Driving from Detroit to Raleigh. What do I need to know?

My best friend is getting married on Saturday. We've decided to drive the Z06 straight through after work on Wednesday night. We're planning on headed up back through DC, over through PA (Stopping in Altoona and Pittsburgh) and driving back through Detroit.

Are there any cool places I should stop? On the way down, I plan on driving until I can't stay awake any longer. Any areas I should avoid in case I need to stop for the night?

Mazda787b wrote: Any areas I should avoid in case I need to stop for the night?

You're already leaving Detroit, so anywhere else should be an improvement.

I ended up in Altoona after driving for over 15hrs straight. Went to every hotel in the town and not one had a room available. There was some kind of convention in town. I slept in my car in the parking lot of a Best Western for a couple hours and hit the road again.

My advice? Make sure there are no conventions in Altoona when you are going.

I've done the Chilcothe,OH to Greensboro, NC route more than I can count. Fill up at I77 exit 1 in VA. It's just as you come down the mountain. Gas is about 20c cheaper in VA than in NC. Don't drive the stretch between I64 and I81 tired, it's quite twisty. You'll probably get in too late for it, but the original Bob Evans resturant is at Rio Grande, OH, just before you get to WV. It's quite nice especially for being in the middle of nowhere. If you have any problems I'm in Winston-Salem, NC.

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

Mazda787b wrote: Any areas I should avoid in case I need to stop for the night?

You're already leaving Detroit, so anywhere else should be an improvement.

I walked RIGHT into that one..

Junkyard_Dog wrote: My advice? Make sure there are no conventions in Altoona when you are going.

Couchsurfing with my uncle. I just have to share the basement with his Lionel train obsession (which is why he moved to Altoona). I plan on packing light, as we'll be loading the car down with as much Yuengling as it will hold to bring back home.

tpwalsh wrote: Fill up at I77 exit 1 in VA. It's just as you come down the mountain. Gas is about 20c cheaper in VA than in NC. Don't drive the stretch between I64 and I81 tired, it's quite twisty. You'll probably get in too late for it, but the original Bob Evans resturant is at Rio Grande, OH, just before you get to WV. It's quite nice especially for being in the middle of nowhere. If you have any problems I'm in Winston-Salem, NC.

You're a shooter, thanks! I'll PM you this afternoon. For the stretch of road, we'd be rolling through around 2am. Are there any cities beforehand you'd recommend stopping in if I need to turn in for the night? We'll be most likely driving in shifts and are quite used to being up for 24+ hours, but I don't want to chance it

Mazda787b wrote: I plan on packing light, as we'll be loading the car down with as much Yuengling as it will hold to bring back home.

As of last year, Yuengling is available in Ohio so at any time you are now 20 minutes away from it.

JohnRW1621 wrote:

Mazda787b wrote: I plan on packing light, as we'll be loading the car down with as much Yuengling as it will hold to bring back home.

As of last year, Yuengling is available in Ohio so at any time you are now 20 minutes away from it.

I've been able to get Black & Tan and Lager down in Toledo but no Bock or Porter.

Both Bock and Porter are in Ohio, just not all that popular or readily available.
I would recommend calling the wine steward at, The Anderson's General Store on Talmadge Rd. . This store is the single largest seller of wine in Metro Toledo and has an extensive beer selection as well.
Aside from wine. They have hardware, Carhart clothing, a full garden and nursery. Not really Meijer-like but the coolest store EVER.

If you google up " great driving roads in Ohio" there are many in SouthEast Ohio.
One that comes up often is State Route 26.
With a Z06, my plans might be:
Ohio Turnpike East toward Cleveland then South on I-77 till Cambridge, OH. Find a hotel where I-77 meets I-70. This should take 4 hrs to get here. If you leave Trenton at 6pm, this will get you in at 10pm. Have dinner, get some sleep. At first light, and no traffic, head off the interstate to Rt26 around Woodsfield, OH.
Even with this detour, you will be 8 hrs to Raleigh. If you start day 2 at 6am, you should be in Raleigh by 2pm (if that works with you schedule.)

