Anytime!
For what it's worth, trips West on I-64 can be hit and miss too. I tend to use 460 East and West bound when I'm in that area these days. It's just less frustrating for me, and honestly I'd rather show up 20-30mins. later and be relaxed, than tense when I arrive.

How's the beach?

 

We live maybe 10 miles from the intersection of I-64 East and I-81. 64 here never gets much traffic..

We bought our 2003 Excursion EB 2 weeks ago today. Traded our 03 Expedition for it. Good trade! The following Friday we all piled in and drove to St Pete Beach FL. The X did great. We loved it. No problems. With all the people, the cargo carrier on the roof, and the extra weight, I still got about 15.5 mpg. My Expedition with the 5.4L only got 15mpg last year doing the same thing! I expected 12mpg out of the X and the 6.8L

Driving home, we were in 102 degree heat in SC. (Florida was actually cooler). My big black X stayed cool. A/C kept up. My temp gauge never even got past halfway. My teenage boys had plenty of room. Grandma had plenty of room for all her tote bags.

All in all, we are in love with our new (to us) black X... we have affectionately named her The Black Pearl after Pirates of the Caribbean!

 

I rolled into Buxton Saturday early 3 AM traffic wasnt too bad from PA.

 

We RARELY get above 95*. Then the afternoon thunderstorms hit
and cool us way down. My mom moved to Raleigh, NC years ago
thinking it would be cooler! -

She's had days when the news says she shouldn't go OUTSIDE.
Never had that in Florida!

 

We just got back from Navarre Beach on Sat....

108 here in DFW yesterday - I'm ready to go back !!!

Yes, the drive was 11 to 12 hours in the Ex, but another couple flew and it took them 8 hours with connections and pat downs - and a lot more money

We too had a jellyfish warning when we went to the public beach in pensacola...
but on the private beach outside our condo - no warnings - just our own shock when sitting it the shallows and seeing jellyfish wash up next to us !!!

Then the tips cutting the water out past the second sand bar pushed us to the pool the rest of the week

Glad we didn't see that until after our fun day @ crab island in destin !!! LOT'S of nice scenery there !!!

 

If you're headed down and plan to drive the beaches, please get involved and help save one of the last freedoms we have. If you are not aware, starting back in 2007 The National Audubon, Southern Wildlife Council, and Defenders of Wildlife continue to pile up the lawsuits as they have drawn a target on the island to close down beach driving. Their intention is to close all the beaches to vehicle and human traffic (except to them when they wish to go count nests and birds). If the proposed rules pass, after September 6th beach access will be decided by the Park Service and Wildlife Groups, which trends have shown there is only 5 miles of beach they are interested in keeping open.

It's Time to Comment on the Proposed ORV Rules

An Island at the Mercy of a Government Gone Fowl

 

Spent the morning watching dolphins outside of the hotel. Ocean warmed up nicely yesterday. Seen lots of washed up jellyfish. Seen quite a few Excursions here. Many lifted. Wife kept pointing them out. Seen a crew cab super duty on what had to be 44's or bigger.

 

Sounds like a nice time!

In the many years that I've been going down there I've always told my friends in lifted Ex's that someone down there will have a bigger truck...guaranteed. I'm amazed at the amount of high dollar metal roaming the beaches down there.



Mark, thanks for sharing this. I will be certain to pass this along to my local friend group who enjoy this priviledge as much as much as I do. Let's hope that we can keep the access open