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Off-Topic Tourist recommendations

OldhamA

OldhamA

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Just throwing this out there; I'm potentially planning a US trip this year (COVID / work commitments willing).

Planning on landing in Charlotte, watching the Panthers and then ending up in Miami to watch the Canes. Probably in September, if the games line up - so will have approx. 10-14 days.

Are there any places between those two destinations (we'll be driving down the coast) that you think are MUST visits? e.g. Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Orlando etc? Any places to avoid?

Ta in advance.
 
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@GoCanes!! hit on a few. Take the drive from Charlotte to I95 and visit Charleston. Patriot's point for some old aircraft and the USS Yorktown. The Hunley is not too far away and there are some good restaurants in the area. Savannah is also nice with a lot of cool old stuff to see.

The Kennedy Space Center is a must see. Plan a day for it. If you can see a launch, it's impressive.

Rocket Launch Schedule | Kennedy Space Center

www.kennedyspacecenter.com www.kennedyspacecenter.com

Daytona Speedway has a tour, but I'm not certain of the details post-covid. A 2.5 mile track with 30 degree corners is something worth seeing.
 
Drove through and toured Savannah and Charleston on my way to Cocoa Beach last Dec/Jan. A ton of nice scenery all the way down through that area. Savannah, Charleston, Edisto Island, Amelia Island, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach all right off of I95. Got to say that the Cocoa Beach/ space coast area might be my new favorite area in Florida.
 
OldhamA said:
Just throwing this out there; I'm potentially planning a US trip this year (COVID / work commitments willing).

Planning on landing in Charlotte, watching the Panthers and then ending up in Miami to watch the Canes. Probably in September, if the games line up - so will have approx. 10-14 days.

Are there any places between those two destinations (we'll be driving down the coast) that you think are MUST visits? e.g. Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Orlando etc? Any places to avoid?

Ta in advance.
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Really depends on your budget and wants. Charleston and Savannah are both right down there on the way. If you want more of a higher end or golf resort, Sea Island, Kiawah, Jekyll Island and Palmetto Bluff are in that general area and on the way down. If you like breweries, Tampa isn’t too far out of the way and is loaded with them.

If it were me, I’d do Charlotte, 2-3 nights in Charleston. Spend a day in Savannah on the way down and stop in one of Jekyll, St Augustine, Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island. I think there is more to do in Savannah but it’s only 2 hours from Charleston and 7-8 from Miami. if you stay a little further south it will break up the drive to Miami more (5ish vs 7-8 hours from Savannah to Miami). Then spend the rest in Miami.
 
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JD08 said:
@GoCanes!! hit on a few. Take the drive from Charlotte to I95 and visit Charleston. Patriot's point for some old aircraft and the USS Yorktown. The Hunley is not too far away and there are some good restaurants in the area. Savannah is also nice with a lot of cool old stuff to see.
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I agree. But for a guy like @OldhamA who lives in jolly old England (I think) the term “old” is relative. He’ll look at something like The Pirate’s House in Savannah or the fort in St. Augustine and say, “Wait…this stuff is only 300-400 years old? That’s not old.” But to us it’s as old as anything gets. We just don’t have any 1,000 year old castles hanging around over here.
 
ddann said:
I agree. But for a guy like @OldhamA who lives in jolly old England (I think) the term “old” is relative. He’ll look at something like The Pirate’s House in Savannah or the fort in St. Augustine and say, “Wait…this stuff is only 300-400 years old? That’s not old.” But to us it’s as old as anything gets. We just don’t have any 1,000 year old castles hanging around over here.
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This is very true. But at least the architecture is very different.
 
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wspcane said:
Really depends on your budget and wants. Charleston and Savannah are both right down there on the way. If you want more of a higher end or golf resort, Sea Island, Kiawah, Jekyll Island and Palmetto Bluff are in that general area and on the way down. If you like breweries, Tampa isn’t too far out of the way and is loaded with them.

