Get off the interstate

[rustyp]

Travel tips ? As snowbirds we like to take our time commuting back and forth through the eastern states. Been doing this for years. Have done all the most famous attractions, big cities, monuments, parkways etc. Every once in a while we find some not so obvious gems. Helen Georgia (Swiss Village), Beaufort South Carolina (Coastal Town), Macon Georgia (Old homes and cemeteries), Pinehurst North Carolina (Golf town designed with New England Architecture) to name a few. Anyone have a favorite on let's call it the more obscure tourism list ?

[billethkid]

Beaufort, SC....beautiful little town...like a mini Charleston with a lot more charm. Beautiful plantation homes....used in many films over the years....great LOCAL seafood restaurants.

Main street along the river front with shops of different types.

Well worth taking a detour/break to visit this quaint picture of the old South.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

If you're visiting the northern states on the coast, there are lots of options. In mid-autumn, a must-tour is Rte 15 in Connecticut. Known as the Merritt Parkway, the Berlin Turnpike, the Wilbur-Cross Parkway, and simply Rte. 15. The most scenic area of that road is the Merritt.

In Massachusetts, Marblehead in Essex County is a gorgeous spot for window shopping, gallery visits, and just watching the boats come and go. Especially splendid in early summer. It's on the way to Salem, if you're interested in the history of the early american Witch Trials.

[retiredguy123]

I can't get off the interstate. I need to make "good time".

[Ben Franklin]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91YnVcfLJqL.jpg

When we were snowbirds and traveled between Avalon, NJ & Captiva, we would take the costal roads and would stop at different coastal towns. We weren't in a hurry. We would use the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which is 17.6 miles long. I'd suggest this route just for the bridge. And then we'd get the Cape May ferry to to NJ.

[SIRE1]

Don't know how far off the Interstate you want to venture, but the Blue Ridge Parkway between Ashville, NC and Roanoke,VA is fantastic.

[Decadeofdave]

Mount Airy North Carolina. About 8 miles east of I-77. Andy Griffith's home town. Just like Mayberry!

[Hape2Bhr]

I can't get off the interstate. I need to make "good time".

We just made the trek up to MA. Half of Georgia with 3 and 4 lanes on RT 95 was stop and go :rant-rave:, and then 2 lanes in S. Carolina moved right along. The next day (Saturday), the DC area was similar to Georgia? I wished we had taken the western route.

[Regor]

Don't know how far off the Interstate you want to venture, but the Blue Ridge Parkway between Ashville, NC and Roanoke,VA is fantastic.

Having driven the Blueridge both directions 3 times, we think the best part is from Cherokee N.C to Ashville. With the speed limit set 45 and 469 miles, take your time and enjoy! If heading north, you can continue for another 105 miles on Skyline drive thru the Shenandoah NP.

Take the time and enjoy the beauty of this country!

[brianherlihy]

when i was a snowbird i would drive from the villages to bedford nh no stop now i live right her

[rustyp]

when i was a snowbird i would drive from the villages to bedford nh no stop now i live right her

And which part makes the tourism list should I pay undivided attention to ? I'm in no hurray to get right "her". She is with me all the way every mile.

[stan the man]

Stop and smell the roses

[retiredguy123]

Stop and smell the roses
Take some roses with you and smell them on the way. That way, you will still be able to make good time.

[rustyp]

Take some roses with you and smell them on the way. That way, you will still be able to make good time.

I am sincerely looking for places to visit on my trips back and forth - 1400 miles. Since my in-laws have lived here since they retired I have made this trip each year for over 45 years. This is not my ultimate cup of tea. Please be constructive.

[retiredguy123]

I am sincerely looking for places to visit on my trips back and forth - 1400 miles. Since my in-laws have lived here since they retired I have made this trip each year for over 45 years. This is not my ultimate cup of tea. Please be constructive.
Sorry. Stop at Savannah, Georgia, just off of I-95. It is much more convenient than going to Charleston, SC, but very similar cities. Also, there are inexpensive hotels right at the I-95 exit. I lived in Savannah for 15 years.

