"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (IV)

[loveysbydesign]

Any recommendations for a place to stay between Columbia, SC, and Savannah, GA, that will accommodate six in one room (parents and four kids under the age of 8)?

Dd and her dh are planning a trip to FL (St. Augustine where his sister lives, not WDW) for their tenth anniversary, leaving this Saturday. The other grandmother was supposed to have the kids and I was playing back up (because dh is disabled I can't be there with the kids 24/7 nor have them here) but her father has taken a turn for the worse, so now they are thinking about taking the kids to FL with them. Her biggest concern is whether they can get a single hotel room for all of them.

I've said all along that they should take the kids with them and cancel the camping trip to the Delaware beach in July. If I was a kid, I know where I would rather be!

We are staying at the Country Inn & Suites in Columbia SC tomorrow night! They have a suite with 2 beds and a sofabed for 4100 a night!

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

We're driving down from near Chicago in Sept a day before my son drives down with his wife and 4 yr old daughter and 2 1/2 son. I'm trying to think of items that they should pack/bring with them to keep the kids occupied for the trip. Anyone have any special tips for these ages?

 

[NJRRK]

We are staying at the Country Inn & Suites in Columbia SC tomorrow night! They have a suite with 2 beds and a sofabed for 4100 a night!

$4100 a night?!? And to think I thought Disney prices were high

 

[goofyfigment]

$4100 a night?!? And to think I thought Disney prices were high

I was thinking the same thing. And I always thought driving was cheaper lol

 

[nono]

We're driving down from near Chicago in Sept a day before my son drives down with his wife and 4 yr old daughter and 2 1/2 son. I'm trying to think of items that they should pack/bring with them to keep the kids occupied for the trip. Anyone have any special tips for these ages?

Most important thing: put "carry on" bags under the kids feet so that they have foot rests and can reposition themselves in their seats. Makes for a more comfortable ride for the littles.

Our kids have ridden since about age 1. We have developed a love of audiobooks on our rides. At that age, I wouldn't shoot for anything over 1 hour. One that worked well when they were young (esp. as the grandparents had just given them the dolls, who rode along) was the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy stories. It's about 4 hours total, but each individual story is much shorter.

Another "toy" that got a lot of use when they were little was pipe cleaners in assorted colors. They made all sorts of "things" that I can not really describe, but they sure had a blast making.

We at minimum take a rope for a start or finish line at the rest areas. "Start here, run to that tree and tag it, and come back to the finish line" type races are big for us. A couple of quick sprint races at after a bathroom break seem to really keep things calm for another couple hours!

HTH a bit.

 

[capegirl]

We are staying at the Country Inn & Suites in Columbia SC tomorrow night! They have a suite with 2 beds and a sofabed for 4100 a night!

I booked a room today at the Country Inn & Suites in Rocky Mount, NC ., and compared to your rate, I just got the biggest bargain ever! SC must be very pricey!!!!

 

[BC1836]

Thank you for the new thread!

You are quite welcome!

[And your signature acknowledgement to "JungleCruiser" (Sarah) is most kind.]

All the best.

 

[dvcville]

I am going through the check list for our drive. I am looking for I 95 updates. How’s the road from PA to Fl? Are there any big construction projects we need to worry about? We are planning to leave around 8pm on a Saturday.

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

Most important thing: put "carry on" bags under the kids feet so that they have foot rests and can reposition themselves in their seats. Makes for a more comfortable ride for the littles.

Our kids have ridden since about age 1. We have developed a love of audiobooks on our rides. At that age, I wouldn't shoot for anything over 1 hour. One that worked well when they were young (esp. as the grandparents had just given them the dolls, who rode along) was the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy stories. It's about 4 hours total, but each individual story is much shorter.

Another "toy" that got a lot of use when they were little was pipe cleaners in assorted colors. They made all sorts of "things" that I can not really describe, but they sure had a blast making.

We at minimum take a rope for a start or finish line at the rest areas. "Start here, run to that tree and tag it, and come back to the finish line" type races are big for us. A couple of quick sprint races at after a bathroom break seem to really keep things calm for another couple hours!

HTH a bit.

Great and different ideas. Thanks!

 

[kbarrett]

Not sure how I missed Part IV, but I'm glad I found it!


We made our first drive from Eastern Wisconsin (about an hour north of Milwaukee) last year after three times flying down. And let me tell you, I'm jonesing for another drive! (Unfortunately, as you can see by my ticker, it'll be a few years ) So much fun, and it really was like a mini-adventure. We made the drive part of the trip, instead of just a means to an end. I loved seeing other parts of the country that you typically just fly over. I got a lot of enjoyment out of seeing how the landscape changes as you head south, and even things like the different billboards that you see on the drive were realy neat to me. And of course, you can't beat the convenience of not having to worry about luggage weight, both on the drive down and more importantly on the trip home after buying souvenirs. And that's not even talking about no TSA hassles, flight delays, lost luggage, stale/germ filled air in the plane cabin, etc. I can't ever see myself flying to Disney World (or just about any place else in the lower 48) again.

you give me hope!!! If you don't mind me asking do you stop and stay over night if so where?

