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Beer Snob · 05-06-2013, 11:14 AM

Hi folks:

We are picking up the tube at Colonial and heading straight south this week via the DelMarva/Chesapeake Bridge route. Somewhere we are going to hook a right and head towards Birmingham. I'd love to stay off 95 as much as possible and the back roads north/south in Va/NC are a mystery to me. Am I ok going off the grid down there or should I just book it to 95? All opinions welcomed? Thanks.

pmclemore · 05-07-2013, 10:05 AM

If you want to avoid i-95 then you can use us route 17. However, this does go through a bunch of cities and towns - but there are bypasses that will help you.

If you are basing your feelings on i-95 on how it is up north, I can tell you that it is better down here. Plenty of traffic, sure, but I have never felt white-knuckled.

I also find that if I hold to 65 or so, most everyone will just go on by and I am just fine. When I need to pass someone, however, I will speed up and get back to the right lane as soon as possible.

Enjoy the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Just be sure to turn off your tanks. I usually tell the attendant that I will pull over just past the booth (a good safe place).

Happy travels. Pat.

overlander63 · 05-07-2013, 10:23 AM

I like I 85, though Atlanta can be more than a little, umm, exciting.

Beer Snob · 05-07-2013, 12:22 PM

Thanks Pat. Is 17 at all interesting? We are not in any big hurry but still prefer an uncrowded secondary or state road to the Interstate. I've done NY to Florida on 95 more times than I care to remember and know the difference between the northern and southern portions. But there are inevitably a half dozen or so construction projects going on that gum things up pretty good.

As for Atlanta, well, I'm not sure how much worse that can be than the Cross Bronx or the BQE up here in the Apple. We'll just pick an in auspicious hour to pass through or take a long detour around. Six days to get from NY to Birmingham is plenty of time to explore.

Thanks guys.

Lily&Me · 05-07-2013, 12:50 PM

We love 17, and the small towns will acquaint you some with the charms of SC and the LowCountry.

If you have time, drive down to Edisto Beach State Park and stay a night at the beach campground if you can find a site.

Maggie

wahoonc · 05-07-2013, 01:39 PM

Both 301 and US 1 more or less parallel I-95 from around DC south. If you are coming across on the CBB you should be able to pick up 301 an hour or so to the west at Emporia. US 17 is not a bad ride either. US 13 out of Suffolk, VA is another option.

Aaron

DanielB · 05-07-2013, 02:32 PM

301

carl2591 · 05-07-2013, 02:43 PM

hwy 301 is a good road, however hwy 17 tend to run closer to coastal area and a bit more oceanic scenes in areas. you get to experience towns like new bern, jacksonville (home of marine corp base) wilmington, little river, mrytle beach and more..

lots to see and eat.

Hwy 301 is more rural in nature,, farm land, cows etc..

either is good ..

Jack46 · 05-07-2013, 04:13 PM

Agree that Route 17 works as a good alternative to I 95. We just returned from Atlanta and found I 85 to be fine as well albeit much quicker.

Beer Snob · 05-07-2013, 07:38 PM

Thanks everyone. We will most likely be doing that part of the trip on Friday. We'll let you know how weekend up going. Most likely we'll go 17 for at least part of it.

pmclemore · 05-08-2013, 09:16 AM

Have a great trip. It sounds like you are going to enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

BTW, SOB has an entirely different connotation in Dillon than it does on this forum. Greetings to Pedro!

Pat

Tomzstream · 05-08-2013, 10:03 AM

Check Gas Buddy for best prices along the way. NC is HIGH due to taxes, SC LOW for the same reason. Try to buy in Southern VA (the stations there at Emporia where US 58 comes into I-95 are pretty cheap). Avoid refuelling in NC. Dillon, SC is actually a pretty good place to stop for gas. Lots of Love's Flying J's and Pilots in the northern SC area with easy pull throughs.

You might want to jump off on I-20 toward Columbia in Florence, but you'll miss the best of the low country as others have pointed out.

I hate I-85. Charlotte is a speed trap, and once past that, the hills in SC and NE GA are clogged with semis that think they own that road. They slow on the hills and speed on the downslopes. Unless you can match them, its hard to keep them off your tail.

As for the backroads, after you complete the DELMARVA, you may have had your fill of traffic lights. Watch for the heavy congestion as you near Ocean City and keep a safe braking distance. I usually take that route up to SJ myself, as I enjoy the scenery. Once did it on Mothers day several years back in the middle of a Noreaster. 301 was a mess with tree limbs and flooding all along the way. Not a fun trip.

Good Luck and keep us updated!

