Beach Countdown

[OhioBeachBum]

The countdown has begun... In a mere 51 hours we (self, wife, and man-child) will be wheels-turning for beach country. All goes well, we should have toes in the sand by about 6pm Sun Thereafter, until the following Sun (except for a 5 hr charter fish trip on Tue), I expect to be blissfully parked at location noted in the attached photo

Wanted to thank all of you (again) who have provided insight, enlightenment, and above all entertainment over past weeks This will be the first year I'll actually sorta look forward to going back home a little - so I can check out the SoWal board traffic I missed

[RiverOtter]

Have a great time! I don't envy your drive though

[CJ]

Beware of local posters!

[OhioBeachBum]

Have a great time! I don't envy your drive though

Drive down's not too bad (except for when we gotta get up). I-65 is pretty country in your neck of the woods, especially in the morning. Drive back always seems longer though.

[RiverOtter]

Drive down's not too bad (except for when we gotta get up). I-65 is pretty country in your neck of the woods, especially in the morning. Drive back always seems longer though.

Boy you ain't kidding

[OhioBeachBum]

Beware of local posters!

Nothing much to fear there, from what I've read here - no more or less bent than some of my family members Fair warning to locals bearing cameras though - use a filter - my punkin haid in the FL sun is really bad for the equipment :laughing1

[shakennotstirred]

Hope you have a great week! How long of a drive is that from Tipp City? I'm not sure where that is in Ohio.

[OhioBeachBum]

Hope you have a great week! How long of a drive is that from Tipp City? I'm not sure where that is in Ohio.

'bout 20mi north of Dayton. Something like 13 hrs (& change) drive time to where we stay. With the fuel, food and whatnot stops, runs a bit over 15 hrs total. Maybe a wee bit longer this year. Otter country mounties nabbed near a couple hundred of my hard-earned last trip down - apparently a special license is required for that velocity

[RiverOtter]

'bout 20mi north of Dayton. Something like 13 hrs (& change) drive time to where we stay. With the fuel, food and whatnot stops, runs a bit over 15 hrs total. Maybe a wee bit longer this year. Otter country mounties nabbed near a couple hundred of my hard-earned last trip down - apparently a special license is required for that velocity

2 Words.... Valentine 1

Valentine

[OhioBeachBum]

2 Words.... Valentine 1
Valentine

Yep - quality product. Probably wouldn't have helped me though. Popped out around a truck near crest of a hill and bang! Can't shave near 20mph off the top end that quick Weenie mistake, that - and I drove a (big) truck for a few years putting myself through school way back when - should have known better. My new rule. No CB, no second-guessing the fuzz

[OhioBeachBum]

By the way. Do they have a special school for those guys - teach how to park on the side of a mountain behind a tree??

[RiverOtter]

By the way. Do they have a special school for those guys - teach how to park on the side of a mountain behind a tree??

and on top of overpasses

[OhioBeachBum]

and on top of overpasses

The TN boys are some of the more creative I've encountered. Southern 'bama and just into FL once in a while too - hiding down in the weeds with the 'gators

[RiverOtter]

The TN boys are some of the more creative I've encountered. Southern 'bama and just into FL once in a while too - hiding down in the weeds with the 'gators

Coming into Florala on 55 the FL State Boy was backed up into the weeds/trees/grass/swamp .... Thank you Valentine!

[shakennotstirred]

'bout 20mi north of Dayton. Something like 13 hrs (& change) drive time to where we stay. With the fuel, food and whatnot stops, runs a bit over 15 hrs total. Maybe a wee bit longer this year.

Ugh! That is a long drive. Used to fly into Atlanta and drive from there but even that drive is too painful for me. Have a safe drive - hopefully you can avoid the tickets this time.

[RiverOtter]

Ugh! That is a long drive. Used to fly into Atlanta and drive from there but even that drive is too painful for me. Have a safe drive - hopefully you can avoid the tickets this time.

