So I have this thing about my twins visiting all 50 states before college…?! Well, there are rules: airports and gas stations do not count. We must actually DO something in each state (I know…a bit much…but that’s how it goes). Anyway, in 2019, we decided that a drive home to New York from our Christmas vacation in South Florida would be just the ticket to seeing a few “new” states. Planning this I-95 road trip with kids was overwhelming in many ways, so I put it off for a while and then did not properly think it through. It was fun, but stressful at times, and we didn’t see as many things as I wanted to.
What helped get us through the long hours of driving:
- frequent stops – We stopped in many rest areas, gas stations and (nasty fast food) restaurants to munch, stretch and use the facilities. I am almost always the facilitator of these stops, and I consider myself lucky that Renato indulges me.
- unhealthy snacks – I know that I will get hate mail for this, but I LOVE CANDY and I LOVE getting new and interesting types at gas stations on the road 😜. Here are some that we sampled:
- Good music – We like to play the request game where we go around the car and each person gets to choose a song (RULE: No song may be repeated in a single day).
- Audiobooks – I don’t allow screens in the car, so we listen to a lot of audiobooks. For this particular trip, we listened to all of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) and the first half of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (Book 4).
- Car games – I tried so hard to get Nina and Alex into the time passers that kept my brother and me occupied when we were little (like the License Plate Game, and the “How many South-of-the-Border signs can you spot?” Game, but they weren’t so into them ☹️
Overnight stop #1 on our road trip with kids
Our first overnight stop was in Daytona Beach, Florida for New Years Eve. We stayed and ate at the Hard Rock Hotel. We didn’t have much time to see the sights, but we did get to experience the Magic of Lights Christmas display at the Daytona International Speedway . You can read all of the details of our visit here.
Forrest Gump:Shrimp::Georgia Peach World: _____
Georgia is not a new state for the kids since we had already traveled to Atlanta in the fall (read about that trip here). We did, however, make one unique stop: Georgia Peach World (I-95 Exit 58).
Sipping a free of a taste of frozen peach juice, we explored this fascinating world. There’s peach jelly, peach alcohol, peach ice cream, peach syrup, peach candy…and also pecans and delicious packages of bugs (MMMMM! Protein!). Renato said the pecans were very good, but the taffy was just meh. Outside of the shop, we found a petting zoo area that was super sad…two emaciated ponies in a tiny pen. We also made a quick stop to use the bathroom Wellands Folley (next door) which was really gross and had no toilet paper. An interesting stop, but we will definitely never return!
Overnight stop #1 on our road trip with kids
Charleston is about a 60 mile detour off of I-95, but we ventured there regardless…and we were happy we did! We stayed at the Wentworth Mansion (which was AH-mazing!). Some of the things we did were: visit Magnolia Plantation; take a horse and carriage ride; and eat on King Street. Read more details about this leg of the journey here.
DON’T MISS: the classic South of the Border I-95
Who could resist a stop at South of the Border?! (Well, my husband for one…and parents when I was a teenager…and I’m certain many other folks, but not me!!!!). At this infamous, classic exit, you can find a reptile lagoon, amusement park rides, shops, restaurants, and even a motor inn and RV campground! I didn’t insist on all that…I just wanted to check out the gift shop (old habits die hard, right dad?!). It was nostalgic for me to return to what I think may very well be the world’s largest junk shop. Of course we bought our usual souvenirs: a deck of cards for Alex, a keychain for Nina and a magnet for yours truly.
The highlight of this stop was standing between two states: South Carolina and North Carolina. If you decide to do this, make sure you watch your footing: we managed to step right into a red ant nest 😬
ROAD TRIP TIP: Never underestimate the time it takes to get from point A to point B.
- There will be unplanned stops that must be made (like for the bathroom and gas).
- Food must be consumed, and the service could very well be unbearably slow (especially if you’re down south!)
- You can’t predict traffic…you may run into road construction or an accident.
- Don’t forget about the weather…you could find yourself in the midst of an epic thunderstorm.
- Never rely on the GPS to give accurate directions to fast food restaurants…they may not be where you thought they were, and you may get stuck driving on empty for miles and miles
Overnight stop #3 on our road trip with kids
We were so happy to finally arrive at The Williamsburg Inn in Virginia at 10:00 at night. It took us about 10 hours 😳 to get to get here from Charleston. Wearily, we went to bed and prepared for our visit to Colonial Williamsburg, “the world’s largest living museum”, where you can experience what it was like to live and work in the 18th Century. We really enjoyed our exploring, but it was way too brief. Read more about our time in Virginia here.
The Final Countdown: Almost there!!!
We made it!!!
