The Shortest Distance Between Two Points!

 We've been going to the Jersey shore just
about every year since I was a kid. That's
a lot of years!
  Over those years the route has varied a bit
from time to time. Basically you take the
Turnpike south, do your best to survive the
Schuylkill Expressway, then toss the dice when
you hit New Jersey. (And, no, that is not
meant to be a reference to Atlantic City,)
   Back 'in the day' my Dad would often
venture onto either the Black Horse or
White Horse Pike to take us into the
Wildwoods. I often prefer the scenic route
on a vacation trip. But there's something
about the journey to, and from, the Jersey
shore that makes me want to get there
with as few delays as possible.
   That 'something' is the TRAFFIC!
   Your GPS will undoubtedly send you
onto the Schuylkill, over the Delaware,
onto the Atlantic City Expressway, then
onto the Garden State Parkway for
the final leg of your journey.
   Those are the 'offcial names' of the
'fastest route' highways,
  They are, in reality, a combination of
the Indianapolis 500 and a Demolition
Derby!
   Long about 10am on a summer
Saturday morning you will begin to
believe that every resident of the
United States is headed to the beaches
of New Jersey!
   We've come up with a system that
helps us avoid much of the rush. But
it comes at a cost!
   We try to be on the road by 6am.
Of course that means being up, and
packed well before that hour.
    I have a feeling that somebody
told others about our plan because,
even at that hour, there seems to be
more and more traffic.
     "Easy Pass" definitely helped
this year. There are some toll
plazas where you don't even have to
slow down. But it won't get
you through traffic jams!
     Hours before we left Wildwood
television news was showing a multi
mile, multi lane back up on the
'Schuylkill Expressway' because of
an accident. The heat index at the
time was 103 degrees!
     Neither Penelope (my GPS) or
Easy Pass would have helped us out
of that one! So, we waited till after the
highway cleanup, after the Philly's
game, after the Wildwood fireworks,
and after the late local news to begin
our trip home.
     3am may be a lousy time to get in.
     But at those hours even the
Turnpike looks like a wide open 'back
road!'
      Hope your route is clear and that
all your NEWS is good!