Road Trip Orlando - Washington mini report

[sue97]

If I don't post this now, I will never get around to it and it might be useful to some people

Travel Day - We flew on the Belfast - Orlando Virgin deal so all of us flew for 1250 euro, hand luggage only. Me, hubby, daughters 19, 17 and youngest 13 year old son.

We arrived into Orlando and drove straight to Daytona Beach which was about an hours drive. We stayed in La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Daytona Beach International Speedway. They did not have the extra crib we ordered ready so we had to wait. There was noise all night, would not recommend. It was cheap and not so cheerful. Breakfast was good though.

Day 1 - We hit the road on our six hour road trip. We stopped half way and shopped, stretched our legs for about an hour. We stayed in an Airbnb in Camden which was fabulous
The place was like something out of a magazine, there were fresh eggs, wine and treats left in the apartment, she had chickens and a dog that my son played with. She recommended a restaurant in the very small town which was fabulous and so cheap. The town itself is lovely and walkable distance from her house.
airbnb.ie/rooms/20871178...wn 1q92a4n6C1

[sue97]

Day 2 – In a similar fashion to Day 1 we hit the road early, stopped for breakfast in an amazing Waffle House, continued on the road stopping for a toilet and shopping break. DD’s are into sustainable fashion (I would call it charity shop shopping and got some designer gear very cheaply over the course of the holiday so we ended up stopping at a Goodwill). We could not find the hotel in Washington and ended up going around in circles for an hour. DH at this stage was fit to kill. Hotel was lovely, we staying in the Avenue Suites in Washington for four nights. We popped for something to eat at a local tripadvisor supported restaurant and hit the sack.

[sue97]

Day 3 – I had booked the Pentagon and Capital building tours for today. We walked to the central of Washington, saw the usual sites and did both tours. If I was going again I would do a bus tour on the first day. Can’t remember what we ate but I suspect it was cheap and cheerful. Food in Washington was expensive from what I remember.

[sue97]

Day 4 – DH needed shoes so we went shopping up near Avenue Suites, we ended up spending the morning in Georgetown which is beautiful and not what I expected. We visited the National Air and Space Museum - Smithsonian Institution in the afternoon.

[sue97]

Day 5 – Today was the 4th July and the first day we were not roasted alive. We had breakfast in a little coffee shop around the corner from the hotel, chilled for some of the day and then decided to go to the zoo. We got off the Metro at the zoo and it was bucketing raining. We stood with everyone else under cover for about five minutes and then went to a small shop and spent 50 dollars on bright orange ponchos and walked to the zoo. The zoo is amazing and the weather really did not take from the day. There is a free bus from the Metro to the zoo (which we discovered on the way back).

There was a free concert at Capital Building and we went there after the zoo. I had presumed that it would be like a baseball game with lots of American food sold so we only had water bottles. There was no food sold and we were starving. The show itself and the fireworks were amazing. The management of the crowds by security was incredible and it was a fantastic night. I would highly recommend going to Washington for the 4th. I have never seen anything like it and have spent the 4th in Orlando, Texas and Boston before.

We went for supper in Five Guys. The food was good but the portion of fries had 900 calories in it. It was so big one portion would have done all five of us.

[sue97]

Day 6 We hit the road early for our seven hour drive. I wanted to get the experience of staying in a mountain hut and do some of the Blue Ridge Parkway so today had lots of driving. (Too much). People were crabby and moaning (not me, I was perfect). I had booked a Yurt in the Mountain Spring Cabins in Candler for the night and was excited to stay there. When we arrived it exceeded our expectations, the place was fabulous, loads of beautiful scenery, a river and swimming rings to play in the river, hammocks, swinging chairs. It was amazing. Stayed the night and hit the road to Savannah.

booking/hotel/us/mou...7de7e e051b55

[sue97]

Day 7 This was the second last day of driving and to be fair the teens had been great and not complaining about the amount of time spent in the car. Holiday so far was considered by all to be a success. We arrived in Savannah in the late afternoon. The hotel was to expensive for how boring it was but it was comfortable and did the job but not up to the standard of some places we had stayed. We walked around the old town and it is lovely. To give it it’s due we probably should have spent more time exploring but appreciation of beautiful architecture is somewhat lacking in teens. Also to be fair we have such beautiful scenery and architecture in the UK and Ireland that it made the US pale somewhat.

[sue97]

Day 8 - 14 We drove to our last destination of the holiday. Last year when we visited KSC the kids had fallen in love with the surf in Cocoa beach. I had really struggled to find accommodation to meet my criteria here. We were staying for a week and I wanted 3 bedrooms. I ended up booking a really cheap place on Airbnb on the premise that if it was awful we could move. The place I booked was 15 minutes drive from the beach but there were no places that met my criteria in my budget. We stayed here and in fairness it was excellent. airbnb.ie/rooms/7614849?...h 32HCIS%2F4j I would have preferred two single beds in one bedroom instead of double bed in all rooms and a kettle but they were my only complaints. We surfed, swam, vegged, ate and shopped for the week. Hubby and son went to Kennedy and we drove to Orlando one day to hit the outlets. Kids did surfing lessons, we watched weddings on the beach, collected shells and relaxed.

[sue97]

Last day we left the villa and went to Orlando to the Florida Mall for the day. Flight home was uneventful and Virgin were fantastic to deal with.

Conclusions - the holiday was amazing and I feel blessed to have all three kids with us and in good form.

The days we did exercise were much happier and more fun than those we did not !

I should have extended the road trip time so we drove for less of each day to really allow us see places on the way.

America is expensive to eat out in. We found the Olive Garden disappointing this time (maybe it was the one in Cocoa beach).

Overall it was a fabulous holiday and I would absolutely do a roadtrip again with the kids.

Hope this helps if people are planning road trips.

[2point]

Excellent road trip report!