7 day road trip Canadians in the USA
 

My boyfriend and I have a little over a week where we are both off work/school. We are always talking about doing a road trip, and so finally we have decided to embark. I like to plan everything in advance, but I realize you need to be flexible when doing this kind of thing. I just want to get some advice or input, since we have both never really travelled in the US except when flying (and only to major cities-NYC, Chicago, Boston, LA ect.)

So far the only things we have really talked about are when we leave (the 20th of April) and when we need to be back by (April 27). On the 20th, the Blue Jays are playing in Cleveland, and we were hoping to have to as our starting destination (I realize this is a bit out of the way). From there we know we want to do the South-east coast , but haven't really the slightest ideas of how to go about it. I know I want to go to Charlston, SC. My boyfriend and I like to eat. Other than good food, we have no other requests for where we stay.

I'm sure you are aware of the Can-Am days along the Myrtle Beach to Charleston coast.
In a week with a day in Cleveland for a driving trip, not sure this is possible.
Cleveland to Charleston is at least a 1.5 day drive, and back to your Canadian city from Charleston is maybe as much as 2.5-3 day.
So there is 4 or 5 days of 7. Is it worth it for 2 days in Charleston? You are not going to "do" the southeast coast in that time span.
If you leave Cleveland out, and I assume you may be coming from Ontario (close to Cleveland), you could get to Charleston in a VERY long arduous day drive (maybe) coming through Ohio to WVA, south on I77 to i26 to charleston.

OK, assuming a starting point in Cleveland, it's about 800 mile (about a 10 hour drive to Charleston) - that's a "full day" of driving so I'll also assume you'll be spending the night in Cleveland and you won't get to Charleston until the afternoon/evening of the 21st. Then lets say you spend 2 full days in Charleston, that means you only have 4 days left for the rest of your trip. Since it will take another full day of driving to get back to your home base (I assume it's near Toronto since you are Blue Jays fans). That means you have time for perhaps one other stop on your way back home. Consider visiting either Colonial Williamsburg, VA or perhaps Washington, DC. - both are great places for tourists to spend a couple of days.

So here's my suggested itinerary in a nut shell:

April 20 - ball game in Cleveland
April 21 - drive to Charleston - 10 hours
April 22 & 23 - in Charleston
April 24 - drive to Williamsburg or Washington, DC 6.5 or 7.5 hours depending on destination
April 25 & 26 - in Williamsburg or Washington, DC
April 27 - drive home - 8.5 to 9.5 hours


If you don't like this itinerary use either google Maps or Mapquest to plot out various routes picking out one or two cities or places that might interest you. You can then get a feel for driving distances and times between those locations.

Does that "southeast coast" include beaches or just cities?

Good gosh, we still let you people in here?

;-)

Cleveland may be worthwhile for more than just seeing the 4th/5th place AL East team play - there's the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame too. But going from Cleveland to the southeast coast, when it won't even be beach weather (not even to two Canadians . . . maybe if you were from the Yukon) seems a bit odd if all you can tell us you like is food. Everyone likes food.

What's the real point of the trip? If it's just for a wander and to hang with the SO, you may be better off taking a tour of minor league ballparks in the Midwest or something considering the lack of beach weather. Check the weather before you go - anyplace east of the Mississippi could be rainy in April.

If you're really wanting to go to Charleston, then do RoamsAround's itinerary but skip Williamsburg. Far better to visit DC - far more to do, not just a small town with one large (and hokey) tourist attraction.

Can-Am days were this week. RoamsAround has listed a pretty good itinerary. Colonial Williamsburg is not hokey, especially if you have interest in history.
Great food in Charleston. There are a few threads here on Charleston food.
While the to and from are long drives, traveling by plane ends up taking that much time when you factor in getting there, changing planes, layovers and security time.
The weather should be lovely. Sure, it can rain. Rain happens but spring in Charleston and Williamsburg/DC are lovely times of year.
Have a great trip.

Asheville is about 9 hours from Cleveland and is a fun artsy town. The Biltmore is an impressive estate and I would think rhododendrom might be blossoming then. It would be gorgeous there and on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I think Charleston is about 4 hours from there.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Yes, your suspicious were correct we are coming from Toronto. Gretchen- it seems like the general consensus is that going to Cleveland might be a bit ambitious....you are probably right.

BigRuss- We really just want to wander....no specific destination in mind. This is our first road trip and I confess we are a little inexperienced :)

RoamsAround- Would your itinerary be able to be tweaked to include driving through the Shenandoah Valley? (If I ended up cutting out Cleveland?)



We chose Charleston because it is a great destination. The "to" and "from" is where we are trying to decide. We want to go through small towns so I think DC might not be a good idea. (Maybe calling this drive a "south-east coast" drive wasn't correct?

Also- BigRuss, for some reason I had just assumed that it was always beach weather in Florida ��

I agree with BigRuss.

Cleveland, for the game and R&R Hall of Fame

Charleston for the city itself and for the food. If you want to see a beach and even walk on it, Mt Pleasant and Sullivan's Island are nice and it is easy to get into the city.

Try for Washington on a weekend. The government clears out, and hotel rates are lower. The big museums are all free, the Metro gets you around quickly and safely. You won't want your car in the city so consider staying in Arlington or Alexandria.

hellemic - You can "tweak" the route/itinerary anyway you wish. On Google Maps simply use the "click and drag" feature or "Add destination" feature to modify the itinerary/route you are considering. It will give you distance and drive times between any point you want.

If you want a cute smallish town on the way down or the way back from Charleston that isn't really out of your way you might consider Winston Salem, NC. And they have a good AAA baseball team that might be playing in a really nice stadium. There is good food to be had, and Old Salem has a killer bakery (Winkler's) for stocking up on great bread and Moravian sugar cake.
And you could also hit Asheville if you didn't on one leg.