Are your baby boomer travel feet itching as much as ours? Alan and I are wishing we were on a good old fashioned road trip. You know, the ones where you leave the interstates behind in favor of scenic byways. In today’s guest post, Joe Laing of El Monte RV Rentals is back to tempt us with a bevy of East Coast scenic drives that will have our baby boomer RV fans turning on the engines and heading out the door.
Brandywine chateau country
For many of us, it’s almost time to get out on the road again and the East Coast offers splendidly scenic drives to explore. The following East Coast scenic drive itineraries are highly-praised by RV travelers. Pick one or pick them all — each has a vacation full of photo opportunities and treasured baby boomer travel memories waiting.
Delaware Scenic Byways
For a state that’s only one hundred miles long, Delaware is certainly blessed with scenic byways. Choose from two that garner top scores for history, scenery and comfortable RV campgrounds along the way:
- Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway: Start near the Pennsylvania/Delaware state line on Hwy 52 and roll south past magnificent vineyards, historic towns and scenery that will have you extending your stay. If you can pull yourself away from the scenery, be sure to stop at the Brandywine River Museum, first started in an 1860s grist mill by the duPont family to showcase such artists as Andrew and N.C. Wyeth.
- Route 9 Coastal Heritage Scenic Byway: Baby boomer travelers will find fifty awesome miles of beaches, eighteenth century villages and heritage farms. Some highlights include Reedy Point Bridge over the C&D Canal that joins Fort Dupont State Park with Augustine Wildlife Area. Also stop by Kitts Hummock Beach, an idyllic refuge for the horseshoe crabs that spawn there in early summer. Start your trip with a stay at Lums Pond State Park campground near Delaware City.
Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway
Take time to explore Delmarva Peninsula, that stretch of land that’s shared by Delaware, Maryland and Virginia along Chesapeake Bay. One of the best ways to see Delmarva’s prime scenery is along the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway from Chesapeake City, MD south along Hwy 213, then southwest on Hwy 445 to the Bay or on 213/301 to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
What can boomers expect to see on this scenic byway? Colonial villages such as Chesapeake City on the C&D Canal, Chestertown on the Chester River and the tiny town of Queenstown, formed in 1707 on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake. The national scenic byway is close to five state parks and the Neck National Wildlife Refuge near Rock Hall, so you’ll find plenty of places to enjoy nature’s beauty as you go.
By the way, Tuckahoe State Park, just eleven miles east of Centreville, MD, has RV campsites with electric hook-ups.
Delaware River Scenic Byway
One more way to revel in the beauty the East Coast has to offer is in New Jersey, along the Delaware River Scenic Byway. From Frenchtown to Trenton, this scenic road passes through colonial river towns, gently rolling countryside and places treasured in our nation’s history. Don’t miss the Prallsville Mills Historic District within D&R Canal State Park in Stockton, NJ, Washington Crossing Historic Park or the Howell Living History Farm near Lambertville. Travel just across the Delaware River in Frenchtownto Bucks County, PA, where you’ll find plenty of RV campgrounds in towns like Quakertown and Ottsville.
There you have it, four great reasons to hit the road along America’s eastern shore by RV. Along scenic byways like these discover the small towns, historic sites and awe-inspiring landscapes that make the East Coast the perfect RV camping destination for baby boomer travelers.
Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. For other great RV camping vacation ideas see the Monty’s Musings RV Camping Blog or the new Monty’s RV VacationPhoto /Picture Gallery.
Disclosure: This is not a paid or sponsored post. Joe offered solid information about traveling the East Coast by RV camper that we thought our baby boomer readers would enjoy.
The photo of Brandywine Scenic Byway photo is from the public domain, U.S. Government.
Are you an RV’er? Post a comment to share your favorite East Coast scenic drive. Our travel feet are so itchy!
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t forget Chincoteague off the coast of Virginia. Chincoteague is part of the DelMarVa peninsula and tourists love it here!
Twitter: DonnaLHull
March 31, 2011 at 6:49 pm
I visited Chincoteague many years ago. Loved it! Maybe it’s time for
our own East Coast road trip.
I would love to do one of these RV trips! A few years ago we traveled by RV through Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon. It was a wonderful trip and a great way to travel!
Twitter: DonnaLHull
April 1, 2011 at 1:46 am
Debbie, traveling to Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon in an RV must have
been fun. I’m going to have to break down and rent an RV for a boomer
road trip one of these days.
Twitter: reellifejane
April 2, 2011 at 4:47 pm
I always joke to my husband that we should buy an RV and hit the road. I say “joke” because it sounds like an “old person’s thing to do,” but hey, it sounds lovely to me! Take your home away from home with you, I say. What could be better?
The other idea is to buy motorcycles and hit the road, and that just sounds too uncomfortable for any long-distance driving. Maybe to town and back on the cycles.
Twitter: DonnaLHull
April 2, 2011 at 4:52 pm
My only issue when traveling by RV would be cooking all the time. That
doesn’t sound like much of a vacation to me, although it would be
great for the budget. Alan actually traveled on his Harley (which is
now a grand piano), from Oregon to Milwaukee for the Harley Davidson
95th anniversary.
The only one of these I’ve done is the Brandwine Valley and it is spectacular. Guess I’d better start planning some more road trips.
Twitter: DonnaLHull
April 6, 2011 at 5:04 pm
I agree. And maybe renting an RV might be an interesting twist on a
road trip. What do you think?
I’m hesitant about the RV, because you have to have a handyman/mechanic in the family, which I do not have. All that hooking up of electric and water and stuff sounds off-putting to me. Not to mention the soaring cost of gas.
Twitter: DonnaLHull
April 6, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Important issues all. Any type of road trip will be more expensive
with the current fuel situation.
Twitter: ottsworld
April 11, 2011 at 11:56 am
There’s something about a summer road trip that always tugs at me. I think it’s the idea of slow travel and having time to simply enjoy your surroundings. These are some great suggestions!
Twitter: DonnaLHull
April 11, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Our favorite times for a road trip are spring and fall – less crowds
and hassle.
For us, absolutely nothing beats RV traveling. Our east coast trip (19 states 7000 miles) last fall was awesome. We did learn one thing about RVing on the east coast… they have old LOW bridges, a problem for those with tall profiles. For anyone interested in seeing historical sites the east coast has one awesome site after another.
Twitter: DonnaLHull
April 15, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Hi Ken, thanks for stopping by to share your RV travels with us. Hope
you’ll comment again.
the article is pretty good ,with concise language ,with good expression ,we always looking forward to hrearing for him again .
science and technology give us so many fantastic experience ,just like the article give me so many new idea .