Avoiding Washington DC

**Tweety** · 11-02-2012, 01:28 PM

So, we need to get from the Reading, PA area to Charleston, SC. We've done this before, just not that successfully.
We tried going down I81 over 77 yada yada. That's great, but is alot of miles out of the way. I mean we're trying to get someplace coastal and going way inland to do it.
Then we came home and just drove straight up I95 around DC and Baltimore. That was a total mess and isn't happening ever again.
One time we went down 81 to 64E to 95S. Again this was great but super out of the way.
Doing a search on other forums, taking 15 to 17 to 95 has been recommended. What do ya'll think of that route?

hburkholder · 11-02-2012, 03:23 PM

I've done that in the past heading south. It is a little out of the way, but not like 81/64, and you miss DC.

Janalee · 11-02-2012, 03:51 PM

Pam...you can take 81S to 66 E toward DC..nice scenery and no traffic heading toward DC in the daytime (it comes in about 20 mi. below Winchester Va) to 17s (app.exit 27 or 2

thru Warrenton..thats right where 15/29 would intersect if you chose that narrow country road ....then stay on17 to I95.... this has been our route for years. Just watch closely for the branch off to 17.. in Opal..sharp left there at the Sheetz gas station. Just plan to NOT get on 95 from about 3 to 7 pm...We always stay overnight in the Fredricksburg Walmart. Large lot and lots of company too! They are in the huge mall right off the exit ..all the way at the end. Lots of nice restaurants right close.Hope this helps. P.S.We love Charleston!! And I have given you the very best route!

**Tweety** · 11-02-2012, 06:20 PM

Awesome tip about the F'burg WalMart! I'm surprised they allow overnight parking being that its a tourist town.

Janalee · 11-02-2012, 07:33 PM

Pam..we have been staying there since they built that mall and you will have company for sure..we also stay in Pooler Ga Wally which is posted..but they still allow it and last April there were 22 rvs when we got up.

Wannabes · 11-02-2012, 08:26 PM

Pam,

Matthew and I bring Mom back north from FLA in the spring and we always take 15S to 17 & then to I-95 on our way down. 15S does become two-lane in VA but it's a nice trip if you're not in a hurry & does avoid the Baltimore-Washington mess - we like it. (As Janalee noted, watch for the left turn in Opal tho'.)

When I lived in New Holland, I would take I-95S near Bel Air, MD & take I-895 around Baltimore to Rte. 97S to 301S to 207 over to I-95. All four-lane but more traffic and more stop-and-go on 301S; south of Waldorf, MD traffic thins out & 207 through Ft. AP Hill is 4-lane w/ hardly any traffic. (If you're not towing you have to watch your speed tho', it's patrolled.) One of the biggest problems going that way is that there's just no easy route to get to I-95 south of Lancaster. So, we agree with Janalee, Rte. 15 would be your best bet; it's not as inland as I-81 & you don't have all the truck traffic.

Wow, Charleston, never been there but I'm still jealous.

**Tweety** · 11-03-2012, 05:16 AM

Charleston is awesome. We've been twice before, but it seems like we never run out of things to do. (& we aren't much into going to the same place over & over again) James Island County Park Campground is part of the attraction. You are in the city in 7 minutes, yet this park is amazingly beautiful. And the Christmas light show is festive. Keep your fingers crossed that the Fox doesn't get snowed in before we get to go!

Poppy & Nana · 11-03-2012, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweety

Keep your fingers crossed that the Fox doesn't get snowed in before we get to go!

We had flurries yesterday and this morning this is a dusting of snow on everything

.......and our little Dutch Boy is still sitting outside! With Leo having his eye surgery and his not driving, it will be sitting for a bit longer I'm sure!

Have a wonderful trip.....

hiller64 · 11-12-2012, 12:59 PM

I can't imagine why anyone would complain about the traffic around Washington DC or Baltimore for that matter. I left DC last Friday abourt 4PM and got home at 7:30 drove less than 60 miles. The nice thing is that during rush hour you could probibly set up camp in the middle lanes of I 495 and no one would notice unless you put you awning out.

But the easiest by pass is 695West to I 70West to Rt 15 to Rt 17 to Friedricksburg. I take this route if I am leaving Baltimore after about 3PM. When you are towing you are typicaly west of the city because of the propane restrictions in the tunnels on I95 and 895.

