"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
12/29/2014 at 14:54 • Filed to: None

I am considering a drive down to Florida for a wedding in April from NJ since it would be cheaper than flying and getting a rental car. Since I hate trundling down 95 forever, I would rather take a more scenic route that takes a little longer. Anyone have alternative suggestions for traversing the East Coast? Right now I am considering taking 95 until the DC area, then detour to Skyline Drive, and hop on 81 to 77 until it hits back on 95 in central SC. I would be planning to leave Lakewood, NJ around 3am and potentially stopping overnight with a final destination of Tampa, FL. I will be driving my Miata with my girlfriend. I will gladly drive 2 or 3 hours extra just to get on road with lots of twisties or good views.

DISCUSSION (15)

crowmolly > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 15:02

Just curious, did you look at flights on Frontier out of Trenton Mercer? Supposedly pretty cheap but less frequent and require a bit more planning.

Textured Soy Protein > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 15:02

If you're going to take I-81, you might as well skip the mess that is DC entirely. Instead I'd hook around the Baltimore beltway, take I-70 East towards Frederick, MD then head south on US-340 until you get to Waynesboro, VA. From there it's a short hop back on to I-81, or you can follow other back roads.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > crowmolly
12/29/2014 at 15:15

Well yeah, the price of gas round trip is about equal to a round trip flight on frontier. But I would then need a rental car too, which is where the cost becomes advantage to driving. A 2 hour flight is about equal to a 18 hour drive in terms of discomfort lol. More importantly though, is I just wanted an excuse to road trip in my Miata.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Textured Soy Protein
12/29/2014 at 15:19

Well the interesting kink in that plan is that my girlfriend will likely be flying into IAD at around 6am (long story haha). I am hoping that leaving that early should allow me to avoid the worst of DC traffic. I was originally considering taking the Penn Turnpike all the way out to 81 just to bypass the whole corridor entirely.

crowmolly > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 15:20

Gotcha. I would not long-haul it in one day. Also, be aware that 81 is a big truck route and they don't always see small cars. Good luck with your trip!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > crowmolly
12/29/2014 at 15:25

Yeah, once we figure out what time the wedding is at, we will be figuring out where to stop for the night. Most likely stopping somewhere in Georgia and finishing the drive in the morning. I would long-haul the way back up though more likely. I will definitely keep in mind about the trucks though. Any route particularly less truck-filled?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 15:25

When I saw your post I immediately thought of essentially the same route you proposed. I haven't done that whole trip, but been up and down 81 a few times, out to Skyline twice, and multiple trips up and down 95 as well.

Skyline is really pretty, but definitely not hoonable. Almost always tons of traffic, and it pokes usually below the posted speed limit (35mph in most portions IIRC). Also there are always tons of cops out. So if you don't mind poking along and enjoying the scenery, its fine but don't expect to get there and start tearing up mountain switchbacks.

Also, if you're going from DC to Skyline, you'll probably be taking I-66. There is almost never not traffic on that road. I live in the area and end up using it probably once or twice a month. I've been on it at all sorts of various hours and days and it almost always sucks, at least until you get out to Chantilly. That said, it would be a small portion of your journey.

Keep in mind, too, I-81 is a major shipping route from Hagerstown, MD to Knoxville, TN. I used to drive it occasionally to go see my sister at college and there's always a lot of truck traffic. As with 95, there can be accidents and backups. Other than that, its not too much different except the scenery.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Snuze: Needs another Swede
12/29/2014 at 15:31

I was curious how traffic would be on Skyline, if it was even worth considering. Late April should be some good top down weather though (as long as its not raining) and I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate driving aggressively through switchbacks anyways lol. Is the scenery of going that route worth the truck traffic? I am really just looking for the most scenic route and not too concerned with how long it takes to get there.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Snuze: Needs another Swede
12/29/2014 at 15:35

From a brief look at google maps, I am thinking route 29 could be good alternative to 81. I really don't want to be driving through truck smog for hours with the top down!

crowmolly > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 15:35

I actually think your route is pretty good!

If you leave early enough (like 6am or so) you might be able to miss a lot of the city traffic.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > crowmolly
12/29/2014 at 15:40

Yeah, I am picking up my girlfriend in DC at 6am to try and avoid the worst of the traffic, and then I will be in the middle of nowhere by the time its nighttime rush hour.

crowmolly > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 15:44

Why not stay at her place the night before?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > crowmolly
12/29/2014 at 15:49

I probably should have added the whole story to my post so that it would make sense, but long story short, she is flying in from LA to DC. I suggested she just fly to Florida directly, but she didn't want me to have to drive by myself (how considerate of her =D )

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 16:21

I haven't traveled very much on 29, but I believe it's mostly a 2 lane surface road. So you're going to go through little towns, lots of stop signs and traffic lights. But the parts of it I have been on, up in the northern end are very nice. It's in Northern VA "Horse Country". Lots of farms and things to look at.

Slave2anMG > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
12/29/2014 at 16:35

Going west and down the Skyline or BRP will add a LOT more than 2-3 hours. The Skyline/BRP is a slow slog, plugged with motorhomes and such. I-81 isn't a bad drive; pretty country but it's uncomfortably thick with truckers in this economy. A suggestion would be to hit US 29 west of DC and follow it down to Lynchburg - a very pretty drive and the traffic's not crazy. You can stay on US 29 to Greensboro NC, head south on I-73/US 220 to Rockingham NC, pick up US 1 to Cheraw, then US 52 to Florence and back on I-95...or out of Lynchburg US 501 south which is not a super twisty road but it's a nice drive I enjoy making. Take 501 to Durham NC and head south from there but not on 501...plugged up with commercial dreck. I'd head to Raleigh on I-40 and take US 1 south. Just north of Rockingham NC 177 cuts thru Hamlet and lops off the Rockingham leg.

Now, for making reasonable time but avoiding I-95, come off the Delaware Memorial Bridge. There you have a choice. First option is to hit DE 1 south and pick up US 301 at Middletown. Once in MD it's four lanes...you cross the bay on the Chesapeake Bridge and stay on 301 south all the way to Richmond. 301 is four lanes almost all the way to Richmond and a much lower stress drive than I-95 across MD and VA. Second option is to stay on DE 1 all the way to Dover to US 13; take 13 all the way to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and into Norfolk. If you've never seen the CBBT it's impressive. From Norfolk it's US 58 over to I-95 unless you go cross country on the two lane VA 671 etc.

And if you end up on I 95 south of Richmond the stretch from about MM25 to the NC border is a nasty speed trap. Nasty. Believe me with this...VHP, Greensville County, Emporia City cops...set the cruise at 70 and be done with it.

Either way will make for a long day...BTDT. For time I'd go down US 301; for pretty drive I'd take the US 29 routing.