If it were me, I’d do Charlotte, 2-3 nights in Charleston. Spend a day in Savannah on the way down and stop in one of Jekyll, St Augustine, Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island. I think there is more to do in Savannah but it’s only 2 hours from Charleston and 7-8 from Miami. if you stay a little further south it will break up the drive to Miami more (5ish vs 7-8 hours from Savannah to Miami). Then spend the rest in Miami.
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Budget is reasonably tight - going to rent a car and don't mind staying in Holiday Inn level hotels on the trip between Charlotte and Miami. Would rather spend the money on food / the games (and seeing sites) and a decent hotel at either end.

Why so much time in Miami? What's there to do there, besides look for sites I recognise from Burn Notice. :ROFLMAO:
 
ddann said:
I agree. But for a guy like @OldhamA who lives in jolly old England (I think) the term “old” is relative. He’ll look at something like The Pirate’s House in Savannah or the fort in St. Augustine and say, “Wait…this stuff is only 300-400 years old? That’s not old.” But to us it’s as old as anything gets. We just don’t have any 1,000 year old castles hanging around over here.
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I'm in Chester on Thursday. Might pop into the Roman Amphitheatre while I'm in town. ;)
 
OldhamA said:
I have a history degree - if there's any cool historical sites I'm down.
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St Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States. You might want to stop by there and visit the Spanish fort. It's made out of coquina, a sedimentary limestone rock and didn't crack under cannon fire during bombardment.
 
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OldhamA said:
Budget is reasonably tight - going to rent a car and don't mind staying in Holiday Inn level hotels on the trip between Charlotte and Miami. Would rather spend the money on food / the games (and seeing sites) and a decent hotel at either end.

Why so much time in Miami? What's there to do there, besides look for sites I recognise from Burn Notice. :ROFLMAO:
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If you're really looking to spread it out, then I would stop in Charleston, Savannah, maybe St Augustine, then Miami. I think 2 night is enough in Charlotte, Charleston, Savannah, etc. From Miami you can easily shoot down to the northern Keys for a day trip (or night), you could do the Everglades for a day (airboat/alligator tour), etc. It is an easy enough base. Or try to hop the fence at Mar a Lago on your way down through Palm Beach.
 
OldhamA said:
Just throwing this out there; I'm potentially planning a US trip this year (COVID / work commitments willing).

Planning on landing in Charlotte, watching the Panthers and then ending up in Miami to watch the Canes. Probably in September, if the games line up - so will have approx. 10-14 days.

Are there any places between those two destinations (we'll be driving down the coast) that you think are MUST visits? e.g. Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Orlando etc? Any places to avoid?

Ta in advance.
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I like Myrtle, but it's a tourist haven. It caters to timeshares, frat boys, and retirees. If you love dive beach bars and mini golf, give it an afternoon. Otherwise, pass.

If you want to stop for lunch in a nice area, then Kingsland or St. Mary's in Georgia is nice right before you hit the Florida line. However, if you don't mind the drive from 95, Fernandina Beach is over on the water and I like it.

Daytona Beach is a much rougher town, more biker version of Myrtle Beach.

St. Augustine has the lighthouse and an old Spanish fort, if you like that sort of thing.

I preferred Ft. Sumter to anything in Charleston in terms of history tourism.

But my #1 recommendation if you like history is to stop at the Mighty 8th Airforce Museum, right off of 95 on the Georgia coast.
 
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Canesmia01 said:
Savannah is nice don’t stop in Myrtle Beach
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Or, if you like meth and jet skis, absolutely stop at Myrtle Beach.

In all seriousness OP, Savannah and St. Augustine (both already mentioned) are two great options.
I have been to Jekyll Island (also listed above) and think it's a nice stop, too.
A bit different, but the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral are fun, if you're into the whole space thing.
A bit of a detour, but the area around Sarasota is really nice... especially Longboat and Siesta Key. The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is awesome. And there are surprisingly several cool breweries and solid restaurants in the area.
 
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