Tomzstream · 05-08-2013, 10:20 AM

Also, if you do take US 17, get yourself a Kroger affinity card as their gas stations are among the cheapest and they take another 3-4 cents of when you use it. Well worth it. I personally like US 17 for the interest factor. It was the N-S mother road for the coastal areas and has lots of old Motels which I like to photograph (but not necessarily stay in.) And then there are the many many BBQ joints for a bit of local flavor... But that deserves a thread of its own! Be warned, that the RR often parallels 17 as well, and there may be a few delays as it is still quite active.

Beer Snob · 05-08-2013, 02:13 PM

Keep that great advice coming folks! We are currently waiting for the 6pm ferry from Cape May to Lewes. We are going to pull up at the Delaware Seashore St Park for the night then probably a short roll down to Kiptopeke SP for tomorrow night.
How nice not to have to drag the Airstream through NYC as she spent last week at The Colonial Airstream Spa. Four new boots, brakes and she's rolling south!

TouringDan · 05-08-2013, 02:49 PM

Sounds like a fun trip if you can avoid 95.
One option might be to head down the
Outer
Banks if you have the time. No summer crowds yet. When you get to
Ocracoke you would take the toll ferry to
Cedar
Island and then hook back up with 17. I can tell you about 2 nice inexpensive campgrounds on the
Outer Banks- Sands of Time in Avon and Waves in Waves.
Have fun.

Dan

pmclemore · 05-09-2013, 08:41 AM

Page and I love camping at Kiptopeake SP and do so a couple of times a year. Where else can you see concrete ships? This used to be the terminal for the Cape Henry/Cape Charles ferry (before the CBBT was built. The concrete ships (7, I think) were sunk to form a breeakwater for the terminal.

We enjoy the Gingernut Pub in Cape Charles. There is also an old hardware store just down the block that has everything you need. If they don't have it, you don't need it.

Pat

carl2591 · 05-09-2013, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomzstream

Check Gas Buddy for best prices along the way. NC is HIGH due to taxes, SC LOW for the same reason. Try to buy in Southern VA (the stations there at Emporia where US 58 comes into I-95 are pretty cheap). Avoid refuelling in NC. Dillon, SC is actually a pretty good place to stop for gas. Lots of Love's Flying J's and Pilots in the northern SC area with easy pull throughs.

You might want to jump off on I-20 toward Columbia in Florence, but you'll miss the best of the low country as others have pointed out.

I hate I-85. Charlotte is a speed trap, and once past that, the hills in SC and NE GA are clogged with semis that think they own that road. They slow on the hills and speed on the downslopes. Unless you can match them, its hard to keep them off your tail.

Good Luck and keep us updated!

agree with gas buddy.. they have a cool app for that..

having been a 18 wheel driver i can tell you when loaded you have to pull up hill just like when pulling your AS.. now some of you can and do blast up the hills at speed limit, eating a BUNCH of fuel, but in a large truck you are pulling some 80K load up hill you slow a bit or a lot depending on the motor..

on the down hill side you try to get some good speed up to help with the upcoming hill climb..

I have done the, be passed to pass RV's motor homes, etc and it is quite hard to shake them sometimes.. after the third time the kids are not even trying to get you to blow the air horn..

now in a big truck with no or a light load we could out pull most RV's up hill unless they had a big ego and big gas sucking motor they would try like hell to not be passed.. too funny sometime as they were pulling off to get fuel and i was still dragging my wagon full speed ahead..

just my opinion

Beer Snob · 05-10-2013, 12:59 AM

Well, we've been having a great time.....until.... Anybody know where we can get a shattered side window replaced down this way? No big deal, nobody hurt, nothing else wrong and we are patched and duct taped for the time being. Any airstream dealers in eastern NC, SC, Georgia or Alabama?

Tomzstream · 05-10-2013, 05:03 AM

If you are already out of VA, you probably don't want to backtrack to Safford RV which is just north of Richmond in Thornburg. The only AS dealer in NC I am aware of is in Colfax on I-40, well west of where you are.

SC may be your best if willing to cut over to I-95 again... Don Mar located at:
265 Puddin Swamp Rd
Lynchburg, SC 29080-8806
Phone (803) 453-5011

Might want to call ahead for your part.

Good Luck!

Tomzstream · 05-10-2013, 05:39 AM

to Carl, Not trying to blame truckers for trying to make a living. Actually, anyone who has towed a couple of tons behind them has more appreciation for truckers concerns than most car drivers. You appreciate what it is to have to merge into traffic, pass with a load, or more importantly brake hard when a car does something stupid in front of you.

That said, I hate being on I-85 on that stretch just because of the dynamics of the traffic. If it were three lanes, things would be better. But the undulating topography makes it near impossible to maintain a constant speed. You are correct, it wastes fuel and a constant throttle is the best for fuel economy, but that leads to highly variable speeds. Forget using the cruise control and watch your six. I just stay right and let the trucks pass me by... but its annoying to have to pass the same truck again going uphill when they slow down to sub speed limit speeds. They need truck lanes.