Driving from Memphis

In the past I have always driving thru Jackson and Hattisburg on down, but I am noticing seveal sites that say going through Tupelo is quicker.

I will be driving to Pensacola for a few days before heading over to Gulf Shores, but wanted some opinions on which is a shorter route. I like the speed limits going to thru Jackson %26amp; Hattisburg, but hate the lonely drive from Hattisburg Mobile. Also traveling alone, safety is an issue as well. Want to make sure if I break down (heaven forbid) I am not out in the middle of no where.

Driving from Memphis

Why not take HWY 78 (Future I22) from Memphis to Tupelo through to Birmingham and then hit I 65 southbound?

Driving from Memphis

I have driven several times from Mobile to Memphis, going through Hattisburg to I-55.

I too heard it was quicker going from Mobile to Tupelo to Memphis, so tried it last year.

I will not go that route again for several reasons:

1) It takes about a half hour to get from downtown Memphis out of Memphis to the state highway that takes you to Tupelo.

2) The state highway from Tupelo to the Alabama border is out in the middle of nowhere, very desolate; yes, you can make good time, but if you breakdown you may be in trouble, and very, very few places to stop for gas, food, whatever.

3) The state highway out of Tupelo, once reaching the Alabama border turns into a 2 lane highway for the last 50 miles or so.

So to sum it up...I don%26#39;t think I saved any time, and did not care for the highway out of Memphis, through a desolate part of Mississippi, turning to a 2-lane highway in Alabama.

Thanks for the info.

I was thinking the same thing about going thru Tupelo.

Personally, I think I have to go thru Jackson, cause my hubby loves Primos, in Richland (Jackson sub.) They have awesome homemade brownies, not to mention all kinds of homemade salad dressings.

We have a friend in Hattisburg, so I think we just go the route we know. Maybe we will find some good fruit stands on the way.

In 2004 I stopped at Roses Texaco on the way to Mobile. Oh my god, I never see a Chicken on a stick so good. Looks like a run down gas station, but the best home cooking around. Not to mention they are state BBQ winners. Was so full when I left there I thought I would fall asleep.

Good food.

I drove from Jackson, TN to Tuscaloosa, AL and back yesterday. I drove through Tupelo. US78 (future I-22) from Tupelo to the Alabama border is no longer a two lane road. It is built like an interstate. It even has a welcome center with restrooms on the Mississippi side at the AL/MS border.

Alabama/Mississippi border to Mobile AL is 2 lane (at least it was last August and I didn%26#39;t see any construction); Tupelo to Alabama border is 4 lane divided highway.