Dag 1
House closing/opening procedures
6:00 am - 109.8 km / en time 15 minutter - 7:15 am
McDonald's - Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
20 min.
Mandatory bathroom break before we cross the border.
Buy coffee (possibly).
Ensure data-roaming is turned off for John and Leanne's phones.7:35 am - 12.2 km / 10 minutter - 7:45 am
US Border Crossing - Lewiston, NY (No Route)
Estimating 20 minute wait at the border.
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html
New York State:
New York is a state in the northeastern U.S., known for New York City and towering Niagara Falls. NYC’s island of Manhattan is home to the Empire State Building, Times Square and Central Park. The Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan with the borough of Brooklyn. The iconic Statue of Liberty stands in New York Harbor. To the east, Long Island has beaches, the Montauk Lighthouse, the ritzy Hamptons and Fire Island.
Capital: Albany
Population: 19.51M (2020)
Complete all US phone tasks.
At or after the border this would be a good time to verify US cellular coverage is working as expected on all 3 phones. Also a good time to sign up for iPad data.8:05 am - 74.2 km / 48 minutter - 8:54 am
Breakfast - Angola Travel Plaza WB - Angola, NY
Too expensive.
45 min.
Feed children breakfast.
Notable dining: McDonald's and Cinnabon.
Kid's can watch trucks drive under their feet on overpass.
- McDonald's
- LavAzza
- Sandella's
- Ella's Pizza and Pasta
- Subway
- Moe's Southwest Grill
- Auntie Anne's
- Carvel
- Cinnabon
- Gift Shop9:39 am - 79.4 km / 46 minutter - 10:26 am
Welcome Center PA WB - North East, PA
20 min
Tons of picnic tables and grass for children to run around.
Restrooms and vending.
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Appalachian regions of the United States.
Capital: Harrisburg
Population: 12.79 million (2020)10:46 am - 144.4 km / en time 22 minutter - 12:08 pm
Lunch - Wendy's - Grove City, PA
45 min
Eat lunch here or at McDonald's. There is also a Subway and various other non-chain fast food places and restaurants.
If weather is warm we can have picnic at rest area 5 min down the road.
Bathroom is optional (rest area has them).12:53 pm - 121.8 km / en time 16 minutter - 2:09 pm
20 min
Bathroom break
Note: skipping this stop will change route, I79 vs 192:29 pm - 103.0 km / 57 minutter - 3:27 pm
Check-In - Quality Inn - Fairmont, WV
Check-in to motel. Kill time before dinner.
Most interesting attraction I could find is a Telephone museum.
2 rooms: 2 Double Beds, No Smoking, No Pets Allowed, 32 inch LCD/Plasma TV, Free Full Breakfast, Refrigerator
West Virginia
Capital: Charleston
Population: 1.8 million (2020)
West Virginia is an eastern U.S. state in the tree-covered Appalachian Mountains. The town of Harpers Ferry, where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac River, is the site of a famous Civil War–era raid. Surrounded by a national historical park, the town looks as it did in the 19th century, with many of the buildings open to the public as living-history museums.4:57 pm - 0.9 km / ett minutt - 4:58 pm
Dinner - Cracker Barrel - Fairmont, WV
Dinner
https://www.crackerbarrel.com/
Confirmed this place still exists.6:28 pm - 0.2 km / - 6:29 pm
Because cars get hungry too!
6:34 pm - 0.8 km / ett minutt - 6:35 pm
Dag 2
Sleep - Quality Inn - Fairmont, WV
Board games, TV, early to bed.
8:30 am - 107.6 km / 59 minutter - 9:29 am
20 min
Bathroom break.9:49 am - 38.3 km / 22 minutter - 10:11 am
Scenic Outlook NB/SB WV - Birch River, WV (Optional)
5 min
This is optional, we may want to pull in but we can stay in van.
Covered picnic table. Nice view!
Right after this be on the lookout for Powell's Mountain Goat. https://www.facebook.com/pg/PowellMountainGoat/about/?ref=page_internal10:16 am - 57.4 km / 35 minutter - 10:51 am
Canyon Rim Visitor Center - Lansing, WV
45 min
Grandma will watch herself while HDMP, Leanne and John hike down to the bridge lookout.
https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/nrgbridge.htm11:36 am - 95.8 km / 56 minutter - 12:33 pm
Lunch - Chick-fil-A - Princeton, WV
45 min
Finally we get to try the Chick-fil-A!
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/
Since the kids can be nuts...this place only serves chicken.1:18 pm - 13.6 km / 7 minutter - 1:25 pm
East River Mountain Tunnel SB (No Route)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_River_Mountain_Tunnel
The East River Mountain Tunnel is a 5,412-foot (1,650 m) vehicular tunnel that carries Interstate 77 (I-77) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) through East River Mountain between the communities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rocky Gap, Virginia.
