 1988, loved my time down there........ Unfortunately I got drug back to this winter wonderland........

That being said, your trip route is one I liked, except when I was towing, or needed to make time. After my first adventure with a trailer on that route, I just took 75 all the way to 10......

Used to take me 13 hours, 50 minutes door to door, usually straight thru Atlanta, the bypass was too crazy, and I would slow down to 80-85 through Atlanta, otherwise hammer down.

Wish I could get back to GCS, some of the best times were down there..........

SIXSLUG

You shouldn't have any trouble making it on two tanks.

I go 600 miles to Montana from the Left Coast and fill up in St. Regis MT with around 1/8th plus tank of fuel and only take about 29 gallons to top off, which means I have about 7 left. And I usually average 60-65 mph.

That's just over 400 miles IIRC.

In the winter I haul an extra ten gallons just in case..

Safe travels, Happy Holidays and Prayers for your Mom!

Spooler

Going through Atlanta this time of year is going to be bumper to bumper. Try to hit it in the non-rush hour traffic. I-75 will be your best route through Atlanta. I-285 and I-675 will be horrible, especially where I-675 merges back onto I-75.

NE frmhnd

That's the way he's going.
If you went around the east end to pick back up on 75 you went the long way around.

Best time I ever made getting away from Atlanta was dec 23. North on 75 the right two lanes were packed and the left was empty. Got out there with another truck and hammered on it. Slowed down enough in Chattanooga to get around the 45 mph curve and opened it back up. Some guy was complaining to FedEx about making his company truck look slow, then we made FedEx look slow.

Next day I was doing 70 in Ohio and passed one car between Columbus and Cleveland. Traffic was running probably 85+.

patdaly

I always tried to time it to hit Atlanta between 2 AM and 4AM........And even then many times it was crazy.

Spooler

I was going to the east side. Only reason I took it.

Bark

Are we there yet?
Hope its going smoothly for you, you have your feet up at a good cheap hotel eating some bbq and will be rested up for tomorrow.

RocknRick

Goodmorning, We made it back Saturday evening. All and all it was a good trip. Going down traffic was crazy, does anyone not KEEP RIGHT when not passing? I tried to keep a light foot on the gas pedal, but traffic will run you over, cut you off and tell you you're number one for no apparent reason. This was the first long road trip in the CTD. Amazing is all that I can say. Power when I needed it and and fuel down and back was under $500 at an average of $3.75 a gallon. I did make it down on 2 tanks of fuel, running between 70 mph and ?? Just following the flow of traffic I turned 50k on the odometer while down in Florida, so I guess it's officially broke in. I had my first encounter with a Duramax on Interstate 64 between Lexington and Louiville(We stopped in Knoxville to vist my cousin and spend the night) on the way home. He had some diesel shop sticker on the top of his windshield and a turbo sticker on the back glass. I guess he wanted to play, because he pulled up beside me and then passed(the only time I saw the back of his truck) then let out a huge black puff of smoke. I minded my own business for as long as I could. He got in front of me and slowed down. I wasn't in the mood to play games, so I floored it and switched lanes(again he put out the huge black cloud) I pulled away from him like he was standing still and then proceeded back to the speed I was going. Again I see the big smoke cloud come out from his truck, so I floored it again and pulled away from him. I only had the H&S on the Street setting, can only imagine how bad his feeling would of been hurt on Performance. I wasn't looking for a race, just wanted to get home. I won't lie though, it felt good to open her up. Man, this truck is awesome!

Thank you all for the Prayers. My Mom isn't in good shape. She is attatched to an oxygen tank and I had to wheel her around in a wheel chair. We had a good day trip to St. Augustine and it was good to see her spirits brightened up after our visit. It's tough to see the one's you love go through such a horrible demise, but I am still Praying that the Lord has mercy on her soul. Thank you all again for your Prayers.

Rick