Traveling Blue along the Democratic Underground Railroad

[Ian David]

Over the past two weeks, I have driven from Massachusetts to Miami and back again.

I'll be posting in more detail on this later-- with pictures.

I am here to tell you that it is possible-- even pretty easy-- to "Travel Blue" along the whole route using I-95 and The Florida Turnpike. Also, AAA recommends using Route 426 to bypass some city that I'll have to look-up later.

Except for a single mistake and an unwillingness to drive with less than 1/4 tank of gasoline, I could have made the entire trip from Miami to Boston using only Hess Gasoline (98% Democrat).

It's very easy to make the trip eating and drinking only at Starbuck's (100% Democrat) Sonic Drive-in (100% Democrat) and when necessary at Arby's (56% Democrat).

I managed to stop (and take a picture) at what I think is every Sonic drive-in between Miami and Boston. I saved receipts from all but two of them.



The entire Florida Turnpike has so many Hess stations that I didn't bother to write them down. Besides, with the horrible cross-wind I had to drive in, it wasn't safe to do so.

From the Hess Gas Station in Brockton, Massachusetts to the one at Exit 3A in Miami, Florida took me 1,632 miles @ 42.9 MPG inside a heavily-loaded Toyota Prius averaging 60 MPH in strong cross-winds and occasional heavy rain.

Hess stations (including Wilco travel plazas) along the way:

Main Street in Brockton, MA
Route 27 in Brockton, MA (right off route 24)

North Carolina I-95 Exits: 20 (or 19?), 73 and 106
South Carolina I-95 Exits: 164, 181 98 and 82
Georgia I-95 Exits: Exit 1
Route 426 Exits: 4, 87, 92, 94, 113
In New Jersey, there is a Hess station at exit 9 off the Turnpike

In Orlando, Florida there are Hess stations directly outside the entrances to Disney's Magic Kingdom and MGM Studios. There are a bunch of Hess stations along route 192, including one a couple blocks from a Sonic Drive-in Restaurant near an entrance to the Florida Turnpike.

There are also Hess stations near Disney at the intersections of Route 192 and Shady Lane and at Polynesian Blvd and Route 535.

Along Route 95 in Florida, there are Hess stations at exits 3A, 29, 33, 60, 77, 87A, 129, 173, 191, 256, 268, 284, 298, 311, 347 and 360.

Many of these Sonic Restaurants and Hess stations were not listed in their company's web sites. For example, we discovered the Sonic in St. Cloud completely by mistake.

Until you hit Georgia, there will be no shortage of Starbuck's Coffee.

In North Carolina, there is a Sonic at exit 19 in Lumberton, and (I think) a Hess station at exit 20 that I somehow missed on my way north.

If I hadn't missed the Hess station in Lumberton, North Carolina, I could have made the entire trip using only Hess gasoline.

What would make this trip much easier would be if Hess would put a station along I-95 in Virgina and in Baltimore.

Again, I will add more details-- and photos-- later.

SPECIAL THANKS TO BUYBLUE.ORG , CHOOSETHEBLUE.com , and The Progressive Pages www.globalblogs.com/progressivepages

[Dhalgren]

1. Thanks for the report.

We need more of this from all parts, across the board. Good work!

[Ian David]

2. Thank you! Now we just need to re-check and update my work

I would have liked to be able to stay in blue-hotels within blue-counties, but that wasn't feasible for us. Instead, we traveled until we had an idea where we would need to stop and then found something cheap.



In Jacksonville, Florida we actually rejected two hotels after we looked at the rooms.

In one of the hotels we rejected, I used the toilet first (I flushed) and left a note on a slip of paper between the sheets that said, "Is there Santorum in these sheets? SpreadingSantorum.com ."

Also, I've seen conflicting statistics for Shell Gasoline and Hard Rock Cafe.





Here is a note someone left on my windshield after reading my bumper stickers in the Disney parking lot:

[lectrobyte]

4. just curious, what stickers do you have on your car? Thanks. nt

[Ian David]

7. I'll post photos later after I edit-out my license plates, but...

Here is a list:

Dumb is Forever
Not My President
Re-Defeat Bush
No Discrimination in the Constitution: MassEquality.org
EqualMarriage.org
My car gets 50 MPG. Support Our Troops. Buy a Hybrid.
United We Stand

Before the trip I removed my Darwin Fish and my Nothing Accomplished bumper sticker.

During the trip I only got one middle finger and two dirty looks-- all from people with New York plates.

Bush bumper stickers out-numbered progressive ones by about ten to one.

Jesus Fish and other Jesus-oriented stickers and confederate flags combined outnumbered the Bush stickers by about five to one.

