Driving from PA to FL - mini-stop on way home?

[aprilfoolwed]

We've done this drive twice before, but always had a planned stop for the way home (Myrtle Beach & Pigeon Forge). This year, DH wants to go straight home after Disney. I know the kids won't do well with a 20 hour trip home with nothing fun to look forward to. We will need to stay overnight at least one night, but I'd love to find a place to stay over 2 nights and break up the drive a bit.

Any budget-friendly suggestions for a 1 day stop-over somewhere between FL and PA (Philly area)? Someplace not too far off 95 would be best, but I can't seem to find any place that would suit us. We may be able to get into the Carolinas the first day of the drive, but VA would be a stretch.

Something that would add less than $500 to the trip budget?

 

[WDWisTheBest]

We've done this drive twice before, but always had a planned stop for the way home (Myrtle Beach & Pigeon Forge). This year, DH wants to go straight home after Disney. I know the kids won't do well with a 20 hour trip home with nothing fun to look forward to. We will need to stay overnight at least one night, but I'd love to find a place to stay over 2 nights and break up the drive a bit.

Any budget-friendly suggestions for a 1 day stop-over somewhere between FL and PA (Philly area)? Someplace not too far off 95 would be best, but I can't seem to find any place that would suit us. We may be able to get into the Carolinas the first day of the drive, but VA would be a stretch.

Something that would add less than $500 to the trip budget?

Any thoughts about Williamsburg, Virginia? Also, Charleston, South Carolina might be a possibility.

 

[SandrA9810]

On one trip I took along I-95 (which was about the one and only, and ages ago) we stayed at "South of the Border" along the Carolina borders. It was really cheesy, but fun.

I want to say I've seen it on like Travel Channel shows, so it should still be there.

 

[ssawka]

On one trip I took along I-95 (which was about the one and only, and ages ago) we stayed at "South of the Border" along the Carolina borders. It was really cheesy, but fun.

I want to say I've seen it on like Travel Channel shows, so it should still be there.

Yes, it is still there, but has not been updated since the 50's. If your idea of fun is shopping around really cheezy gift shops, by all means stop by.

Sorry, I don't have a better suggestion, but IMO South of the Border is a waste of time. It is a good half-way point however.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Any thoughts about Williamsburg, Virginia? Also, Charleston, South Carolina might be a possibility.

I don't think we can make it to Williamsburg in one day. We're going to do that as a whole different trip one year! But thanks!

I'd like to get a bit further north than Charleston.

There really needs to be a good stopping point (with things to do) along 95!

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have experienced South of the Border already, and it's not something I need to do again. LOL

I am looking more for a destination - a place we can stay for 2 nights and have things to do for one day. Something that will break up the trip for the kids a bit.

I am looking into New Bern, NC at this point. The birthplace of Pepsi. LOL It may be a little too far north for us to reach though. Google maps says 11+ hours from Orlando to New Bern....

 

[SandrA9810]

I didn't realize you wanted it for two days. I just figured a little time in the afternoon and maybe a little time in the morning before hitting the road.

I remember it mostly because my grandfather was really happy with the hotel we stayed at, and we stayed at the same one on our return home. Plus the hotel staff was extremely nice in holding onto a blanket that was left in the room till we came back. I think it was like 2 weeks later.
On our first day of travel, we'd head out at like 4am, and then stop for the evening at around 5-6pm. So there was a little bit of time to walk around.

Almost all of my trips were traveled on I-75, that was the only trip along I-95.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

We stopped at Tybee Island on the way home. It was SO nice and relaxing. We just looked for the best hotel deal we could find for the time. We got to the hotel late at night, slept, had breakfast and went about 1/2 hour drive to Tybee. It was beautiful and relaxing. Now for US it was December so a couple hours playing on the beach was enough and we drove home from there. You could easily stay 2 nights though.

 

[HM]

There really is so little of interest right off I95 in NC and SC. You have to go about an hour to get to anything that might be kid friendly. Are you willing to do that? Near the SC/NC border you could veer off toward Myrtle Beach and spend the night there. You could do the Aquarium and/or Ripley's Believe It or Not if you need some attractions. Otherwise, just choose one of the hotels on the beach that has a 'waterpark' type pool and you might be good to go.

 

[kacaju]

Washington DC or Baltimore??

 

[auralia]

We always did south of the boarder when we lived that way. Tybee island or jekel island maybe even Hilton head perhaps though those are probably not very half way. .. Fayetteville there are some museums and a nice botanical garden there?

