Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yesterday I visited Atlanta, for the third time. 6.5-7 hours from Tampa. I have also passed by the Savannah area everytime I go to DC or NYC by car, so I have a perception of this state that is kind of unique among other states including where I live, FL.
Basically, there is not really anything BIG between Tampa Bay and Metro Atlanta along I-75. I'd say Gainesville, FL and Macon, GA show some "activity" but it is not anywhere close to Tampa or Atlanta. The thing is how the transition happens from Tampa to Atlanta.
But I will start in Miami, since I have been a lot around the I-75 corridor from Miami to Tampa.
In Miami, the environment is basically, Latin. Miami for me is basically the same thing as San Juan, PR, where I am from... Only bigger and more diverse, and without the geography SJ provides. As I mentioned in another thread (in the Florida category), two worlds are separated between SW Florida and SoFla, as SW Florida begins to acquire, slowly, the characteristics of the Southern culture. Yet SW Florida has some Latin influence still, which keeps strong until you get to Tampa. Tampa is where the strong South begins, and as you get closer to the GA border, that southern culture and atmosphere becomes stronger and stronger. The landscape also changes from stubborn flatness to rolling plains, and once you hit Georgia, past Valdosta then you can see the terrain switching from rolling plains to low hills.
Now the thing is that when you get to the GA border on I-75, and you read that sign reading the distances to Valdosta (quite nearby), Macon and Atlanta you don't get a grasp of how things are going to dramatically change in the interstate when you get close to mile maker 210.
Atlanta is the first big city you see ON I-75 and it is extremely different on what you can see on I-95 in Miami. You go along the interstate for 220 miles seeing, basically, nothing truly amazing, just the same thing all over, from north of Tampa, all the way to the Clayton County border.
I-95 in Georgia is another thing. It really never changes from the FL to the SC border. The same, and the same. I haven't been IN downtown Savannah anyway, but is at the end of I-16.
I have been explained why Georgia (as well as the Carolinas) have their biggest agglomerations so "inland", I mean, Atlanta, Columbia, Greenville and Charlotte are almost in the mountains, while Florida and Virginia in the other hand have their biggest agglomerations in the coast (Orlando is less than one hour from Cocoa) although there is not really any place in FL that far from the beach) but it feels strange for me maybe because I am Caribbean and I am used to water and not being landlocked.
Anyway, Atlanta seems a great city and metro area, the city itself looks kind of futuristic (with the addition of neon lights it would be somewhat similar to Japan cities) and I cannot say the same thing for Miami or any of FL's cities.
Well, Florida is a fairly narrow peninsula. Naturally you will always be close to the ocean there.
Atlanta was founded as a railroad hub, so access to a port was never a factor in its growth.
I've done the Atlanta to Miami drive several times so here's my inverse perspective:
You leave Atlanta and head south on 1-75. Once you get past Clayton county and into Henry things start to look much more rural, although with sprawl that's changing. Everything looks rural and hilly until you get to Macon which, as you said, has some activity. There are signs of life in Warner Robins and Perry too.
Once you get south of that area things change dramatically. The hills just stop and it gets completely flat. The lush forests are replaced by big fields of cotton and other crops, which I find really pretty actually. The only unattractive aspect is the tacky signs for tourist traps and adult emporiums/strip clubs.
Once you get around Valdosta you start seeing spanish moss on the trees which lets me know that it's starting to get more tropical. Then you cross the border into Florida and start seeing more palms and sandy soil, but it still feels like the deep south until you get past Gainesville and Ocala.
After Ocala you get onto that spur and head to Orlando. You see lots of Orange Groves and tons of cookie cutter retirement communities and that's when I know I'm officially in Florida. Then when I go through Orlando it totally seals the deal!
You cross the middle of the state and you pass tons of swamps and a whole lot of nothing. Then you merge onto I-95 around Fort Pierce which is kind of the gateway to South Florida in my opinion. As you go further south the vegetation gets more tropical and the surrounding areas get more urban and dense- dense subdivisions on both sides of the interstate. You go from Cabbage palms to Cuban Belly palm trees to Coconut palms.
Once you get into Dade everything changes. Suddenly all the radio stations are in Spanish and it starts to look like a different country. Then you see the Miami skyline against the water and it feels great!
