North Carolina to Maine Route suggestions

[imcabbh]

I apologize if there's similar thread regarding this, I searched and didn't find one.

We are leaving North Carolina around May 1st with a destination of Arcadia National Park for the 4th of July. Does anyone have suggestions for a route and any other tips? Thank you.

[lsbrodsky]

when we did this trip we went up 95, 270 around DC, 15 up to Harrisburg, 78 to Allentown, up 476 to 81, then 84, 87 up to 90(Mass Pike), around Boston then back onto 95. Enjoyed missing most of the traffic and found nice campgrounds along the way. 81 from Harrisburg North was under construction so that is why we diverted over to Allentown.

Larry

[HowieE]

Post your starting point in NC. That will greatly effect the comments

[imcabbh]

We will be visiting several family members in various places in NC and not sure of the final arrangements to determine "lift off" for Maine.

[HowieE]

There is a significant difference between the 81 and 95 route. It will pay you to look at a map and plan your time in NC.

[lsbrodsky]

Living in NC, I completely agree. NC is a huge State and your route will be mostly different, depending on where you start. I do suggest that you simply avoid the major metro areas like DC, NYC, Boston. That is why we went up to Harrisburg, up to Wilkes-Barre and over. I did 270 around DC just after the morning rush and it was not bad at all, but any road in the DC area can be slow or a mess just before and just after work hours.
I try not to drive more than 250-270 miles per day and we planned campgrounds, there and back, all but two nights. We used a Courtesy Parking one night and we used a Cracker Barrel lot another night.

Larry

[coasttocoast]

Quentin Tavern
Quentin, PA

[sallye]

If you have the time, a short (couple of days) stop near Rockport, Maine is a nice idea. There is a very nice little private campground called Camden Hills that is near there and lovely. It's small, but there are lots of nice trees and a nice pool to swim in. We stayed there on our way to Arcadia.

Also, you can take a day trip from Arcadia to Campobello, which was FDRs summer home. It's on an island that is actually in Canada, so have your passports. There is almost NOTHING else on the island worth seeing, however. There is a lighthouse, but that's about it. The trip was long enough that we took the dogs with us, but there was no problem getting in and out. We just had to go on separate tours since one of us had to stay with the dogs.

It's a good idea to skirt around Boston, either on 95 or 495. It's not fun driving through even without towing something. I live here and I avoid it when I can!

[nickoftime]

If you have time Lake Willoughby in the Northeast Kingdom of Vt is beautiful. A glacier made lake that is approx 400' deep and crystal clear with great sandy beaches at both ends of the lake. There are two campgrounds Willowood and White Caps Campground. We are seasonal at White Caps and the front row transient sites look directly at the lake although across the street from the water. Whitecapscamgground.com Hope to see ya at the lake. Lee

[Murphalex]

We did this trip 4 years ago this summer. Up through PA, NY, avoiding NY city and traffic at all cost. Agree with " nickoftime ", Lake Willoughby is a beautiful place to stop. We were ther 4 days and hated to leave. Then on through NH and into Maine. The Morrings Camp in Belfast, ME was also a memorable stay!
A 3 week trip and it was beautiful!

[OTRA15]

Echoing comments to stay well west of DC and NYC. I-81 is great if you can plan your NC visits to wind NW toward I-81.

More comimg

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by imcabbh

I apologize if there's similar thread regarding this, I searched and didn't find one.

We are leaving North Carolina around May 1st with a destination of Arcadia National Park for the 4th of July. Does anyone have suggestions for a route and any other tips? Thank you.

Just realizing that you seem to be planning on taking 2 months to go about 1,000 miles, which is a relatively long time, thus allowing plenty of interesting camping and sightseeing opportunities!

Given that the warmth of springtime will take its time going north, I would consider lingering as you meander north. It will still be pretty cold in the Appalachians, but schools will not be out for summer yet, so campgrounds will be easy to roll into without reservations needed in some instances. The I-81 route will support this western approach to going north.

On the other hand, again with schools still in session, you could stay close to the Atlantic Ocean, by going up The Eastern Shore via Norfolk VA, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, and the Lewes DE to Cape May NJ ferry, for a spectacular Eastern Seaboard approach to the north. Once in NJ you could head NW to skirt the NYC area.

There are threads for each of these routes, so I will look for them next.

Have fun!

Peter

PS -- Here are the search results for "Lewes Cape May ferry" which will lead to many threads about going N/S from the mid-Atlantic area to the north:

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...rry&gsc.page=1

And for "I-81" --

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...I-81&gsc.sort=

[Relaytest]

We spent some time around Acadia last Sept. Our base was The Bar Harbor CG which was great but they don't take reservation. I'm guessing the 4th of July will be a bit crazy there.
The quieter side of Acadia is called Schoodic Woods and it has a very new NP CG if you want to get away from the crowds. Also check out Southwest Harbor for a quieter side of life.
Ditto to the trip to Campobello if you're a history buff.
So much to see and do up there. We love it.

[lsbrodsky]

Yeah, I should have mentioned that we were up there after Labor Day and it was almost as crowded as most destinations are during the season. Once we got away from Acadia and Bar Harbor, the crowds were diminished. Locals told us that July and August are very busy, their tourist lifeblood.
Larry

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by imcabbh

I apologize if there's similar thread regarding this, I searched and didn't find one.

We are leaving North Carolina around May 1st with a destination of Arcadia National Park for the 4th of July. Does anyone have suggestions for a route and any other tips? Thank you.

Following up on the earlier posts and per your PM, the best way to stay clear of NYC is to take I-81 north to Scranton PA then east on I-84 with various options after that. But the I-81 option may be too far west given your NC itinerary.

If taking I-95 north, the Garden State Parkway I-287 takes you around the worst of NYC congestion, and then connects with I-87 north [NYS Thruway].

There are lots of optional routes north and east once you get past NYC, so please let us know what other stops you want to make.

Another good read, in addition to the search results already posted, is the Lucy Has Escaped thread from last summer:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...ed-152034.html

. . . with lots of good information on the Maine coast.

Good luck!

Peter

[imcabbh]

Thanks to all for your replies and tips. We will be leaving the Charlotte NC area around early to mid May and returning mid August. We currently only have reservations for the time around Memorial Day in Va and in Acadia NP for the week of July 4th. We are traveling with our dog and prefer to have electricity. What are our chances of finding open sites or are reservations a must?

[OTRA15]

It would be advisable IMO to make reservations especially for the time period after schools start to let out for the summer in mid-to-late June. After July 4th is the "high season" for most campgrounds, right through your August return.

If you need to be more flexible, maybe aim for having reservation "islands" to land on here and there, for at least 2-3 nights per week?

Have fun!

Peter

PS -- Your 30' AS limits you to certain sites also, another factor favoring reservations. BTW you know that New England has a profound black fly (biting type) and mosquito season during your travel times, one assumes? Best to be prepared rather than shocked!

[Adiredneck]

Head up through Upstate New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire, rather than the I-95 corridor through VA, MD, DC, DE, NJ, NYC, CT, RI & MA. Vacations should be beautiful, fun and relaxing. Driving through "Bos-Wash" on I-95 is none of those things!