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Hello there. I am just starting to plan a road trip for early january. My friend and i are planning on going south for obvious reasons, brrr. Starting from Delaware, we were planning on having the end point being New Orleans, and then going back, hopefully on a diffrent route. I am basically just looking for things that would be great to see, citys or towns that we cant miss, or any other suggestions for getting by with only a little bit of money. Thanks!
Suzy
A lot of options available for routes and places to New Orleans. If your heading South thru Maryland take 13 South over/under the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel it is a beautiful ride. Toll $10. Then get yourselves onto 17 South stopping off to view the historic district of Newbern, NC. From there you can continue South to Myrtle Beach (catch a couple stage shows at the theatres). Further South before swinging to the Big Easy do Charleston, SC (a great walkaround town) for it's beauty and history (Visit the Armory a huge flea market). Remember the Cost is in your wallet, but the total price is in the memories you want to gain.
I don't now the route but can give you some budget ideas. I think the single biggest savings is camping instead of hotels but the time of year you're traveling will probably make that option undesirable. So search the internet for cheap hotels. You can also check out the websites of Motel 6, Super 8, Days Inn, and some of the other lower-priced chains. Many of them have internet specials if you reserve your room that way. If you have any of those cheaper hotels near your home, you could always stop by and pick up a free hotel directory to have with you. Also, if you're a member of AAA (and I think it's always a good idea for road-trippers to be a member of some auto club), then don't forget to order their free books for the areas you're traveling to that list their hotel partners and discounts, etc.
AAA also has discounts available at various museums, theme parks, restaurants, etc., so it's worth checking those out as well.
Eating out of your cooler is the next big savings. Sandwich fixings, cheese and crackers, fruit, veggies, granola bars, bagels and cream cheese, are just some of the things I stock my cooler with before leaving home. Replenish at grocery stores along the way. I often eat that way for several days before spending $$ on a restaurant. This saves you lots of money and should allow you to splurge on nice restaurants when you find them.
I don't know if these options are available nationwide, but we save a bit, not a lot but it adds up, of money on gas by buying gas from stations in the parking lots of Wal-Mart and Safeway grocery stores. Wal-Mart's system requires you to go into the store to get a card where you have purchased a certain $$ value of gas and use it in the pump to get the best price. Safeway requires that you have a Safeway customer card and put it into the pump before your credit card to get a discount. Either way, a penny here and there helps.
Hope this helps and enjoy your trip!
Thank you both very much, this sounds like some really great advice, i appreciate it and look forward to planning this some more
THANKS! Suzy
Stay at youth hostels
http://www.hiayh.org/hostels/mapindx.htm
or go to craigslist.org and post that you are driving through the area and need places to stay.
National Historic Sites are free (if you can resist the gift shops), and depending on what you like, can be very interesting.