Travel from Cape Charles, Virginia to Georgetown, Delaware

We drove our coach 132 miles, about three hours of driving, from Cape Charles, Virginia to Georgetown, Delaware. Yet another new state.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading north:

Route map

An interactive map:

Preparing to toad up:

Preparing to toad up

The campground emptied out after the weekend:

Campground emptied out

Route 13 North:

Route 13 North

Royal Farms fuel stop:

Royal Farms fuel stop

Royal Farms fuel stop

They limited the pump to $125, so we had to do two transactions to fill up, as our 150 gallon tank was about half full:

Royal Farms fuel stop

Paladin on the passenger chair:

Paladin

Maryland Welcomes You:

Maryland Welcomes You

A rest area stop:

Rest area

Rest area

“Urban area, stay alert”:

Urban area, stay alert

Welcome to Delaware:

Welcome to Delaware

An accident:

Accident

Millsboro, Delaware:

Millsboro, Delaware

Our destination:

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Travel from Chocowinity, North Carolina to Cape Charles, Virginia

We drove our coach 156 miles, about two hours of driving, from Chocowinity, North Carolina to Cape Charles, Virginia. Another new state.

This was a late change in our plans. We were originally going to head more directly north, but we realized that we’d be traveling over the Memorial Day weekend, which is one of the busiest camper weekends. And checking in to a first-come-first-served Thousand Trails park during that weekend, so would probably struggle to find a good site. So we decided to add a stop elsewhere between the two, to avoid both issues. In retrospect, we chose poorly (okay, I chose poorly), since we didn’t realize that the route would involve some narrow tunnels.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading northeast:

Route map

An interactive map:

Washington, North Carolina:

Washington, North Carolina

13 / 17 North:

13 / 17 North

Not a lot of stopping opportunities on this route. I found a nice big parking lot that worked well, also a convenient walk to a McDonald’s for lunch:

Parking lot

Paladin sat in his nest on the dash as we headed out again, until we got back on the highway:

Paladin

Roanoke River:

Roanoke River

Chowan River:

Chowan River

Chowan River

Future I-87:

Future I-87

Paladin asleep:

Paladin asleep

Perquimans River:

Perquimans River

Perquimans River

Exit to Chesapeake:

Exit to Chesapeake

Future I-87 again:

Future I-87

A break at the Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center rest area:

Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center rest area

Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center rest area

Snuggling with Paladin:

Paladin and David

Paladin on the dash:

Paladin on dash

As we left this rest area, we had a strange wobble — it felt like the wheels of the coach were loose or something, but on looking at the 360 camera footage from the truck later, it looks like the front truck tires possibly weren’t pointing in the right direction as we made a turn out of the rest area, and they hopped a few times. We pulled over, then resumed while keeping any eye on things; it was fine after that. Rather disconcerting, but no harm done as far as we can tell.

That issue did occur again on a subsequent trip. But we have since replaced our truck tires, as the front ones were getting a bit bald on the outer edges, so hopefully it won’t occur again.

“Welcome to Virginia”:

Welcome to Virginia

Exit:

Exit

Bainbridge?! To us, Bainbridge is an island in the Puget Sound, across from Seattle:

Bainbridge?!

Southern Branch Elizabeth River:

Southern Branch Elizabeth River

Exit:

Exit

We hadn’t seen a “Signal Red Ahead” warning before:

Signal Red Ahead

I wonder what was on “Pleasure House Road”?

Pleasure House Raod?!

Toll plaza:

Toll plaza

A bridge-tunnel across the mouth of Chesapeake Bay; part bridges, part two tunnels under the water:

Bridge-Tunnel

13’ 6” height restriction. Our coach is 12’ 7”. 11 inches of clearance is totally fine, not at all concerning!

Bridge-Tunnel

They’re working on adding a second tunnel for opposing traffic, but for now both ways goes through the same tunnel:

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

A couple of snapshots from the 360 camera on the truck; look at all those inches of clearance (remember too that our AC units stick up a little higher than the roof rail):

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

An animated GIF:

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

`Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

A ship going over the second tunnel:

Ship going over the second tunnel

Ship going over the second tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Bridge-Tunnel

Our destination:

Our destination

Our destination

Guided to our site:

Our destination

Our destination

We originally were going to go back through those tunnels, and a third tunnel and roadworks north of Virginia Beach, but decided to change our plans again to avoid those; more on that next week.

And check out the video today; it includes views from the truck, and lots of interesting bits including an instant replay of the truck wobble thing, and the truck and coach views of going through the two tunnels, and more.

