If you live in South Florida, you probably have no power but you have gas. If you live in North Florida, you probably have power but no gas.
Our day began in Gainesville and circled back because of the gas situation -- zero to be had because none entering the port in Jax until 2 p.m. -- combined with the thousands and thousands and thousands of evacuees who all decided about the same time to hop on I-75 and head home. A clusterphuck. Our poor planning didn't help. We left with a half tank and got to Ocala when I pulled off to get gas. Hahahahahaha, what was I thinking? So we ventured into town. A half-mile line to the Marathon station at SR 40 and 441. I got cute and figured out a way to cut the line time down in half, only to find out from the Marion County Sheriff when we were about to make a left into the station that they had run out FOUR CARS ago.
With an eighth of a tank left, I decided to head back to G'ville rather than continue south and risk running out of gas. A flipping mile from my friend's, we came upon a Sunoco that had just opened and had gas. Short line.
We heeded Google Maps and avoided the mess of cars running out of gas on I-75 and took the back roads home starting in Williston. Gotta remind you Gators who have forgotten, the drive from Hogtown to Williston is gorgeous. Brought back some great old memories as a student of when I would take the motorcycle out that way after class to blow off steam.
Official time from Gainesville to Tarpon Springs (including to Ocala and back): seven hours. I could have driven to Columbia, SC. But we're home and that's all that counts.