The alternate route to Florida
A frequent traveller shares his tips on where to stay, eat and drive on the snowbirds’ central route
I am a retired high school teacher who has a most interesting post-career job: I work in the travel insurance industry and fly south to collect the cars of people who fall ill while away.
While I have been sent to Phoenix to retrieve the automobiles of people from Calgary and Winnipeg, most of my “jockeying” in the business has been between Toronto and Florida.
As a result, like Dave Hunter, who puts out Along Interstate 75 every year for people mostly heading to Florida on March Break, I have accumulated a similar wealth of knowledge as to the best routes and the best places to eat and sleep.
Unlike Mr. Hunter, however, I hate Interstate 75 and am convinced I know a better way.
Although I have been burned on numerous occasions by the winter weather — and who hasn’t, regardless of the route? — I still find this way, which I’ll tell you about in a moment, the most interesting and enjoyable to drive.
Now, before we get going, let me tell you a wee bit more about how all this came about.
I retired in 2006 and a teaching colleague was already doing this for a friend of his who owns a business that fields jobs from travel insurance companies. He was nice enough to get me into the “stable” of jockeys.
The number of trips varies and usually fit into yearly travel patterns. Those depend upon the fluctuating dollar, which determines insurance and other travel costs. My lowest year was five trips and the most I’ve done in a season was 10.
The most expensive cars I’ve driven “home” have been a Cadillac CTS (with air cushioned seats — not so practical in the winter but a nice little “relief” in the warmer south) and a really nice, loaded, Ford Fusion that had all-the-up-to-date technology.
That car freaked me out a bit, at least in the beginning.
When I drove up behind the car in front of me, the whole thing just slowed down on me. I thought the engine was dying! And when I drifted over the lane lines, the whole damn car would start to shake! It took me a while to figure out what this technological stuff was all about.
The most fun I had was a crosscountry trip I took in March 2010, from Phoenix, Ariz., to Charlottetown, P.E.I. Not only did I get a chance to drive across a lot of Route 66, I also drove across the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in some lovely March winter winds just before they closed the span for the day.
I did that drive in a nice Chrysler 300 and it held the road well. It was good on gas, to boot.
The most interesting trip was one of my first. I took off from Pearson in a Medi-vac Lear jet: just me, two nurses, a stretcher and pilot and co- pilot. Now, that was exciting. We landed in Savannah, Ga., and rode an ambulance out to Hilton Head to pick up the patient and to get their Lexus RX 350, which I then drove back to Creemore, Ont.
Of course, while this can be exhilarating, you always have to remember that your good fortune is the result of somebody’s else’s misfortune or bad luck. To think of that is always somewhat sobering.
And I — and the others — don’t do this for the remuneration, because there really isn’t any. You get your gasoline and expenses (motel, meals) but it’s more the opportunity to take a trip and drive some (usually) pretty nice cars that’s the attraction.
Enough about me, though. Let’s take that trip from Toronto to — say — Walt Disney World, shall we?
General observations
There are two recommended routes with little geographical or chronological differences between them — the western route (I-75) vs. the cen- tral mountain route (I-79 / I-77 / I-26 / I-95 / I-4).
The I-75 is actually about 100 km longer. This route jogs more west from Knoxville to Chattanooga in Tennessee, but then heads back south on the way to Atlanta, Ga. The central route typically features cold and snow farther north in southern Pennsylvania, through West Virginia, Virginia and into North Carolina.
Again, it is totally dependent upon the weather forecast. However, we have had a lot of success with the central mountain route.
(I have included addresses for a lot of these places. It’s assumed you have an up-to-date GPS, which will give you pretty accurate travel/arrival times, as well as traffic information.)
It is probably good to join the CAA. Besides the obvious (travel insurance, free maps, roadside assistance, towing if necessary, and so forth), you can usually get hotel discounts. Just mention you’re a CAA member when checking in.
Coupon books are available free at state tourist centres, found along the Interstates usually just after you cross the state line. They are worth picking up since you can get a substantial motel discount in most cases. Most of the centres close about 5p.m., but the coupon books are usually outside in a newspaper stand or near the washrooms.
I suggest Microtel Motels for a family of four (two beds) but make sure they are part of the Wyndham Resorts chain. Check the Internet before you depart. Also, go online and apply for a Wyndham Rewards Card. Points can add up.
Emergency Road Services, with cellphone codes:
OPP — *OPP
West Virginia State Police — *SP
Virginia State Police — *77
N. Carolina/S. Carolina — *HP
Florida Highway Patrol — *FHP This itinerary is for the Central Route only.
This is freelance writer Doug Wighton’s first article for Toronto Star Wheels. For more Toronto Star automotive coverage, go to thestar.com/autos. To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald: nmcdonald@thestar.ca