We successfully bugged out from Ft. Myers on Wed. 9/7 at night and drove to Cordele, GA. The trip up I-75 wasn't bad until we got to Ocala, then it was a mess. No gas anywhere in that area, but was able to fill the diesel, and DW's gasser Jeep got topped off just before we got there, so we were able to drive through.
The rest areas all looked like refugee camps, and the further north we went the more chaotic and disorganized they were.
I will say this: the Florida drivers were the most friendly and courteous I've ever seen. Everyone was in the same boat, so there was no road rage, cutting people off, etc.
When we got to Cordele, we were welcomed with open arms. It was "Southern Hospitality" at its finest. THANK YOU CORDELE!!!
When Irma decided to take a path north to Cordele, we decided to head down to Pensacola, FL to keep at a right angle to its path. We stayed at a KOA in Lillian, AL just across Perdido Bay from Pensacola. Very nice campground. As an unexpected bonus, we woke up to the Navy's Blue Angels practicing every morning. We were able to sit and watch them while we had our coffee. We also went into Pensacola and went to Rosie O'Grady's. I was stationed in Pensacola 40 years ago, and "Rosie O's" was the place to go. It was a Wednesday night so pretty dead, but was good to see it's still there.
We got word that we had some damage (doesn't sound too major) and that power, water, cable, etc. are back on, so we've begun our trek home. We stayed in Perry, FL last night, and will stay near I-4/I-75 at Lazy Days tonight, then get home Sunday morning.
The dogs did good on the trip, although the old beagle was clearly out of her routine. The puppy loved every bit of the excitement.
Truck ran great, and only problem I had with the trailer was a leak on one of the water manifolds behind the panel. It dripped onto the floor and ran into the bedroom. I tried to repair it with JB WELD, but it didn't stop it, so I McGyver'ed a drip pan using a Tupperware dish, and a drinking straw that caught the water and evacuated it outside. The floor is dry and it'll work until I can get it to the dealer.
The trailer was a great lifeboat. The one thing I didn't have (and have since rectified) is that I didn't have a generator with me, so I drove to Mobile and bought a Champion 3100/2800 from Costco for $660. We stopped for a few hours to rest on the way up, and it was really hot in the trailer without a generator, so that was on my REAL short list.
