Gunslinger and I are spending the first week in March at Disney World with my family. We’re turning the trip down there into a road trip. We’re going to be traveling from Longview, TX to Kissimmee, FL and back. On the drive down, we’ve a reservation for a hotel in Mobile, AL (this is on Saturday, 2/28), so we’re going from here to there on one day, and Mobile to Kissimmee the second day. On the drive back, we have up to three days’ time to travel, with no hotel reservations made. So that’s the time frame we’re dealing with.
We know our general route: I-20 to Shreveport, I-49 to Lafayette, I-10 over to Florida, and I-75 until we reach a road named “Florida’s Turnpike,” at which point we desperately telephone my mother for directions to the place we’re all staying. We know of a couple of things we’d like to do: we’re detouring along Highway 90 through Mississippi to look at the white sand beaches and point out the place I used to live, and at some point - either on the way there or the way back - we’re going to head down to Avery Island, south of Lafayette, and see the place where they make Tabasco sauce. Also, we MUST find a place to get a beignet while we’re in or near New Orleans.
If anybody has any tips on things we can see, places we can go, and where to get a beignet without getting lost - please share! General travel advice also accepted.
First, 75 turns into the Turnpike a little way south of Gainesville. If you’re staying around Orlando you may also telephone me in case of emergency
Lots to do here in town; I’m not sure if you’re looking for stuff for the road, rather than to do when you get here, though. There are a few threads about “What to do in O-town”. I strongly recommend running over to Cocoa and eating at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp. Best catfish around, and airboat rides too!
If you want to shop, try the Mall at Millenia… It has all the designer-type stores, plus I work there.
Oh, and definitely take in a Magic game at the TD Waterhouse Center while you’re here. That way, when we get the #1 pick in this year’s draft, you can say, “We sat in that arena!”…
The week we’re in Orlando will be pretty busy, although Stuff To Do After The Parks Close is a short list at the moment (so far: miniature golf with the family, a nightclub on disney property one evening, babysitting so my parents can go to a nightclub on another evening). We’re really looking for stuff to do on the way, but I realize that Lafayette and Mobile have little to offer and we won’t have time to do anything really cool in N’awlins (but I MUST HAVE BEIGNETS OR DIE).
Thank you very much for telling me that 75 = Turnpike. I assume it’s a toll road, given the name?
Yup. One big toll, midway between Gainesville and Orlando. About $3 if I remember rightly.
You’ll want to get on the 408 (East-West Expressway- 'nuther toll road) when you get here… easy to spot the off-ramp from the Turnpike. Where you go from the 408 I can’t say without knowing where you’re staying.
Heh. What makes the “knowing where we’re staying” thing REALLY fun is the fact that the address Mom gave me for their condo isn’t in the database of any mapping program I’ve found yet. Grand Palms Blvd?
I was in Orlando a few weekends ago. Go to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum one night. They’re open 'til 1am, they stop selling tickets at 12am. Fun stuff… and you learn a lot. My favorite was the optical illusion room. There was this pool table in the middle of the room that looked to be slanted to one side, but if you rolled a ball across it, it would seem to roll uphill.
We also checked out the Hard Rock Vault. If you’re a music fan, you’ll enjoy it. We were reluctant to pay the $15 to see the tour, but it was worth it. You’ll see some really cool stuff from some of the greatest music artists in history (and the pink cowboy hat from Spinal Tap ) But I’m not sure how late they’re open.
Ooh, the Ripley’s museum sounds like a hit. And I have no idea what resort the condo is in, only that it’s on Grand Palms Blvd which isn’t on any of my maps. Mom did all the reservations…
I-75 <> Turnpike. Turnpike is the tourist shuttle down to Orlando. I-75 goes south, past Tampa to Fort Meyers or so. Net: you do need to veer off of I-75 to get on the turnpike (I think this occurs near Ocala).
