Late summer drive from NYC to Prince Edward Island... with kids!

[f_rancesca]

A friend is getting married on PEI at the end of August and there's no way we can afford to fly -- and we like to car camp, so I thought I'd drive with the children (10 and 7)! I thought I'd leave myself four days to drive (leaving Tuesday, arriving on PEI on Friday), so that we can take lots of breaks.

But the furthest north (other than a impetuous college road trip to Montreal) I've ever been is Boston. I really would welcome all the advice anyone has to give. Where would be good places to stop? Where would be good places to camp? Should I be driving up 95 (and then whatever interstate follows) or looking for something back-routish?

Please assume I know nothing and enlighten me!

Thank you so much.

Francesca

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

The basic route is fairly straightforward, despite the fact that there are a lot of highway numbers. I've made this general journey more times than I can count and the best routing is to leave the city via I-684 north from White Plains, hook up with I-84 east to the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90), use I-495 to swing well around Boston and then use I-95 north past Portland as it departs from the Maine Turnpike. Exit onto US-1 at Brunswick and follow that to Bucksport, Head up ME-15 to ME-178 at Bangor getting on ME-9 at Eddington and taking that all the way to the end. Take US-1 south to Calais and cross the border there to St. Stephen where NB-1 will take you to Sussex and the Trans Canadian Highway (2) to Moncton. From there NB-15/NB-955 will take you to Cape Tormentine and the Confederation Bridge to PEI. As I said, It looks bad with all those different numbered routes, but work it out on a good set of maps and you'll see, think, that it is the best route and shouldn't be too hard to follow.

As for places to stop along the way, the kids will probably enjoy Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut, south of Hartford. If you go there, two things: 1) Bring your own plaster of paris and you can make casts of real dinosaur footprints and 2) There is a great little three car ferry just east of there on CT-160 (the same highway the park is on) that crosses the Connecticut River from Rocky Hill to Glastonbury, a neat and cheap 'adventure'. CT-17/CT-2 north will put you back on I-84. Another, but more expensive, attraction is Old Sturbridge Village shortly after you cross into Massachusetts. This is a recreated colonial town with people in period costume and accent presenting life and various crafts of the time. Portsmouth, NH is another place to consider stopping with Strawbery Banke and the USS Albacore. North of Portland you'll be passing through Freeport, home of L.L. Bean's. The flagship store here never closes, so you can stop whenever you go through. One word of warning, ME-9 from Bangor to Calais is known as the Airline Highway, not because of it's history or how straight it is, but because it is the only landmark for planes to follow for miles around. There is little civilization and fewer services on this route, so make sure that the car is gassed and the children fed and watered in Bangor before starting out.

AZBuck

[kaised]

...your history of Rt. 9's nickname the "Airline" is a bit off. That road has been referred to as the Airline since the mid-1800's, about 50 years before the Wright bros ever left the ground. It received its nickname due to its contrast with the coastline.

[f_rancesca]

That's really useful AZBuck -- thank you! And ooh, LLBean. And the tip about gassing/watering at Bangor is very welcome.