DianeScraps · 11-12-2012, 10:20 PM

I don't have any great tips, I've only towed south of PA on one trip to Williamsburg and back. But the one tip I will offer is to make sure your gas tank is full before you are in the DC area. We needed to fill up and the stations were so tight that we disconnected the camper in a WalMart lot, left the hubby with the camper, filled up the van and then went back and rehooked.

awellis3 · 11-13-2012, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweety

Doing a search on other forums, taking 15 to 17 to 95 has been recommended. What do ya'll think of that route?

LOL! That's how we go north (as to Buttonwood, York, Harper's Ferry). Janalee's post also mentioned the turn in Opal where 17 and 15 separate.
FWIW: Reading to Lancaster to York to Gettysburg to Frederick to Leesburg to Warrenton to Fredericksburg is 215 road miles. Taking the interstate to Freddy'sville is 207 mi. Spend the 8 miles and extra hour enjoying the rolling hills of Virginia's horse country.
Don't forget to go to Folly Beach and have lunch at the Crab Shack.

Teach

p.s. We're off to Tybee Island next Tuesday for a week at the beach.

**Tweety** · 11-13-2012, 08:38 AM

Have fun at Tybee! We ate at Crab Shack in Folly twice when we were there 2 years ago. The waitresses were all excited that it was snowing! Hope that nasty snow doesn't show up this year.

RGar · 11-19-2012, 01:55 PM

The only time we take I95 around Baltimore/Washington is on a Sunday morning.Otherwise go 81 to 77 to 26 if you're doing South carolina to Florida..But we have done the 15 to 17 thing also.We have found that comming north on 26-77-81 only adds about an hour to our trip.

**Tweety** · 12-11-2012, 07:53 AM

RGAR...How early Sunday morning do you have to be past the DC beltway for it to be tolerable?

mainah · 12-12-2012, 06:47 AM

Ask a Politician they seem to be experts when it comes to avoiding DC!

Janalee · 12-12-2012, 07:00 AM

Steve...I believe he meant Sunday morning IS the tolerable time to take the beltway...you seem to be really worried about this routing south...I really have never had awful traffic problems..it is heavier of course during holiday travel. We just came down last week using the routes I gave you....no problem...then our van quit altogether (fuel pump relay) on 95 near the Harderville SC exit..Luckily I was able to coast from middle lane to the shoulder.I got towed in to Walmart where we stayed 2 nites while I checked with all my "guys " at home to diagnose the problem!! ..I paid a nice young guy from the store to get me a relay from AutoZone--popped it in and we were on our way! We are now in Florida just in time for the tornado warnings --one hit ten miles away! (Thank you Jeremy from Walmart auto dept. For your help!) Janalee

**Tweety** · 12-12-2012, 01:36 PM

Steve's not worried. It's me...he wants to get up at 3:00 a.m. And just go around the beltways. Last time we were on the DC beltway was in Oct. On the way down we were behind a car when a mattress flew off the roof. Luckily we saw what was happening and moved over. Then on the way home there was a mattress on fire in the middle of the beltway. Kind of makes you think it should be illegal to put a mattress on your roof. It does cause me to pause and wonder if we would have been able to avoid the flying one on the way down had we had the trailer in tow.
Glad you made it to Florida safely Janalee!

Wannabes · 12-12-2012, 04:59 PM

Pam,

I've also done the getting-up-at-3-am-and-taking-the-beltway" when going to FLA several times usually right before Christmas. I assume that you'd be going Rte. 222 to Rte. 30 to I-83 to the beltway(s). You will avoid the brunt of the traffic on the beltway by leaving at 3 am, especially on a Sunday. I-95 through Baltimore-Washington can be a real Jekyll-Hyde, sometime no problems, other times massive back-ups and nerve-wracking. Matthew grew up in Baltimore and, with grandparents and parents that were/are both snowbirds, I traveled that route so often that these days we both don't mind the extra 45 minutes that taking Rte. 15 to 17 adds.

Gene · 12-12-2012, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mainah

Ask a Politician they seem to be experts when it comes to avoiding DC!

RGar · 01-13-2013, 07:28 AM

Sorry for the late response,but I don't get on here much and when there is a post,it is sent to my old e-mail address which I don't check often.Anyways, we leave on a Sunday morning about 6am and take 222 to the York area and get on I-83 to 1-95.It is usually smooth sailing at that time. There is a Flying J south of Richmond where you can fill up.