NO NO NO NO NO!!! That is so wrong! Either that, or racinchikki and I have both misunderstood you.
racinchikki, I-75 does not become The Turnpike. They are two seperate roads. There is a Y-Split south of Ocala. Stay in the left hand lane. There is no exit ramp, the road just splits. There will be Turnpike signs so don’t worry, you’ll know you’re there. If you stay in the right couple lanes, you’ll continue on I75 all the way to Miami
So, part of I75 does turn into the Turnpike, a toll road. But 75 does not “become” The Turnpike.
Does that mean that you throw a small, silvery fish across the state line? Or do you toss one of the residents with a typical hairstyle (business in front, party in back) out onto I-10?
Be warned that there is some major perpetually ongoing construction on I-10 in the New Orleans area – you could hit some nasty traffic. And I have yet to not run into traffic in Baton Rouge for some reason.
As for beignets, give me a day or so and I’ll check to see where a Cafe du Monde would be that you could get to easily. The Quarter is not easy to navigate in my experience, though that’s where the oldest one is. There is one in a mall right near us, which is off of US 90 just across the river. It’d be a bit out of your way, unless you want to pick up 90 here.
And you DO want to stop for Cafe du Monde beignets, even if you have to go a bit out of your way. While you can get beignets at other places, they aren’t half as good, IMO.
Sorry 'bout that. I meant to say she didn’t have to take any other roads to get from 75 to the Turnpike, rather than saying it actually turned into it. Early morning, you know…
In other news, I did manage to locate Grand Palms Boulevard for you.
You’re kinda over by Epcot.
I can give you pretty detailed directions, if you like. I won’t post them here unless you want me to, for obvious reasons.
No, I’m on the uncouth Westbank (which, to confuse you, is EAST of the city, because of the way the river goes, look at a map and it’ll make sense).
Ah, yes, Esplanade Mall. I didn’t know if they had one. And the mall is easy to find, though I don’t know where the Cafe du Monde is inside it. Go. Stuff your face with fattening powdered sugar-laden pastries. You won’t regret it. I’ve had to quit eating them almost entirely because otherwise I’d be stuffing myself all the time, seeing as I live maybe half a mile from the Oakwood Mall location!
dutchboy, I can probably get straight-to-the-door directions from my mom, but if you can tell me how to get to that general area - where to get off the pike, and such - I’d appreciate it greatly.
Like a few others said, I-75 does not turn into the Turnpike, you just have to veer left onto The Turnpike (The Ronald Reagan Expressway…WTF? Reagan never even lived here…can’t we find one Floridian worthy enough to name our “main street” after…guess that’s what you get with a Republican controlled legislature.)
The Turnpike begins here in the area of Wildwood, Florida which is in Sumter County and about 25 miles south of Ocala and 50 miles south of G’ville. Once you enter on the Turnpike, you’ll be only 50 miles to the Land of the Mouse. I think it’s only a $2.00 toll to the East-West or I-4, but I could be wrong since I use SunPass.
On your return, one backroad to consider is U.S. 98 south of Tallahassee all the way to Pensacola. The white sand beaches of Gulf, Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties cannot be beat, especially by the beaches of Southern Miss (they all seem to vacation in our neck of the woods) but I understand you have past connections to that area. This route is also filled with quaint fishing villages like Carabelle, Apalachicola and even Port St. Joe now that the ugly paper mill is demolished. Panama City and Ft. Walton/Destin will have tons of beachy things to entertain the kids too…but this route takes about 2 or more hours than following the boring inland route of I-10 from Tally to P’cola…hope you like pine trees!
If Phallic symbols get a rise out of you and the family, you may wanna whiz by the Capitol in Tallahassee (it’s about 10 minutes off I-10) and see one of the world’s largest phallic buildings…complete with gonads too. It use to be called Rueben’s erection named after the past governor that pushed for that particular style of building to be built.
One last thing…in North Florida about 50 miles EAST of Tally you’ll come into the county of Madison (the county seat is named that too) WATCH YOUR SPEED…this rural county is a notorious speed trap. Tons of people I know get tickets here!
rain, I hope you and Gunslinger don’t mind having to cross really high bridges. There’s on on I-10 over the Intracoastal Waterway heading east from New Orleans. The transition from just above sea level to ~300’ can be a bit jarring.
) But I’m not sure how late they’re open.