East coast road trip

[Quebec Gen]

Hi folks!

I might be going on a road trip to Georgia later this month. At first I thought about 5-6 days but I found out it wouldn't be realistic with all my projects so I'll probably add a couple of days (9-10). It is not a sure thing yet though...

Okay so here's my rough plan :

-zoom through the northern States on I-81 and I-64 to Shenandoah NP, VA;
-Blue Ridge Parkway;
-Atlanta : Cyclorama, Oakland Cemetary, Marietta Sq, MLK N.H.S., check out a few outdoor terraces;
-Decatur, GA : Watershed Restaurant, alternative nightlife;
-Juliette, GA : Fried Green Tomatoes filming location;
-Savannah : Historic Homes, Jazz & Blues Clubs, Telfair Museum, Flannery O'Connor house, Forsyth Park, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Tour;
-Beaches : Skidaway Island/Tybee Island, GA;
-Charleston, SC : Museums, walking tours, beaches, Magnolia Plantation;
-Cape Hatteras, NC : beach, lighthouses;
-Historic Triangle VA : Yorktown, Wiliamsburg, Jamestown;
-Chesapeake Bay Bridge to US13 through DE;
-Avoid Baltimore and NYC and zoom back to Quebec through the State of NY;

Like I said it is a rough plan, I might not stick to it, depending on what you have to suggest. According to this itinerary, do you have any suggestions of off the beaten path places? I'm mostly looking for charming small towns, special restaurants, local food and southern cuisine, jazz/blues clubs, alternative nightlife, history, architecture, quiet beaches, cheap lodging (motels, B&B, no hostels), short hikes. What park has the best beaches between Skidaway and Tybee Island in GA? I'd also like to hear about any beach worth considering between GA and NC that is not too crowded or touristy and about secondary routes between all of the above mentionned destinations.

Thanks!
Gen

[Mass Tim]

You've probably seen my posts about in here, but I do enjoy wandering the streets of Staunton, VA and meandering the backroads of the area. We usually stay in Verona at the KOA, which has hot tubs, a nice pool, and you can go tubing down the Middle River if you're so inclined.

In Avon, NC we had excellent meals at the Dolphin Den, and Bubba's BBQ. It's hard to find an out-of-the-way location on Cape Hatteras, since you can see pretty much its entirety from the road.

[AZBuck]

Have a look at this RoadTrip report from last year on some places I visited in Georgia, along the Outer Banks, and on the Delmarva Peninsula, for some of the places that I found most intriguing along the line of march that will be your trip back. Also, how long do you plan on being in Charleston for and do you want more suggestions for there? In addition, I'm currently planning a trip to the Eastern Shore of Maryland for this fall, and would suggest that rather than use US-13 (which I think you've driven before) you head up the western portion of the Delmarva along US-50 (from Salisbury) and MD-213 through some of the more picturesque towns like Easton and Chestertown (hopefully the Sultana will be in port),

I can also offer a number of different routes between Wilmington and New York state (avoiding NYC) that will get you back towards the Eastern Townships. Would you prefer to come up through eastern Pennsylvania or central New Jersey, or doesn't it matter?

AZBuck

[Quebec Gen]

In Avon, NC we had excellent meals at the Dolphin Den, and Bubba's BBQ.

Thanks Tim, that's exactly the kind of information I am looking for!

you head up the western portion of the Delmarva along US-50 (from Salisbury) and MD-213 through some of the more picturesque towns like Easton and Chestertown (hopefully the Sultana will be in port)

Seems like a valuable alternative. Is there any beach on that side of the peninsula?

I can also offer a number of different routes between Wilmington and New York state (avoiding NYC) that will get you back towards the Eastern Townships. Would you prefer to come up through eastern Pennsylvania or central New Jersey, or doesn't it matter?

I browsed through eastern PA more than once lately and it sure is a beautiful area...However, maybe a picturesque route through NJ would make me appreciate that State a little more.

Thanks again guys!:o)
Gen

[AZBuck]

Unfortunately, there are a few small, but no great, beaches on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake. And since you are looking to come north through New Jersey anyway, let me offer this alternative. Stay on US-113 up to Selbyville, DE and then use DE-17 and DE-26 to cut over to the coast to enjoy the beach at Delaware Seashore State Park, one of the last stretches of undeveloped coastline as you head north. Then take the Lewes-Cape May Ferry over to the southern tip of New Jersey. Both Lewes and Cape May are quaint towns with nice walking tours and worth the time to check out if you can.

From Cape May, head up through Jersey by using NJ-50 and US-322 to Hammonton where you switch over to US-206 up to Trenton. Use I-295 and I-95 as a bypass around Trenton and then take NJ-31 north to US-46 and I-80 west into the southern reaches of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. NJ-606 is the route up the east side (the less developed side) of the river. At Millbrook, switch to NJ-615 to eventually rejoin US-209 at Millford, PA which will take you on up just south of the Catskills to hook into I-87 back to Québec. With the exception of the bit around Trenton, if you go this route, you will be hard pressed to realize that you are in one of the most heavily populated states in America.

AZBuck

[Quebec Gen]

Thanks Buck,
I haven't planned on taking the ferry to Cape May (been there, done that) but the route you suggested seems pretty interesting. Hum, I'll have to think about it I guess. Do you have any other suggestion of scenic route
that doesn't require going through that peninsula?

Gen

[AZBuck]

Sure, as I said, I've got 'a number' of them. Here are two more variations you can consider. Go back to Plan A and come up the west side of the Delmarva (I assume that you still want to cross the Bay Bridge Tunnel, and that the 'peninsula' you want to avoid is Cape May.) through Easton and Chestertown. At the top of the Bay you can backtrack from Elkton down Old Elk Neck Road to Elk Neck State Park, which has one of the few sand beaches on the Chesapeake. (My old Boy Scout camp is just up the road.) From Elkton, you can either grit your teeth for a while and get on I-95 (or US-40), cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge, and take I-295 up to Trenton where you can pick up the Plan B route, OR you can take MD-272/PA-272 up to Oxford, then pick up PA-10 and I-176 to Reading. At Reading, use US-422 and US-222 as a bypass and leave town on PA-61 north. A couple of miles after crossing I-78 be on the lookout for the right turn onto PA-895. At New Ringgold, pick up PA-443 to Lehighton and US-209 which, again, will bring you up to the Delaware Water Gap. There's nothing terribly special about this last alternative, but it is a pleasant drive through some pretty countryside.

AZBuck

[Mass Tim]

In New Jersey, we've taken NJ-519 a few times and have found it to be a nice alternative. From there you can take NJ-23 to New Jersey's higest point (imaginatively named 'High Point'), and the views it affords. I seem to recall the road up there being rather steep...