Florida bound

[mjeff87]

The wife and I are heading out to Florida, probably leaving Sunday early afternoon and driving halfway then finishing up Monday morning.  We've already done this trip once before (straight thru) and it's almost exactly 8 hours and 2 right turns to where we are going (about 1/2 hour northwest of Jacksonville).  One turn right to get onto I95 by our house, then another right turn at the very first exit in Flordia off of 95.  Can't really get lost, lol.  Anybody have any good ideas/interesting things to do along the way we could stop at?  Don't want to stray too far off 95 (we have friends in Wilmington NC, but that's a good 1.5 hour side trip).  We were thinking about stopping off either in Florence, SC or Savanna GA (but honestly, if we're the whole way down to Savanna we might as well just finish the trip in one shot).  Looking for something interesting to go do/see for a couple hours, a nice place to eat dinner, and we'll find a hotel somewhere nearby to overnight in.

 

I'd rather just get up at 0-dark hundred on Monday morning and drive straight thru, but SWMBO would rather leave on Sunday.  We'll be there the whole week, driving back to VA next Saturday.  The return trip will be a one-shot deal.

 

edit:  anybody need anything hauled north from down south?  If it can be gotten reasonably close to I95 and will fit in the back of a Subaru Forrester, I can drag whatever at least back up to VA

[olddude]

I don't envy you making that long drive. I use to do that when I was a lot younger, can't sit that long and straighten up. We go down to St. Simons Island about once a year, wife use to live there. In fact we are going down in a couple of weeks. Exit #38 over to US 17 then left onto the causeway. Southern Soul BBQ in the middle of the island, the best BBQ you will find anywhere , also The Crab Shack just above the village, good shrimp, fish and of course deviled crab. There is a Holiday Inn Express on the island good place to stay, free breakfast. Going off the island take US 17 south across the big bridge to I95. You will enjoy the stop over.

[WahooSteeler]

Well, as you already know, you have one required stop built in to your trip. Everybody loves Pedro! 

[mjeff87]

9 minutes ago, olddude said:

I don't envy you making that long drive. I use to do that when I was a lot younger, can't sit that long and straighten up. We go down to St. Simons Island about once a year, wife use to live there. In fact we are going down in a couple of weeks. Exit #38 over to US 17 then left onto the causeway. Southern Soul BBQ in the middle of the island, the best BBQ you will find anywhere , also The Crab Shack just above the village, good shrimp, fish and of course deviled crab. There is a Holiday Inn Express on the island good place to stay, free breakfast. Going off the island take US 17 south across the big bridge to I95. You will enjoy the stop over.

 

Honestly, it's really not a bad drive.  The worst part (and longest) is driving thru SC....95 parallels the coastline and just seems to go on forever.  They could have probably cut out about 75-100 miles of lane construction when building if it just stayed straight N-S like it does in NC and GA.  I95 in GA is probably some of the best interstate roadway I've ever driven on as it widens out to 6-8 lanes right at the border.

 

We'll get plenty of "island" down there, over on Amelia, but we're actually staying west of 95, not toward the ocean.  Barely in Fl, about 6 miles from Folkston, GA.....if you're familiar.  Day trips to Amelia and Fernandina are already in the plans.

5 minutes ago, WahooSteeler said:

Well, as you already know, you have one required stop built in to your trip. Everybody loves Pedro! 

 

Not just no, but HELL no.

 

[Jeep Driver]

Yeah, 26/95 is the way we go now, beats the snot out of 75........whatta drag. 

[Pete M]

google "junkyards" and see what comes up along your route  

[Dzimm]

That's quite a trip.  Don't really know of anywhere to stop along there but if you go visit your friends in Wilmington, stop over at True Blue Butcher and Table for some food.  My uncle owns the place, I've yet to get out there and try it myself but I've heard it's really good.