Itinerary for a Road Trip Up the East Coast of the U.S.
Itinerary for a Road Trip Up the East Coast of the U.S.
With international air travel sort of on the back burner for a while, an itinerary for a road trip through the United States is something we can all use at this time. This is just one of the many road trips we have taken through the U.S., and it’s one of our favorites!
Before Covid-19 stopped us all from traveling by air, Michael and I decided we wanted to see some more of this beautiful country, rather than travel overseas. We took a road trip from Charleston, South Carolina up the east coast and over to Chicago, and then flew home from there.
In this post, I’m sharing with you this travel plan for a 5-week road trip. Of course, as with all of our itineraries, you can take just certain portions of this 5-week route, or you can borrow the entire itinerary. In addition, I know some of you will be starting from the northern states, so maybe you’ll want to reverse the route to begin in Chicago and make your way south to Charleston. Again, tailor this itinerary to your travel needs.
To find out where we stayed, what we did, and any other tips about each of the places we visited, see the links provided for each location. Also, be sure to check out my tips for a fun and successful road trip, as well as my post for some fun road trip games to help you beat boredom between stops.
Eastern U.S. Road Trip Itinerary
Our Itinerary
- Charleston, South Carolina: 3 Days
- The Outer Banks, North Carolina: 3 Days
- Chesapeake Bay, Virginia: 3 Days
- The New Jersey Shore: 5 Days
- Mystic and Groton Long Point, Connecticut: 5 Days
- Cape Cod, Massachusetts: 3 Days
- Portland, Maine: 3 Days
- Lake Placid, New York: 3 Days
- Watkins Glen, New York: 3 Days
- Niagara Falls, Canada: 2 Days
- Canton, Ohio: 2 Days
- Chicago, Illinois: 5 Days
Save Time and Money With the America the Beautiful Pass
If you’re planning on visiting any of the National Parks throughout the United States, consider purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass to save you time and tons of money. It gets you into any national park in the US for $80 a year! And, if you’re a senior, the pass is $80 for an entire lifetime!
Where to Begin Your Road Trip
Fly to Charleston, South Carolina
Michael and I love Charleston, South Carolina and its fabulous food, so this is where we decided to begin our drive. We live in South Florida, so we booked our one-way flight on Expedia from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) arriving in Charleston, South Carolina (CHS).
We were flying back home from Chicago 5 weeks later, so again we booked a one-way flight from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) back to Palm Beach International Airport.
See how to get the best deals on flights. By the way, if you have some layovers, or are one of us who like getting to the airport way before the flight leaves, be sure to get your Priority Pass before flying. The Priority Pass gives you access to those first class lounges even when you’re flying economy!
Rent a Car for Your Journey
We had reserved a car on AutoEurope for pick up at the Charleston Airport and drop off at the Chicago airport. See my tips and tricks for renting a car.
How About Taking Your Road Trip by Motorcycle
Feel the wind in your hair on a motorcycle ride up the coast. If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one for your road trip at Bikesbooking.com.
How Long to Spend in Each Location & Driving Distances
Charleston, South Carolina: 3 Days
We spent about 3 days enjoying beautiful, historic downtown Charleston, its Plantations, and all of our favorite restaurants. See my separate posts on Charleston, South Carolina:
Driving Distance from Charleston, South Carolina to Nags Head in the Outer Banks of North Carolina: 449 miles and 6.5 hours
The Outer Banks, North Carolina: 3 Days
You’ll need about 3 days in The Outer Banks. We stayed in Nags Head just because it was sort of in the middle of the Outer Banks, which makes it easy to go either north or south to explore.
In our 2.5 – 3 days we spent in the Outer Banks we did everything we planned on doing, including taking a tour to see the wild horses on the beach, the Wright Brothers Memorial National Park, and spend a little relaxing beach time. See my separate post on The Outer Banks:
Driving Distance from The Outer Banks, North Carolina to Chesapeake Bay, Virginia: 151 miles and 3 hours
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia: 3 Days
Michael and I spent 3 days visiting family in the town of Painter on the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. This route will take you through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which I must admit is a little bit eerie.
