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Old 07-10-2010, 06:59 AM
 
879 posts, read 1,946,697 times
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leaving from NYC area to Sarasota soon. I need to find a clean, safe, reasonably priced hotel that allows small dogs. I'll pay more to ensure we are somewhere safe in a good area. We just want to stop for 1 night. Someone here must have done the same trip - any tips?

Also, decent places to stop for meals along the way? we'll be traveling with 2 kids and the dog.

thanks
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Old 07-10-2010, 07:08 AM
 
Location: Punta Gorda and Maryland
6,103 posts, read 15,034,248 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnanner View Post
leaving from NYC area to Sarasota soon. I need to find a clean, safe, reasonably priced hotel that allows small dogs. I'll pay more to ensure we are somewhere safe in a good area. We just want to stop for 1 night. Someone here must have done the same trip - any tips?

Also, decent places to stop for meals along the way? we'll be traveling with 2 kids and the dog.

thanks
The #1, most important thing is to make sure you plan your trip so that you DO NOT hit the Baltimore or Washington Beltway / Area during either the morning or the evening rush hours!! That means you want to be south of DC on your way to Richmond by 6:00AM (if at all possible). If it is going to be later in the day, make sure you are South of DC by 3:30 PM. That is the most miserable part of the trip. Allow 2.5 non-rush hours to make it from Baltimore to 95 South off the DC beltway. It is clear sailing from there. If you don't make it - it can easily add 6 hours to your trip especially if traffic gets bad due to construction, rush hour traffic, or an accident. Not only that but the traffic and drivers make that portion of the trip rotten. Good Luck jnanner!, drive safely.

I really like driving at night because it is sooo much easier. But if you're not a night owl then trying to time it mid day, hitting the Baltimore Beltway after 10:30 and traveling to 95 South of DC, may be your next best bet. It may still add an extra hour or two though.
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Old 07-10-2010, 09:12 AM
 
879 posts, read 1,946,697 times
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thanks. i've had no time to PLAN at all But i figure I better get started!! I would like to get on the road super early. I think without traffic it's about 4-5 hours to DC I dunno if we could get that in before 6am.

I really would love to see the schedule some others have driven.
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Old 07-10-2010, 09:26 AM
 
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I just made the drive down from Western MD earlier this week. I agree with Big House to avoid the beltway, even at 3:30 it's still pretty bad though (flew back to MD Thursday, my flight arrived at 2:30 and the traffic was still pretty heavy, bumper to bumper at some points). On the way down we stayed at a Best Western in Greenville, SC (my friend had a friend who lived in the area), and they accepted her cat. We only stopped for the night as well, but it seemed like a decent area. The hotel was clean, the staff was nice, and it had a pool that was maintained well, lots of families with kids playing in it. It was also easy to get off and on 85.
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Old 07-10-2010, 10:39 AM
 
Location: Sarasota FL
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I've made the trip from NYC to Sarasota many times. I-95 to I-4 to I-75 For a one night stop, half way would be about an hour into South Carolina.
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Old 07-10-2010, 12:19 PM
 
Location: Sarasota
477 posts, read 984,235 times
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Go to tripadvisor.com and look up the best hotels in the city you plan on stopping at. We stayed at La Quinta (pet friendly chain) and both were very clean, safe and comfortable. I am a hotel snob and it was great. You can also go to dogfriendly.com and type in any city and you will get a nice list of hotels to choose from. Safe travels! OH!!!I thought about you yesterday.....Our moving guys were from Jersey (soo funny and nice!) and I ordered pizza for them yesterday while they were unpacking and I asked them what they wanted on their pizza. And they said plain....Hahaha! And I said, "A cheese pizza?" and they said, "Yeah, tomato sauce and cheese..plain..." I got a kick out of that!
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Old 07-10-2010, 03:25 PM
 
Location: englewood
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18 hours door to door. central jersey to englewood. lots of monster energy drink. why stop?
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Old 07-10-2010, 04:22 PM
 
879 posts, read 1,946,697 times
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Originally Posted by beachymom View Post
Go to tripadvisor.com and look up the best hotels in the city you plan on stopping at. We stayed at La Quinta (pet friendly chain) and both were very clean, safe and comfortable. I am a hotel snob and it was great. You can also go to dogfriendly.com and type in any city and you will get a nice list of hotels to choose from. Safe travels! OH!!!I thought about you yesterday.....Our moving guys were from Jersey (soo funny and nice!) and I ordered pizza for them yesterday while they were unpacking and I asked them what they wanted on their pizza. And they said plain....Hahaha! And I said, "A cheese pizza?" and they said, "Yeah, tomato sauce and cheese..plain..." I got a kick out of that!
that's so funny! but see... it's not just me! would serve us right to have a crust with nothing delivered one day after ordering it plain lol

so, since you just did this - how does the tipping, feeding of the movers, etc go? do you tip at both pick up and delivery? after they are done? did you just tell them you were getting lunch for them halfway into the day while they were working? our movers are from queens so i know we'll be speaking the same language when it comes to pizza at least.

and thanks, i've heard the La Quinta chain is good and pet friendly. 2 more weeks....ahhh! can't wait!
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Old 07-10-2010, 04:25 PM
 
879 posts, read 1,946,697 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gettinoutofjersey View Post
18 hours door to door. central jersey to englewood. lots of monster energy drink. why stop?

well, i don't drink caffiene for one thing *yawn* BUT - mainly because i have to be a functioning parent when i get to FL lol Did you do it with kids in the car? i think they will need the break and we will need the rest.
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Old 07-10-2010, 05:35 PM
 
Location: englewood
1,580 posts, read 3,130,531 times
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Quote:
well, i don't drink caffiene for one thing *yawn* BUT - mainly because i have to be a functioning parent when i get to FL lol Did you do it with kids in the car? i think they will need the break and we will need the rest.
me, wife, 3 kids and 2 dogs. we have done it a few times. we were not sure if we would be able to do it with out spending an over nite. i had just had lumbar fusion a couple months prior. required a few extra stops for me to get out and walk. wife did majority of driving. i had stuff to take that would have made it to where i didnt hurt but i also would not have known where i was at let alone drive.

best advice get a garmin. not a tomtom but a garmin. they are cheap now. set it for fastest time and get on it.

BIG TIP=======if you go down rt 301 down here in florida, go the speed limit. one of the towns is waldo. whenever we came down that road they had cops in all kinds of vehicles. they take the speed down to 35 in some spots. still faster than going west to 75 and picking it up farther north than 301 will hook you in.
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