East Coast Road Trip In Late January
Sep 3rd, 2014, 02:59 PM
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East Coast Road Trip In Late January
Hi
My husband & I are planning our first winter drive down to south FL and hope to see some sights along the way. We want to make a road trip out of it, and have never visited these areas. We've recently retired so we can be flexible with the timing. We live in CT so we hope to get out of the hard winter on the first day. We've never seen the Outer Banks in NC and thought we might put that on the list as our first overnight. I do realize that it is out of the way, but my first question is, is it worth seeing in Jan? If not, any suggestions? From there we thought we'd get down to Charleston SC, and we'd like to stay there a few days. In a city like that I think we'd like to be within walking distance, or at least short drive to the major sights. What area in Charleston should we stay in without breaking the bank? From there, possibly a stop in St Augustine FL. Also need to know what is a good area for lodging to do some sightseeing there. Friends told us that we also might like MT Dora FL. Same question--where to stay? Any hotel recommendations for any of these locations? I know that I've crammed allot of questions into one post, but any advice on any of these locations would be very helpful.
Thank you
My husband & I are planning our first winter drive down to south FL and hope to see some sights along the way. We want to make a road trip out of it, and have never visited these areas. We've recently retired so we can be flexible with the timing. We live in CT so we hope to get out of the hard winter on the first day. We've never seen the Outer Banks in NC and thought we might put that on the list as our first overnight. I do realize that it is out of the way, but my first question is, is it worth seeing in Jan? If not, any suggestions? From there we thought we'd get down to Charleston SC, and we'd like to stay there a few days. In a city like that I think we'd like to be within walking distance, or at least short drive to the major sights. What area in Charleston should we stay in without breaking the bank? From there, possibly a stop in St Augustine FL. Also need to know what is a good area for lodging to do some sightseeing there. Friends told us that we also might like MT Dora FL. Same question--where to stay? Any hotel recommendations for any of these locations? I know that I've crammed allot of questions into one post, but any advice on any of these locations would be very helpful.
Thank you
Sep 3rd, 2014, 07:36 PM
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Honestly, I think a lot of these answers depend on what kind of year it is. I don't have a lot of experience with the Outer Banks (only been there once-this April coincidentally with a "polar vortex") but I've done the Northeast to Florida drive a number of times, including in February. That was a mild year, and the weather was pleasant from Lumberton on down, but I don't thing that would have been true this year. If it were me, I'd make my plans as flexible as possible and solidify them about ten days out as weather forecasts were available.
St. Augustine is lovely, and there are a lot of good lodging choices, many of them not terribly expensive. Personally I have experience of the Ramada Inn Express right off of 95 and the Best Western in town. Both were fine, if not fancy, although that was a few years ago. I had an excellent meal at a place called the Raintree Restaurant. We also tried Columbia (outpost of the well-known Cuban mini-chain) and were extremely underwhelmed.
St. Augustine is lovely, and there are a lot of good lodging choices, many of them not terribly expensive. Personally I have experience of the Ramada Inn Express right off of 95 and the Best Western in town. Both were fine, if not fancy, although that was a few years ago. I had an excellent meal at a place called the Raintree Restaurant. We also tried Columbia (outpost of the well-known Cuban mini-chain) and were extremely underwhelmed.
Sep 4th, 2014, 02:54 AM
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Stay in the Hisoric District in Charleston. You can walk to everything. The wind off the water might be chilly but the sun is strong. Use kayak.com to get a good rate. Make sure your hotel is in the HD. Something that advertises it's "downtown" may not be in the HD. Staying there is more expensive, but worth it.
The Banks will likely be cold in January. Again, the wind could be brutal.
The Banks will likely be cold in January. Again, the wind could be brutal.
Sep 4th, 2014, 07:39 AM
#5
Plan on seeing the Outer Banks on your way home in the spring.
I'm thinking more than half the places on the OBX will be closed from mid December through February.
