Where do you stay. I have driven straight through the night many times with another driver. But now being 63 I'm going to stop over 1 night. I'm thinking somewhere around Fayetteville, NC. Does anybody have a safe stop over? Coming from Long Island, trying to go 10 hours...
Expect the unexpected
Personally I like to try to have a list of stops every 20/30 minutes and see how far I can get on the first night, if possible. About an hour or so before I’m cooked, I just call ahead and book a room.
I hate feeling like I’ve got another couple of hours in me but have to stop where I booked in advance. Or worse, you had traffic and have to push yourself just to get to the reservation spot.
Big thing is try to time your trip around Washington both ways so you don’t hit rush hour. That’s a killer.
The half way point used to be Benson, NC to Disney World.
Now we go to Fayetteville.
I would not go to Raleigh. 40 is a construction nightmare.
Before we moved here we tried pushing to SC, but that is too far on day 1.
Fayetteville is your best spot.
Coming back in April this year we stopped in Fayetteville and stayed in a perfectly fine but bare-bones motel right off 95. Traveling with two cats, though, does limit our lodging options.
I'm 67 and found that even doing it in two days/one night was debilitating, more mentally than physically, as I do all the driving while my partner takes care of our two cats in the back (theye're great travelers!). I find driving for 10+ hours on 95 takes a lot of sustained concentration with all the trucks and cars trying to pass on the right at 80+ MPH which leaves me spacey for a few days afterwards (another reason why driving through Charlotte was easier). So once we did Savannah/Richmond/NYC and another time we stopped in DC for two nights to see the city (very worhtwhile) and then another night in Santee before heading to Delray.
Good luck and safe driving!
I second Savannah. I've made the drive from LI to Broward County a few times. Stopped in Florence, SC once -- it is a dump. Better off grinding it out to Savannah where you can enjoy the night, get a good breakfast and have an easy second day drive.
I live in the outskirts of Raleigh, and it is a very nice area with a ton of nice options to stay but IMO out of the way if you are using 95.
Also just a heads up 95 starting in the Benson area maybe before I’m not sure has a lot of construction going on for probably 20 plus miles so planning your trip to avoid rush hour times will help. We came back from the beach Friday and south 95 was bumper to bumper for miles.
I made the drive from NJ to Florida several times when I was in college, but I can't remember where I stayed.
I think it really depends on where in Florida you are going. I always try to get as far as I can the first day, so the second is easier. I also wouldn't stop unless I needed gas.
+1 for Santee. Just make sure there is availability first!
South of the Border!
Ask Pedro.
Or has he been canceled?
South of the Border!
Ask Pedro.
Or has he been canceled?
you beat me to it! what a shady dump lol. ( i admit I stayed there overnight)
richynyc, are you the kind of guy that drives slowly (<80 MPH) in the left, aka the fast/passing lane? If so, and you don't like trucks and cars trying to pass on the right at 80+, please do EVERYONE a favor and get out of the passing lane. People trying to get past you (like me) would MUCH rather pass you on the left, in the lane meant for passing.
You might not have noticed the signs that say "keep right, except to pass" or "slower traffic stay to the right". The middle lane seems like the place for you. Peace, love and understanding.
You can't beat Savannah for an overnight, either.
South of the Border!
Ask Pedro.
Or has he been canceled?
+1
at least it used to be.
That's where we stayed.
Hotels right off 95....so no extra driving.
Some people saying Savanah but I believe that's another 1.5 hours from Santee.
LOL, went past it at night and it looked really cool!
HOWEVER! SOTB has one of the best reptile aquariums in the world, no exaggeration. it too looks like a shit hole on the outside, but the inside will blow your mind (if you like crocs, snakes and other slithery things). definitely check it out if you’re traveling with kiddos.
i’m making this trip myself in about a month - CT to Boynton Beach.