East Coast: NY to Miami

[Iberian Frank]

Hi guys !

First of all, congrats on the great site and Forum !

I'm flying over from Portugal for a one way trip from NY to Miami, starting on july 19th until august 5th. Although we've never been to the US, we already have some ideas about the trip and where to stop. Philadelphia, Washington/Baltimore, Charleston, Savannah, Orlando and of course Miami (maybe the keys as well).

My main doubts are:

- Coming from Baltimore to Virginia Beach would you advise the coast route through Salisbury or via Richmond ?

- Where to stop in North and South Carolina ? Fayetteville ? Raleigh ? Jacksonville ? Columbia ?

- And the main question : What are the real chances of getting the trip spoiled by nasty weather ? When I started planning the trip, the info we had was hurricanes and tropical storms normally hit the south in August/September but looking at the weather on the web, it seems daily thunderstorms is the least we can expect.... ? I think I need some local advise on this. Should I expect a 30 min shower every 2 or 3 days or is it more like a non-stop stormy weather with chances of a hurricane ?

- Any other important tips us ??

PS: Sorry about the weather ignorance, but these are unknown phenomena for a citizen of calm and sunny Portugal !! :)

[lhuff]

If I could tell you what to expect with the weather I'd be a millionaire.

Generally, however, the bad storms are few and far between. You might get a small shower every day or so, but they are generally nothing to get concerned about and don't last long. Just keep an umberella with you and listen to local radio and TV stations for weather updates and you'll be fine.

However, being from Louisiana, I might be a bit jaded and nonchalant about the weather. I was in Indianapolis and a little button appeared at the top of the television screen announcing a thunderstorm watch. We all ran to the window because when they warn you about weather in LA it means that high winds and hail are on the way or a tornado is on the ground. Nope - they were just letting us know that conditions were right for a thunderstorm to form. Crud - that's almost a daily occurrence in LA.

[Iberian Frank]

Thanks, I guess that's more or less what I expected, but some weather websites can be far more dramatic !!!

By the way, thanks for the hint, if a button appeared on the top of the tv i would think some over-18 scene was about to be shown. That's the only use for these signals around here !! : )

[cleverlyclueless]

Jacksonville is a nice city. Depending on your interests, Friendship Park and the Landing are two nice places to check out. You should consider doing half a day at Jax and then heading down to St. Augustine. Tons of things to do there and it is as fas as I am concerned one of the most historically interesting cities in the southeast U. S. A quick suggestion for Savannah... The Lady and Sons Restaurant. Amazing Southern Food!

[AZBuck]

Coming from Baltimore to Virginia Beach would you advise the coast route through Salisbury or via Richmond?

Normally, I like to recommend that people use the 'shore route' down the Delmarva Peninsula as you describe. But this is usually for Americans who have already seen Washington. For you, on your first trip down the east coast, I'd think you would rather see Washington. The peninsula's pleasures are of a quieter sort, and it's not that easy or direct to include both Washington and the peninsula on the same trip.

Where to stop in North and South Carolina? Fayetteville? Raleigh? Jacksonville? Columbia?

I-95, the main road you will be following, has many, many places to stop and all are acceptable. We recommend this book which lists what's at each exit along the way.

What are the real chances of getting the trip spoiled by nasty weather?

Actually, they're probably not all that great. The vast majority of trips are completed with little or no weather related delays. Just keep an eye on the weather: Watch the Weather Channel, which is available at most motels in the US. Check the US Weather Service website as often as you can - most town libraries will give you access to a computer.

Any other important tips for us?

Tons!

AZBuck

[Iberian Frank]

Thanks guys. I'll try and work on some sort of itinerary, even if i'll probably detour from it sooner or later...

Cheers