90% of the Bush stickers were on those super-sized SUV's like Hummers, Escalades, Expeditions and Excursions.

Aside from the ubiquitous varieties of "Support Our Troops" stickers, it seems that the people of the red states don't wear their politics on their cars as often as we do up north. Perhaps that is because they all drive much to fast to read bumper stickers anyway.

People keep telling me that the Southern Lifestyle is slower-paced and more relaxed than ours. That may be true, but they sure try like hell to make up for the lost time once they hit the highway. And they have more than their fair share of little roadside death markers to prove it.

I think raising the speed limit to 70 MPH in the South is part of the plan to save social security by lowering the life expectancy of southern drivers.

[comsymp]

9. You just convinced me to go buy some tinfoil.

Had never thought about it before, but you make an interesting point re: 70MPH & SS. However, ya gotta take a broader look at the scene - it isn't just Southern drivers at risk on I-95. Next time, count the (mostly elderly) Snowbirds you see making their regular migration between, say, NJ & FL. Increased traffic fatalities could result in some serious savings in SS/MCare payouts!

[Ian David]

11. I thought about that too. There were a lot of out-of-state plates

It almost seemed as though the trucks were trying to intentionally kill the other drivers.

I was warned not to speed in the South, but unless you're going at least 85 MPH, you will have your doors blown-off by almost everything on the road. And that does not change with weather conditions, either.

On the way north it was much better. I was told this is because it is a lot different during the week than on the weekends. It was also the beginning of Spring Break. That couldn't have helped.

Also, I don't know why they call it "The Bible Belt."

It should be called "The Booty Belt."

There was a constant stream of advertisements for topless dancing, "Private Lingerie Modeling," and massage parlors. There were also condom machines in almost every public bathroom.

It's no wonder conservative politicians want to ban porn. The Red States are bombarded by constant advertisements for it more than any place I have seen outside Times Square New York Circa 1988.

It seems to me that porn isn't the problem. It's NASCAR. Those damn race cars are an unhealthy influence on Southern drivers. If it wasn't for all the topless bars and dirty book stores luring them off the highway to take a break, there would be even more deaths.

New bumper sticker slogans:

NASCAR Kills-- Porn Saves Lives
Save a Life: Take A Break to Masturbate
Topless Bars Save Sleepless Drivers

[lectrobyte]

12. Thanks!

I live in NC, and it doesn't seem to be layed back at all. I agree on the stickers, I rarely see an SUV without the dubstika (The creepy white W on a black background) on it.

[woodsprite]

3. Thanks for the great idea!

We'll be doing a road trip with the camper in July to NC and to Florida in August with a caravan with the our whole extended family and their campers. I was worried about the gas prices. DH said we'd do it anyway since it's the first time we'll be vacationing together in 20 years. Those companies will get alot of business from us on the way! I'll also go print out the "Blue" list.

Wish us luck - 8 people ages 12+ and 7 boys under the age of 6yo - UGH!!!

[Ian David]

5. You're welcome. See my previous posts for much more detail

Traveling Blue through Red Territory (Boston to Miami)
Topic started by IanDB1 on Mar-11-05 09:34 AM (13 replies)
Last modified by UdoKier on Mar-11-05 04:10 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3256057

[tinonedown]

6. Sonic is Dem?!

Almost hate to hear that. Because I have been raving for years that that place sux. Slow service, undercooked food. Bad food. Even the commercials suck.
I've tried different ones, but they all suck.
However, after writing them off - I'll go in with new attitude and give them another try. Maybe things have changed in the last year or two.

[Ian David]

8. The Burgers suck, but the drinks and breakfast stuff is great

I stopped at three Sonic restaurants in a row just to get more Strawberry Lime Aide.

Made with real chunks of strawberry.

If I could have, I would have drank nothing but Strawberry Lime Aide and Redbull the whole trip.

I also highly recommend the breakfast burrito and Pancake-on-a-stick.

And the Sunrise Slushy is awesome!

The service was excellent at every sonic except the one in Lumberton on the way down. They had one guy working the drive-in window and the parking lot all by himself. On the way back north, we stopped at the same Sonic and the place was packed and the service was excellent.

The Sonic in Lumberton, NC (Exit 20) also has a nice play area for the kiddies.

[wicket]

10. Hess is 98% Dem??

Great to hear, that's where I usually get my gas :)

[Ian David]

13. I just re-fueled at the end of my trip with Hess Gasoline

296 Pearl Street in Brockton, Mass.
$2.019 / Gallon.

I think it is a good idea to check and post prices for gasoline (especially Hess, which is usually relatively cheap) at www.GasBuddy.Com