Left Richmond around 11am for a 3 hour drive to High Point, NC (home town). Needed to get off I-95 and onto I-85 at Petersburg, but didn't see it, so I traveled on 95 a little too long. Once I realized it, I got out the map, realized turning around and getting local hwy 40W to connect to 85 would be the fastest. Glad I got lost. This is what I saw on my adventure:

             

                  

Finally get back onto I-85 and arrive in NC around 2: NC Welcome Center:

Go about an hour and get caught in the worst thunderstorm downpour I've ever seen. It was so bad, 1/2 the cars on the hwy pulled off to the side. Saw 2 Hummers pulled over. If a Hummer can't drive in this, the Honda can't.  Pulled over once, waited, got back on the hwy. Had to pull over again w/ 18 wheelers on the side. Get back on the road, but only going 20 mph w/ the hazzards on. At the end of the storm, there's a clearing -- have the whipers going and shades on as well.

Think I'm home free. See a sign for HP only 15 miles away. Car in front of me is going pretty fast, so I assume they have a radar detector. They speed up, I speed up. I'm about at 90mph (in a 55 zone). Car in front didn't have a detector....had a radar...and blue lights.  Never been pulled over by a cop in front of me!!!!

I pull over, he pulls over, but has to go in reverse to get behind me. This is the exchange:

Cop: "What's the hurry?"
Me:   "I'm so sorry, officer. I'm from High Point and just drove all the way down from NYC. I'm almost home and just so excited to see my mom." Hand over license (can't find the registration just yet).
[Waiting]
Cop:  "I just got a call for an overturned truck. Slow it down.

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!