 

[kacaju]

There really needs to be a good stopping point (with things to do) along 95!

We are from NJ and we went to Mrytle Beach last year. I can tell you, from NJ to MB there is nothing to do along 95...I looked and looked.

As I said before DC or Baltimore since you said you were looking to stop for a day or 2. But for a quick stop to kill a few hours before heading back on the road...there is nothing

 

[kelly1218]

yeah...there isn't much to stop at in NC/SC if you want to stay close to 95. South of the border really is cheesy...and downright scary at 4am (when we usually hit there on the way down)
We've been making it to the VA/NC border before stopping for the night. We try to drive it straight through though. We don't plan our stop.

Have you looked for an alternate route besides 95? maybe there is something of interst if you do that? I'm really no help, am I? LOL

 

[MSSANDRA]

We stopped at South Of the Boarder once I forbid my family to touch anything and we used lots of hand sanitizer in the car!!!!

Myrtle Beach is ideal and can be really laid back and relaxing after a WDW trip.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

DH doesn't want to do anything - he just wants to drive straight through (well, not straight through - but drive for about 10-12 hours, stay overnight, and finish the drive to PA the next day). I would like for the kids to have *something* to do rather than just sit in the car for 20 hours.

Someone really needs to put something cool off of 95. South of the Border doesn't cut it! We won't make it far enough north to do Washington DC or the VA attractions/beaches. If we start driving from Orlando around 8 AM, we'll get to the Carolina border around dinner time. Anything north of that will be pushing it.

*sigh*

We have gone other ways. last year we headed to the west and wound up in Pigeon Forge, TN. (Which I really enjoyed and would certainly go back there again). But DH says that's too far out of the way this year (last year we left from Tampa, so we were further west to start).

I am still looking into the Wilmington, NC area for a possible stop....

 

[arthur06]

DH doesn't want to do anything - he just wants to drive straight through (well, not straight through - but drive for about 10-12 hours, stay overnight, and finish the drive to PA the next day). I would like for the kids to have *something* to do rather than just sit in the car for 20 hours.

Someone really needs to put something cool off of 95. South of the Border doesn't cut it! We won't make it far enough north to do Washington DC or the VA attractions/beaches. If we start driving from Orlando around 8 AM, we'll get to the Carolina border around dinner time. Anything north of that will be pushing it.

*sigh*

We have gone other ways. last year we headed to the west and wound up in Pigeon Forge, TN. (Which I really enjoyed and would certainly go back there again). But DH says that's too far out of the way this year (last year we left from Tampa, so we were further west to start).

I am still looking into the Wilmington, NC area for a possible stop....

If you really want to waste a day on the way home, why not find something in Florida that extra day? I am with your DH on this one. After a big WDW trip, sometimes its just nice to get home!

 

[lindsmom]

Not sure if you've ever checked this website:
http://www.i95exitguide.com/stopovers/index.php

You can start in a general area, i.e. NC and start clicking. At the bottom of each page it will tell you "24 miles further south is ________ " and you can keep moving north or south until you see anything that might interest you.

For example, the Florence exit has a lead to the Air and Missile museum; Wilson NC leads to Cape Hatteras National Seashore...

 

[aprilfoolwed]

If you really want to waste a day on the way home, why not find something in Florida that extra day? I am with your DH on this one. After a big WDW trip, sometimes its just nice to get home!

I don't want to waste a day (although an extra day in FL would be fantastic!). I want to break up the 20-hour drive home for the kids. Yes, we will stay overnight somewhere, but I'd rather they have a day to do something other than sit in the car.

It may or may not happen, because I have not found any great options at this point.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Not sure if you've ever checked this website:
http://www.i95exitguide.com/stopovers/index.php

You can start in a general area, i.e. NC and start clicking. At the bottom of each page it will tell you "24 miles further south is ________ " and you can keep moving north or south until you see anything that might interest you.

For example, the Florence exit has a lead to the Air and Missile museum; Wilson NC leads to Cape Hatteras National Seashore...

THank you - very cool website! Off to look more!

 

[RachaelRol]

If you really want to waste a day on the way home, why not find something in Florida that extra day? I am with your DH on this one. After a big WDW trip, sometimes its just nice to get home!

I agree. We drive from NJ and I am ready to just get home at the end of the trip. An overnight stay half way home, a nice dinner and hanging in the hotel is fun and relaxing.