Well, Florida is a fairly narrow peninsula. Naturally you will always be close to the ocean there.
Atlanta was founded as a railroad hub, so access to a port was never a factor in its growth.
I've done the Atlanta to Miami drive several times so here's my inverse perspective:
You leave Atlanta and head south on 1-75. Once you get past Clayton county and into Henry things start to look much more rural, although with sprawl that's changing. Everything looks rural and hilly until you get to Macon which, as you said, has some activity. There are signs of life in Warner Robins and Perry too.
Once you get south of that area things change dramatically. The hills just stop and it gets completely flat. The lush forests are replaced by big fields of cotton and other crops, which I find really pretty actually. The only unattractive aspect is the tacky signs for tourist traps and adult emporiums/strip clubs.
Once you get around Valdosta you start seeing spanish moss on the trees which lets me know that it's starting to get more tropical. Then you cross the border into Florida and start seeing more palms and sandy soil, but it still feels like the deep south until you get past Gainesville and Ocala.
After Ocala you get onto that spur and head to Orlando. You see lots of Orange Groves and tons of cookie cutter retirement communities and that's when I know I'm officially in Florida. Then when I go through Orlando it totally seals the deal!
You cross the middle of the state and you pass tons of swamps and a whole lot of nothing. Then you merge onto I-95 around Fort Pierce which is kind of the gateway to South Florida in my opinion. As you go further south the vegetation gets more tropical and the surrounding areas get more urban and dense- dense subdivisions on both sides of the interstate. You go from Cabbage palms to Cuban Belly palm trees to Coconut palms.
Once you get into Dade everything changes. Suddenly all the radio stations are in Spanish and it starts to look like a different country. Then you see the Miami skyline against the water and it feels great!
LOL... Yeah Miami is different from everything else, it's very similar to Puerto Rico. I like going once in a while but it is always too crowded, last time I went there I was unable to do what I wanted due to insane traffic. On a Sunday!
I drove from St. Pete to Atlanta yesterday. The biggest thing I noticed was that the thermometer in my car kept getting lower numbers!!!! There were actually snow flurries here when I got to Atlanta. And to think, 2 days ago I was riding my HD up and down Gulf Blvd!!!!!
I drove from St. Pete to Atlanta yesterday. The biggest thing I noticed was that the thermometer in my car kept getting lower numbers!!!! There were actually snow flurries here when I got to Atlanta. And to think, 2 days ago I was riding my HD up and down Gulf Blvd!!!!!
I missed the snow then because I went on Friday. But... in reality, I don't miss the snow very much. I got plenty of it when I lived in VA three years ago (was there during the Snowmaggedon)
Here in Tampa is very cold today. I was planning to go to Busch Gardens but I believe today it won't be over 60. At least according to TWC.
Here's my contribution to this discussion as someone who lives in North Carolina and has driven to (and through) Georgia and Florida: Both Georgia and Florida have done a great job in making I-95 easy to drive, Georgia especially given that it's now 3 lanes both ways throughout the state. Florida still has some two-lane each way stretches, but they're not too long and getting shorter as the state works on parts of them. However, I-85 in Georgia is another story: Every year, the traffic seems to get work and back up further north of Atlanta on that road, and the state is going to have make all of it 3 lanes both way eventually - there's just too many drivers and businesses that rely on I-85 as a major route to & from Atlanta & DC. I-75 is nice and wide from what I've seen, but driving on it south of Macon is something I try to avoid as much as possible. Not an exciting ride, in my opinion. Then again, I haven't been on I-16, and that route sounds like a horror story compared to I-75, so take the latter assessment with a grain of salt.
I had just moved to NOVA less then a week before snowmaggedon. No power for 5 days and 3ft of snow on the ground!!. Moving to St. Pete was a godsend. It sucks that I am having to move back to Atlanta (lived here for 24yrs). My wife said it's only in the 50s in St. Pete today. Cold but still better then the low 40s here.
People, it doesn't become rural-looking when you enter Henry County. Some of you must not be very observant, as it is clearly suburban until you hit the last exit of McDonough heading southbound. You even see a little bit of activity with an apartment complex and the outlet mall in Locust Grove, which is south of McDonough.
When one hits Henry County, right at the Highway 138 exit, there's lots of shopping centers, including the Kohl's shopping center. There's a Car Max, as well as numerous sit-down restaurants. There's a park and ride lot at that exit as well.