Once we made it through the Bridge Tunnel, we stopped along the way in Norfolk at the Norfolk Naval Station for a few hours. I highly recommend stopping here along the way… it’s only about 1.5 hours from Nags Head to Norfolk, and it is super interesting. Then from Norfolk, you’ve only got another 1.5 hours to reach the Painter area. See my separate post on Chesapeake Bay, Virginia:
Driving Distance from Chesapeake Bay (Painter), Virginia to the Jersey Shore: 126 miles and 4 hours (this route includes a ferry and tolls)
The Jersey Shore: 5 Days
Your trip up the Jersey Shore begins in Cape May, where you’ll disembark the ferry. The drive along the Shore up to Sandy Hook, without stopping, is only about 4 hours. However, you’ll want to stop off and see things along the way, do a little gambling in Atlantic City, or just spend time on the beaches in each town. See my separate post about our road trip up the Jersey Shore:
Driving Distance from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to Mystic, Connecticut: 185 miles and 3.25 hours
Mystic and Groton Long Point, Connecticut: 5 Days
Michael and I spent time with family in Groton, so you could actually get away with spending about 3 days in Groton and Mystic. However, with 5 days you can take side trips to see the beautiful mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. See my separate posts on Mystic and Groton, Connecticut:
Driving Distance from Mystic, Connecticut to Cape Cod, Massachusetts: 124 miles and 2.25 hours
Cape Cod, Massachusetts: 3 Days
There are so many delightful towns along Cape Cod’s 400 miles of shoreline, but Michael and I chose to spend our 4 days in the town of Hyannis. The reason we chose Hyannis is because we wanted to spend a day in Martha’s Vineyard, and Hyannis has daily ferries to Martha’s Vineyard. See my separate posts on Cape Cod:
Driving Distance from Hyannis, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine: 177 miles and 3 hours
Portland, Maine: 3 Days
Maine is definitely in my top 5 favorite states in the United States. It is absolutely stunning, and the seafood is the freshest you can get pretty much anywhere! I LOVE Maine!
On this trip to Maine, we spent 3 days exploring lighthouses, eating delicious lobster downtown, and boating and golfing with friends in the nearby town of Raymond. Of course, tailoring this itinerary to add an extra day or two, you could take a drive to lovely Bar Harbor and Stephen King’s home town of Bangor. See my separate posts on Maine:
Driving Distance from Portland, Maine to Lake Placid, New York: 318 miles and 6 hours (this route includes a ferry and tolls)
Lake Placid, New York: 3 Days
The driving distance to Lake Placid in the finger lakes district of upstate New York includes a side trip up to Burlington, Vermont to have lunch with a friend.
I included this in the driving distance because Burlington is a really cool town! I’d love to go back for a few days and really get a feel for this place! If you’ve got a little time to spend for lunch, definitely take this route. In fact, if you’ve got an extra day, spend it here! However, you can cut off about ½ an hour if you skip driving up to Burlington. See my separate post on Lake Placid, New York:
Driving Distance from Lake Placid, New York to Watkins Glen, New York: 282 miles and 5.25 hours
Watkins Glen, New York: 3 Days
We spent 3 days in Watkins Glen, but I think another day here would have been perfect. This area is so beautiful, and there’s plenty to do.