Groundbreaking began on the tunnel on August 12, 1969, and after five years of labor it was opened to the public at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 20, 1974. At a cost of $40 million, it was (at the time) the most expensive construction project undertaken by the West Virginia Division of Highways. Because the northern end of the tunnel is in West Virginia and the southern end is in Virginia, Virginia shared the cost of the project. The state line falls almost exactly across the midpoint of the tunnel, with 51% of the tunnel residing in West Virginia and the remaining 49% on the Virginia side.[1]
Prior to the opening of the East River Mountain Tunnel, travelers wishing to cross the state line had to navigate the narrow, twisting, guardrail-less route of US 52 up and over the mountain (now designated as VA 598/WV 598). When fog or snow was present, the journey became arduous, and the road was occasionally closed completely (particularly in the winter months) due to treacherous conditions.1:25 pm - 10.5 km / 6 minutter - 1:32 pm
Rocky Gap Safety Rest Area/Welcome Center - Bastian, VA
20 min
Bathroom break and a little walk perhaps.
Lot's of picnic tables. Might be a trail.
Virginia
Capital: Richmond
Population: 8.5 million
irginia, a southeastern U.S. state, stretches from the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains, with a long Atlantic coastline. It's one of the 13 original colonies, with historic landmarks including Monticello, founding father Thomas Jefferson’s iconic Charlottesville plantation. The Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg are living-history museums reenacting Colonial and Revolutionary-era life.1:52 pm - 21.2 km / 11 minutter - 2:04 pm
Big Walker Mountain Tunnel SB (No Route)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Walker_Mountain_Tunnel
The Big Walker Mountain Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia that carries Interstate 77 through/under Big Walker Mountain. It is located a few miles south of the town of Bland and a segment of the Appalachian Trail, and about 20 miles (32 km) south of its longer cousin, the East River Mountain Tunnel.
The 4,229-foot (1,288 m) tunnel was first opened in 1972 after five years of construction labor. It carried a price tag of $50 million, which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on Virginia's interstate system.[1] The opening of the tunnel reduced the travel time from Wytheville to Bland County by 30 minutes.[2]
Preliminary engineering studies for the project were made by Brokenborough & Watkins, consulting engineers of Richmond, Virginia, and the final design of the roadway and tunnel was by Singstad & Kehart, consulting engineers of New York City.
The north tunnel approach and surrounding area can be viewed from the Big Walker Lookout, a 100-foot observation tower built on Big Walker Mountain about five miles east of the tunnel.2:04 pm - 89.4 km / 54 minutter - 2:58 pm
Andy Griffith Museum - Mount Airy, NC
$6 kids, $8 adults - closes at 5pm
https://www.surryarts.org/agmuseum/index.html3:58 pm - 19.1 km / 13 minutter - 4:11 pm
Check-In - Econo Lodge Inn & Suites - Pilot Mountain, NC
2 rooms - 2 Double Beds, No Smoking, Coffee Maker, HBO, Iron and Ironing Board, Hair Dryer
North Carolina
Capital: Raleigh
Population: 10.39 million (2020)
North Carolina is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the 50 United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west.4:31 pm - 0.8 km / ett minutt - 4:32 pm
Dinner - Cousin Gary's Family Restaurant
If the prices are still current, this place is cheap. They have banana pudding! We might be arriving on Seafood buffet night.
https://m.facebook.com/Cousin-Garys-Family-Restaurant-121470257867974/
https://www.facebook.com/Cousin-Garys-Family-Restaurant-121470257867974/photos?ref=page_internal&mt_nav=06:02 pm - 0.9 km / ett minutt - 6:04 pm
6:14 pm - 0.1 km / - 6:14 pm
Dag 3
Sleep - Econo Lodge Inn & Suites - Pilot Mountain, NC
Note: breakfast is only "Continental"
8:30 am - 132.0 km / en time 17 minutter - 9:47 am
Visitor Center SB NC - Seagrove, NC
20 min
I-73/74 Visitor Center - Southbound
Lots of picnic tables
Bathroom break10:07 am - 121.6 km / en time 17 minutter - 11:25 am
McDonald's - Bennettsville, SC
20 min
Bathroom break
South Carolina
Capital: Columbia
Population: 5.09 million (2020)
South Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state known for its shoreline of subtropical beaches and marshlike sea islands. Coastal Charleston is a historic city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War’s opening shots were fired. To the north is the Grand Strand, a roughly 60-mile stretch of beachfront known for golf courses and the vacation town Myrtle Beach.11:45 am - 61.5 km / 46 minutter - 12:31 pm
Lunch - Bojangles' - Marion, SC
45min Lunch
Bojangles' Inc. is a Southeastern United States regional chain of fast food restaurants, specializing in cajun seasoning, fried chicken, and buttermilk biscuits. The company was founded in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1977 by Jack Fulk and Richard Thomas
https://www.bojangles.com/menu/1:16 pm - 97.6 km / en time 3 minutter - 2:20 pm
Dag 4 - 9
Dag 10
Beach Colony, Myrtle Beach, SC, USA
Possible pirate dinner show day
8:00 am - 96.8 km / en time 4 minutter - 9:34 am
20 min
Bathroom break9:54 am - 61.9 km / 46 minutter - 10:40 am
McDonald's - Bennettsville, SC
20 min
Bathroom break11:00 am - 95.9 km / en time 3 minutter - 12:03 pm
Lunch - Travel Center/Wendy's - Candor, NC
45 min
This is also classified as a travel center. There are a few picnic tables. There is a little bit of grass for children to run. Coffee available. Apparently also has Dunkin' and Wendy's.
https://locations.pilotflyingj.com/us/nc/candor/801-nc-highway-211e12:48 pm - 139.8 km / en time 22 minutter - 2:11 pm
20 min
lots of Fast food nearby. WalMart/dollar store too.
