I've been driving my family to Long Island from NC every year for Thanksgiving for the past 20 years. A few years into this, I got really tired of taking I-95, especially once you get north of Richmond. So I started looking into alternate routes and instead of I-95 all the way, we cut over to Norfolk from I-95 at Emporia, then take the CBBT to the Delmarva Peninsula, up to Lewes, DE, the Cape May ferry to the Garden State parkway to Staten Island, then across the Verrazzano to Long Island.
Other than one year when a deer jumped out in front of me on the GSP, it's a much more pleasant and relaxing trip than I-95, and it's nice to have the ferry ride to break things up.
Anyway, that's how I discovered the CBBT in the first place and it's always been a fun part of the (580'ish mi / 930'ish km) trip.
Indeed! That is the preferred route for basically everyone in the eastern half of Virginia, especially south of Richmond/Charlottesville (I grew up in Lynchburg, went to school at UVA, and my bro-in-law lives in VA Beach). It's waaaaay nicer to drive up Delmarva than I95!
Thanks! We've been to the the Great Machipongo Clam Shack a handful of times. We usually only stop for food on the return trip. Maybe we'll give Stingray's a try this time.
As a kid, the Lewes ferry was always a treat getting to my grandparents, who lived in Elizabeth across from NYC.
Another treat was driving up the NJ Turnpike past exit 9, because I always wanted to see the old ferry Mary Murray that was beached on the Raritan River. I'm rather sad it's gone.
Other than one year when a deer jumped out in front of me on the GSP, it's a much more pleasant and relaxing trip than I-95, and it's nice to have the ferry ride to break things up.
Anyway, that's how I discovered the CBBT in the first place and it's always been a fun part of the (580'ish mi / 930'ish km) trip.