Community Forums

Floridafran · 10-22-2010, 07:07 PM

Hi all,

This route in NW South Carolina was mentioned in another thread and it sounds really nice. We'll be leaving the Statesville East/I-40 KOA Sunday morning on our 2 day trip back to Pensacola and Tom and I are thinking of making this a part of our route.

Tom asked me to find out all I can about the elevation changes or other important info about the drive. For what I can tell from the website and my RV Road Atlas, it seems to be RV "friendly" but some firsthand info would be appreciated.

Also, any help on a way back that eliminates driving through Atlanta would be appreciated, also. For one thing, we have gone that way for what seems like a million times. For another, we just prefer a more scenic, less congested way of getting home. Prior to getting the RV we always took backroads whenever possible. Have to modify that now, but still don't want to always be driving the interstate.

Thanks,
Fran

Hitchhiker · 10-22-2010, 07:53 PM

We take the Cherokee Foothills (SC-11) every time we go from here toward Atlanta, it's a nice drive and is no problem for RV's. We take US-25 at Exit 54 on I-26 and then catch SC-11 near Cleveland, SC. There's a long downhill grade on US-25 but it's four lane and relatively straight.

I've not found any good way to get around Atlanta, we usually just suck it up and head through hoping for the best and expecting the worse.

Lorna · 10-22-2010, 09:44 PM

When we were staying/working in Cordele GA, I used to run old US Hwy 441 around Atlanta (east side) and on up thru to Franklin, NC. I would run I75 up to Macon and swing over to I16 to pick up 129 Grey/Eatonton Hwy to JCT Hwy 441 in Eatonton (I would take the ByPass on the west side of Athens) up to Cornelia near Hollywood where US Hwy 23 runs into US Hwy 441.

As a kid, my parents would run Hwy 441 from FL to NC and vice versa.

I also know a somewhat convoluted way to FL from Cordele Ga to Panama City Beach that we used to go all thru back roads.

As a general rule, the primary roads are pretty good. You would be amazed at how many semis are switching from interstates to the primary roads. We like the primary roads (just watch for the "truck routes" and take them around towns... they are there for a reason).

faye · 10-22-2010, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floridafran

Hi all,

This route in NW South Carolina was mentioned in another thread and it sounds really nice. We'll be leaving the Statesville East/I-40 KOA Sunday morning on our 2 day trip back to Pensacola and Tom and I are thinking of making this a part of our route.

Tom asked me to find out all I can about the elevation changes or other important info about the drive. For what I can tell from the website and my RV Road Atlas, it seems to be RV "friendly" but some firsthand info would be appreciated.

Also, any help on a way back that eliminates driving through Atlanta would be appreciated, also. For one thing, we have gone that way for what seems like a million times. For another, we just prefer a more scenic, less congested way of getting home. Prior to getting the RV we always took backroads whenever possible. Have to modify that now, but still don't want to always be driving the interstate.

Thanks,
Fran

you can avoid atlanta by getting on i-75 s.near dalton, ga and go down to highway 53 west to rome and in rome then get on 27 s. which is 4 laned and really nice in ga. you can then continue 27 s to tallahassee and get on 10 to pensacola. we just came back from n. ga. this way and it is a nice trip, no bad grades or inclines. we have also used 441 to athen and take loop around it, although is is not bad even if you miss the loop 10. and we also used 129 back to macon. this is a nice trip also without any steep grades or inclines. if you come 75 s from dalton there is a very nice campgroun(koa) in calhoun and when you get on 27 s. there is pine mt. resort at callway garden in pine mt, ga. all flat roads.

Floridafran · 10-31-2010, 03:59 PM

Thanks all for the info on the Cherokee Foothills and ways to avoid Atlanta.

By the time Sunday rolled around, the weather forecast between Statesville & home was rapidly going downhill. Tom worried that if we stopped somewhere SW of Atlanta for Sunday night we'd find ourselves smack in the middle of some terrible weather so he wanted to drive straight home, staying on interstates - and going through Atlanta.

Well, long story short - We did the drive, all 12 hours of it. And we were glad we did. All along the area where we'd have most likely over-nighted they had terrible weather, including a couple of little tornadoes. Don't know that we'd have been caught in any of it, but glad we didn't have the opportunity to find out.

Tom said the looong day wasn't all that bad but he will never drive through Atlanta with the MH again. Of course, I reminded him of the danger of saying "never" about anything, but I can't say I blame him this time.

Although it was fairly early Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta traffic was more like a work day. But the worst thing is how driver's will come up from behind you then cut across right in front, often crossing over 3 or 4 lanes, at 70+ mph. There is no way they could know that there wasn't another car coming up from our other side planning to do the same thing. We kept waiting for two cars to collide in front of us and we'd have no option but to run right over them.

It's not like we've never experienced Atlanta traffic before. I used to drive up there every year for a conference and for the past 10-12 years we've gathered at my niece's Atlanta home either Christmas or Thanksgiving for a mini family reunion. Most years I, or we, make at least one other trip up there. We've never liked the traffic but knew it was just something we had to deal with. While we'll still "deal with" it when we're in the car, we'll take another route when in the MH.

I've saved the recommendations you guys made here for future reference of ways to get past Atlanta without having to go through Atlanta. I've also filed all the info on the Foothills. So many things along it that we'd like to stop and spend a little time doing. We'll just make that its own trip, one day - stay in one of the parks and use the Jeep for exploring the area.

Thanks again.

Fran

Seajay · 11-02-2010, 12:21 AM

Here is a suggestion for folks going to Fla from the center of Nc. If it is possible for you to go down 321 south to 301 and then on to Florida you will be glad you did. It is a nice road thru the ''back country'' of the states that is typical Southern with hound dogs on porches and folks mowing grass and waving at you as you pass. Its ''easy livin'' without the hurry and bustle of the innerstate and you can eat at ''Mommas country kitchen'' and get real home cooked food, not the junk at those places on the ''super slab''. Granted, it is a little slower than I-95 but it is a lot more fun and the scenery is great.
Give it a try the next time you are headed south. The only ''big town'' you go around is Columbia, SC and that is a no brainer........

Be safe on the road and thank a vet for your freedom
Im done .........