Ride the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke and then drive north through the OBX. The fare on the Cedar Island ferry is cheap and the others farther north are free.
For a bit of history, visit St. Augustine Florida.
I'm thinking more than half the places on the OBX will be closed from mid December through February.
Ride the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke and then drive north through the OBX. The fare on the Cedar Island ferry is cheap and the others farther north are free.
For a bit of history, visit St. Augustine Florida.
Sep 4th, 2014, 07:56 AM
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Congrats on your retirement! Enjoy and travel. My DH and I have done the winter trip south many times from MA and it is all weather dependent. One year we were gone for about 6 weeks and the weather was awful, no warm weather anywhere. We were in long pants, sweatshirts, etc. the whole time, even in FL.
We drove to FL middle of March this year and it was very cool all the way down the coast. We stopped in Hilton Head for a couple of days as my DH was going to play some golf and it was very chilly there, we left after 2 days. Ended up in Naples FL and it was very nice there.
We probably drove the same route you would take. We went thru CT, 84 to 81 thru PA and onto 95 south all the way into FL. We prefer not to drive GW Bridge, Jersey Pike, etc. as it is sometimes has lots of traffic. The drive thru PA is lovely but it would depend upon time of year. If you are planning Jan. then that might be problematic w/ the weather.
Charleston is really nice, we love it there. Again, it would probably be coolish. We have also done Savannah GA on our way down and temps were in 30's. You just never know.
I would not do the drive to OB as it would probably be cool there as well. Besides, it's a long drive to get there. We stopped in Havelock, NC this past April to visit some friends and it was another 3-4 hr. drive to OB. After a while the driving becomes monotonous!
We are planning another trip south after the holidays, this time to stay in one place and do day trips. We like the Myrtle Beach area and have relatives there but would rent a condo for 1-2 months to get out of NE winter. Again, weather is a big factor. We don't mind temps in 50-60 range as we are not going to be sitting on the beach! LOL My DH would play golf w/ his cousin. We were going to do that this past winter but weather was not cooperative.
It just depends upon what your winter expectations are and whether you want to totally get away from winter. If so, you need to drive to FL and possibly southern FL to avoid the cool weather.
Good luck. I will be happy to provide any other info that might be helpful.
We drove to FL middle of March this year and it was very cool all the way down the coast. We stopped in Hilton Head for a couple of days as my DH was going to play some golf and it was very chilly there, we left after 2 days. Ended up in Naples FL and it was very nice there.
We probably drove the same route you would take. We went thru CT, 84 to 81 thru PA and onto 95 south all the way into FL. We prefer not to drive GW Bridge, Jersey Pike, etc. as it is sometimes has lots of traffic. The drive thru PA is lovely but it would depend upon time of year. If you are planning Jan. then that might be problematic w/ the weather.
Charleston is really nice, we love it there. Again, it would probably be coolish. We have also done Savannah GA on our way down and temps were in 30's. You just never know.
I would not do the drive to OB as it would probably be cool there as well. Besides, it's a long drive to get there. We stopped in Havelock, NC this past April to visit some friends and it was another 3-4 hr. drive to OB. After a while the driving becomes monotonous!
We are planning another trip south after the holidays, this time to stay in one place and do day trips. We like the Myrtle Beach area and have relatives there but would rent a condo for 1-2 months to get out of NE winter. Again, weather is a big factor. We don't mind temps in 50-60 range as we are not going to be sitting on the beach! LOL My DH would play golf w/ his cousin. We were going to do that this past winter but weather was not cooperative.
It just depends upon what your winter expectations are and whether you want to totally get away from winter. If so, you need to drive to FL and possibly southern FL to avoid the cool weather.
Good luck. I will be happy to provide any other info that might be helpful.
Sep 4th, 2014, 08:41 AM
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I like the Outer Banks in winter, but others may not and you would not escape from the cold (if it is cold). As noted above, most of the places you plan to see may not be that warm until you get to southern Florida. We were at Amelia Island and St. Augustine last Christmas--the first few days were quite warm--hot actually--but then the weather deteriorated to a cold and rainy Friday in St. Augustine. You never know about the weather that time of year.
