Winter road trip from Philadelphia

[shawn]

My boyfriend and I are on vacation for the last 2 1/2 weeks in Dec. We want to do a road trip. His initial suggestion was Canada. I'm not so sure about that as we'd drive through Buffalo, and when does it not snow in/around Buffalo area?!?! We do not mind the snow, but I'd like to avoid a snow storms at all costs.

Am I being overly concerned without reason?

Any suggestions on a road trip from Philadelphia area?

Thx!!!

[AZBuck]

Welcome to the RoadTrip America forum.

Nope, I don't think you're being "overly concerned without reason". As someone who lived through many winters downwind of Lake Erie, I'd say that in 2 and a half weeks you can pretty much count on getting a good snowstorm on your trip and there's a fair chance that it would be one that would require you to change your plans on the fly. Now some people like that, both the snow and the adventure. But if you're not one of them, then it's just going to make the trip less fun. There's certainly nothing wrong with a trip to Canada, I've recommended several, including a drive around Lake Ontario from eastern Maryland that takes in many of eastern Canada's major cities and scenic wonders. But it's a trip I would suggest you make in the early spring through mid-fall.

For a trip out of Philly at this time of year, I think you'd be better served to head south and see things like Chincoteage Island; the Outer Banks of NC; Charleston, SC; Savannah, GA; and Williamsburg, VA. Just a thought.

AZBuck

[mudshark]

The Outer Banks are so pretty in winter - my family has recently started going down there for Thanksgiving. It's a nice change of pace from the hectic summer crowds - while some places close for the season, it's so calm and quiet and there's so much to explore! If you're into fishing, winter is a nice time for it (try the Oregon Inlet Bridge or getting a charter boat for some Gulf Stream fishing) - you might even see a whale off one of the piers. Bird-watching is a big winter pastime down there, too, and the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge has something like hundreds of species of migrating waterfowl.

Windsurfing enthusiasts enjoy the conditions at Canadian Hole (just north of Buxton, where the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located)) in the winter, and the winds are perfect in Nags Head for kite flying and hang-gliding off Jockey's Ridge, the tallest sand dune on the east coast - and of course there's the Wright Brothers Memorial.

...Yeah, I'm kind of an OBX nut. :)