Upstate New York to Orlando to Tampa

[UpstateTripper]

My whole extended family (including me, wife, aunts, uncles, grandparents, 6 kids, and 4 teens) lives in different towns in Warren County (Lake George, Diamond Point, Glens Falls, Queensbury, Hudson Falls, and Fort Ann), and in April, we are all heading to Florida for 2 weeks, we will spend the 1st week camping in Orlando and going to all of the parks, and the second week, we will be at our beach house in the Tampa area.

Now, for the way there, we will probably go through the Delmarva peninsula on both the way there and the way back (I don't want to go through the Balto, DC traffic especially because we already have to through the NYC traffic), and are currently deciding which route would be better....

Route 1 - After going down the Chesapeake Tunnel, drive through the NC Outer banks, then take U.S. 17 through the rest of NC (stop at Calabash for some BBQ) then all of SC (but having to go through the Myrtle Beach traffic)

Route 2 - After going down the Chesapeake Tunnel, drive west on the U.S. 58 until I meet the I-95, then go down and stop at "South of the Border".

Also, if theres any other interesting places to stop or any other workable routes, then post here as well.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

There is a Route 3 which would let you do the Delmarva Peninsula, visit the Outer Banks, stop at South of the Border and avoid the Myrtle Beach traffic. From the southern tip of Ocracoke Island at the south end of the Banks, take the ferry over to Cedar Island. This is a surprisingly low cost two and a half hour cruise across Pamlico Sound ($15/car when I took it a couple of years ago) and something I think your whole crew would enjoy. Just make reservations if you'll be doing this after Memorial Day. From Cedar Island continue down NC-12 and US-70 to Morehead City, then NC-24 to Jacksonville. About 7½ miles past Jacksonville, watch for a left onto SR-1001. Continue past the airport to make a left onto NC-41 which you'll follow all the way to Lumberton and I-95.

Highlights of the Delmarva Peninsula and Outer Banks would include Assateague National Seashore, Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge, the NASA facility at Wallops Island, Kitty Hawk, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and the lighthouses. Are there any particular sorts of things that your family enjoys together?

AZBuck

[glc]

There is a Route 4 which will keep you away from all the big east coast cities - I-88 to Binghamton, I-81 to I-77 in Wytheville VA, I-77 through Charlotte to Columbia, then I-26 to I-95. There is plenty of scenery that way too, just not beach stuff.

[UpstateTripper]

Highlights of the Delmarva Peninsula and Outer Banks would include Assateague National Seashore, Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge, the NASA facility at Wallops Island, Kitty Hawk, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and the lighthouses. Are there any particular sorts of things that your family enjoys together?

AZBuck

We don't mind a couple quick stops at some small historical attractions, anyways thanks for the route!

There is a Route 4 which will keep you away from all the big east coast cities - I-88 to Binghamton, I-81 to I-77 in Wytheville VA, I-77 through Charlotte to Columbia, then I-26 to I-95. There is plenty of scenery that way too, just not beach stuff.

Thank you, that will be our way home.