Road Trip 2017 | An Epic Trip To The East Coast Of US

First of all, wish you a very Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday season with your loved ones!

I’ve to admit that it took me forever to write this post about my epic road trip of 2017 to the east coast of the United States. I wanted to publish this post last month but was too occupied with work and with the pressure of Holiday season and vacation, just couldn’t make it!

So let me share with you my epic road trip of 2017! It started from my hometown in Tampa, FL during the last weekend of August and ended in mid-September. Those 20 days were the ultimate experience in itself as we drove more than 2500 miles, covered 12 States, explored 8 major cities, witnessed more than 50 attractions and made endless memories! 

The trip was special as I was traveling with my hubby as well as in-laws for the first time. Most of my trips are solo, therefore traveling with family for the first time was an overwhelming experience in itself!

Here’s list of some amazing places that we visited on our epic road trip!

1) Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL

I have to admit that whenever we have any family or friends coming to visit our place, we don’t take them to Disney or Universal first but we always start our trip by visiting Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. Visiting Kennedy Space Center has become our ritual now and I love visiting there again and again! We spent a day exploring all the exhibits and adventures that NASA had to offer! In the evening, we drove on I-95 S for about 2 hours and reached our hotel in St. Augustine!

 2) St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine — the oldest city in the United States is famous for its Spanish colonial architecture as well as rich heritage. Whether you love splendid Atlantic beaches or the 17th-century Spanish stone fortress, the ‘Nation’s Oldest City’ knows very well how to entice its visitors. This is one of my favorite and cutest cities in Florida. We spent 2 days and explored all its attractions. As my husband and I already visited St. Augustine few times, we were the official guides of our family.

3) Savannah, GA

On Day 4 of our trip, we started bright and early on our way to Savannah  — the oldest city in Georgia. Savannah is around 175 miles from St. Augustine and it took us 3 hours to reach there.

Savannah is famous for its magnificent architectures and ironworks, majestic garden squares, beautiful fountains, colorful streets with Live Oak trees and Spanish Moss dripping from the drooping branches as well as the Southern charm and hospitality.

I already visited Savannah in July for a weekend getaway. Therefore visiting again to this charming city was an ultimate treat in itself! We spent 2 days in Savannah. And I lost 4 pounds just by walking in this city as there are so many things that you can explore on your foot.

 4) Charleston, SC

On Day 7, we started for Charleston which is 106 miles from Savannah. It took us around 2 hours to reach there. We drove on I-95 N and US-17 N and reached Charleston around 10:00 AM. 

Charleston is one of my favorite cities on the East Coast with Southern belle charm, historic architecture, cobblestone streets lined with palmetto trees and world-class culinary that has all the power to entice its first-time visitor. In 2016, Charleston earned its reputation as the “World’s Best City” by Travel+Leisure magazine.

We spent only a day in Charleston as we already went there during the last Independence Day Weekend. Moreover, our family was all excited to visit the capital of the United States as soon as we could!

On Day 8, we started early from Charleston and headed to our next destination which was Washington D.C! It was a long journey of around 9 hours. The distance between Charleston and D.C. is almost 530 miles. We took I-95 N but we found heavy traffic in North Carolina and Virginia that took us 14 hours to reach D.C.

Everyone was so tired that as soon as we reached our hotel, we dumped our luggage and hit our beds! No matter how comfortable your car is, sitting in a limited posture for a long time is quite a tedious task…isn’t it?

5) Washington D.C.

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 It was a Day 9 of our trip and everyone in our family was excited to explore what Nation’s capital had to offer! I already went to Washington D.C. before so I was all clear in my mind as what are the attractions I wanted to explore! We spent 3 days in D.C. and totally enjoyed it!

On Day 12, we left from D.C. to see the greatest city in the world – The Big Apple! NYC is 277 miles away from DC via I-95 N but we took I-95 N and NJ Tpke to save time as well as we had to pick up one of our cousins from the airport who was coming from Chicago to meet us. Yes! It was quite a family reunion! 🙂 

6) New York, NY

We enjoyed our Day 12, 13, 14 and 15 in the Big Apple. I have to confess that once you travel the entire East Coast, you won’t like any city more than New York! The city has all the power to make its first-time visitor go insane! It was my fifth visit to the city and soaking the Manhattan vibes was the best part of my trip! Though driving in Manhattan is a crazy experience in itself. If you’re fond of driving, I challenge you to try your driving skills in Midtown Manhattan!  

 7) Boston, MA

In the evening of Day 15, we started for Boston which is 217 miles from the New York City. It took us 5 hours to reach Boston via I-95 N and I-90 E. We spent only one day in Boston and explored the attractions of its downtown. We also met few of my friends in Boston and had an amazing time.

On Day 17 of our road trip, we started early in the morning from Boston to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. The distance between Boston and Philadelphia is 320 miles and it took us around 6 hours and 30 minutes to reach Philadelphia via I-90 W and CT-15 S. 

8) Philadelphia, PA

In Philadelphia, we stopped for few hours and went to see only Liberty Bell, Rocky Balboa statue as well as strolled in the downtown. We left Philly in the evening and headed to our next destination Baltimore in Maryland. The distance between Philly and Baltimore is around 100 miles and it took us 2 hours to reach Baltimore via I-95 S.

9) Baltimore, MD 

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We reached Baltimore late at night and went directly to our hotel. Baltimore was a real bummer as it was raining the entire day. We only went to Baltimore downtown but I was glad that I got a chance to meet a few old friends.

It was Day 19 and we said goodbye to Baltimore and left for our home in Tampa, Florida. The distance between Baltimore and Tampa is almost 950 miles. Therefore, we decided to break our journey to Savannah, Georgia. It took us 11 hours to reach Savannah from Baltimore via I-95 S. 

The very next morning i.e Day 20, we left from Savannah to our home. The distance between Savannah and Tampa is around 335 miles via I-95 S and it took us almost 7 hours to reach.

The real happiness is when you return to your home…isn’t it?

Finally, our epic trip to the East Coast of the United States ended on Day 20! We all had mixed emotions. Those past 19 days were the ultimate time of our lives as we shared endless memories together to treasure for a lifetime. When I think about this legendary trip of 2017 now, it is too hard to believe that we traveled 12 states in 20 days – Starting from my home state in Florida to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New York and Massachusetts!

Also, I’d like to give a big thank to this guy – the love of my life, my dear hubby for believing in us that we could drive so much! This trip wouldn’t have been possible without him!

Road Trip Mantra

For the most comfortable road trip, you must have the right car, plenty of snacks, amazing playlist and the right companions. But most important is the RIGHT ATTITUDE! So don’t fear, go for the ultimate adventure and I bet you’ll have the time of your life! 

Do you love road trips? Do share your experience about your ultimate road trip in the comments below?

Till then, Happy Wandering!
Ana

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