Toronto to Charleston road trip!

[Stonestreet]

Hey guys,

I'm taking the car out of her hibernation and hitting the road (after new tires/oil/valve adjustment) in about 3 weeks time. I'll be leaving Toronto to hit Charleston and see my fiancé and thought it would be wise to check with you guys to see about any tips you might have for a nicer drive. Alternate routes through the blue ridge mountains, or roads to avoid altogether would be much appreciated.

Once I'm down there, we're planning on doing a day trip somewhere. I was thinking of doing the Ashley River road scenic byway and then getting on the Edisto Island scenic route. If any of the local folks know of a nice drive that ends with a cabin or even a b&b somewhere, I'm all ears. We did Savannah and it was amazing, but I was thinking something less obvious.

Man this winter has been so long and brutal, I'm getting pretty stoked to open it up and just cruise. I already started making driving cd's for it!

Oh yeah, she bought me coco mats for my birthday and they're at her place waiting for me!

All advice is appreciated, thanks,

Marc

[cashflyer]

Check with HHI944.... he lives down on the SC coast.
There are a lot of others here in the southland also.

[onlycafe]

have a safe, great trip.
stick to the blue highways and state roads during the day. see the countryside, not the interstate.
eat at the independents, avoid the chains and franchises when you can.

see if your local library has a copy of roadside america for reference.

[Stonestreet]

Cool, thanks. I'm not sure what a blue highway is, but I'll look into it.

I know what you mean about the big chains and franchise. Not my thing. I grew up in the suburbs and never stopped rebelling against it.

[HHI944]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Check with HHI944.... he lives down on the SC coast.
There are a lot of others here in the southland also.

Yo!!
I'm down on HHI, but up in CHS a good bit for work. Sadly, I don't know any good B&Bs in the area, but the drive from myrtle beach to Charleston along 17 is quite nice, decent roads, sweeping curves, just have to watch out for the small town cops looking to keep their budget sound.

Hilton Head is awesome this time of year, but you might be heading down right around the RBC Heritage. Roads will be a mess and hotels through the roof for that week. Let me know if you have any specific questions

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by HHI944

...just have to watch out for the small town cops looking to keep their budget sound.

That's for sure. I-95 through Jasper used to be notorious for their revenue grabs.

[Stonestreet]

I've booked this place for the weekend. Looks pretty amazing!

Swayback - Rooms - 1906 Pine Crest Inn - Tryon - USA

[Heel n Toe]

We've stayed at the Meeting Street Inn (downtown Charleston), and couldn't have been more satisfied... it was very enjoyable and we didn't want to leave... highly recommend:
Meeting Street Inn in Charleston, South Carolina | B&B Rental

More choices here:
40 Charleston, SC Inns, Hotels and Romantic B&Bs

Don't know of any out in the countryside that would fit your request, but it might be worth checking with the Charleston Chamber of Commerce to see if they have some recommendations.

[NYPorsche]

For the drive down there - a few different options:

The western route using I90 to I79 through Pittsburgh will take you through West Virginia - which is scenic, but there are some rural areas through southern West Virginia into Virginia. In WVA - connect with US 19 to I77 which will get you all the way to Columbia, SC. The New River Gorge Bridge on US 19 is situated within the National Park Service's New River Gorge Bridge Scenic Area with some nice hiking trails and is a nice stop.

The central route uses US 219 south from Buffalo - the quickest route - but 219 is in rough shape starting a bit north of the NY/PA border. It gets better a bit into PA, but the road is terrible for a ways.

The eastern route uses I90-I390-I86-US15 through Williamsport PA (home of the little league world series), which then connects with US-11 to get to Harrisburg. US-11 along the Susquehanna River leading up to Harrisburg is a pretty drive. If you've got time - spend a day, or even just a few hours at Gettysburg, just south of Harrisburg. A very moving site.

For the second two routes, the quickest way south from here is to head towards DC and connect with I95 - but - watch your timing when getting to DC.

If you've got the time - the slightly longer (but much more enjoyable) alternative would be to take I81 out of Harrisburg, head into Northern Virginia and drive Skyline Drive. Skyline drive is 105 miles of great scenery and some fun driving (as long as it isn't clogged with tourists). Luray Cavers just off the road is really cool too. Further south you could also connect with the Blue Ridge Parkway before continuing on to Charlotte, NC and then Columbia, SC.

I rented a house in Folly Beach last year for a family vacation. Wonderful little community just south of Charleston. I didn't get a chance to explore much of anywhere else in the SC/GA area - so I can't provide any advice there.

[diverdan]

There are a couple of car events that are weekly or at least bi weekly. One is a PCA group that meets on the west side of Charleston and the other is a cars and coffee thing that meets on the East side across the river. Good guys and interesting cars. A search on this thread for "Charleston" may bring up contacts that would know. Enjoy.

[KFC911]

I'll leave the specifics to those who are more local, but I have to ask, what is your pleasure...the journey or the destination? Lot's of great roads in between, but I've been on plenty of scenic routes like the Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Pkwy, etc. and one can spend a few hours of travelling these type of routes only to find you've knocked off only 1 inch of your journey (on a map)

ps: I've often aborted a "scenic route" after just a few hours in order to "make some time"...maybe a combination of both?

[Jim Richards]

Skyline Drive is 35mph and patrolled by US Park Police using radar. Scenic yes, but slow.

[GH85Carrera]

Yea, some of the roads are pretty, but at 35 MPH it will take you forever and a day to get anywhere. And the federal tickets are expensive from what I hear.

[Seahawk]

Lots of great inputs so far, especially Skyline Drive: The good news is that you can jump on, drive a section, then jump off.

A lot of the route selection will depend on the amount of time you want to take, how many hours a day you want to drive, etc.

Since you'll be near the beach, I'd say inland for a bit.

I don't know PA that well, but once in WV/MD, Berkeley Spring is a good point to get off the interstate roads for a while, headed south to Winchester, which is a quaint town about 8 hours drive south. Not a back place to stop for the night.

If you want to press on, I recommend Stauton, Va. A few nice old hotels in the heart of the old downtown. Nest place with some great, funky places to eat.

The problem is that if you stay on the interstate, Charleston is only about another 8 hours drive...but 81, while not an ugly drive scenery-wise, is a major north/south trucking route and a bit of a mess to drive.

The option are many from Winchester/Stauton. I would head south on 81 to Lexington, Va. Stop in, find the old town down and have lunch. Very cool town. On your way out, drive up the hill through Washington and Lee College and take the loop around the Virginia Military Institute: Both campuses are very pretty. Wave to my son at VMI

From there, take the pass up through Buena Vista to Lynchburg. Lots of fun.

From Lynchburg, you can divert to the Appomattox Battle Field, just a short drive away. Well worth the hour or so. Take 29 south when you are done. Nothing particularly awesome about 29, but it is quick. You could probably make Charlotte.

Quick blast to Charleston the next day.

There are, of course, a million variations. Easy to hop on and off the interstate for side drives.

The one resource I find invaluable when I do side trips in the South is Southern Living:

http://www.southernliving.com/travel

Have a great time!

[Stonestreet]

Wow, thanks for all the incredible replies. I truly appreciate your time and advice. Plenty of food for thought here. When I get home from work, I'll mess around on google maps to try and construct a route that is flexible and fun.

Again, many many thanks!

Marc