Driving from Michigan to Hilton Head Island.

[mamagass]

We are making our first trip to HHI for spring break. We are driving and will be stopping for one night. Has anyone made this trip? Were did you stop? I would love to make the trip in one drive but being realistic, by the time we got there everyone would hate me. I unfortunately get grumpy when I get tired and the filter doesn't always work from my brain to my mouth. There are six of us traveling in one van. Four adults and two 12 year old girls.

 

[kristenrice]

We have driven from west Michigan to HHI twice over spring break. Both times, we stayed in Gatlinburg, TN on the way down and either TN or Charleston, WV on the way back. The drive to Gatlinburg took us about 14 hours including stops. We left Grand Rapids around 8am and we checked in to the hotel at about 10pm. Google maps/GPS says it was about an 11 hour drive but construction and spring break traffic are never factored in. I cannot stress it enough....MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A HOTEL RESERVATION!!! There were SO many people that were trying to "wing it" and just grab a room somewhere, but they did not anticipate the massive amount of people traveling and there were no hotels anywhere near the interstate that had vacancies. We were running behind on our way home, but we had a reservation. We'd been stuck in a standstill on I-75 for several hours due to an accident (and construction) so it was almost midnight by the time we got to our hotel...we'd planned on being their around 8pm. I had called them and told them we were still coming so they held our room for us...thank goodness! When we arrived, there was a lobby full of people trying to get a room. As they were being turned away, I heard one frazzled father comment that they'd been stopping at every exit for the past 100 miles (since 9pm!) trying to get a room! Poor family!

You will love HHI! We are going back in 2017 after a LONG 4-year absence.

 

[Sammie]

Unless you are going to be able to stay in Gatlinburg and enjoy it I would never stop there just for an over night stay. Way to difficult to get in and out of and Kristenrice, didn't you lose a lot of time by getting that far off the interstate?

 

[DVCRyan]

We do this every year. If you can wing it we start around 1am to beat Cincinnati traffic from Saginaw Michigan. Often make it on the island by around 4 pm. Otherwise agree gatlinburg is a good stop.

 

[Sammie]

We do this every year. If you can wing it we start around 1am to beat Cincinnati traffic from Saginaw Michigan. Often make it on the island by around 4 pm. Otherwise agree gatlinburg is a good stop.

Don't you loose lots of time going that far off the Interstate, going over to Gatlinburg and back out again? Do you backtrack and get back on I-40 to Asheville or go over the Mountains to Cherokee? I hate that drive with a passion even when my destination is Gatlinburg. I can't imagine using it as a one night stop on the way somewhere else.

 

[kristenrice]

Unless you are going to be able to stay in Gatlinburg and enjoy it I would never stop there just for an over night stay. Way to difficult to get in and out of and Kristenrice, didn't you lose a lot of time by getting that far off the interstate?

Yes, it was not the fastest route, I agree. We decided on Gatlinburg the first time because we actually stayed there for two nights and spent the day "off" at the GSM National Park. We didn't do any of the "touristy" stuff in Gatlinburg (too $$$) but we had a great day at the park. After that trip, we decided that Gatlinburg (and the beautiful scenery) would be our layover on the way to HHI.

I can't wait until 2017 when we get to back.

 

[DVCRyan]

Don't you loose lots of time going that far off the Interstate, going over to Gatlinburg and back out again? Do you backtrack and get back on I-40 to Asheville or go over the Mountains to Cherokee? I hate that drive with a passion even when my destination is Gatlinburg. I can't imagine using it as a one night stop on the way somewhere else.

Actually I misspoke. We would stop in I believe Newport Tennessee which is a little past gatlinburg exit. Easy off and on with hotels right off expressway and just before crazy mountains as you get into North Carolina.

 

[Sammie]

Actually I misspoke. We would stop in I believe Newport Tennessee which is a little past gatlinburg exit. Easy off and on with hotels right off expressway and just before crazy mountains as you get into North Carolina.

Now that I can see and would recommend.

 

[Sammie]

Yes, it was not the fastest route, I agree. We decided on Gatlinburg the first time because we actually stayed there for two nights and spent the day "off" at the GSM National Park. We didn't do any of the "touristy" stuff in Gatlinburg (too $$$) but we had a great day at the park. After that trip, we decided that Gatlinburg (and the beautiful scenery) would be our layover on the way to HHI.

I can't wait until 2017 when we get to back.

And yes I can see this, as an add on mini vacation before or after HHI.

However not sure the OP was looking for that but more a one night stop, possibly late at night, just to sleep and get up and go on to HHI. At least that is what I thought she was looking for.

 

[micheleq]

We drove last year from metro Detroit and stayed in Wyethville, VA at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Close to the highway and there were a few hotel options in the area. We got in, kids went in the pool for a bit, we slept, had breakfast and left. Lots of other folks from MI there on the way to Myrtle Beach or HHI. Have a great trip!

 

[ThisIsJason]

Wife and I did it in July 2013 from the Kalamazoo/Portage area. Going down we went via I75 to Knoxville and stayed over night there at a Hampton Inn just off I75 took about 18 hour total including stop for breakfast/lunch/construction. Coming back we took I77 via Charlotte, stayed at another Hampton Inn just off the 77/277 interchange, it was within walking distance of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, honestly wished we stayed in Charlotte a few nights, amazing city. That was just about 19 hours total. If we do it again, I think we will do the same route.

 

[curan69]

We've done this the last two years and are doing it again this March. We leave from Windsor, Ontario. Right across from Detroit. We stop In Huntersville North Carolina. (just North of Charlotte) We leave Saturday morning and It takes us 9.5 hours to get there. That leaves us 4.5 on Sunday. We leave around 8 am and get in to HH around 12:30. When we come home we leave at 8am on the Saturday and the last two years we've gotten to the Ambassador Bridge right around 10pm. So 14 Hours total. Going down I like to stop because I don't want to arrive at HH late. Going home I go straight through because I don't want to stop 3 our 4 hours from home when I can sleep in my own bed.

 

[Fenceman]

I like Curan69 plan. We drive from Northern Ohio and usually stop right after Charlotte, NC on the way down. Then we have a short drive into HH and feel refreshed for our first day. We then drive the 11 hours on the way home in one day. I have done this to Orlando a couple of times but it is much tougher to drive the longer distance.

 

[Chelley00]

We drive from Indiana and if we don't do it in one night we usually stop in Knoxville. Lots of restaurants and nice hotels.

 

[graueMaus]

We drove last year from metro Detroit and stayed in Wyethville, VA at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Close to the highway and there were a few hotel options in the area. We got in, kids went in the pool for a bit, we slept, had breakfast and left. Lots of other folks from MI there on the way to Myrtle Beach or HHI. Have a great trip!

My wife and I have gone this route many times from either VA or now NC over last two decades as she grew up in Southern Ohio. We have also done this route to go to Akron, Grand Rapids and Manistee (MI). Wytheville, VA is a great place to stop overnight, as is Beckley WV (depends on your route). We would not stop overnight in Charleston WV either. Her parents now live in TN above Knoxville and we are very familiar the Gatlinburg area as well. Bottom line is that is not somewhere to stop overnight IMHO as it is too expensive, too much traffic and too touristy.

If you are looking to stay somewhere in NC, I would not stay overnight in Asheville as it is somewhat of a tourist town and rates can be somewhat expensive. Drive a little farther and see about staying in Hickory NC. It is a nice town and you are past Black Mountain on I40 so you don't have to worry about early morning fog or weather.


Any route you decide to take have a safe and fun trip