Well as I mentioned before I survived! Here are some tips we used to drive down.
We live about 2 hours from Halifax towards Moncton New Brunswick. We left here at 3 pm in the afternoon and drove to Bangor Maine arriving at approx. 7 pm. (remember we gained an hour crossing the border. The roads conditions were great. We travelled with another family and used the walkie talkies a lot - they are a GOd Send! Because we had 4 teen-agers and 2 - 11 year olds we played games back and forth between the two vehicles and believe it or not - we passed the time ! I took all the cards from the Malarchy Game - one vehicle took half and the other half and we played trivia on and off during the boring parts of the drive. The kids loved it!
We drove approx. 8 hours per day and stopped regularly at rest stops which by the way are immaculate and well marked all the way to Florida. They are also good to pick up coupon books along the way for discount motels. We left Bangor at approx. 7:40 am on Friday and arrived in New Hamshire at 10:30 am. Lots and lots of tolls - 50 cents, 1.00, etc. We got into Mass. at 11:15 am. We stopped for meals along and way and usually drove until 6 - 6:30 in the evenings and tried to find motels with pools and continental breakfast which we did - no problem.
We made Conn. at 2 pm and New York at 4:20 pm. New Jersey - 4:30 pm. It was so nice to see the trees getting greener, warmer, etc...... We stayed at a Howard Johnson's in Lawrenceville NJ and it was very nice and clean with a continental b'fast - $65.00 US.
We left the next morning at 7:45 and arrived in Pennsylvania at 7:55 am, Delaware at 8:40 and Maryland at 9 am. Very, very heavy traffic around Baltimore and Washington! Virginia arrival was 10:30 am. Stopped for meals as usual and it was a nice 27 degrees. Arrived in North Carolina at 2:20 pm and South Carolina at 5 pm. - 26 degrees! WHAHOO
We stayed at the Ecolodge in Florence - just OK I guess. It had a pool but the rooms seems musty. $40.00 US - Ate supper at Quincy's and it was SUPERB! Great family place to stop and eat. Excellent service. Gas averaged $1.30 a gallon US.
Left South Carolina 7:45 am and it's 20 degrees. Got into Georgia at 9:55 am - wow - palm trees......... I think? Hit FLORIDA>>>>>>>>>>>>> 11:50 am and it's glorious. We stayed at the Econo Lodge at Ormond Beach - $70.00 US and it was wonderful - clean and a living room, bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom right on the beach. Nice family place and a quiet part of the beach area. Our kids loved it and went boogy boarding in the Atlantic Ocean and swam with DOLPHINS! Lots of pelicans as well. Highly recommended.
So that's the trip down my friends.... stay tuned.... I'll try and give you the Disney details, etc. in my next post and the trip back...
Thanks again to all of you for all your tips! Any questions are more than welcome! By the way - I didn't drive - my hubby did it all and says he would do it again - he didn't mind it. We took mostly I-95 route. We got a complete trip map from Ford Canada free and it was very helpful and very clear. My husband says that next time we will take the Shannandoah Valley route to avoid the heavy traffic areas.
Olivia!
2000 - All Star Music
2002 - CB
We live about 2 hours from Halifax towards Moncton New Brunswick. We left here at 3 pm in the afternoon and drove to Bangor Maine arriving at approx. 7 pm. (remember we gained an hour crossing the border. The roads conditions were great. We travelled with another family and used the walkie talkies a lot - they are a GOd Send! Because we had 4 teen-agers and 2 - 11 year olds we played games back and forth between the two vehicles and believe it or not - we passed the time ! I took all the cards from the Malarchy Game - one vehicle took half and the other half and we played trivia on and off during the boring parts of the drive. The kids loved it!
We drove approx. 8 hours per day and stopped regularly at rest stops which by the way are immaculate and well marked all the way to Florida. They are also good to pick up coupon books along the way for discount motels. We left Bangor at approx. 7:40 am on Friday and arrived in New Hamshire at 10:30 am. Lots and lots of tolls - 50 cents, 1.00, etc. We got into Mass. at 11:15 am. We stopped for meals along and way and usually drove until 6 - 6:30 in the evenings and tried to find motels with pools and continental breakfast which we did - no problem.
We made Conn. at 2 pm and New York at 4:20 pm. New Jersey - 4:30 pm. It was so nice to see the trees getting greener, warmer, etc...... We stayed at a Howard Johnson's in Lawrenceville NJ and it was very nice and clean with a continental b'fast - $65.00 US.
We left the next morning at 7:45 and arrived in Pennsylvania at 7:55 am, Delaware at 8:40 and Maryland at 9 am. Very, very heavy traffic around Baltimore and Washington! Virginia arrival was 10:30 am. Stopped for meals as usual and it was a nice 27 degrees. Arrived in North Carolina at 2:20 pm and South Carolina at 5 pm. - 26 degrees! WHAHOO
We stayed at the Ecolodge in Florence - just OK I guess. It had a pool but the rooms seems musty. $40.00 US - Ate supper at Quincy's and it was SUPERB! Great family place to stop and eat. Excellent service. Gas averaged $1.30 a gallon US.
Left South Carolina 7:45 am and it's 20 degrees. Got into Georgia at 9:55 am - wow - palm trees......... I think? Hit FLORIDA>>>>>>>>>>>>> 11:50 am and it's glorious. We stayed at the Econo Lodge at Ormond Beach - $70.00 US and it was wonderful - clean and a living room, bedroom, kitchenette and bathroom right on the beach. Nice family place and a quiet part of the beach area. Our kids loved it and went boogy boarding in the Atlantic Ocean and swam with DOLPHINS! Lots of pelicans as well. Highly recommended.
So that's the trip down my friends.... stay tuned.... I'll try and give you the Disney details, etc. in my next post and the trip back...
Thanks again to all of you for all your tips! Any questions are more than welcome! By the way - I didn't drive - my hubby did it all and says he would do it again - he didn't mind it. We took mostly I-95 route. We got a complete trip map from Ford Canada free and it was very helpful and very clear. My husband says that next time we will take the Shannandoah Valley route to avoid the heavy traffic areas.
Olivia!
2000 - All Star Music
2002 - CB
