Loving the Beach - Hating the Traffic

Yesterday, my 2 hour drive home turned in to a 4 hour crawl.  I wouldn't have minded so much if this was the first and only time that this happened to me this summer.  Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm when I'm leaving the resort area on Sundays. 

What can I do?  I have found that, if I leave super early in the morning (before 8 AM), I have no trouble at all.  The down side to that is that I miss out on an entire day at the beach.  Plus, I'm exhausted when I get home because I had to get up so early to pack, clean the beach house, and go through my usual OCD routine that I do every time I leave the place.


Last week, I left for home around 7:30 PM and that seemed to be OK.  There were no backups approaching Dewey and, except for some congestion in Rehoboth and high volume on Route 1, traffic wasn't terrible.  The only problem with leaving that late is that I have no time on Sunday evening to do laundry or mentally prepare myself for work on Monday morning  (I mean, watch "Real Housewives of New Jersey").


Making matters worse is the I495 closure.  Just when you think that you're almost home and you hop on I95 for that last leg of the journey, you hit another traffic jam. 


Here are some things that I have found helpful in dealing with (or avoiding) beach jams:


1.  Tune to AM 1380 on your car radio:  This station, provided by DELDOT,  gives you updated traffic information for all counties in Delaware (and you will be driving through all three of them!) and lets you know what the approximate delay time is for each major roadway.  This came in handy yesterday when I tuned in and found out that I95 had up to 30 minute delays from Route 1 to Route 202.  I successfully avoided that by getting on Route 13 and taking Route 141 to North Wilmington. 


2.  Timing is Everything:  As I mentioned above, you need to be creative with your departure and arrival times.  If you have the luxury of having Friday off, leave on Thursday evening around 7 PM to avoid I95 traffic and Rehoboth outlet and dinner traffic.  Leaving really late or really early is the key to avoiding jams altogether.


3.  Take Your Patience With You:  If you do get stuck in a jam, don't be a jerk.  Trying to ride up the shoulder, zipping in and out of lanes, and riding peoples asses is not going to make the situation better.  Chances are, the people in the vehicles around you are just as frustrated.  Why make it worse?  Where do you have to be that's so much more important than where everyone else needs to be?


4.  Bring Along A Distraction:  I love to listen to NPR's "This American Life" podcasts.  They are about 45-50 minutes each and there are some very thought-provoking stories.  It's a great way to pass the time on a long trip.  Also helpful are audio or E-books, which you can load to your smartphone or IPod.


5.  Snacks:  It might be helpful to keep some granola bars or other healthy snack with you - just in case.  Be careful not to pack anything too filling or sugary - you don't want to be tired after eating.  Keep water with you, but be careful not to chug it or you'll need to stop at the Smyrna rest stop!




Just remember that all traffic jams will eventually clear.  Keep a positive attitude and try to enjoy the ride.  There are worse things in life than being stuck on coastal highway with the ocean on one side of you and the bay on the right.  Roll down your windows and take in the sea air!