May road trip from CT to Charleston

[printgirl]

We are planning to drive from New Haven to Charleston, mid-May, and would like some advice on best route, suggestions for restaurants, etc. We would also like to go on to Asheville, N.C., but wondering if all of this is possible in about 8 or nine days roundtrip? Any idea what the weather will be like? cool places to see? Trying to guage how long this will take, and where would be a good stopping point on the first night. Thinking Williamsburg? Any and all suggestions would be great.

[happywanderer]

I just got back from a road trip to the Charleston area, there is a ton do. As far as the weather goes, be prepared, it will be real hot. The city itself is pretty interesting, lots of historical type things to do if that's your thing. The aquarium and IMAX theatre aren't bad either. There are a bunch of good surrounding areas and islands to check out. Folly Beach is a fun little town to check out on James Island. If you're into golf, there's plenty down there, the best being Kiawah Island or Mytrle Beach which is a few hours away, but they have a ton of courses. Coming from a big city in the midwest, I definitely loved the laid back atmosphere.

[the_dude07]

I really like Asheville. Of course since its in the mountains, generally speaking it will be a lot cooler then Charleston for example. You'll have to go to the Vanderbilt Mansion in Asheville. I've been 4 or 5 times and it never gets old. You can easily spend the day there. Not only can you tour the house, but outside the house are huge gardens, a winery, and at least when I went, they had performers set up in a tent telling stories and such about the Vanderbilts. Maybe it doesnt sound cool but trust me it is.

Also you can easily spend a day wandering around downtown Asheville. Lots of shops and restaurants/bars.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America forum.

Yes, you can reach Williamsburg, or so, on the first day. It's about 450 miles, which is a fairly solid day's drive. Here are a couple of recommendations. First, plan on setting out around 9:00 AM, this should let you transit New York City after the morning rush hour. Second, think about heading south down the Delmarva Peninsula from Wilmington, DE. This will let you avoid heavy traffic through Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond. If you go this way (US-13 to Norfolk) then if time permits, you can take pleasant walks in New Castle or Dover, both of which have historic sections dating from the Revolutionary War or earlier.

Williamsburg to Asheville is another full day's drive, a shade over 400 miles and doing it this way doesn't get you any closer to Charleston, so I'd leave that for the way back and take a generally coastal route down and an inland route back (or vice versa). If you are going to stick to the coast one way, then by all means head through Manteo, NC (site of the 'Lost Colony", the first English settlement in the New World) and the Outer Banks enjoying the beaches, lighthouses, and ferry rides. I had a very good experience at the Froggy Dog (restaurant) in Avon and highly recommend the King Crab legs. This route would put you in position to arrive in Charleston on day 3 with some time to start poking around the city. Some things to try to make time for in Charleston are the ferry ride out to Fort Sumter and one or two of the old plantations along the Ashley River Road. Also ask the locals to suggest a good barbecue joint. Some of these are only open 1 or 2 days a week, and everyone will have their own favorite, but we tried a couple of these places and, while definitely not fancy, the food is wonderful.

Then after a few days in Charleston, start heading home on the inland route. Asheville is an easy day's drive from Charleston and you've gotten some suggestions for things to see and do there. From there you can see Great Smoky Mountain National Park and then head up I-81 with some more relaxed time spent on the Blue Ridge Parkway and/or Skyline Drive. There are a few caverns in northwestern Virginia that might also appeal to you. If you spend the night around Winchester, VA, then you'll be in position to make a final run back into New Haven.

AZBuck