[rustyp]

Sorry. Stop at Savannah, Georgia, just off of I-95. It is much more convenient than going to Charleston, SC, but very similar cities. Also, there are inexpensive hotels right at the I-95 exit. I lived in Savannah for 15 years.

I have many times. It is my favorite stop in the south after all these years. Looking for the not so obvious. Thank You.

[rustyp]

Anyone done the outer banks Ocracoke to Kitty Hawk including all the ferries ? Is it worth the trip ? How long to enjoy it ?

[HIgolfers]

I have many times. It is my favorite stop in the south after all these years. Looking for the not so obvious. Thank You.

Charlottesville, VA? About 1.5 hours west of Richmond but neat college town- visit Mr Jefferson's college (UVA) and Monticello. Great restaurants. Then head up 29N to join I66 east to 495 and back on 95 North. Also allows you to avoid DC for the most part.

[jebartle]

Charlottesville, VA? About 1.5 hours west of Richmond but neat college town- visit Mr Jefferson's college (UVA) and Monticello. Great restaurants. Then head up 29N to join I66 east to 495 and back on 95 North. Also allows you to avoid DC for the most part.

DC, not quaint, but LOTS to see, don't avoid it, enjoy it.

[LizzieBorden]

While traveling north/south spring and fall....we also use the app “IEXIT”. It tells you what restaurants, gas stations etc are available at each exit on the route you are traveling. If you havent used it, we found it to be quite useful.

[dboyd29]

Anyone done the outer banks Ocracoke to Kitty Hawk including all the ferries ? Is it worth the trip ? How long to enjoy it ?

Yes, we have a place on the outer banks, the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke is 2 plus hours. Make sure you get out of the car and enjoy the salt air, it’s good for your skin. On you way to cedar island stop in Beaufort NC have lunch, then go to Harkers Island take the ferry over to Cape Lookout and go shelling and look at the horses.

[GOLFER54]

Visit Portland, Oregon, before it is leveled to the ground.

[togabill]

We enjoyed passing through Plains, Ga, Callaway Gardens (in season), and Warm Springs, Ga (FDRs winter White House). Many interesting places we just drive by. Skip the tourist traps.

[DaleDivine]

Yes, we have a place on the outer banks, the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke is 2 plus hours. Make sure you get out of the car and enjoy the salt air, it’s good for your skin. On you way to cedar island stop in Beaufort NC have lunch, then go to Harkers Island take the ferry over to Cape Lookout and go shelling and look at the horses.

Moved here from the Tidewater area of Virginia. We also had a place at Nags Head.
The areas south of OBX is really nice but OBX itself is becoming a huge tourist area like Myrtle Beach. Check out Kitty Hawk and do the trip as dboyd29 suggested. :coolsmiley:
Also check out The Villages in Florida. Beautiful place with lots to see and do. :clap2: :clap2:

[Villages Kahuna]

Lynchburg, Tennessee. Home of the Jack Daniels distillery. Don’t miss taking the tour and walking around town. Make a lunch reservation at Miss Mary. Bobo’s Restaurant. You’ll enjoy some of the best southern food you’ve ever tasted. Forget about getting a drink or buying a bottle of Jack—Lynchburg is in a “dry” county.

[mikreb]

Mount Airy North Carolina. About 8 miles east of I-77. Andy Griffith's home town. Just like Mayberry!

Be sure to get a pork chop sandwich at Snappy's.

[tonycirocco@me.com]

We enjoyed passing through Plains, Ga, Callaway Gardens (in season), and Warm Springs, Ga (FDRs winter White House). Many interesting places we just drive by. Skip the tourist traps.

Why skip the tourist traps? They usually are the best thing to see! I never skip them.

[sirensmom]

Anyone done the outer banks Ocracoke to Kitty Hawk including all the ferries ? Is it worth the trip ? How long to enjoy it ?