Travel from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Chocowinity, North Carolina

We drove our coach 201 miles, about four hours of driving, from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Chocowinity, North Carolina. Another new state.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading north:

Route map

An interactive map:

Leaving the campsite:

Our coach

A little narrow:

Our coach

A tight turn:

Our coach

Toading up:

Toading up

Goodbye beach:

Goodbye beach

Exiting the state park:

Exiting the state park

Myrtle Beach Welcomes You:

Myrtle Beach Welcomes You

A plane flying low over the highway; the airport is right next to it:

Plane flying low over highway

Plane landing at airport

Blue water at mini golf:

Blue water at mini golf

Wax museum:

Wax museum

Another mini golf:

Another mini golf

Yet another mini golf:

Another mini golf

Crossing the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW):

Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)

Welcome to North Carolina:

Welcome to North Carolina

We stopped at a Hardee’s for lunch, as they had RV-sized parking spaces:

Hardee's

Hardee's

Hardee's

Hardee's

Hardee's

Hardee's

Back at our coach, Paladin in his nest:

Paladin

Exit:

Exit

Hey, there’s Jenn’s brother, Leland:

Leland

Northeast Cape Fear River:

Northeast Cape Fear River

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

New River:

New River

We stopped at a defunct car dealer parking lot; very few stopping opportunities (“stopportunties”) on this route:

Parking lot

Parking lot

Paladin took my seat when I used the bathroom:

Paladin

An abandoned house:

Abandoned house

Neuse River:

Neuse River

Neuse River

A fire lookout watchtower:

Watchtower

Arriving at our destination for a couple of weeks:

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Our destination

Travel from Columbia to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

We drove our coach 150 miles, about three hours of driving, from Columbia, South Carolina to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Reaching the East coast! (Other than Florida.)

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

Leaving the state park:

Leaving state park

A line for the dump station; we didn’t need to dump, but had to wait for a bit to get past:

Line for dump station

The dump station:

Dump station

I-20 East:

I-20 East

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Iron Skillet Restaurant at a Petro truck stop:

Iron Skillet Restaurant

We like Petro, as not only do we get fuel discounts there, but they are often very large, with lots of parking spaces and uncrowded fuel lanes:

Petro fuel stop

Our fuel fill; as usual, we paid less than the pump price thanks to our fuel discount card; we paid $204.71, a saving of $27.47:

Fuel fill

Easy parking:

Parked

Petro has laundry and showers facilities, and even a hair salon:

Laundry and showers

And the aforementioned Iron Skillet Restaurant, where we had breakfast for lunch:

Iron Skillet Restaurant

Menu

Breakfast for lunch

Back at our coach, Paladin asleep on the dash:

Paladin

Paladin

I-95 North:

I-95 North

Route 76 East:

Route 76 East

Crossing over a portion of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), an inland water route near the coast that runs almost all the way down the East coast from Massachusetts to Florida and across the Gulf to Texas:

Intracoastal Waterway

Arriving at Myrtle Beach State Park:

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Camper check-in:

Myrtle Beach State Park

Following the coach to our site:

Myrtle Beach State Park

Travel from Rutledge, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina

We drove our coach 187 miles, about three hours of driving, from Rutledge, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina. The first of a series of new states for us.

Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:

Route map

An interactive map:

I was a bit concerned about leaving our site, as it was kinda steep:

Leaving site

Leaving site

But we managed without too much difficulty:

Leaving site

We left the park via Knox Chapel Road, to avoid a bad railroad crossing in downtown Rutledge:

Knox Chapel Road

We still had to go over an unlevel railroad crossing, but this was the best of the three options:

Railroad crossing

Nice new road surface:

Nice new road surface

Joining I-20 East, with an Eisenhower Interstate System sign:

Eisenhower Interstate System

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

A Southern swooper; we’ve noticed that Southern drivers tend to swoop in front of us, way too close for safety. Give some space before moving over, people!

Southern swooper

We parked at a Love’s truck stop and went to the adjacent Waffle House for lunch:

Waffle House

Truck parking

Coach parked with trucks

Waffle House

Waffle House

Waffle House

Paladin waiting on the dash for us to return:

Paladin on the dash

Entering South Carolina:

Entering South Carolina

Paladin asleep:

Paladin asleep

Fun with zoom:

Fun with zoom

Fun with zoom

Exit to route 1:

Exit to route 1

Sesquicentennial State Park:

Sesquicentennial State Park

Entrance station:

Entrance station

Splash pad:

Splash pad

Campground entrance:

Campground entrance

Our site:

Our site

Paladin on the dash while getting leveled in the site:

Paladin