Best places to stop on drive from DC to NY with a 16 month old
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Anonymous
| We are driving to a beach on Long Island this week and I am dreading the trip. 5+ hours in a car with my DS, who tolerates shorter trips fine but can only nap in a car max 45 mins, but this will be the longest trip we have tried. Any suggestions for the best places to stop along the way? We are budgeting 7 or 8 hours to allow him time to play, walk around, do a lunch picnic. ect. but wondering if folks have suggestions on exactly where to stop. |
Anonymous
| What about Princeton, NJ (full disclosure, I'm originally from there)? It's a little more than half way, but you could have lunch, wander around a little and let him run, and then have some ice cream at Halo Pub before getting back in the car. It's a little off of the Turnpike, but if you're taking 95 up through Philly or 295 through NJ, it's pretty convenient. |
Anonymous
| Honestly I would just stop at the PA/NJ plazas. |
Anonymous
Sorry, by PA I meant Delaware! But yes we did this drive and just stopped on the NJT plazas. Took no time and there was plenty of room to eat and walk around. |
Anonymous
This. The rest areas are well spaced out in NJ. Though the Delaware rest stop is my favorite. I typically stop there on our way up. I wouldn't get off the highway with a little one that age. It wouldn't be worth the extra travel time. |
Anonymous
+1. There's usually at least a little outdoor area to run around, and you can get a snack and right back on the road. Unless you're going to break up the trip with an overnight stop, you don't want to take long breaks since you might hit traffic at some point. The last thing you need is to end up spending 3 hours running around and then find out there's a 2-hour delay to get to the island. |
Anonymous
| Same. Our toddler loves the whole rest stop scene tbh. |
Anonymous
| The outlets just off 95 right before you enter Delaware heading North (Perryville) had a great little playground. My kids are long past that age so it may have changed but it was a regular stop for us. |
Anonymous
| You are going to stop whenever DC loses it and will want to keep plowing until then. It's not really worth worrying too much about planning it out at that age since there is no ability to reason yet. |
Anonymous
| My family lives in Long Island. We usually spend the night in nj. It is not 5 hrs to the LI beaches. There is always traffic. It usually takes us 5 hrs to northern New Jersey. |
Anonymous
This. |
Anonymous
|
I have done this drive with my kids (who are now 7 and 10) so, so many times. Be prepared that traffic alone can make this a 7-8 hour drive even if you never leave the car. We have taken alternate routes when traffic looks especially bad.
Otherwise, I agree with PPs, just drive as long as you can and stop at rest areas. There are places in northern Maryland, Delaware, and NJ. |
Anonymous
| If the timing works out, Havre de Grace is a lovely small town about 10 minutes off 95 with some pleasant waterfront parks. But yes, you should have a number of options because when/where you'll want to stop depends on traffic, napping schedule, meal times, etc. |
Anonymous
+1 Drive until you can't anymore. Pull off at the nearest plaza/exit with restaurants/bathrooms/etc. |
Anonymous
+1 |