Looking for any info on route to Key West

[lestahhh]

Hi everyone.

We'll be heading out to Key West this weekend. I have Harvest Hosts so I'll be spending the night at a winery outside of Fort Pierce to shorten my trip (I have a toddler. He does not tolerate long trips lol) Anyways, I'll be leaving from Jacksonville so is it safe to assume I can just follow GPS and go down 95S then Highway 1 (or whatever roads gps says is faster)? We have EZ Pass for tolls too.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

PS: in case my signature doesn't show, I have a 33.5 ft Springdale295 TT.

[flybouy]

Your signature is showing, no worries.

[RVGator]

I use Waze to determine whether or not to get on the turnpike or just stay on 95. 90% of the time it’s routes me around Miami on 95. Plus it gives pretty accurate eta.

Enjoy Key West. East just down that way at the newly rebuilt KOA Sugarloaf Key which was awesome.

Enjoy!

[flybouy]

I'm guessing 75 to 95 to US 1. At least now FL finally came around to accepting EZ Pass. If you haven't done so go to the EZ Pass website and register your trailer tag. If you don’t register the trailer you'll get a bunch of expensive extra fees in the mail.

[lestahhh]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I'm guessing 75 to 95 to US 1. At least now FL finally came around to accepting EZ Pass. If you haven't done so go to the EZ Pass website and register your trailer tag. If you don’t register the trailer you'll get a bunch of expensive extra fees in the mail.

Oh my God. This is true. Thank you for bringing it up!!!

[linux3]

Originally Posted by flybouy

If you haven't done so go to the EZ Pass website and register your trailer tag. If you don’t register the trailer you'll get a bunch of expensive extra fees in the mail.

Thank you.
In NY I didn't do anything for EZ Pass to work with my TT. Would never have thought of this.
You saved me money.

[flybouy]

Recently Maryland did away with all toll collectors in toll booths. It's all automated and if you don't have an EZPass they photo the liscenced plate and mail you a bill, along with a hefty fee. Folks are "up in arms" because the Toll Facilities has been slow getting the notices out and some folks are getting hefty bills with daily fines attached. The cost mounts up REAL fast.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Recently Maryland did away with all toll collectors in toll booths. It's all automated and if you don't have an EZPass they photo the liscenced plate and mail you a bill, along with a hefty fee. Folks are "up in arms" because the Toll Facilities has been slow getting the notices out and some folks are getting hefty bills with daily fines attached. The cost mounts up REAL fast.

IMO folks need to get right in the middle of the folks that regulate this stuff. It wasn't easy pass; NTTA (North Texas Toll Association?) I believe that put up cameras to photo folks coming through several sections of Hwy. 121? in N Dallas that were under construction. Supposed to send you a bill; I'm from W TX had no toll pass and had no idea it was actually toll since the road was totally torn up. But....

I passed through that section twice on a round trip and had no idea. IIRC it was about 8 months and I received a notice in the mail of my past due charges, late fees and other penalties they were going to assess. I was flabbergasted then infuriated. I called them in my most sweetest voice (not) and asked an explanation since the road was not completed, never saw a camera or sign - just didn't have any idea. She informed me that they placed cameras (now this is way prior to completion) on the 2 or 3 short stretches where you accessed the new road....and then were dropped back off to the access road - again and again. The huge delay? They were backed up processing due to the number of cars (photos) they had to process...but I still owed that money. If I had one of their passes I wouldn't. By then I was "smokin". We had a very "spirited" conversation, the bill I received which was $200+ with all the fees, fines etc. ended up being $17. I asked how to avoid that in the future. Answer? Send us money to put in an account!!! I was off the rails and over a cliff but I sent her $75 to put in my "account" tied to my license plate numbers. What if I never come through there again? We'll keep it for you in case you do. What if I die? We'll keep it for you.

These deals are scams from top to bottom ran by contactors to oversee "their" highway.....that the taxpayer paid for. I stay away from them any way I can. I also expressed my disgust to my legislators, the governor and TXDOT and.....you know how that goes.

[flybouy]

That happened to me in Toronto about 8 years ago. After spending over 4 hrs at the border being hassled by imigration for daring to "work in Canada" for 1 day I drove on. My GPS told me to take an on ramp and AFTER traveling about 1/2 a mile without seeing any sign other than a route sign I see a sign that says it's not only a toll toad but electronic only toll collection. Naturally it was not accepting the transponder.

A week or so later I recieved a "Welcome to Canada you stupid American" letter with a "fine" and toll payment demand. I drove 5.3 miles on that road and it cost me $125 US. If it wasn't for work requireing my return I would have never paid it or returned to the US/CA border again.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Recently Maryland did away with all toll collectors in toll booths. It's all automated and if you don't have an EZPass they photo the liscenced plate and mail you a bill, along with a hefty fee. Folks are "up in arms" because the Toll Facilities has been slow getting the notices out and some folks are getting hefty bills with daily fines attached. The cost mounts up REAL fast.

LOL!
Slow billing! I once received a charge on my work AE card for toll charge, I hadn't traveled and rented a car for about four months. So I called AE and challenged the charge, figuring it was a mistake. Well about two weeks latter AE informed me it was a valid charge!

Well I had worked in Puerto Rico six months before, I traveled on one of their toll roads in a rental car (major Company). I talking to the billing company, it seems the tolling authority in Puerto Rico truly operates on Island Time, and it isn't unusual for six month late billing. Just a bill no fines.


To the OP's question, there is a little side road one can take on the way to or from FW. Just south of Florida City is a road call Card Sound Rd that takes you closer to the Atlantic as you drive to Key Largo, just take your time, and there is a toll, not too much.

[flybouy]

In Baltimore people are blowing their minds about the Toll Auth. and the US Post office. Baltimore post office holds the national record for the slowest mail I kid you not. The post master for Balt. testified before congress the other day and said part of the issue is the rookies get the routes in the worst neighborhoods and often will quit the first day on the job. It's not unusual for the mail down there to be weeks, sometimes months delayed.

The head of Shock Trauma was pleading on tv recently saying the continual violence is taxing the staff there. It was the first trauma center and is a world class facility. Due to the historical high number of gunshot victims for decades the armed services send their surgeons there to train for battle.
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/city-i...tless-violence

[rjniles]

Take 95S to exit 129 (Florida Rt 70) in Ft Pierce. Cross to the Florida Turnpke to the end at Rt 1 in Homestead/Florida City. Rt1 south to Key West.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by rjniles

Take 95S to exit 129 (Florida Rt 70) in Ft Pierce. Cross to the Florida Turnpke to the end at Rt 1 in Homestead/Florida City. Rt1 south to Key West.

Some years back we were heading to the keys either towing a boat or a camper…stuck in traffic for over an hour or two right where the turnpike ends in homestead…we drove all night to get there from MD ..no traffic to speak of at all till we got to that junction in homestead…it was police officers standing in the road at the off ramp taking donations for the policeman’s fund….couldn’t believe it

Happened to us in cape cod one year also but it was the fireman ….every person that donated seemed to talk to the fireman for 5 min holding up a miles long backup

We support police and fireman but there is a time and place for everything