Driving To Disney from the Northeast...

[DarkImage4]

Are there any specific hot spots that we should "avoid like the plague"? We know the Washington DC is bad, as is Jacksonville FL.

Are there any others we should watch for?

What times should we avoid these areas?

My wife & I are leaving for Disney on July 3rd and we're driving down from New Jersey. Our directions pretty much keep us on I-95.

Anyone have specific ideas or experiences that they could share?

All help is greatly appreciated.

Less than 2 weeks to go!!! :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

 

[DarkImage4]

Once again....

Thanks for all of the replies!!!

 

[McArcDes]

I've often taken the Eastern Shore (Del-Mar-Va) route on my North-South trips. That's Route 13, as a I recall, culminating in a breezy 27-mile drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

On this route you also pass by a couple of chicken proscessing plants. (really bad smell I dont know how people live near them)

We took that route the first time we drove down from Mass. in the fall of '97. We got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel about 8:00 pm at night. At that time the bridge was two lanes wide and after 8:00 at night they let 18 wheelers on the bridge. Imagine being in a mini van with these trucks coming at you at 60 mph, you are out in the middle of the bay with no where to go. Much to stressful and down right scary! All I could think of was if one of these trucks knocked us off the bridge how was I going to get our (at the time) two childern and a wife that does not swim out of the car.

After that we decided never to go that way again and actually it adds about three hours to your trip even though it is shorter milage wise.

 

[cm1988]

My Transcendental Manifesto

Originally posted by McArcDes


On this route you also pass by a couple of chicken proscessing plants. (really bad smell I dont know how people live near them)...got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel about 8:00 pm at night...18 wheelers on the bridge. Imagine being in a mini van with these trucks coming at you at 60 mph, you are out in the middle of the bay with no where to go....actually it adds about three hours to your trip...

Well, so much for my career as a travel planner.

But you know, ya gotta stop and smell the Chickens, too. Not just the roses.

No one ever said Route 13 was the Highway to Heaven. And remember, there's that Duck Decoy Museum, too. At least there used to be, back in the 70's. "See wooden ducks made".

Ya gotta stop and smell the wood shavings, too.

 

[Talsonic]

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Originally posted by McArcDes


We took that route the first time we drove down from Mass. in the fall of '97. We got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel about 8:00 pm at night. At that time the bridge was two lanes wide and after 8:00 at night they let 18 wheelers on the bridge. Imagine being in a mini van with these trucks coming at you at 60 mph, you are out in the middle of the bay with no where to go. Much to stressful and down right scary! All I could think of was if one of these trucks knocked us off the bridge how was I going to get our (at the time) two childern and a wife that does not swim out of the car.

Not to worry because you wouldn't survive the fall!

 

[DarkImage4]

Re: Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Originally posted by Talsonic


Not to worry because you wouldn't survive the fall!

Well, that was certainly encouraging, or should I say DIScouraging. I-95 sounds absolutely great right now.....

 

[GoCamels]

Re: Stop and smell the seaweed

Originally posted by cm1988
Not being an intensely practical person, I've often taken the Eastern Shore (Del-Mar-Va) route on my North-South trips. That's Route 13, as a I recall, culminating in a breezy 27-mile drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

Then, the bad news... you have to navigate through Va Beach and the Dismal Swamp before you're back on boring ol' 95. Or you continue to meander a bit.

Not to nit pick, but the CBBT is 17 miles long.

As far as that route...its getting better. Offers more options in terms of hotels if you cant make it to I-95. Norfolk, Va Beach...and even here in Elizabeth City (you pass by my work by about 1/2 mile when you come down US 17). The drive thru the Swamp on the Canal Bank as we call it is awful and more dangerous than the CBBT.

But the good thing about using US 17/US 64 after coming via the CBBT is that there are only TWO 2-lane sections left...the Dismal Swamp, and between Edenton and Windsor where you get back on US 13. VDOT just approved widening 17 from I-64 to the state line, and the widning of 17 around Windsor should be done in about 5 years.

Another note...the signs have changed...VA 104 no longer exists...US 17 has been shifted to the old VA 104 Dominion Blvd. section in Chesapeake. And instead of using 17 to get to Elizabeth City, take 168 into NC, its now a toll road....then hit NC 34 to Elizabeth City...easier and faster...and the NC 34 intersection is next to my house.

T-minus 44 hours and counting to departure!!! T-minus 68 hours to arriving in WDW

 

[donaldduck1967]

i remember the last time i drove, in 97, there was a south of the border sign in Baltimore Maryland. Anyone know if its still there?

 

[JoeZerboy]

Originally posted by Tramp
oh Crap...those "South of the Border" signs....they start about 100 miles away....when we got there, what a waste of time...TOURIST TRAP .

...but the signs are amusing...

They are entertaining...true. But woe be unto you should you drive past this place after dark...you can see the neon glow for MILES! hahahaha

On a similar drive, but going from Florida to Baltimore, I was doing a roadtrip with a few friends. We were going through SC to NC at about 2am and they were all wondering what that radioactive glow ahead of us was...then they started seeing the signs for the place. They were shocked to have ever seen such a place...I had a nice laugh out of it.

 

[cm1988]

Before 8 PM, that is

Originally posted by GoCamels


Not to nit pick, but the CBBT is 17 miles long.
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And a fine drive, on a sunny day!