New York to Florida Road Trip suggestions needed (Paris, bridge, snorkel)

[LauraPetrie]

We're planning to go to Florida this summer and instead of flying or taking the train , we're gonna drive Anybody done this before ? Would appreciate some tips .Also since we have never ever gone that way before, we're thinking of making a few stops in between and checking out different places/states on the way. I have absolutely no idea how to go about this though. Which places would you recommend in between where we could halt for a day or two, and which are worth looking at in terms of tourism / sightseeing etc ? We have about 4-5 days to spare before we reach Florida . I would like to make the most of this trip

[findinghope]

where in NY are you starting from?
i would stop in cape may nj for the day--so pretty--or maybe Atlantic city--very fun
then onto DC--cause i still havent seen it, but think everyone should go at least once.
i love williamsburg and busch gardens virginia
stop by the outer banks in NC--so beautiful!
i hear savanah, ga is gorgeous
and then on to Fl
have fun!

[mawipafl]

I highly recommend the book Drive I-95 by Stan Posner & Sandra Phillips-Posner. The description can be found at the following link

Drive I-95, by Stan Posner & Sandra Phillips-Posner

It's available online (Amazon, B&N, etc) and is probably in a brick-n-mortar store as well.

However, I-95 is not the only way to travel between the north and south!

We had a great time taking the Cape May ferry, spending time in Chincoteague, then drove the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, stopping in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, then headed to the Outer Banks stopping at Kitty Hawk. From there we went west to I-95 and drove south for a bit, heading back east at South of the Border (brief stop to visit Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion's place) to stop in Myrtle Beach. Then we took Rt 17 south to Charleston, Savannah, and finally Jacksonville.

[stacylee926]

Last summer we drove from Va Beach to Ft Lauderdale. Our whole purpose was to stop and see the places that we have always flown over

I agree with the other poster, Williamsburg and Busch Gardens are beautiful stops. Savannah and Charleston are also great stops - we LOVED Savannah!!

On our first day, we drove straight thru to St Augustine. Loved it!! Day 2 took us to Daytona and the Daytona 500 (we chose to walk around for free and did not pay for the movie, museum etc). Then on to Ft Lauderdale. After several days there, it was back up towards home. We stopped at Paris Island and spent about 3 hours on a self guided tour all around the base. We stopped here for our 16 year old DS, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the Marines march around town and take shooting practice. We overnighted in Savannah and then headed to Myrtle Beach for several days. There is a TON of stuff to do in MB!!

We do love the Outer Banks of NC, but that might be a little off the path of your route.

We had a great trip last year... and even though it was a LONG drive, we saw places that we would not normally go because we usually take the easy route and fly!

[5FLgirls]

Everyone's given you some great ideas so I'll just second some people:

I've done the drive from Philadelphia to West Palm Beach three times.

If you've never been to Philadelphia, you might want to try that but stopping by the beach in Cape May or Atlantic City would be great but it will put you an hour out of your way. Baltimore (aquarium, Inner Harbor, CRABS, Camden Yards) is a fun place to hang out for a couple hours and it's right off I-95. Annapolis is beautiful too. Assateague Island is a bit out of the way but a once in a lifetime visit. You can see the most beautiful beaches and wild ponies. I wouldn't go to the beaches in N. Carolina because of distance from the interstate but Charleston, SC is absolutely beautiful and so historic. I definitely agree with a stop in Savannah!! But there's also Tybee Island, Cumberland Island and St. Simon's Island.

You didn't mention where in FL you're visiting so there's no way to give recommendations there. You could also pick where you're going on the way up and down so you can take a few different route ideas and stops along the way. We took an extra day and went through Atlanta and Charlotte and then hit Raleigh on our way north one year. This did take extra time but we got to see lots of different cities we wouldn't have normally stopped at.

[LauraPetrie]

Wow, Thanks a lot findinghope, mawipafl, stacylee and 5Flgirls !
That is a whole lot of info
We're actually starting from New Jersey and heading to Orlando .

We've already been to Atlantic city and DC before, so we might skip that this time Sorry I didnt mention it before Other than that, everything seems really good !!

Savannah and Charleston sound like great places , definitely going to be on my list .

[mawipafl]

Not sure when you'll be traveling this summer, but the 83rd Annual Firemen's Carnival in Chincoteague opens July 3rd and runs through the month with the Pony Swim on Wednesday, July 30th.

Chincoteague Firemen's Carnival, Pony Swim, Pony Auction

If you're in the area, it's a well-worth-it event to experience (and I can say so from personal experience!) It's a big draw to the area, so planning ahead is necessary.

[5FLgirls]

If you're going to Orlando, you should visit Amelia Island and St. Augustine St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches - Getaway4Florida.com. I get the impression that you're doing this trip during the summer. If this trip is anytime around September through November, you have to check out Connor's Farm. It's close to Jacksonville and has an amazing corn maze and is just a fun and beautiful stop for a few hours. They're open during the summer by appointment only. Link to a Pumpkin Patch / Corn Maze at http://www.connerscornfieldmaze.com.

If you don't mind going a bit south before you head inland, there's always Kennedy Space Center.

Something off the beaten path but only an hour WEST of Orlando is Crystal River. This area has the largest population of manatees in the country. You can go snorkeling in the area and get a very up close look at the manatees. Save the Manatee Club.

Mt. Dora is only 30 miles from Orlando and it's considered the antiquing capital -- well known as having more antique stores than other area of the state. They have tons of festivals and fairs during the year. Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce

[LauraPetrie]

Thanks again everyone

[Binney]

any new suggestions? We'll be driving from Long Island, NY to Sebastain FLorida for the last 2 weeks of December. Just hubby and me. Any must sees? we, too usually fly. Charleston and Savannah are mentioned a lot...any suggestions on what to see/where to eat in those cities?