I finally left Blacksburg, VA around 8:40. It was overcast, but cleared up as I drove south. I managed to avoid getting lost the whole way back. The initial leg of the journey, back down I-81 and then I-77 through a moderately large group of mountains, was breathtaking. It had been quite dark by the time I arrived at I-77 on the way up, the previous week. Thereafter, the journey was rather dull. Being a Sunday and all, it was hard to find anything interesting to listen to on the radio. I listened to Car Talk for a while on NPR in the morning, which is rather entertaining. The rest of the day I spent hunting for interesting things to listen too, including some classical, Jazz, and modern Rock. I was back in Gainesville by 5:40.
The total travel distance was a little over 600 miles, since I skipped taking I-295 around Jacksonville. The total driving time was approximately nine hours, including stops. About an hour and a half better than on the way up.