Do stop in Savannah and the Sea Islands along the Georgia coast on the way to Florida.
I agree with the above that you should find affordable lodging almost everywhere that time of year and that you probably don't need to be worried about booking too far ahead. Use Tripadvisor to get an idea of what your choices are in each city.
Do stop in Savannah and the Sea Islands along the Georgia coast on the way to Florida.
I agree with the above that you should find affordable lodging almost everywhere that time of year and that you probably don't need to be worried about booking too far ahead. Use Tripadvisor to get an idea of what your choices are in each city.
Sep 4th, 2014, 09:09 AM
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Of course when and which way you go will depend on weather, and do check the long range reports for the areas you will be heading for. Some southern areas are not as well equipped to deal with snow/ice as in the north, so give them a bit longer to get things cleaned up after a storm.
One way we've gone is to take either the Merrit or 95 from CT and pick up the Garden State pky in NY and take it all the way to Cape May and take the ferry across to the DELMARVA and spent the first night in Chincoteague. We then visit the ponies before heading south and across the Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Sometimes we spend time in the Williamsburgh/Yorktown area, and sometimes we head for Wilmington NC via 17. You could continue south on 17 through Myrtle Beach to Charleston SC. Then head for Savannah, St. Augustine etc.
Another way is to go on 84 to 81 and spend the night near Roanoke, VA and then go south 0n 77 towards Charlotte NC and then 26 to Charleston.
You should not have much trouble finding lodging near the hwy, so you can be flexible on your pace and what else you want to see along the way. Do pick up one of the RoomSaver magazines that have coupons for discounts at lodging. Even if you can't use the coupon they have little maps that show where there are lots of motels/hotels and what they offer (free breakfast, indoor pool, wifi etc) and have phone numbers if you want to call ahead.
If you don't have a transponder for tolls, get one, it will save you time and frustration and is good all along the route except in southern Florida. If you don't have one you can go on line or call the Massachusetts DOT who will link it to a credit card and will mail it out to you. Or you can pick one up on the MassPike, we got one at the last gas/food stop on the hwy before the 95/128 exit.
One way we've gone is to take either the Merrit or 95 from CT and pick up the Garden State pky in NY and take it all the way to Cape May and take the ferry across to the DELMARVA and spent the first night in Chincoteague. We then visit the ponies before heading south and across the Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Sometimes we spend time in the Williamsburgh/Yorktown area, and sometimes we head for Wilmington NC via 17. You could continue south on 17 through Myrtle Beach to Charleston SC. Then head for Savannah, St. Augustine etc.
Another way is to go on 84 to 81 and spend the night near Roanoke, VA and then go south 0n 77 towards Charlotte NC and then 26 to Charleston.
You should not have much trouble finding lodging near the hwy, so you can be flexible on your pace and what else you want to see along the way. Do pick up one of the RoomSaver magazines that have coupons for discounts at lodging. Even if you can't use the coupon they have little maps that show where there are lots of motels/hotels and what they offer (free breakfast, indoor pool, wifi etc) and have phone numbers if you want to call ahead.
If you don't have a transponder for tolls, get one, it will save you time and frustration and is good all along the route except in southern Florida. If you don't have one you can go on line or call the Massachusetts DOT who will link it to a credit card and will mail it out to you. Or you can pick one up on the MassPike, we got one at the last gas/food stop on the hwy before the 95/128 exit.
Sep 4th, 2014, 11:59 AM
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OH so much info. Thank you all!
We will end up in south FL for sure.
I may rethink the OB--just thought it might be interesting, and a good place to stop for our first night. Wouldn't really stay--just thought we'd travel thru. What is involved in seeing the ponies? Is that available in the winter, too?
