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re: Just booked an 18 day road trip to Maine
Posted on 1/6/21 at 5:17 pm to bayoubengals88
Posted on 1/6/21 at 5:17 pm to bayoubengals88
quote:Do you have hotels and campgrounds booked already? Your route seems a little zig-zaggy.
GA coast, NC coast (near Wilmington), then Shenandoah Valley,
Do you plan to stay just one night in each place until you get to Maine?
Do you like to get off the interstate and take the scenic route or get to the next place as quick as you can? I realize that may depend on how far you have to travel to the next destination.
I don't know how much you know about the east coast so this is just some general info. If you have places booked I, or others on the TB, might have recommendations for sites to visit, or places to eat, near by.
[/url][/img] We spent 5 days on the GA coast last year about this time. We spent 1 night in Hilton Head, Jekyll, St. Simon, Savannah and Myrtle Beach and just explored around.
I-95 is the best way to get from the GA/FL line to SC but it is close to the coast so it's not that far of a drive to the places on the coast. In SC and NC I 95 is 1, 2 or more hours from the coast. But there are alternate routes near the coast but you still don't see the ocean.
NE of Jacksonville are some pre-revolutionary war sites if you like historical places. Cumberland Island is supposed to be interesting (we have not been) but it is an all day trip and you take a boat out of St. Marys, Ga.
Jekyll Island is not very big and it has a campground. Cost $8 or so to get on the island. JL has restaurants.
St. Simons is not that far from JL and it has many restaurants, don't know if it has camping.
[/url][/img] Once you get north of Savannah into SC there are several options to get to Wilmington; there are some scenic routes off of 95 to get you to Charleston or north of Charleston. Then take Hwy 17 to Myrtle Beach and then to Wilmington. SC has a lot of state parks and Huntington Beach SP is south of MB and they have a camp ground. Brookgreen Gardens are near there and that is an interesting place.
If you stay on 95 in SC there is a state park at Santee.
Then I guess you are then going NW through NC to Roanoke, VA, or there abouts, and then north through the Shenandoah Valley. I'll do a separate post about western VA.
Are you zig-zagging like that to avoid the big cities? Which I understand.
[/url][/img] Otherwise you could go through the NC Outer Banks into the VA Beach area, take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into the eastern shore of VA and Maryland. There are several places you can take ferries to keep you from having to go inland.
But then at some point you either have to go through a big city or cross over into SE PA.
But then on your trip home you could go through western VA.
This post was edited on 1/6/21 at 6:11 pm
Posted on 1/6/21 at 7:20 pm to nctiger71
quote:Wow, I appreciate your effort, but yes we do have campsites booked on the way up.
nctiger71
While our route is not short or straight that's mostly intentional. My wife and I both have the summer off so time is not an issue.
We are southerners who like cool summer air and mountains. This is why we're not really hanging out too much on the GA/SC/NC coasts in June. No, it probably won't be too hot yet. It could be just perfect...but it'll be cooler, if not cold, in VA, PA, and NY. So we want to spend more time in those areas meaning multiple nights in each state (minus PA).
Why Shenandoah? It's a national park that we haven't visited.
Why Gettysburg? I'm a history teacher, and was obsessed with battle and the war at a very young age. I watched the movie a lot as early as five years old haha
Why the Catskills? Mountains! Hiking!
Ditto the Adirondacks.
Now, the only thing that doesn't make sense is going straight from the Lake Placid area to the MA coast...but, that's a bit of a compromise I made with my wife, and I'm pretty interested in Salem as well (history). Then up to Maine.
Yeah, I'm sure there's much to do in NC and VA that we are skipping. But those areas are a bit closer to home and can be a trip in themselves.
Thanks for all of the recs. Maybe we can use them in April for spring break or another time! We were in Charleston a couple of months ago, and I'm wanting to explore the GA and SC coast more!
Posted on 1/6/21 at 11:48 pm to bayoubengals88
The few times we have been to Shenandoah NP we just drove on parts of Skyline drive. Didn't camp or hike/walk any trails.
In the valley there are some towns, etc. that we've visited.
Abingdon - this is probably further south from where you will intersect the valley after leaving Wilmington, NC but maybe you will pass through it going home. Rain is a good restaurant there. The Virginia Creeper trail is nearby. You are taken to a mountain top and bike/coast down about 35 miles. I think it is on an old railroad bed. We have not done it but on the list.
Natural Bridge State Park is just off of I 81 about 20 miles south of Lexington. It takes about an hour if you walk all the way to the small waterfall.