We took hikes through the Watkins Glen State Park, went sailing on Seneca Lake, and played golf. However, we really didn’t have time to hit all of the amazing wineries… WHAT?! I know. See my separate post on Watkins Glen, New York:
Driving Distance from Watkins Glen, New York to Niagara Falls, Canada: 254 miles and 2.75 hours (this includes a border crossing – bring your Passport, and verify Covid-19 border restrictions)
Niagara Falls, Canada: 2 Days
Michael and I chose to see Niagara Falls from the Canada side of the Falls, but if you don’t want to worry about crossing into Canada and carrying your Passport on this trip, just spend your 3 days on the American side of the Falls. See my separate posts on Niagara Falls:
Driving Distance from Niagara Falls, Canada to Canton, Ohio: 416 miles and 4 hours
Canton, Ohio: 2 Days
On your way from Niagara Falls to Canton, Ohio, be sure to stop off at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It’s only about 15 minutes out of the way, but still on the way to Canton, and it’s well worth it. Plus, if you do this on your way to Canton, you’ll have more time to spend exploring Amish Country and the NFL Hall of Fame! See my separate posts on Canton, Ohio:
Driving Distance from Canton, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois: 387 miles and 6 hours (this route includes a time zone change)
Chicago, Illinois: 5 Days
What a way to end this fabulous road trip. Downtown Chicago is one of my outright favorite cities in all of the United States. With your 5 days in Chicago, you can sample some of the country’s finest foods, take a ride on the river to see the amazing architecture, walk your feet off on the Magnificent Mile, and still have time enough to see a baseball game at Wrigley Field. See my separate post on Chicago, Illinois:
The End of Our Journey
Our amazing journey is over and we’ve turned in our rental car in Chicago to catch our flight back to Palm Beach. This is one of the best trips we’ve taken over the years, and I hope it inspires you to at least borrow part of the itinerary.
What to Pack for a 5 Week Road Trip
Here are a few essential items we always pack no matter where we’re going, as well as a few additional items you should pack for a 5-week road trip. For additional information on what to pack, see my ultimate travel gear and packing list.
WE ALWAYS PACK:
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(I NEVER leave home without these lifesavers).
- A water resistant lightweight packable backpack that folds up into the size of your hand is great for carrying your daily excursion items, such as your camera, beach towels, sunscreen, etc. give you just enough detergent to wash your bathing suits in your hotel sink. And, don’t forget those all important Tide Sticks for stains on the go.
- For those beautiful days with the occasional light rain, disposable rain ponchos are easy to pack and carry with you in your purse or even in your pocket. rain suits come in handy on those days when we’re expecting quite a bit of rain. They may not be the most attractive rain gear, but they sure keep you dry!
- One thing we always bring along is our 32 Degrees light packable down jacket… just in case! are a must. There are just too many plastic water bottles already in our oceans and streams.
- A good, strong sunscreen in a TSA approved container.
- Phone chargers
- Ladies, a hat is always a good accessory to have for keeping the sun off of your face.
- A Kindle or Nook makes it easy to take all of your favorite books along with you on vacation.
- Travel journals to keep notes of where you ate, what you saw and where you went, and plenty of pens.
- Insect repellant, sanitizing wipes, N95 masks and hand sanitizer. See this link for more information on how to stay healthy while traveling, especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
- Polarized sunglasses will protect your eyes from our harsh sun.
- Camera, Lenses, Flash, Extra SD Cards, USB. To get those phenomenal photos with a zoom lens, I love the Nikon D3500! It takes the best photos, and it has a nice large screen.
EXTRA THINGS TO PACK FOR A ROAD TRIP:
- A portable GPS, such as a Garmin, because you may lose service on your cell, and, therefore, lose your route.
- Good, old-fashioned maps.
- A small cooler for snacks and drinks.
- Music, Audio Books, and car games.
- Sanitizing wipes, garbage bag, toilet paper, napkins, hand sanitizer, masks and gloves.
- For hiking you’ll want to bring a collapsable hiking stick.
- Waterproof hiking boots are an absolute must. In upstate New York there are lots of waterfalls and streams, and you do get the occasional rain.
- A waterproof hat is also something good to have with you.
- Umbrellas can be a pain to carry around with you, but a small reverse folding umbrella is pretty handy.
- A light hooded fleece is perfect for layering on cool days.
- Chilly nights and sunny days make for chapped lips! I love Burt’s Bees Lip Balm.
- It’s always good to have a first aid kit.
- A windbreaker, bathing suit, cover up, flip-flops, shorts, tees, tanks and a good pair of walking shoes. are great. They can be worn as long pants on the chilly mornings, and when it warms up you just unzip above the knee and they become shorts.
- Ladies, a portable urinal comes in handy when on long car trips or hiking in the woods.
Share Your Travel Tips, Favorite Road Trip Itinerary & Comments
As always, if you have any of your own travel tips to add to this post, any remarks on the article, or if my information needs an edit or addition, please leave your comments below. I value all of your input.
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