driving down...help with ideas for an overnite stay

[somemagic4me]

we are driving down to BWV next month (yeah!), and wondering if anyone could suggest an overnite stop location. We think we will be near Savannah GA (or at least would like to be!), so was thinking somewhere around exit 109,one of the earlier exits into GA.. It's our 1st time driving down so I don't really know good/bad places in the area-anyone have any experiences or suggestions for me? We would like to keep the drive the next day to around 5 hours or so.
thanks so much!

 

[LtlTee]

We drive from Southern NJ. We usually leave around 3:30 AM -- this puts us past the beltway in Washington D.C. before the AM rush hour. We stop for lunch and many bathroom breaks (3 kids! ). We always stop in Brunswick, GA (exit 36 A & B) for the night and usually hit there around 3:30 or 4:00 in the afternoon. This way we can have dinner somewhere, let the kids swim in the hotel pool and generally relax a bit. We like to be on the road by 8:00 AM the next morning and usually arrive in DW between 11:30 and 12:30 PM. We like to do the longest part of the leg the first day so we only have 4 or so hours of driving the next day and don't arrive for the start of our vacation exhausted from driving.
A book I found at Wal-Mart which has been extremely helpful is called "The Next Exit". It is a large paperback book that lists all of the interstates and major routes grouped by state. It lists the exit numbers and any services you might find at that exit such as hotels, gas stations, restaurants, etc. It was so helpful knowing, for example, that in four more exits there will be a Texaco gas station and a Hampton hotel.
Hope this helps!

 

[KLL]

We have driven to WDW several times. We leave from central PA at 4:00 a.m. and stop at Point South, South Carolina about 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.. Motels and places to eat are available and it is just off I-95. We usally leave the next morning at 4:00 a.m. and are in Orlando by 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.. Enjoy your trip.

 

[lookingforward]

When we lived in NC we stopped in Savannah several times on our way down to FL. We LOVE the HYATT in historic Savannah. It is about fifteen minutes off the highway but it is so relaxing. We would take a walk along the riverfront (the hotel is on the water) and have dinner at one of the restaurants on the river. The hotel has a small indoor pool and great service. If you make ressies early you can usually get a great rate and it is a full service hotel. Once we stayed at the Travellodge near the hyatt and it was the WORST. And we stayed at the Days Inn off the highway near Cracker Barrel which was adequate. Have a great trip!

 

[somemagic4me]

thank you all so much for the suggestions so far! we live in southern PA (lancaster) and from the tripticket it looks like 15-16 hrs. so I am trying to figure where we will be about 10 hours into it. no small kids, just 12 yr old and hubby and me. do you think savannah is doable or should i try for something in south carolina?
thanks again, so much!