I used to drive to Sanibel/Captiva ... My best time was 9 hours (Kinda proud of that )

[OhioBeachBum]

I used to drive to Sanibel/Captiva ... My best time was 9 hours (Kinda proud of that )

Not bad, though a few notches down from takeoff speed
I'm gonna keep it to limit+8 this time around. Forget the bubble-gum machines - my son (we jokingly call him the Reverend once in a while) is on my case about the heavy foot more than the spouse. Doesn't say anything - the raised eyebrow is plenty (apparently he listened to something I've said )

[GraytonBound]

He must be around....I'd say......9 or 10 ??


They tend to follow rules at that age.

[OhioBeachBum]

He must be around....I'd say......9 or 10 ??
They tend to follow rules at that age.

17 In Oct. (He gets to share the driving this year) I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop sometimes. Nothing like the ole man at that age (you can imagine what I was doing in '69 ).

[RiverOtter]

Not bad, though a few notches down from takeoff speed
I'm gonna keep it to limit+8 this time around. Forget the bubble-gum machines - my son (we jokingly call him the Reverend once in a while) is on my case about the heavy foot more than the spouse. Doesn't say anything - the raised eyebrow is plenty (apparently he listened to something I've said )

Thank you.. Thank you :oops: My all time best was from the Nooga to Daytona Beach in 7 hours (Driving my friend's dad's 928S ). That was when the speed limit was 55. I would never try that again.

Reverend... That's funny :laughing1

[GraytonBound]

WOW, I've never met a 16 yr old rule follower

[OhioBeachBum]

WOW, I've never met a 16 yr old rule follower

OK - I painted an inaccurate picture. He follows the BIG rules, but makes up for it in other smaller areas. Regardless, we can't complain. Now his older sister (24 now) - THAT was a completely different story

[katie blue]

sowal here we come. it's been too long.

[Ocean Lover]

We'll be making that drive from Ohio 3 weeks from today! Woohoo! We leave about 9 at night and arrive around noon or so the next day. Works out pretty well...the kids sleep most of the night and watch movies the rest of the time. Have a great trip!!

[RiverOtter]

We'll be making that drive from Ohio 3 weeks from today! Woohoo! We leave about 9 at night and arrive around noon or so the next day. Works out pretty well...the kids sleep most of the night and watch movies the rest of the time. Have a great trip!!

Y'all must have all the Starbucks plotted along the way

[Ocean Lover]

Y'all must have all the Starbucks plotted along the way

2 words -- No doze --makes for less potty stops. I don't take them but my husband does. I usually have to take over the driving somewhere in Alabama at about 4 in the morning. He takes a little nap and then is good to go the rest of the way. It's all worth it once we see our first glimpse of the ocean.

[BeachDreamer]

I usually have to take over the driving somewhere in Alabama at about 4 in the morning. He takes a little nap and then is good to go the rest of the way. It's all worth it once we see our first glimpse of the ocean.

I remember our first trip to the emerald coast. It's a 12 hour drive and we drove at night while the kids slept. We found the coast right at dawn, and stopped on the side of the road to dip our toes in the sand. We were like kids at Christmas. My husband had never been to the ocean before. So we stood there on the sand in awe, watching the first rays of sunlight hit the water. It's a good memory.

[kurt]

I remember our first trip to the emerald coast. It's a 12 hour drive and we drove at night while the kids slept. We found the coast right at dawn, and stopped on the side of the road to dip our toes in the sand. We were like kids at Christmas. My husband had never been to the ocean before. So we stood there on the sand in awe, watching the first rays of sunlight hit the water. It's a good memory.

WoW

[RiverOtter]

I remember our first trip to the emerald coast. It's a 12 hour drive and we drove at night while the kids slept. We found the coast right at dawn, and stopped on the side of the road to dip our toes in the sand. We were like kids at Christmas. My husband had never been to the ocean before. So we stood there on the sand in awe, watching the first rays of sunlight hit the water. It's a good memory.

What a great story and a great memory

[OhioBeachBum]

I remember our first trip to the emerald coast. It's a 12 hour drive and we drove at night while the kids slept. We found the coast right at dawn, and stopped on the side of the road to dip our toes in the sand. We were like kids at Christmas. My husband had never been to the ocean before. So we stood there on the sand in awe, watching the first rays of sunlight hit the water. It's a good memory.