We've done it twice going home to Massachusetts and loved it. Some quaint hotels and restaurants. The ride up to Hatteras has great places to stop for ocean views. Takes a little planning, but the ferry system is not expensive and is very efficient. High point of our annual trips to Florida.

[sjd7767]

Don't know how far off the Interstate you want to venture, but the Blue Ridge Parkway between Ashville, NC and Roanoke,VA is fantastic.

Asheville has two E's in it -Steve

[SueandChuck]

Okefenokee Swamp in Waycross Georgia

[MandoMan]

Don't know how far off the Interstate you want to venture, but the Blue Ridge Parkway between Ashville, NC and Roanoke,VA is fantastic.

Good idea! I’ve just read about it. I should take that route next month. The speed limit is never over 45 mph. It also crosses the Biltmore Estate. Stop and see that. It’s my favorite great mansion in the country. Where many mansions are rather effeminate, Biltmore is masculine, with lots of beautiful hand wrought iron.

[tophcfa]

While traveling north/south spring and fall....we also use the app “IEXIT”. It tells you what restaurants, gas stations etc are available at each exit on the route you are traveling. If you havent used it, we found it to be quite useful.

Speaking of apps, can anyone recommend a good app that gives accurate warnings of upcoming construction sites, accident scenes, and other causes of traffic congestion. I would be all over an app that gives adequate warnings, with suggested alternative routs to avoid traffic, well before one gets stuck in the traffic and it is too late to avoid.

[jimjamuser]

Visit Portland, Oregon, before it is leveled to the ground.
Portland, Oregon was my favorite relatively large city for a long time. It was super friendly with a progressive philosophy. The people spent a lot of time engaged in outside activities. Some people say that it has deteriorated in the last 5 years. I do not know for sure?

[D.Bolen]

This is such a great thread, thanks to the OP and all who have been contributing.

I have little to share except that my husband and I (with kids/grandkids in Savannah) also found "downtown" Beaufort SC to be historically interesting and very charming for a walkabout on its main drag of restaurants & shops. It is bordered on one side by a lovely waterfront with grassy areas and a nice fenced-in playground, great for an "activity break" for any young grandchildren traveling with you. Was told by locals that Beaufort's outlying areas are a great place to live if you're a boat owner, but know that the "downtown" itself flows into residential areas on its other sides that are less safe, smaller but not dissimilar to downtown Savannah.

[WindyCityzen]

I’m an American history buff. I’ve stopped at Andersonville, Warm Springs and Plains in Georgia. Museums in Atlanta. Selma and Tusktegee, Alabama. Lots in Nashville (the Hermitage). Chattanooga is a surprising hip and fun town. Lincoln sites in Kentucky and Indiana. Mammoth Cave. Next up are family genealogy stops in Bristol, Tennessee area.

[Sherrilee]

App I use is .... Waze. It is so correct as to construction- traffic and where police are located... it’s scary !!!

[jimjamuser]

I can't get off the interstate. I need to make "good time".
There seem to be 2 basic types of drivers. Those that have a "drive straight through" mentality. And those with a "take their time so they don't miss anything" mentality. I wonder what the psychological traits are for the 2 different groups?

[rustyp]

Thanks to all that have responded. Please keep your favs coming. As I mentioned in an earlier post I have been doing this trip for 45 years. I have done the majority of places that have been mentioned so far. I'll wait till the ideas slow done and publish more of the gems I have found over all those years. I will comment on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I consider this not in the obscure category since it is well known. But if you have never done this do not miss it. One of the most scenic drives our country has to offer. A couple tips be very aware of fog. Especially prominent in the mornings. Very scary to be on twisty roads on the edge of a mountain and not be able to see. Second if you have the luxury it is better to do a different sections at a time on several trips. It can get tiring and time consuming but you also miss some of the beautiful little towns in the valley if you try to drive straight through on top. Another tip to pass along we have learned take a drive through of major universities. Very likely to see incredible architecture on many of the campuses.

