The Best South East Road Trip to Take in the US
Okay, so for this road trip itinerary, we will start in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States. My mom and I were planning on going on a road trip very similar to this, until covid hit, and our plans were a little jumbled up. Anyways, these are all the cities and sites that have been on our list, since March 2020, so let’s dive in!
Alright, to start this road trip off, we will begin in the state of Virginia! I would recommend staying in Richmond, Virginia, it is the state’s capital, and a pretty central location. Here is a list of selections on where you can stay!
The first place I recommend you visiting is, Colonial Williamsburg, it is a historic town, where all the people dress and talk, as if they were in the 1700s. It is really neat, and at the end of the town, you will find William and Mary college, one of America’s most prestigious and oldest colleges. I would also suggest taking a visit to the University of Richmond, it is much bigger, and SOO beautiful.
Next, I suggest taking some time to visit Virginia’s national parks. A great one, that is about two hours from Richmond is, Sky Meadows State Park (they have great hiking and horse back riding there). Next, I would see George Washington’s Mount Vernon, estate, and visit the Poe Museum for Edgar Allen Poe. Lastly, if you’re looking for some fun, you should take a trip to Virginia’s amusement parks, specifically, Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion.
And that completes all our sites to see in Virginia! I would say to stay here for at least 4 nights and then leave on the fifth to our next stop, which is the outer banks, in North Carolina!
The outer banks is just over three hours away and is 178 miles away from Richmond. I recommend staying here for one or two nights, then drive to our next stop, which is Charlotte, North Carolina. If you want to save some money you could camp at one of the four campgrounds at Cape Hatteras National Seashore campgrounds, for the outer banks! You can also check out Roanoke Island, the lost colony while you are here!
Charlotte, North Carolina is almost five and a half hours away from the outer banks, and a total of 361 miles away. You could also stay in Raleigh, North Carolina as well, but I feel there’s a little more to see in Charlotte. Anyways, you can find a list of accommodations, here.
Once you have a place to stay, I recommend seeing Pisgah National Forest and Linville Gorge Wilderness, both of these are about two hours away from Charlotte. Some more nature spots to visit, that are also about 2 hours from Charlotte, are Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock, both are located in Brevard, NC. I recommend staying in North Carolina for four days.
Alright, moving right along, the next state to see is South Carolina. I would stay in Charleston instead of Myrtle Beach, so then you can stay away from the spring break crowd. Charleston, SC is about it is about three hours away from Charlotte, and 209 miles. You can find accommodations to stay in Charleston, from this list.
Once you are in Charleston, I highly recommend you walk down to the Battery (a historic monument park) and Rainbow Road, to walk, as well as take in the amazing architecture. Also, the Charleston Tea Gardens and Folly Beach are great places to visit as well. Lastly, I would take a trip to Fripp Island, and that wraps up our Carolinas portion of this travel guide. I suggest staying here for at least three days, and then on your fourth, drive to our next stop, Atlanta, Georgia!
Atlanta is just over four and a half hours away and 319 miles away from Charleston. Here is a link for some places to stay in Atlanta, Georgia. Some great nature spots to see around Atlanta are Rock City Gardens, Lookout Mountain, Cloudland Canyon State Park, Amicalola Falls State Park, North Georgia Mountains, Providence Canyon State Park, and Stone Mountain Park. Also, a fun spot to go is, Six Flags Georgia.
Savannah, Georgia is about three and a half hours from Atlanta, Georgia, and a total of 248 miles away. Here is a list of places to stay in Savannah. Anyhow, while you are in Savannah, some great places to see are, Savannah Historic District, East River Street and the Wormsloe Historic Site. Also, I would recommend taking a ghost tour for a night. Then stop at Tybee beach and Cumberland National Seashore. I recommend spending at least a week in Georgia, to accomplish most if not all of these sites.
Alright, this brings us to our last and final stop, Florida! Now there are so many stops and sites to see here, so let’s get to it! The first stop I would go to is Orlando, Florida, which is about four hours away and 279 miles from Savannah. Here is a list of places to stay in Orlando. Definitely go to Disney World and all four parks and their two waterparks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Also, I highly recommend going to Universal parks as well, and to see Harry Potter World!
Next I would take a visit to Siesta Key Beach, which is about two hours away, and 137 miles. Then head to the Everglades national park, which is 150 miles and just under two and a half hours away. Then take a quick stop at South Beach, for the ocean and nightlife in Miami (this is only about an hour away, 39 miles) and to see Sanibel Island. Then drive to the Florida Keys, and see there beaches, specifically Key West (and Duval Street in Key West), and the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (in Key Largo), to go snorkeling along the reef. I recommend staying in Florida for at least a week and a half, maybe two weeks if you can!
And that ends our Southeastern road trip, you can alter this trip anyway you like, but here is the backbones/structure of your trip! I hope you enjoyed and let me know in the comments below what your favorite cities/places are from the areas we just covered, thanks!