 

[kbarrett]

Up in Grand Rapids here. We've been doing it every other year since 2008. First trip was three kids, second was four, and in 2012 we had five. The last two we had nursing children younger than 1 year with us (10, 8, 6, 3, 9 months).

Drove straight through both ways and passed through K'Zoo on our way. US 131, I-94, I-69, I-65, I-24, I-75, Florida Turnpike. It's the most efficient way from our area. Fewest tolls, fewest miles, best speed limits, etc. And if you get a flat tire on the way, Hoss' Tire just south of Ft. Wayne is open until 6:00 pm (life saver!). Mr. Hoss will greet you at the door and work you right in ahead of the locals so you can be on your way.

I've mapped out I-75 all the way and cutting across Ohio to I-77 as alternatives. 77 is a lot farther, but a prettier drive (we took it to Hilton Head, SC one year). Also a lot more tolls. 75 is such a main north south road with all the Eastern Michigan traffic I prefer to avoid.

If you're not night drivers, you still want to try to time your departure to avoid Indianapolis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta rush hours. Tennessee is a beautiful stretch of road heading into Chattanooga. A lot of our marathoners will leave in the afternoon with the intent of going all night. That way, the kids are excited early, fall asleep during the long stretch, and we are nearly to Florida before they wake up so they're excited again!

US-31 is supposed to be updated to freeway grade all the way through to Indianapolis in a couple years. I'm looking forward to that as it will take a good 40 miles off our trip.

Depending on what you're driving, if you can get a hold of a cargo topper before you go, with four (five for us) kids in a car, it's a life saver! Seven people in a mini-van just wouldn't work otherwise with all the luggage and strollers. Had to bring two last time. Hope to be down to just a single stroller for out next trip.

If you plan on getting a room on the way down, you'll need to plan early travelling with six. Not many places can handle your family comfortably. Try to decide where you'll be stopping, then make a reservation early to make sure you have space. We aren't like smaller families that can pull into the first place we see and expect them to have room (without having to get two rooms or pack the three older kids in one bed).

Love this post it was like the Holy Grail for me to find another family from our area that drives!!!!! Where do you stay when you stop? Any suggestions welcome! How far in advance do you book?

 

[ArwenMarie]

Hi all! New here. We're drivers from NJ. Doing it again this summer!

Last year our drive was quite an, er, adventure. Hurricane Sandy was coming, so we had to leave NJ a day early. That meant we had to stay over two nights in Charlotte, our stopping point. Luckily, we switched our hotel to the Great Wolf Lodge, so it ended up being a fun two nights, thank goodness!

Then coming home, we all got the flu in Disney on the last day of our vacation. My husband got it about 24 hours after me so thankfully we got home before he was hit with it.

What a trip! Hopefully this year will be less eventful.

Right now I'm trying to decide whether to go "inland" (81-77-26-95) or 95. 95 seems to have a lot of construction this summer so I'm leaning towards inland, although I should probably research any construction on those roads as well!

Anyway, looking forward to chatting with you all!

 

[capegirl]

Hi all! New here. We're drivers from NJ. Doing it again this summer!

Last year our drive was quite an, er, adventure. Hurricane Sandy was coming, so we had to leave NJ a day early. That meant we had to stay over two nights in Charlotte, our stopping point. Luckily, we switched our hotel to the Great Wolf Lodge, so it ended up being a fun two nights, thank goodness!

Then coming home, we all got the flu in Disney on the last day of our vacation. My husband got it about 24 hours after me so thankfully we got home before he was hit with it.

What a trip! Hopefully this year will be less eventful.

Right now I'm trying to decide whether to go "inland" (81-77-26-95) or 95. 95 seems to have a lot of construction this summer so I'm leaning towards inland, although I should probably research any construction on those roads as well!

Anyway, looking forward to chatting with you all!

We drive from MA, and always use I 95. We actually stay in Elizabeth, NJ the evening before the big road trip to avoid the congestion at the NY bridges. We head out from NJ at at 5am and pretty much sail right through to Savannah, GA where we spend the night. I'm never too happy about paying for that extra night in NJ, but it does rescue us from the inevitable traffic insanity. Sorry to hear about that 'Disney flu'; between that and your escape from Hurricane Sandy, you are certainly due for an 'uneventful' trip this time around. Here's to a great road trip!!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We drive from MA, and always use I 95. We actually stay in Elizabeth, NJ the evening before the big road trip to avoid the congestion at the NY bridges. We head out from NJ at at 5am and pretty much sail right through to Savannah, GA where we spend the night. I'm never too happy about paying for that extra night in NJ, but it does rescue us from the inevitable traffic insanity. Sorry to hear about that 'Disney flu'; between that and your escape from Hurricane Sandy, you are certainly due for an 'uneventful' trip this time around. Here's to a great road trip!!

We drove in April and took that inland route. My husband didn't like it said it was to long. Anyway we're back to 95 next week I hope it goes ok.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[capegirl]

We drove in April and took that inland route. My husband didn't like it said it was to long. Anyway we're back to 95 next week I hope it goes ok.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Have a safe journey, and keep us posted!