Bathroom break2:31 pm - 79.2 km / 45 minutter - 3:16 pm
Check-In - Quality Inn - Hillsville, VA
2 rooms - 2 Queen Beds, No Smoking, Coffee Maker, Hair Dryer, Iron and Ironing Board
5:16 pm - 0.5 km / - 5:17 pm
Dinner - Shoney's - Hillsville, VA
1.5h https://www.shoneys.com/
6:47 pm - 0.5 km / - 6:47 pm
6:52 pm - 0.2 km / - 6:53 pm
Dag 11
8:30 am - 53.3 km / 30 minutter - 9:00 am
9:00 am - 30.9 km / 16 minutter - 9:17 am
East River Mountain Tunnel NB (No Route)
The East River Mountain Tunnel is a 5,412-foot (1,650 m) vehicular tunnel that carries Interstate 77 (I-77) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) through East River Mountain between the communities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rocky Gap, Virginia.
Groundbreaking began on the tunnel on August 12, 1969, and after five years of labor it was opened to the public at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 20, 1974. At a cost of $40 million, it was (at the time) the most expensive construction project undertaken by the West Virginia Division of Highways. Because the northern end of the tunnel is in West Virginia and the southern end is in Virginia, Virginia shared the cost of the project. The state line falls almost exactly across the midpoint of the tunnel, with 51% of the tunnel residing in West Virginia and the remaining 49% on the Virginia side.[1]
Prior to the opening of the East River Mountain Tunnel, travelers wishing to cross the state line had to navigate the narrow, twisting, guardrail-less route of US 52 up and over the mountain (now designated as VA 598/WV 598). When fog or snow was present, the journey became arduous, and the road was occasionally closed completely (particularly in the winter months) due to treacherous conditions.9:17 am - 16.1 km / 9 minutter - 9:26 am
West Virginia Tourist Info - Princeton, WV
20 min
Bathroom break9:46 am - 95.3 km / 56 minutter - 10:43 am
Canyon Rim Visitor Center - Lansing, WV
20 min
Bathroom stop11:03 am - 94.5 km / 56 minutter - 12:00 pm
Lunch - Taco Bell - Sutton, WV
45 min
Note: Arby's, Subway, KFC, McDonald's and many other restaurants nearby12:45 pm - 28.4 km / 15 minutter - 1:01 pm
20 min
Picnic tables and looks like lots of space for kids to run.
Bathroom break1:21 pm - 109.8 km / en time - 2:21 pm
20 min
Bathroom break
No PlayPlace2:41 pm - 77.9 km / 46 minutter - 3:27 pm
Check-In - Comfort Inn - Washington, PA
1 room - 2 Queen Beds, No Smoking, Hair Dryer, Coffee Maker, AM/FM Clock Radio, Refrigerator
1 room - 2 Double Beds, No Smoking, AM/FM Clock Radio, Table and Chairs, Refrigerator4:27 pm - 0.9 km / ett minutt - 4:29 pm
Dinner - Waffle House - Washington, PA
Chicken and Waffles?
https://www.wafflehouse.com/5:29 pm - 0.3 km / ett minutt - 5:30 pm
5:40 pm - 0.6 km / ett minutt - 5:42 pm
Dag 12
8:30 am - 107.4 km / en time 6 minutter - 9:36 am
20 min
Bathroom break
Rest Area, I-79 Southbound9:56 am - 90.0 km / 49 minutter - 10:45 am
Rest Area PA NB - Edinboro, PA
20 min
Bathroom break11:05 am - 146.0 km / en time 27 minutter - 12:33 pm
Lunch - Angola Travel Plaza, Interstate 90, Angola, NY, USA
45 min
- McDonald's
- LavAzza
- Sandella's
- Ella's Pizza and Pasta
- Subway
- Moe's Southwest Grill
- Auntie Anne's
- Carvel
- Cinnabon
- Gift Shop1:18 pm - 70.8 km / 49 minutter - 2:08 pm
20 min
bathroom break - last stop before border2:28 pm - 12.0 km / 11 minutter - 2:39 pm
Canadian Border Crossing - Rainbow Bridge - Niagara Falls, ON (No Route)
20 min at border
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/#s12:59 pm - 3.6 km / 15 minutter - 3:15 pm
4:15 pm - 65.3 km / 42 minutter - 4:57 pm
All day breakfast
https://www.dennys.ca/restaurant/ontario/hamilton/6:27 pm - 61.8 km / 49 minutter - 7:17 pm