helenleyzer

Hello dear travelers -

My husband and I, with our 3 boys (ages 8, 5, 3), are planning a drive from NJ to VA during the 3rd week of August. Our idea is to drive down to Cape May and then take the ferry over to Virginia Beach. We plan for the whole trip to take a week.

Any suggestions on the stops along the way would be highly appreciated. As well, suggestions on where to stay and what to do once we are in VA would also be great. Thus far, we plan on visiting Williamsburg and Busch gardens.

Thank you in advance!!

Dukey1

The ferry from Cape May goes to Lewes, Delaware, and not to Virginia Beach.

I assume you will be spending the night in Cape May is that true?

Are you planning on staying in VA Beach and visiting Williamsburg/Busch Gardens from there or what?

Frankly, unless Cape May is some sort of must I would probably just drive down 95 to Williamsburg, do that and then go on to Va Beach. Or you could take 13/113 down to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and cross to Va Beach that way.

longhorn55

Your kids might also enjoy Jamestown Settlement which is a re-creation of Jamestown. The actually site of Jamestown is a National Park and is called Historic Jamestowne.

www.historyisfun.org

www.nps.gov/jame

Birdie

Dukey1, my preferred route to NJ from Williamsburg is the one helenleyzer describes. I do it several times a year.

HL, be sure to make a reservation on the ferry and be prepared for sticker shock. It's not cheap. The toll at the Ches. Bay Bridge tunnel is also a bit pricey but both the CBBT and the ferry are worth it even if you can only do it in one direction.

Lewes is a cute town to walk around. There's a nice puzzle shop there to load up on rainy day activities.

The boys might like to see the astronaut suits at the Wallops Island NASA visitors center.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/.../#.U73pSie9KSM

You can look for wild ponies at Assateague.

There's a fishing pier at the CBBT. It's a neat place to be if a boat is going through.

In Virginia Beach, there's a great aquarium and also a water park.

If you need more specific info about Williamsburg, I'll be happy to help.

helenleyzer

Thanks so much for all responses!

My intinerary progresses as follows (thus far):

Spend 1 day in Cape May and take the ferry over to Lewes next morning (thanks for the suggestion on making ferry reservation, will do!)

Spend 1 day in Ocean City, MD and drive down to Virginia Beach, VA next day. (Is it worth to spend more time in MD?)

Spend the next few days in VA in Williamsburg/Busch Gardens (not sure where else).

Doing research now on what else to do in VA. We love anything that has to do with outdoors (indoor stuff is reserved for rainy days only, during the summer).

Birdie - do need help on figuring out how much time to spend in/around Williamsburg. Should we plan on spending 1 day on just Williamsburg or is that too much? We plan to spend 1 day in Busch Gardens. Thank you!!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Been banging my head against the wall with this itinerary. Been going back and forth between driving up to Nova Scotia and down to VA but settled on VA at the end (was told there's more to do with kids than in NS).

helenleyzer

Longhorn55 - thanks on the suggestion of Jamestown! I will look at it now!

helenleyzer

Sorry, last thing - Birdie, you mentioned Wallops Island NASA, sounds perfect for the boys! Anything else to do around there?

Wild ponies at Assateague sounds right up our alley! Will most definitely visit!

Any similar stop suggestions as above would be great! Like I mentioned before - we love nature

Thanks!!!