 

[goofyfigment]

Leaving in 4 hours if only I could get a nap in

 

[AaronInWI]

you give me hope!!! If you don't mind me asking do you stop and stay over night if so where?

I don't mind at all! Just a little background on us, so you have some perspective when making your own plans. My wife and I are both in our mid-30's, no kids. I love to drive, she loves to ride (and sleep) while I drive. Plus, she's a really good navigator, so it works out well. She also helped a little bit with the driving. I would drive for about six hours; my wife would take over for an hour or so, always on a straight stretch of highway when I knew we wouldn't be exiting or merging or anything for a few hundred miles; and then I'd take over again for another six hours. I think in all, she drove about 2-3 hours, and I drove the other 17-18.

This is a (not so) quick summary of our drive. We left home (an hour north of Milwaukee) around 3:30 am on a September Saturday morning. We had planned on leaving at 4:00 am, but were both up and ready to go early. We chose to leave early morning instead of early evening because I don't like driving in strange places in the dark. Plus, half the reason for driving was to see the sights. We drove until we got south of Atlanta. We are big fans of Drury Inn's, and they have four in the Atlanta area. The one that worked best for us was in Morrow, GA. It was a rather old place, but still nice enough for a night's stay. If you've never stayed at a Drury Inn, they have an awesome (and free) hot dinner and breakfast, so that can save you a few bucks depending on when you arrive at night. (I think the evening meal only goes until 6:00.) We arrived there around 6:30ish because we sorta took our time. We stop more than others on here do, usually driving for about two hours before either stopping for gas, food, or at a rest area to stretch our legs. We'll rest for 10-15 minutes, and then carry on.

After a nice breakfast at the Drury Inn, we left around 8:00 am Sunday morning for Orlando. It is only about a five to six hour drive, and we couldn't check in to our Orlando hotel (again a Drury Inn -- this one was brand new, only open for about three weeks when we stayed) until 3:00. So this leg we really took our time. We ate lunch at a Cracker Barrel, stopped at a few places on the way down to get Georgia pecans and some old fashioned southern candies. (I was looking for moonshine too, unfortunately I came up empty.) The Florida Welcome Center is not to be missed. The fresh squeezed OJ is wonderful! We took advantage of the free hot meal at Drury Inn, then drove to Downtown Disney for shopping and dessert. Then Monday morning we checked out of the Drury Inn and checked into our Disney resort. The drive home was the reverse, only we stopped in Nashville for the night instead of Atlanta. This left us with a 10-12 hour drive home.

Finally, a couple things I learned. First, tolls aren't cheap! I had in my mind that tolls would be in the 90 cent range. So I had about $40 in change for the drive. Most tolls were more like $2.50 or more. The only place I was able to use my change was in Florida, when we drove to Costco and Super Target for some supplies. Next time we go, we'll be getting an iPass, which will save us the trouble of having to be in the right lane or worrying about getting money out. (Unfortunately, the iPass does not work in Florida, where they have their own Sunpass system.)

And lastly, we got a book that told us what we could find at each exit (food, gas, shopping, etc.). The book we got was called "the Next Exit" (Amazon link). They come out with a new one every year, so we actually had the 2012 edition. It was helpful in that I could say, I think I'll need a break in about 1/2 hour; what's coming up in about 20 exits? And my wife could look in the book and find a rest area or gas station for us to stop at 20 or so exits down the road. I'm sure there are plenty of other books you can get that'll tell you the same thing, but this is the one that we had.

If you are still following along, I hope all of this was helpful and wasn't too much information overload. If I think of anything else, I'll post it here. Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

If I didn't have carpal tunnel and were not panic stricken at driving more he 2.5 hrs I would be in my car now.
Can't believe my driver is actually going to the shore instead

Guess I have to wait until Sept. wishing I could get dgs there during he summer break.

 

[MidgeD79]

We leave in 26 hours for WDW from SE Michigan (Sunday)! My 17 year old granddaughter wants to do some freeway driving so I told her after Toledo and before Cincinnati. We are taking it easy going down and not checking in to Pop Century until Tuesday. I use Dave Hunter's "Along I -75" as a reference.

 

[LadyBeBop]

We leave in 26 hours for WDW from SE Michigan (Sunday)! My 17 year old granddaughter wants to do some freeway driving so I told her after Toledo and before Cincinnati. We are taking it easy going down and not checking in to Pop Century until Tuesday. I use Dave Hunter's "Along I -75" as a reference.

Don't forget that between Toledo and Cincinnati is a fairly large sized city called Dayton. And she'd be going through the heart of Dayton.

That said, I'd let her drive between Florence (just south of Cincinnati) and Lexington. I did check, and there is some roadwork just north of Lexington. It shouldn't be too bad, but I think it's down to one lane. Just take it slow (55 MPH or less).

Normally, Kentucky is a pretty good state to drive in; however there seems to be a lot of construction/paving this week. Probably wouldn't cause any extreme backups.