Baltimore to Key West

[ventsyv]

I've been thinking about making a road trip down south all the way to Key West. I'll probably have 2 weeks or so. I was thinking keeping it around the coast, with stops in Charleston & Savannah, Miami & KeyWest.I also wanted to go take some back roads in the the Smokies.

Other than that I don't have an idea. Any suggestions anyone ?

[AZBuck]

Welcome to the RoadTrip America forums!

Other places you may want to have a look at are the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Grand Strand at Myrtle Beach, Cumberland Island National Seashore, and Kennedy Space Center on the drive following the coast, and Okefenokee Swamp, Stone Mountain, the Tail of the Dragon, and the Blue Ridge Parkway an the drive following the Appalachians. Those 'big picture' items will give you a feel for what's available along your chosen routes.

AZBuck

[ventsyv]

After looking at the map for an hour or so I put together the following trip

1. Baltimore - Richmond
2. Richmond - Jefferson Nat. Forest
3. Jefferson Nat Forest - Smokies Nat. Park
4. Smokies - Charlotte
5. Charlotte - Charlestone
6. Charlestone - Savannah
7. Savannah - Daytona Beach
8. Daytona Beach - Miami
9. Maimi - Key West

At this point I'll be about 10 - 12 days in the trip so the the way back needs to be kind of short. Or maybe I can hit some of those on the way back ...

Thanks for the suggestions, Kennedy Space Center is definitely something I want to visit. Myrtle Beach is something else I've wanted to visit for a while.The other places I'll have to look up.

[AZBuck]

As you've currently got things planned, you're looking at 1800 miles to get down to Key West over 10-12 days, and then a Speed Run of sorts on the way back, covering 1300 miles, which will take 2½ days with only food, gas and restroom breaks. That's not a great way to end a trip. Yes, I'd suggest that you "hit some of those on the way back". It doesn't matter, except perhaps to you, whether you do the coast or the mountains down, but the coast trip would include Richmond, Charleston, Savannah, Daytona Beach, and Miami, while the mountain trip would include Jefferson National Forest, Great Smokies Mountain National Park, and maybe Atlanta and the Florida Gulf Coast. By the way, is there a reason that Charlotte is included? because if you drop it and use the two sets of way points I've just listed, your save a hundred miles or so of driving, but more importantly, you can make the trip a bit better paced spending roughly the same amount of time going down and coming back.

AZBuck

[ventsyv]

The reason I planned it this way is so that I don't have to drive more than 3-4 hours each day. Charlotte was included just because it was on the way. I kind of want to explore the south, not only the typical tourist destinations.
If I take 2 weeks from work and 3 weekends that's about 16 days, so going back should not be that bad. Also I added Orlando & JFK Space Center.

[glc]

Driving only 4 hours a day, Baltimore to Key West is a 5 day drive via fastest route, which is I-95 all the way. This makes a 10 day round trip - which only gives you 6 days to get off the beaten path. Plan carefully.