Next--how can I be sure of a hotel in the "historic district" of Charleston? Looking at the map, would that be nearer to the water, rather than downtown? We would like to be within walking distance of some sights. Thought we'd spend 3 nights there. Is that an adequate amount of time?
Next--St Augustine--is there an area that we should stay where we can do the same, walking distance to attractions, etc? For our travel overnights, a hotel/motel on the highway is fine, but when we want to experience an area we'd like to stay in the heart of it (if costs are within reason, of course)!
Thanks also for the route options--we will look those over.
We will end up in south FL for sure.
I may rethink the OB--just thought it might be interesting, and a good place to stop for our first night. Wouldn't really stay--just thought we'd travel thru. What is involved in seeing the ponies? Is that available in the winter, too?
Next--how can I be sure of a hotel in the "historic district" of Charleston? Looking at the map, would that be nearer to the water, rather than downtown? We would like to be within walking distance of some sights. Thought we'd spend 3 nights there. Is that an adequate amount of time?
Next--St Augustine--is there an area that we should stay where we can do the same, walking distance to attractions, etc? For our travel overnights, a hotel/motel on the highway is fine, but when we want to experience an area we'd like to stay in the heart of it (if costs are within reason, of course)!
Thanks also for the route options--we will look those over.
Sep 4th, 2014, 05:07 PM
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There are wild ponies in Chincoteague National Park, a children's book was written about them "Misty of Chincoteague". Chincoteague is an island accessible by boat and in the winter there are often hundreds of snow geese and other waterfowl who winter there the National Park is open year round. The northern end of the park is Assateague and it has ponies too.
Sep 4th, 2014, 05:58 PM
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3 nights in Charleston will be fine. Althogh I will say, I lived there for the better part of 2 decades and it wasn't enough!
Look at a Chareston map. The HD is the lower part of the peninsula. Pick a few hotels that look good to you and post back. Like I posted, look at kayak.com.
Look at a Chareston map. The HD is the lower part of the peninsula. Pick a few hotels that look good to you and post back. Like I posted, look at kayak.com.
Sep 5th, 2014, 03:43 PM
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klapenta, a couple of things I forgot to mention. Sometimes you can plan to get to a certain destination in one day but you never know what the traffic will be like or weather either. We usually plan our trips w/ a max # of hours on the road and then look for a hotel. VA is a good realistic destination for stopping for the night. If we are driving down 95 south and go via NJ Turnpike then the traffic may be heavier on this route but it does move along. VA from CT is probably 8-10 hr.
As suggested above, we stop at the rest areas in each state and pick up all the hotel brochures and look them over for accommodations for that night. We hardly ever make advance reservations any more because we are not sure that we will make it to that destination. These booklets are fantastic and you can save lots of money traveling this way.
Here is one that I have used:
http://hotelcoupons.com/
(formerly Room Savers)
Plug in NC and SC and you can see what hotels they have coupons for. Current brochure is for Sept.-Nov. so there would be another updated brochure for the winter months. You can also access the listings online and print them out or scan in your iphone.
If you take a look at the coupons they have some decent rates depending upon your location. We like Fairfield Inns, Holiday Inns and HI Express, and Hampton Inns for value, cleanliness, and nice breakfasts. Some hotels won't honor the coupons but we have not had any problems using them. You will be traveling in the off season is lots of places so rates are really great.
You could also go to AAA if you are a member and pick up some brochures for the states you would be traveling to.
You can also print out your own trip tik on their website even if you are not a member.
Check out www.lastminutetravel.com also as they offer some great rates. I use them a lot when booking hotels in certain cities we will be visiting. Some of them are "no name" but if you use your ipad you will get the name of the hotel.
One year we stopped at Jekyll Island, GA on our way south and really liked it there. We ended up staying 3 nights there at the Days Inn, they had a great breakfast buffet included in the rate. Lots of snow birds make this their destination stop before going to FL.
As suggested above, we stop at the rest areas in each state and pick up all the hotel brochures and look them over for accommodations for that night. We hardly ever make advance reservations any more because we are not sure that we will make it to that destination. These booklets are fantastic and you can save lots of money traveling this way.
