Orlando to Pennsylvania - where to stop?

[aprilfoolwed]

I just posted some questions about Myrtle Beach, but I am not 100% sold on stopping there on our way home (Orlando to southeast PA).

Where are other places to stop? The kids will be 8, 6 and 3. They'd love some beach time.

Realistically, I am not sure just how far north we can get on the first day of our drive home. We need a place to stay over that night - and I'd prefer if we could get to our destination and just stay there (rather than staying at some random SC hotel off I-95 and then stopping in Virginia the next day or something).

Ideas???

 

[FutrImagineer]

Hi,

My information might be a little outdated b/c my family hasn't driven to Orlando in years (we now take the train). However, we used to frequently make the trip from D.C. to Florida, and we liked to stop in Lumberton, NC. It's a safe, cute little town with quite a few hotel/motel and dining options. We always used to stay in the Comfort Inn, but the last time we were there it wasn't that great. However, that may have been a fluke b/c we used to love it.

I've always been a little biased about trip stops- I think NC generally is a nicer place to stop than SC, but other people might have different opinions.

Good luck with everything!

 

[needpixiedust]

If you're not in a hurry and want to spend an afternoon at the beach Jekyll Island, GA is a great place to stop on the trip home. It isn't very far north but would be great if you were leaving wdw later in the day. Not the best option if you're before dawn drivers though like my DH as it'd still be fairly early when you get there.

 

[DisneyBrat]

Myrtle isn't exactly on the same route if I remember correctly. However there is a cheesy tourist stop call South of the Border. It is fun for kids. They have an indoor pool too. Its not your 4 star but the room was clean and it is a good stop over point. We have also stayed in Brunswick Ga it is right off the interstate. It has been a few years since we drove to Disney so do a little research on South of the Border if you decide to stay there

 

[haner]

Perhaps Charleston, SC? That's where DW and I plan to stop while driving from WDW to NYC.

 

[crazy4wdw]

I just posted some questions about Myrtle Beach, but I am not 100% sold on stopping there on our way home (Orlando to southeast PA).

Myrtle Beach is quite a distance from I-95. You're looking at least at a 1 and one-half hour drive from I-95 to Myrtle. Depending on the time of year, it could be longer. There's no direct interstate access to this part of the South Carolina coast so traffic really backs up on the local roads, especially around several of the small towns that you go thorugh.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Perhaps Charleston, SC? That's where DW and I plan to stop while driving from WDW to NYC.

Charleston is also not a quick drive from I-95. At least you do have interstate access (I-26) to the city but your're looking at about 50 minutes to an hour drive from I-95 to downtown.

 

[pbharris4]

Do you want to make the drive in 2 days or 3? If 2 days, I'd say Florence, SC. If 3 days I'd say...Savannah, Ga and Roanoke Rapids, NC or Rocky Mount, NC.

 

[FutrImagineer]

Oh my goodness, I forgot all about South of the Border! So cheesy, but an experience nonetheless. Also good distance wise for your trip.

Like other posters have been saying, Myrtle Beach is quite a detour from the main highways. I still recommend Lumberton, NC- it's really good distance wise. Not so sure about Rocky Mount- I haven't had fond impressions when stopping there. It's just a little industrial town that doesn't seem to have much to offer, but maybe I did not get a good enough look at it.

 

[pbharris4]

Oops..sorry just re-read your post/ If you are looking for some beach time on the way home.. I think that's a toughie. Va Beach maybe..but that's pretty far north and if you are going in the summer you MUST book ahead if you want to be ON the beach. I would think that any other beaches up I-95 are going to be a good distance off the main highway.

 

[pbharris4]

I've heard Lumberton has a lot of hookers hanging around some of the hotels to "service" tractor trailer drivers. I don't know how true that is, but we were researching places to stay there and read that. I agree that S\NC has better places that SC to stay IMHO. Once we find a nice place we try to stick with it. We're coming from Fredericksburg, VA and we usually stay at Savannah or Brunswick down and Fayetteville back. Hey...what about Fayetteville, NC? It might not be that far from the OBX?

 

[FutrImagineer]

I've heard Lumberton has a lot of hookers hanging around some of the hotels to "service" tractor trailer drivers. I don't know how true that is, but we were researching places to stay there and read that. I agree that S\NC has better places that SC to stay IMHO. Once we find a nice place we try to stick with it. We're coming from Fredericksburg, VA and we usually stay at Savannah or Brunswick down and Fayetteville back. Hey...what about Fayetteville, NC? It might not be that far from the OBX?

Ugh, that's horrible if it's true. Like I said, I haven't been there in year. I guess things have changed

And I just re-read the original post- not sure which beach would be best. We never really stopped at beaches on the road trip.

 

[Dancemom03]

Someone else mentioned Brunswick and Jekyll Island too. I'd second that suggestion for being closest to the highway home, thus less of a detour.
Jekyll Island is just east of Brunswick, GA - and probably less than 20 minutes from I-95. It used to be a private island and home to the nation's millionaires only before being turned over to the state years ago. Several of the old mansions are open to the public for tours now. I remember going there as kids, walking the beach and digging up sand dollars, riding rented bikes on the roads. It's been built up a bit since the sixties but still retains that small, safe beach-y feel unlike the commercialized sands of myrtle beach, virginia beach, ocean city, MD and NC's outer banks.

Hotels tend to be more reasonable there too but you'll want a reservation for the best rate. There's also a campground at the end of the island. If I had to guess, I'd say it's maybe 6-7 hours or so, depending on time of day & traffic from wdw. St Simon's & Sea Island are right there too.

 

[tar heel]

The Outer Banks are NOT near Fayetteville.

Part of the problem is that I-95 does not run next to the South Carolina/North Carolina beaches. There are many nice beaches if it's okay to go out of your way -- the ones north of Myrtle Beach such as Cherry Grove and Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington.You will be pretty close to Savannah, but I'm not sure if you want to stop that soon.

The Florida beaches are not too far out of the way, but I expect you want to go futher than that! We've stopped at Jacksonville Beach and we also spent an afternoon in St. Augustine once.

 

[dawnn12]

when we drive down i try to make it from bucks county(pa) to walterboro sc or alittle father south(depends if the kids and dh are sleeping) now on the way back we usally stop in lumberton nc it is right off of 95 but the hotel(witch i cant for any reason remember the name is right next to a cracker barrel and the hotel has free breakfast (ohh hot waffels)and very compfy beds) is very nice and the one time we really didnt want to go home we stopped again in va right outside of dc and let the kids(me) have another swim break ohh in walterboro everytime we stop the people are very friendly and whatever place we stay is always nice we usally picked the place by looking in the aaa mapbooks we got they have hotel ratings and places to eat listed the books were great when i had to drive hth