Today, Mrs. MJ on Travel and I made the drive from DC to my mother’s home in North Carolina. The drive should normally take around 5 hours, but today it took 8! It took 3 hours to make it from downtown DC to Quantico. Those of you familiar with the DC area will know just how ridiculous that is. I-95 from DC to Richmond is a mind-numbing, soul-sucking, dreadful experience any day, but most especially 2 days prior to Christmas. I cringe for weeks just thinking about making the drive….which is the reason I only do it once per year. Traffic in and around DC is the reason if I can’t walk, take Metro, a cab, or a jet, I generally don’t visit. But for some reason, I let the idea of hauling holiday gifts sway me every Christmas.
Christmas, a time for family, joy, and happiness….. but instead I arrive here mad as hell with the world because I just spent 8 hours in a car navigating a 40 mile traffic jam. I’m beginning to think gifts are made for being shipped by FedEx, and I will be a much more pleasant person after a pre-flight cocktail and a 1 hour flight.
Let’s see if I write this same post next year. 🙂
It usually takes about 3 hours to go the 90 miles to Richmond, which is ridiculous in of itself…but 3 to Quantico is simply hell on earth. I think I-95 from the beltway to Fredericksberg is consistently the worst 40 mile stretch of highway in the country, from a traffic perspective…and I say that having spent significant time driving in southern CA, the Dan Ryan in Chicago, etc. I absolutely hate leaving DC on 95.
Glad you made it and happy holidays!
That is one reason why I flat out refuse to drive to DC, even though I have no problems driving to Atlanta (roughly the same distance for me)
Welcome to NC!!!! I hope you don’t get snowed in this weekend. Happy Holidays!