[Dot Rheinhardt]

I like to stop at Civil War battlefields, Williamsburg, Virginia, museums, Cape Cod if you want to go a little off route. The Ferry from Lewes, DE to NJ is nice. Take a road East South of Richmond, VA. There is a ferry across the James River.

[lennythenet]

Check out Corolla in OBX and do one of the 4x4 excursions to Corova Beach. We were able to see the wild horses right on the beach. Definitely worth the trip!

[TOMTOFVIL]

If you go to Asheville go to Grove Park Inn, beautiful and many famous people have stayed there. Also go to Brevard and enter the Smoky National Park, could also go to Cherokee.

[Carla B]

There is a real day-trip break from civilization not far from I-95, Cumberland Island National Seashore, a beautiful island off the coast of Georgia. It's not accessible by car; you park your car in St. Mary's, and take the ferry over to the island, around 45 minutes one way. I think there are just two ferry trips per day which helps limit the number of visitors. Or if you are cruising on your own boat you can anchor nearby in the river, as we did. You bring you own lunch with you and take back your own trash. It is a national park and there are maps and guided tours, but you are also free to wander on your own. There is a campground site if you have the gear and wish to spend the night.

Cumberland is a huge barrier island and full of history from when James Oglethorpe purchased property there. There is a relatively flat walking trail across the island overhung with old oaks and Spanish moss. There are armadillos and roaming wild horses, and other wildlife. The horses are descendants of those brought to the island by Thomas Carnegie and wife Lucy, who also built a grand 59-room mansion there, Dungeness, in the 1880's. Thomas Carnegie died before the house was completed but Lucy carried on and built separate houses for their children. But in 1925 they suddenly left the island for good, abandoning all that had been built. The mansion was destroyed by arson in the 1950's but its ruins give an idea of its grandeur.

The walking trail leads to a beautiful and unspoiled seashore on the Atlantic Ocean as far as the eye can see.

In fact, thinking about this, it would be a great idea for a mini-vacation from The Villages.

[HORNET]

Google

[giorgio1948]

Especially in the Fall

[tophcfa]

There seem to be 2 basic types of drivers. Those that have a "drive straight through" mentality. And those with a "take their time so they don't miss anything" mentality. I wonder what the psychological traits are for the 2 different groups?

You forgot about the third type of driver, those that travel with their dog. They don't have the luxury of "taking their time so they don't miss anything".

[Janet1946]

Speaking of apps, can anyone recommend a good app that gives accurate warnings of upcoming construction sites, accident scenes, and other causes of traffic congestion. I would be all over an app that gives adequate warnings, with suggested alternative routs to avoid traffic, well before one gets stuck in the traffic and it is too late to avoid.

I LOVE Waze. We were driving north last week and Waze suggested we get off the interstate just before a massive traffic jam. Great app.

[Aacosner]

US-23 between Huntington, WV and Asheville, NC is ruggedly beautiful and is a fantastic alternative to an interstate. It's a good quality highway running through eastern KY, western VA, eastern TN, and western NC. The Kentucky portion is signposted "Country Music Highway", and it's been termed the Hillbilly Highway for a long time.

[rustyp]

These small towns are rich in history, very old, well restored/preserved and very quaint.

Jim Thorpe Pa - Historic well restored town - Interesting Jail Museum
Lititz PA - Historic well preserved town - oldest pretzel factory in USA
Abingdon VA - Well restored town great live theater
Frederick MD - Mix of old restored and eclectic - nice canal walk heart of town

[PugMom]

App I use is .... Waze. It is so correct as to construction- traffic and where police are located... it’s scary !!!

agree. will even let you know of disabled cars, speed traps & red light cams!

[Tommagotojr@gmail.com]

Are they still doing the Calabashes in the Outer Banks?

[itsaly]

We've been stopping overnight at Jekyll Island, GA. (we generally travel late June/early July) It's not far off I-95 and it has quiet beaches and cute shops and restaurants.