Roadtrip from NE Ohio

[jojo0612]

We will be heading down to Orlando in the next few weeks - this is our first time driving, we have always flown before. I would really like to make the most out of the drive - maybe stopping at a fun or neat place along the way. Can anyone recommend a few stops? My kids are 9 & 12. Thanks in advance!!

 

[pepe of ohio]

We do the I76 to I77 to I26 to I95 to I4 route... Not much out there along those route for entertaining.... We're basically trying to make time to our first stopover and its usually late night but we may try to find a decent motel with a pool and free breakfast...

Us being from Northeast Ohio... Making Kingsland Ga. Is our goal... Leaves a short drive the next day, and we enjoy getting into WDW as early as possible...

Not much help am I, the rest stops along the way are clean and nice to get out and stretch, but nothing to do there..

 

[minnierocks]

Driven that route so many times that I could probably drive it in my sleep...lol! For the most part, there are plenty of places to stop that are safe and clean. Are you looking for interesting things to do or just places to stop? Our stops are usually exit 1 in Marietta, anywhere between Beckley and Bluefield, WV and then north of Charlotte. Then we try not to stop anywhere between Rock Hill, SC (just south of Charlotte) and Columbia, SC...we have had some really awful, unsafe stops so we just avoid it. Once you get near the coast from Savannah, GA all the way to Daytona (along I-95), you can stop almost anywhere. We have never had a bad stop along that route.
We usually don't spend a lot of time at stops...we are anxious to get to Disney...but there are lots of distinct landmarks that my kids look for along the way (even at 18 and 20)-things that kind of mark our way. They always note the Ohio River, the "gold dome" in Charleston, WV, Tamarack, the tunnels through the mountains, etc.
We don't really mind the drive and the kids are great road trippers! Have fun...and just remember, when someone needs a break then make a stop. It makes the trip more fun and will make a huge difference...even if it is just for 15 minutes.
BTW...we are in Randolph...so we are leaving from about the same starting point!

 

[jojo0612]

Thank you both for your suggestions!! I know we will be fine driving, my husband and I actually prefer to drive and see the country, but the kids aren't as excited as we are! Minnierocks - we are closer than you think!! We live in Green Do you drive straight through or do you stop overnight along the way?

 

[minnierocks]

We have done both...but most of the time, we have stopped. We drove overnight in March for the first time and it was due to our 20 years old's work schedule. Quite frankly, we didn't mind it at all.
All of our other trips, we have broken it up over two days. We have done that two different ways. One option is to leave after work around 5 pm and stop somewhere around Beckley or Princeton, WV and driving the rest of the way on day two. We usually arrive around 3, just in time for check-in. The other option is driving one long day, staying overnight and reaching WDW by noon. Savannah is about 12 hours, Brunswick, GA is about 13 and we have managed to get about 14 1/2 hours past Jacksonville before stopping but we both agreed that it was too long to go. I think I preferred stopping around Brunswick...you are far enough to easily be having lunch at Disney without killing yourself to get there.

It really is a small world after all!