Lexington, VA. We had a very good lunch at Niko's Grill; the fresh hummus (normally I'm not a big fan) with warm pita bread was very good. I had the best Ruben I've ever had. My wife had a Greek salad and it was ok but not great, IMO. Lexington is home to VMI and Washington and Lee University.
Staunton VA is unusual in that it still has a functioning downtown with a lot of shops. Kinda like going back to the 1950s. The south entrance to SNP is east of Staunton near Wayensboro. You can exit Skyline Drive a couple of places before the north exit at Front Royal. One exit is at Hwy 211. Luray is to the west and the caverns are worth it if you have the time and they have a small antique car museum that we both really enjoyed.
The SNP exit is at Front Royal and Winchester, VA is not too far from there. It is an historical town and has a Stonewall Jackson museum. I was going to recommend the Neighborhood Italian Kitchen but I see it has permanently closed - I guess the virus got it. Hate that.
If you have not been I recommend going to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. It is not very big and it is not your typical Nat. Park. They have restaurants on High St. and we got a tasty hot apple cider there; I think it was at The Quartermaster Tavern.
Antietam is not too far from there. More or less on your way to Gettysburg.
[/url][/img]
Natural Bridge SP
[/url][/img]
Inside Luray Caverns
[/url][/img]
Antique car museum at Luray Caverns.
[/url][/img]
Harpers Ferry in the fall. It was not crowded then and we could park at the train station, in the summer you will have to park at the Visitor Center and walk or take the shuttle.
[/url][/img]
Gun making at Harper's Ferry. There were several small museums that take 30 min to see at the most.
[/url][/img]
In the valley there are some towns, etc. that we've visited.
Abingdon - this is probably further south from where you will intersect the valley after leaving Wilmington, NC but maybe you will pass through it going home. Rain is a good restaurant there. The Virginia Creeper trail is nearby. You are taken to a mountain top and bike/coast down about 35 miles. I think it is on an old railroad bed. We have not done it but on the list.
Natural Bridge State Park is just off of I 81 about 20 miles south of Lexington. It takes about an hour if you walk all the way to the small waterfall.
Lexington, VA. We had a very good lunch at Niko's Grill; the fresh hummus (normally I'm not a big fan) with warm pita bread was very good. I had the best Ruben I've ever had. My wife had a Greek salad and it was ok but not great, IMO. Lexington is home to VMI and Washington and Lee University.
Staunton VA is unusual in that it still has a functioning downtown with a lot of shops. Kinda like going back to the 1950s. The south entrance to SNP is east of Staunton near Wayensboro. You can exit Skyline Drive a couple of places before the north exit at Front Royal. One exit is at Hwy 211. Luray is to the west and the caverns are worth it if you have the time and they have a small antique car museum that we both really enjoyed.
The SNP exit is at Front Royal and Winchester, VA is not too far from there. It is an historical town and has a Stonewall Jackson museum. I was going to recommend the Neighborhood Italian Kitchen but I see it has permanently closed - I guess the virus got it. Hate that.
If you have not been I recommend going to Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. It is not very big and it is not your typical Nat. Park. They have restaurants on High St. and we got a tasty hot apple cider there; I think it was at The Quartermaster Tavern.
Antietam is not too far from there. More or less on your way to Gettysburg.
[/url][/img] Natural Bridge SP
[/url][/img] Inside Luray Caverns
[/url][/img] Antique car museum at Luray Caverns.
[/url][/img] Harpers Ferry in the fall. It was not crowded then and we could park at the train station, in the summer you will have to park at the Visitor Center and walk or take the shuttle.
[/url][/img] Gun making at Harper's Ferry. There were several small museums that take 30 min to see at the most.
[/url][/img] Posted on 1/8/21 at 7:42 pm to bayoubengals88
We were there 2 years ago. One suggestion I have is to take a day trip to Cranberry Island and Islesford Island.
Did you say when you were going ? These would be best late spring to early fall.
You catch the mail boat at I think Southport Harbor, less than 30 minutes from Bar Harbor. It’s about a 20 minute ride out to the first island. Both are just really laidback and a great place to spend a day.
In the summer, Islesford is an artist colony with about 30-40 artist in residence. Places to eat and explore on both and the locals are very friendly.
Did you say when you were going ? These would be best late spring to early fall.
You catch the mail boat at I think Southport Harbor, less than 30 minutes from Bar Harbor. It’s about a 20 minute ride out to the first island. Both are just really laidback and a great place to spend a day.
In the summer, Islesford is an artist colony with about 30-40 artist in residence. Places to eat and explore on both and the locals are very friendly.
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