Road Trip Series #5: Northeastern Road Trip Review and Tips

If you’ve ever thought about doing a road trip for a simple, cost efficient vacation, I am here to tell you to go for it! My husband and I took our very first road trip this summer and made some of the best memories of any trips we have taken in the past. To start, find landmarks around your area (within 5-10 hours driving) and mark places you want to see on your trip. We used Google Maps and created our own Road Trip map with all our sights and hotels marked, along with pit stops and restaurants we may want to stop it.

 To prepare our car for the long drives, I made sure all tune-ups and tires were up to date and in good working condition. We also did a big haul of snacks and drinks from BJ’s Wholesale and packed the backseat for easy access. Another trick we took from Pinterest was putting a small trash bag in a cereal container for trash along the ride. Having foods, drinks, pillows, and other comforts in reach was a great way to travel for long drives. We found driving for 5-6 hours was pretty tolerable for one person, but our 10 hour drive day was a bit too much, so lesson learned on the limits.

As for stops, we went to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA with a stop at Scranton, PA on the way there (for all those Office fans out there) and spent a few days in Hershey to enjoy the theme park, Zoo America, The Hershey Story Experience, and all the foods in the area. 2 days was plenty to enjoy all Hershey has to offer and their ticket prices are very fair. We ate at the Circular restaurant at Hotel Hershey which is a signature style restaurant and the food was amazing! Highly recommend for a romantic adult dinner just outside the parks.

Another stop we made was to Latrobe, PA and Pittsburgh, PA to see exhibits on Mr. Rogers and they were absolutely amazing. I was in awe as I saw all the achievements he had, the archives at the Mr. Rogers Center in his hometown, and being on the actual set of the land of make believe! It’s an experience I recommend to anyone who grew up watching and loving Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.

For our last stop, we decided to visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg for their Food and Wine Festival, and if you are anywhere near Virginia I absolutely recommend you take a trip during the summer to try all the foods from around the world! The prices are very fair compared to Epcot’s food and wine festival and they even have a food pass that equals out to paying just $5 or less per food or DRINK! Yes, alcohol included! The attractions were so fun, lots of thrill rides for the adventurous and a clean park with animals to see as well! We loved our first visit here and can’t wait to get back next year.

~Jillian Lassiter