Heading southward toward the I-75/I-675 merge, you see lots of subdivisions on both sides of the expressway, particularly the right side. There are sound barriers constructed right beside the subdivisions. As you head down the hill headed toward Eagles Landing Parkway, you see subdivisions and an apartment complex on the left. On the right, you see a golf driving range. As you go up the hill toward the exit, there are restaurants, shopping centers, including a Wal-Mart, as well as office buildings and a hospital on the left side.
Continuing southward, you see industrial/office buildings on the left side of the highway, as well as more neighborhoods as you approach Jodeco Road. Heading south of Jodeco, you see neighborhoods on the left side, an old camp ground on the right side, but in the distance, you see all the new big box shopping areas of the next exit. On the left side of the interstate is a church and a movie theater. On the right are the shopping areas.
South of this exit, you do see some neighborhoods on the right side, and after that, at least for a mile, it does appear to thin out of development. However, consider that behind those trees are plenty of housing, particularly on the east side of the freeway, as it is in close proximity to McDonough.
Beyond that one-mile less-developed stretch, you come to Highway 20 exit, which has a Toyota dealership, a Wal-Mart shopping center, as well as numerous restaurants. You then notice development along the interstate down to the next exit, including industrial buildings beyond this exit. It is beyond this spot where it begins to look rural. Beyond Locust Grove, it is completely rural, featuring beautiful forests.
By the way, there's "signs of life" in Forsyth, Macon, Warner Robins, Perry, Cordele, Tifton, and Valdosta.
People, it doesn't become rural-looking when you enter Henry County. Some of you must not be very observant, as it is clearly suburban until you hit the last exit of McDonough heading southbound. You even see a little bit of activity with an apartment complex and the outlet mall in Locust Grove, which is south of McDonough.
When one hits Henry County, right at the Highway 138 exit, there's lots of shopping centers, including the Kohl's shopping center. There's a Car Max, as well as numerous sit-down restaurants. There's a park and ride lot at that exit as well.
Heading southward toward the I-75/I-675 merge, you see lots of subdivisions on both sides of the expressway, particularly the right side. There are sound barriers constructed right beside the subdivisions. As you head down the hill headed toward Eagles Landing Parkway, you see subdivisions and an apartment complex on the left. On the right, you see a golf driving range. As you go up the hill toward the exit, there are restaurants, shopping centers, including a Wal-Mart, as well as office buildings and a hospital on the left side.
Continuing southward, you see industrial/office buildings on the left side of the highway, as well as more neighborhoods as you approach Jodeco Road. Heading south of Jodeco, you see neighborhoods on the left side, an old camp ground on the right side, but in the distance, you see all the new big box shopping areas of the next exit. On the left side of the interstate is a church and a movie theater. On the right are the shopping areas.
South of this exit, you do see some neighborhoods on the right side, and after that, at least for a mile, it does appear to thin out of development. However, consider that behind those trees are plenty of housing, particularly on the east side of the freeway, as it is in close proximity to McDonough.
Beyond that one-mile less-developed stretch, you come to Highway 20 exit, which has a Toyota dealership, a Wal-Mart shopping center, as well as numerous restaurants. You then notice development along the interstate down to the next exit, including industrial buildings beyond this exit. It is beyond this spot where it begins to look rural. Beyond Locust Grove, it is completely rural, featuring beautiful forests.
By the way, there's "signs of life" in Forsyth, Macon, Warner Robins, Perry, Cordele, Tifton, and Valdosta.
I don't know, maybe Macon shows some activity that can get a driver going south or north from/to Atlanta, into some closeness to the urban feeling, but truth is that there is no "serious" urban feeling anywhere from mile 270 in I-75 FL to mile 220 in I-75 GA, which adds 470-270=200 miles in FL plus 220 miles in GA, 420 miles of rural areas besides Macon and Gainesville FL where you can see this somewhat signal of urban existence in the South.
Also, most people going from ATL-FL do not really see Macon, since I-475 passes west of the city.
At least I-75 in GA is way better than I-95, the opposite happens in FL. You don't really see Tampa from I-75, you have to take I-275 to see some serious urban life, because for some reason the part of I-75 you don't really believe you are in Tampa at all. I-95 passes through Jacksonville, WPB, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.