Keep within the speed limit in Virginia, they aren't very lenient at all. Have a safe trip you'll be driving through some beautiful country

JohnRW1621 wrote: If you google up " great driving roads in Ohio" there are many in SouthEast Ohio. One that comes up often is State Route 26. With a Z06, my plans might be. Ohio Turnpike East toward Cleveland then South on I-77 till Cambridge, OH. Find a hotel where I-77 meets I-70. This should take 4 hrs to get here. If you leave Trenton at 6pm, this will get you in at 10pm. Have dinner, get some sleep. At first light, and no traffic, head off the interstate to Rt26 around Woodsfield, OH. Even with this detour, you will be 8 hrs to Raleigh. If you start day 2 at 6am, you should be in Raleigh by 2pm (if that works with you schedule.)

Even better information than the tidbit about The Andersons. Your proposition isn't much far off time-wise from driving straight through and going to bed about 7am. I'd be waking up around the same time as your projected arrival.

ryanty22 wrote: Keep within the speed limit in Virginia, they aren't very lenient at all. Have a safe trip you'll be driving through some beautiful country

Oof. Just remembered that down in Virginia they're not too fond of V1s either... Luckily I'm only going to be driving through there for an hour or so.

My proposed route will have you in the most boring parts, Northern OH, while you are the most tired (after a full day of work.)
It will be all flat interstate. Really just point and shoot. At this time of year, it will not be dark till 9pm meaning only 1 hr of night driving.
On the second day, the scenery and overall driving experience will greatly improve. You should be fresh and well rested.
Earliest morning on the funnest part should reduce any traffic on this stretch that is known for little traffic anyway.

Full disclosure: I have never driven Rt 26 but it gets great reviews.

Mazda787b wrote:

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

Mazda787b wrote: Any areas I should avoid in case I need to stop for the night?

You're already leaving Detroit, so anywhere else should be an improvement.

I walked RIGHT into that one..

Junkyard_Dog wrote: My advice? Make sure there are no conventions in Altoona when you are going.

Couchsurfing with my uncle. I just have to share the basement with his Lionel train obsession (which is why he moved to Altoona). I plan on packing light, as we'll be loading the car down with as much Yuengling as it will hold to bring back home.

tpwalsh wrote: Fill up at I77 exit 1 in VA. It's just as you come down the mountain. Gas is about 20c cheaper in VA than in NC. Don't drive the stretch between I64 and I81 tired, it's quite twisty. You'll probably get in too late for it, but the original Bob Evans resturant is at Rio Grande, OH, just before you get to WV. It's quite nice especially for being in the middle of nowhere. If you have any problems I'm in Winston-Salem, NC.

You're a shooter, thanks! I'll PM you this afternoon. For the stretch of road, we'd be rolling through around 2am. Are there any cities beforehand you'd recommend stopping in if I need to turn in for the night? We'll be most likely driving in shifts and are quite used to being up for 24+ hours, but I don't want to chance it

Sorry, I couldn't tell you to be honest. The only time we've stayed overnight in that neck of the woods was an econolodge near Washington Courthouse and it wasn't much more than a bed to sleep on. Most of the time we're rolling through there in the mid afternoon or early evening.

Mazda787b wrote:

ryanty22 wrote: Keep within the speed limit in Virginia, they aren't very lenient at all. Have a safe trip you'll be driving through some beautiful country

Oof. Just remembered that down in Virginia they're not too fond of V1s either... Luckily I'm only going to be driving through there for an hour or so.

Virginia law does not allow anything attached to the windshield above 7 inches from the bottom. They do not actually ban radar detectors. Best to keep the windshield real clear.

Eat at The Pit in downtown Raleigh.

http://www.thepit-raleigh.com/

trucke wrote:

Mazda787b wrote:

ryanty22 wrote: Keep within the speed limit in Virginia, they aren't very lenient at all. Have a safe trip you'll be driving through some beautiful country

Oof. Just remembered that down in Virginia they're not too fond of V1s either... Luckily I'm only going to be driving through there for an hour or so.