Ditto the Otter & kurt Seems like I was maybe 30 or so before I had my feet on an ocean beach. Still takes my breath away - every time.

[pops]

The countdown has begun... In a mere 51 hours we (self, wife, and man-child) will be wheels-turning for beach country. All goes well, we should have toes in the sand by about 6pm Sun Thereafter, until the following Sun (except for a 5 hr charter fish trip on Tue), I expect to be blissfully parked at location noted in the attached photo

Wanted to thank all of you (again) who have provided insight, enlightenment, and above all entertainment over past weeks This will be the first year I'll actually sorta look forward to going back home a little - so I can check out the SoWal board traffic I missed

Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip! This is a "first post" so I hope I'm following the rules. Actually, I'm not Pops--I'm his wife of almost 40 years. Our son moved to Santa Rosa Beach in March (big welcome from Arlene, Cindy, and Dennis). We discovered this site from Kurt's photo links that were sent to us after the hurricane. We've been hooked ever since! Sowal is God's gift to mankind! Thanks to all of you permanent dwellers for keeping it so natural and beautiful--unlike so many other places. Pops and I are both Alabamians and fortunate enough to be pretty close. We both grew up spending family vacations on the Emerald Coast, but nowhere has the treasure been preserved like Sowal. So, Beach Bum from Ohio and everybody else who's enjoying the sand and water now, let's hope the bad storms are away from the northern part of the Gulf for a long while. Y'all have had more than your share of the fun!

[kurt]

Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip! This is a "first post" so I hope I'm following the rules. Actually, I'm not Pops--I'm his wife of almost 40 years. Our son moved to Santa Rosa Beach in March (big welcome from Arlene, Cindy, and Dennis). We discovered this site from Kurt's photo links that were sent to us after the hurricane. We've been hooked ever since! Sowal is God's gift to mankind! Thanks to all of you permanent dwellers for keeping it so natural and beautiful--unlike so many other places. Pops and I are both Alabamians and fortunate enough to be pretty close. We both grew up spending family vacations on the Emerald Coast, but nowhere has the treasure been preserved like Sowal. So, Beach Bum from Ohio and everybody else who's enjoying the sand and water now, let's hope the bad storms are away from the northern part of the Gulf for a long while. Y'all have had more than your share of the fun!

[OhioBeachBum]

Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip!

We'll work at it. You too!

So, Beach Bum from Ohio and everybody else who's enjoying the sand and water now, let's hope the bad storms are away from the northern part of the Gulf for a long while. Y'all have had more than your share of the fun!

Well, we haven't left quite yet, but wife & sone are lobbying to leave this afternoon & stop halfway - more relaxed driving. Think they have me sold

[OhioBeachBum]

Hey - Otter or any of you folks that drive down via I-65...
What's a better road 137 or 55 through the AL/FL border? (I forgot - my brain flushes after 18 months )

[lollygal]

Hey - Otter or any of you folks that drive down via I-65...
What's a better road 137 or 55 through the AL/FL border? (I forgot - my brain flushes after 18 months )

We always take 55 to Florala, then pick up 331.

[RiverOtter]

Hey - Otter or any of you folks that drive down via I-65...
What's a better road 137 or 55 through the AL/FL border? (I forgot - my brain flushes after 18 months )

I take 55, but don't tell anybody ok

[luvthebeach]

I remember our first trip to the emerald coast. It's a 12 hour drive and we drove at night while the kids slept. We found the coast right at dawn, and stopped on the side of the road to dip our toes in the sand. We were like kids at Christmas. My husband had never been to the ocean before. So we stood there on the sand in awe, watching the first rays of sunlight hit the water. It's a good memory.

You're so right! I didn't get my feet into this beautiful white sand until I was 36! I remember being in such awe over the beauty and how huge the ocean appeared! I remember the first time I heard the sounds of waves crashing, the sounds of the sea gulls, watching the cute little sandpipers (is that what they're called?) racing back and forth, dodging the water as it crept towards them. Growing up in the Midwest, I had never seen anything like this before. To this day, I still remember that feeling and relive it every time I get the opportunity to get down to that area. I thank God that we now are able to have a modest little part of our dream with our condo on 30-A. Our plan is to retire to that area in the future. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be able to awaken to that every morning! And the folks who live in the area are all so friendly and obviously greatful to be there. I can't wait!!

