First time NJ to Key west

[nihar15]

Hello,

First of all. This is a fantastic forum and we have learned a lot from it. Thank you.
My wife and I are planning a road trip from NJ to key west between 19 Dec and 28 Dec. Around 9 days. We have never done a long road trip and a lot people are telling us that this is a stretch.

We are not planning to reserve hotels/motels in advance. Will book on the fly. Hopefully my GPS enabled PDA phone will help.

Planning to scour this website for good routes and try to hit these places
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, myrtle beach NC, kitty hawk NC, charleston SC, savannah GA, Daytona beach, cape canaveral, miami, keywest.


Just looking for general suggestions, ideas, past weather experience, interesting places etc.

Thanks
Nihar

[glc]

No need to book hotels in advance - when you are tired and it's time to call it a night, there will be plenty of chain motels at Interstate exits and in most fair sized towns.

Point to point, you are looking at around 1600 miles. This is a full 3 day trip by fastest route without seeing anything. If the 9 days is for a round trip, you aren't leaving yourself a whole heck of a lot of time to see what you want to see. If it's 9 days to get there, piece of cake!

[Sykotyk]

Hotels will not be a problem.

Key West is beautiful, as is the entire US1 through the Keys (sans the tourist trap towns, Islamadora, Marathon, Big Pine Key, Key Largo, etc).

I agree, 9 days, for a true 'sight seeing' trip is tight. Now, if you wanted to go straight there, spend five days in Key West, and then straight back, definitely. But you're looking at 4-6 driving days, depending on the speed at which you drive.

Stopping for an hour takes 60-70 miles off your trip for the day.

It's a give-n-take proposition.

Sykotyk

[nihar15]

Thanks for the replies. Yes it is 9 days to and fro.
I guess, we wont be able to spend a lot of time at all the places. I hope the weather does not play a major spoil sport.