Yea, it is brutal to drive especially if during a holiday. I lived near Tampa for a year so familar with Port Richey. Surely you have been to Honeymoon Island then? Funny but that part of Florida is where it snows 2 out of 4 years on average. No accums in quite a bit but the Fake/Ocean Effect type snows.
We have driven 4-5 times in the last decade and always took 95 to 83 but this last time we took the Virginia route that keeps you on 81 a long time (and through Charlotte). I really, really do not like 81 through the southern half of VA. Too hilly and too many rolling road blocks with trucks.