Driving from Ontario and stopping at the ocean

[Limmer]

So we are driving down to Old Key West in October and our kids have never seen the ocean. We thought we could stop somewhere for an hour so the kids could dip their toes in. I was thinking Daytona Beach because then we only have another hour to drive.

Any suggestions? Advice? Anybody done that? We are planning to drive down i-75 if it matters.

 

[tobikaye]

Were you planning to go all the way down I-75 to FL and then cut across somewhere or were you thinking about cutting across to I-95 in NC at I-26?

If it were me, I would probably cut across in NC and then once you get just south of Jacksonville, near St. Augustine, head to the A1A. That way as you drive along, they can watch the ocean as you drive. Then somewhere between there and Daytona, you could stop at a pull off and let them get their feet wet.

I think it is about an hour from St. Augustine to Daytona via A1A, so it might add some time, but it might be something the kids would enjoy.

 

[grimley1968]

Unfortunately, I-75 goes pretty much through the middle of the state of Florida, and then you get on the Reagan (Florida) Turnpike to get to WDW. If you stay on this course, the closest beach to WDW would be Cocoa Beach, on the east coast. It's about an hour east of WDW, depending on traffic, and would definitely add to your drive.

Coming from Ontario, though, I agree with the previous poster in that it might make sense for you to cut across to I-95 at some point so you're hugging the coast line as you get further south (and then get on A1A somewhere south of Jacksonville to actually get to the beach). Just make sure to make your cut over from I-75 to I-95 well south of Washington, DC, and you should avoid most of the major traffic problems on I-95. Tennessee and North and South Carolina, via I-40 and I-26 is a pretty decent place to cut over, but I don't know from what part of Ontario you're coming from.

 

[goofy4tink]

Cocoa Beach would be a great spot to test the waters, so to speak. And, only an hour over to WDW...and a very easy drive to boot!

 

[LadyBeBop]

To me, the easiest would be to pick up I-40 in Knoxville, take that to I-26 in Asheville, NC and take that to I-95 in eastern SC. Excluding stops, that's only 45 miles/45 minutes longer than just taking I-75 down to WDW. And you can drop over to any beach from I-95.

 

[Limmer]

We were thinking of taking i75 because we took i95 a few years ago and the amount of deer on the highway was terrifying around twilight.

Since we are driving straight through I though i75 would be safer with fewer deer due to the traffic. Any opinions? Validation of my opinion?

 

[goofy4tink]

We were thinking of taking i75 because we took i95 a few years ago and the amount of deer on the highway was terrifying around twilight.

Since we are driving straight through I though i75 would be safer with fewer deer due to the traffic. Any opinions? Validation of my opinion?

Yep, that's when deer move. It is very scary!

 

[grimley1968]

We were thinking of taking i75 because we took i95 a few years ago and the amount of deer on the highway was terrifying around twilight.

Since we are driving straight through I though i75 would be safer with fewer deer due to the traffic. Any opinions? Validation of my opinion?

I drive on I-75 all the time (I live pretty close to it), and see deer all the time on that road. It's just one of the hazards of driving on just about any road in the US, especially at twilight. I even have to be cautious on my drive home if it's twilight in my nearly empty (new) neighborhood. I've had to honk my horn a couple of times to get deer to move off the street.

Wildlife is just as plentiful along I-75 as I-95, if not more so.