[luvthebeach]

I take 55, but don't tell anybody ok

Just make sure to watch your speed in Georgiana...I know from personal experience that they STRICTLY enforce their speed limit signs ! If the sign says "45 mph", they won't tolerate 47 mph!

[RiverOtter]

Just make sure to watch your speed in Georgiana...I know from personal experience that they STRICTLY enforce their speed limit signs ! If the sign says "45 mph", they won't tolerate 47 mph!

I have very lucky

[luvthebeach]

I have very lucky

You'll need all the luck you can get! We got a ticket a couple of years ago going a few miles over the speed limit. To save points on the insurance, when we got back to Missouri we called around trying to find one of those traffic law places in Georgiana. Whew! Of course there were none! Ended up finding one in Montgomery. Ticket ended up costing a whopping $200+ Ouch!

[OhioBeachBum]

I have very lucky

Helps if you hit Georgiana in the early AM on Sun while fuzzy bear is stilll in the doughnut shop (or about 5pm when he's getting back in the chowder line again :laughing1 ).
Seriously, that area just begs to be on a smokey and the bandit set, so I always just presumed Buford T. Justice was lurking around the corner and ran at SL minus 1 just to be safe...

BTW - Back from the beach. and it was an AWESOME week

[Ocean Lover]

Helps if you hit Georgiana in the early AM on Sun while fuzzy bear is stilll in the doughnut shop (or about 5pm when he's getting back in the chowder line again :laughing1 ).
Seriously, that area just begs to be on a smokey and the bandit set, so I always just presumed Buford T. Justice was lurking around the corner and ran at SL minus 1 just to be safe...

BTW - Back from the beach. and it was an AWESOME week

What route did you end up taking from 65?

[luvthebeach]

Helps if you hit Georgiana in the early AM on Sun while fuzzy bear is stilll in the doughnut shop (or about 5pm when he's getting back in the chowder line again :laughing1 ).
Seriously, that area just begs to be on a smokey and the bandit set, so I always just presumed Buford T. Justice was lurking around the corner and ran at SL minus 1 just to be safe...

BTW - Back from the beach. and it was an AWESOME week

NOW you tell me! Wish I'd have known that last summer

[seaside gal]

Our count down begins today, August 1st. Only 13 more days, less than two weeks and we will be back at seagrove beach! Don't like fried food but will miss our annual night out at the Wheel House with our boys and who ever else we drag along with us each year! Dunes of Seagrove Beaches look pretty good. I started packing already Were on our way!

[seagrovelover]

hey seaside gal, have a great trip..... we live in Imperial mo, wave goodbye when you'r heading south on 55!!!!!!!

[KansasBorn/30ABound]

Only four more days and we will be on our way. We will begin our road trip from Kansas early Friday morning. We've been counting down the days all summer. Can't wait!!

[luvthebeach]

hey seaside gal, have a great trip..... we live in Imperial mo, wave goodbye when you'r heading south on 55!!!!!!!

If she's from Belleville, my bet is that they're going to head down I-65 through Nashville. I live very close to Imperial, and we've travelled both directions. Seems that the Nashville route may be a little faster. My son lives in Festus, and they take the Memphis (I-55) route because I-255 is going pretty much out of their way.

[OhioBeachBum]

What route did you end up taking from 65?

Sorry for the lag, just now catching up. 106 (exit 114 off I-65) through Georgiana, 31 south to McKenzie, 55 south from there to Anadlusia, then 137/189 and then 4 into Crestview, 85 south from there to Niceville and over the bridge. We've tried 55 down from Andalusia (more than once) and it's about an hour longer, 'cause it winds around. Also 331 down from Florala - that was even longer because of all of the slowdowns through the towns along the way. Given my (frustrating) past experience with 331 up there, I'm wondering if it might be quicker to do the 137/189 thing, then use 90 to get over to 331 & that bridge for 30A area.

[Ocean Lover]

Thanks Beach Bum! I'll print that out and let you know how it goes. 9 days and counting...