Here is one that I have used:
http://hotelcoupons.com/
(formerly Room Savers)
Plug in NC and SC and you can see what hotels they have coupons for. Current brochure is for Sept.-Nov. so there would be another updated brochure for the winter months. You can also access the listings online and print them out or scan in your iphone.
If you take a look at the coupons they have some decent rates depending upon your location. We like Fairfield Inns, Holiday Inns and HI Express, and Hampton Inns for value, cleanliness, and nice breakfasts. Some hotels won't honor the coupons but we have not had any problems using them. You will be traveling in the off season is lots of places so rates are really great.
You could also go to AAA if you are a member and pick up some brochures for the states you would be traveling to.
You can also print out your own trip tik on their website even if you are not a member.
Check out www.lastminutetravel.com also as they offer some great rates. I use them a lot when booking hotels in certain cities we will be visiting. Some of them are "no name" but if you use your ipad you will get the name of the hotel.
One year we stopped at Jekyll Island, GA on our way south and really liked it there. We ended up staying 3 nights there at the Days Inn, they had a great breakfast buffet included in the rate. Lots of snow birds make this their destination stop before going to FL.
Sep 10th, 2014, 09:19 AM
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There are several lovely B&B's in St. Augustine. Most are located right in the heart of the city. If B&B's aren't your thing, my favorite hotel is definitely the Casa Monica. You cannot beat the location...but it is pricey depending on the time of year you visit. There are a few chain hotels on the outskirts of the downtown area (Homewood Suites, Ramada Inn, etc.)If you do stay at one of these hotels, the drive into the historic area is not far.
Sep 11th, 2014, 03:19 AM
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We've done the trip twice now (after partner retired) and will drive again in December, stopping in Charleston this time.
See if this helps:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...n-va-nc-sc.cfm
See if this helps:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...n-va-nc-sc.cfm
Sep 11th, 2014, 11:21 AM
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HI Thank you all. Lots of options to look over, all very very helpful.
As far as staying in the historic districts of Charleston and St Augustine, if we want a hotel or B&B right in the middle of the action, do you think we HAVE to book ahead of time even in the dead of winter? I'm a bit afraid that if we try to wing it, we won't be able to stay where we want to. But if we book ahead, we'll be locked into a time plan.....any suggestions?
As far as staying in the historic districts of Charleston and St Augustine, if we want a hotel or B&B right in the middle of the action, do you think we HAVE to book ahead of time even in the dead of winter? I'm a bit afraid that if we try to wing it, we won't be able to stay where we want to. But if we book ahead, we'll be locked into a time plan.....any suggestions?
Sep 11th, 2014, 01:07 PM
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Hi--me again!
To see the ponies in January should we stay on Chincoteague Island or Assateague Island? Same place for the snow geese & other birds?
Can we do a tour or better on our own? And would we need a whole day for that? I'm trying to figure out if we arrive one evening, sleep and sightsee the next day, then head out that same day or sleep in same location and leave the following AM.
Sorry for all the separate posts-----
To see the ponies in January should we stay on Chincoteague Island or Assateague Island? Same place for the snow geese & other birds?
Can we do a tour or better on our own? And would we need a whole day for that? I'm trying to figure out if we arrive one evening, sleep and sightsee the next day, then head out that same day or sleep in same location and leave the following AM.
Sorry for all the separate posts-----
Sep 14th, 2014, 02:26 PM
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Assateague is all NP/SP as I recall and does have some camping areas, but I don't recall any real lodging. Chincoteague has several motels, but it is considered off season so you will need to call to be sure they are open. We have stayed at one that is very close to the NP entrance, I think it was a Best Western, but I'm not sure about that. The beach is beautiful out at the end of the NP and if it is warm enough might be nice to walk on. There is a nice walking/biking trail fairly close to the entrance that allows cars for an hour or so at the late afternoon.