Virginia law does not allow anything attached to the windshield above 7 inches from the bottom. They do not actually ban radar detectors. Best to keep the windshield real clear.

That's actually the only thing I have mounted on the windshield. Phones, GPS, etc. are all mounted on the vents.

I shouldn't have looked at The Pit's menu this close to lunch. Marked that one down for sure.

Make it a one-way trip?

Well there are (of coarse) no hotels but a Daze Inn avaliable tomorrow night. Hoping to call last minute and jump in on a cancellation or something.

Worst case, I can find a place in Cleveland (I heard that place rocks), or stay at someone's house off of airbnb. Definitely thinking that driving straight through is a poor idea. It's 11:32 and I'm drinking beers and updating the GPS instead of packing. My co-pilot is also stuck at work until 7 tomorrow, not 4. At that point, we're better off stopping vs. driving all the way and sleeping in.

trucke wrote: Virginia law does not allow anything attached to the windshield above 7 inches from the bottom. They do not actually ban radar detectors. Best to keep the windshield real clear.

You sure? This sign is on most entrances to the state:

You could certainly chance it, and technically the FCC made them legal everywhere, but that's not a conversation you want to have when you're tired on the side of the road at 2 am.

In reply to Mazda787b:
I'd offer you to stay at my place in Sandusky, OH but considering I am less than 1.5 miles from your own house, you would be better off getting a quality nights sleep in your own bed and then driving straight through.

If you are considering still traveling via I-77 south then I would recommend getting south of Akron/Canton on Weds night. This will take about 4 hours but will also put you past any rush hour traffic and therefore, no delays when you head out Thurs morning.
If you leave home at 7-8pm, this would get you into Dover, OH by 11-12 pm (not too late.)
Quick search brings up these options:
Country Inn & Suites Dover, OH $109/$129
Comfort Inn Dover, OH $109

Brett_Murphy wrote: Eat at The Pit in downtown Raleigh. http://www.thepit-raleigh.com/

Beat me to it! Ha!

How long are you in town for? As much as I miss Raleigh, I can't really think of anything to do there. Ha! If you're a hipster, you can go downtown and look at your iPhone at the Raleigh Times.

EDIT: Rule of thumb. Don't even so much as fart in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Worst state ever for speed traps and law enforcement. Don't get me wrong, I support LEO's probably more than most, but Virginia is out of hand. DON'T SPEED, especially in a Corvette Z06.

Plan ahead so you dont hit bad traffic around DC if you are going through. It is REALLY worth avoiding.

JohnRW1621 wrote: In reply to Mazda787b: I'd offer you to stay at my place in Sandusky, OH but considering I am less than 1.5 miles from your own house, you would be better off getting a quality nights sleep in your own bed and then driving straight through. If you are considering still traveling via I-77 south then I would recommend getting south of Akron/Canton on Weds night. This will take about 4 hours but will also put you past any rush hour traffic and therefore, no delays when you head out Thurs morning. If you leave home at 7-8pm, this would get you into Dover, OH by 11-12 pm (not too late.) Quick search brings up these options: Country Inn & Suites Dover, OH $109/$129 Comfort Inn Dover, OH $109

I really appreciate it man. What are you doing out this way? Next time you come through, shoot me a PM. I owe you a drink or three.

Didn't even think of Dover. I was looking in Cambridge, but a lot seemed full. Also checking out places in Cleveland as a last resort. I'd rather not stay in the city though. It just depends how tired I feel later on. As of right now, I was up late packing. I don't think I'm going to make it far on 5 hours of sleep.

I'll be in Raleigh Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and headed toward Pittsburgh on Sunday morning. The wedding is Saturday (in Clayton). I'll have most of Thursday and Friday for doing last-minute wedding and touristy-type things. I also need to figure out a bachelor party-type outing one of those two nights.

In years past, I spent on average 2 nights per week in hotels. They're not that hard to find. It's like I have a web that reaches world wide.