Moving Trip (Part 2) - Day 1

I was up early for telework - got about an hour before I had to close up my computer.  I finished packing the car and ate breakfast.  I was done with my meeting with John and Bob at 0715.  On the way out of town, I got gas for my rental car (a Volkswagon Jetta) at Irving (0730) and then took NH-120 and I-89 to the Connecticut River.  Used I-91 all the way through Hartford (CT), making work calls for most the drive.  I switched to CT-15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway) and drove across the southwest corner of Connecticut (with a bathroom break in Yalesville).  I continued southwest on CT-15 (became NY-15) all the way into New York.  At that point, my Google Maps started acting up (talked about "road closures").  Initially, I kept accepting the reroutes - this took me (via I-287 and I-87) towards the George Washington Bridge (my intended target).  However, the bridge seemed to be clobbered with cars so I then got detoured to the south (1200).  The skyline views were spectacular!  Unfortunately, I ended up on I-278 (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway), with lots more recommendations from Google to take surface streets from Brooklyn into Manhattan... That didn't seem like a good idea and I stayed on I-278 across Randalls Island.  I eventually (grudgingly) decided to settle for paying whatever tolls might come my way.  I tried out the EZ Pass in my rental car at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (max toll = $9.50) and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (max toll = $19.00) but I wasn't sure if the box worked (I just barely got it open in time on the first bridge).  Even after all that effort, though, the traffic was HORRIBLE.  I was worried throughout my visit to the Five Boroughs that I would get a speeding ticket (or worse)...  [later, I figured out I'd weathered the trip OK]  Once I was on Staten Island, it seemed like the worst was over.  However, before incurring another toll, I ended up taking NY-440 and crossing over to New Jersey.  I then followed NY-440 (and a bit of I-287) to reach US-1 and continued southwest.  After all the delays and craziness, I was finally able to make a stop for another bathroom break near Monmouth Junction.  Took some side streets (Google helping me to avoid more tolls) through Trenton and then got on I-295, which took me to I-95.  The weather, which had been mostly sunny, started to turn dark, with occasional sprinkles. I did get a reroute (around nasty traffic) just east of Wilmington, Delaware and decided I'd had enough of the "fast way home".  I got off I-95 at DE-896 and made my way (via back roads) to US-301.  Google Maps actually agreed that this route was equal to the I-95 route (that had tolls)... From there, my drive was pretty relaxed (I made one more bathroom stop at a rest area east of the Bay Bridge).  When I reached I-495, the route looked OK (traffic wise) - but then it started raining...  Everything slowed down and I didn't cross the Potomac until around 1730 - ugh.  This meant it was 10 hours after I left - I'd always known that the shorter distance was more expensive but it also took just as long (shaking my head).  Made one more detour to try to pick up a box from the UPS lockers (unsuccessful).  Got to my (old) apartment just after 1800 and ate some leftovers because I was sick of driving.  Teleworked until 2100 and then did a bit of resting and reading.  Went to bed at 2300.  Whew!