Thanksgiving Trip - Day 1

[went to work early, attended my regular Tuesday meetings and was able to make it out of the City by around 1230L - Nicky had gotten the kids out of school and the car was almost all packed - we finished loading up and, with a full gas tank, began driving (1320L) south towards our family Thanksgiving reunion in Savannah, Georgia - it was rainy all day - thought we would be OK when I got in the HOV lane and were making good time (while the rest of the lanes were jammed) - but the non-carpoolers had the last laugh when a poorly conceived ending of the lanes (two became one, left side entrance with no merge zone) caused us to have to stop completely for more than 20 minutes - by the time we passed Quantico, it was very depressing to realize had been on the Interstate for nearly two hours and traveled only about 50 miles... - but it picked up very nicely after that - though the rain was steady, Nicky's "RainEx" made the drops bead up and fly off the window, almost with no wiper required! - we started to pick up pace after using I-295 to get around Richmond and getting past Rocky Mount - stopped for dinner (Bojangles - I think the place was a first) around 1800L and, since the ride had been so hard, we sat down in the restaurant, chatting with the poor souls who were headed north into the storm - back on the road, almost no traffic - gas (Kangaroo Express!) near Hope Mills, North Carolina (1930L) - wanted to stop at South of the Border (all lit up!) but we needed to get to our destination at a reasonable hour... - no troubles through South Carolina - got off the interstate before crossing into Georgia (US-17) - it eventually turned into a back road, but we found a huge bridge that crossed into the Peach State (and Savannah) around 2200L - got checked in and unpacked the car quickly - figured out where the "Big Room" was and stopped by, finding Kathy and Megan there - chatted for about an hour before heading to bed]