Hi All,

I am planning a short road trip to visit my friend.

1. What's the best route get to Columbus Georgia from Woodstock MD? Are there any dangerous roads to avoid?
2. I may want to take a break for half day. Which city or town should I stop and rest?
3. My brick is roadworthy, which part or tool should I bring with me? I have an extra MAF/AMM in the trunk. All known replaceable parts have been changed, except the tail shaft bushing/gasket and heater core valve.

As always, thank you.

Hi James, Art, Hill Billy, Dave and Charles,

Perfect. Thank you all!!!

depending the weather...go for a swim easy off I81

http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/claytor-lake#general_information

if you need parts in Ga have this number

http://www.voluparts.com/

From Maryland, take Interstate 81 South to Knoxville Tennessee. From there go Interstate 75 South to Atlanta. Once in Atlanta take the 285 west Bypass to 85 South to Lagrange Georgia. At Lagrange, take 185 South to Columbus.

If you want to get off the Freeway for a while, US Highway 41 parallels Interstate 75 through Georgia (to Atlanta anyway). See a lot of small towns....Allman Brothers Band "I was born in the back seat of a Grey Hound bus travelling down Highway 41". Don't stop in Atlanta....that's my recommendation. Of course, I live in North Georgia as opposed to South Georgia.

Well it looks like Hillbilly seems to know the way and since he is recommending I-81 south I'll make a suggestion about getting to I-81. I use that route to visit my kids in Winston-Salem -- so much nicer than 95 to 85 to 40. Exits along 81 are usually no more than 10 miles apart for food or gas (get gas in Virginia). If you eat meat stop at Exit 205 in Virginia at Fuel City with Smiley's food court--"the best dang barbecue in Virginia" -- I don't eat barbecue (pork) but the brisket never fails to impress.-- and cheap -- the gas too. In the south "barbecue" is something you eat--not something you DO--except maybe Texas where I think beef is the thing.
Anyway--for my suggestion about getting to I-81. Go west on I-70 to Rt 340 -- it may be I-340 there and pass through Harpers Ferry--a beautiful 10-15 minutes of scenic low speed driving. Well worth it.
From there you can stay on 340 (actually you go around a cloverleaf to stay on 340). It heads south and intersects at a number of points that will take you west to I-81. It's a lightly traveled road going through farmland.
OR--you can go straight from 340 into Charlestown and out the west end (10 minutes) and take Rt51 to I-81.
If there's anything you'd like to take as a "spare" and don't have I'd be glad to loan you whatever. Have fun -- Dave

Oh, and did I mention -- lots of reasonably priced motels along I-81 and at least through W.Virginia and Virginia where the speed limit is mostly 70mph the troopers don't give a second glance at 75-80. -- Dave

Any chance you could do Skyline Drive? It is a National Park that is 90 miles long along a series of mountain ridges.

Unfortunately it takes about 4 hours to travel if you stop at it's many scenic pullouts - like about 60 or so! The speed limit is 35 MPH.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is also scenic but at 495 miles, we gave up after a hundred.

Both are on the web, and they advise you to check ahead for closures, as they are closed for winter.

We went two years ago, just after Skyline drive opened for the year. The trees were bare, and there were rocks and branches on the road - we saw 6 cars in 90 miles.

We also saw a bear, and about 100 deer - they were all eating roadside grass (the only green things around) and none moved as we drove by (slowly) at about 30 feet away.

An interstate runs along them, and you could pick and choose a part to see.

They run through North Carolina and Virginia.

Excellent suggestion. Leave when the weather is good. Stop at Luray.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

If tomatoes are technically a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?