Driving along the I-95 route anyone stop in

[Hockeychic]

Beckley, West Virginia.

Last time we went we drive straight through along I-75, this time we have decided to take I79-70-95 route and stop in Beckley.

Anyone ever stopped there, is it a nice place to stop? How many hours do you think it is from the Fort Erie boarder????

Thanks to you all

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

We stopped in Beckley once recently.
Also, currently planning the drive for in-laws October trip and we all decided Beckley would the best first stop for them (coming from Hamilton)
If I remember correctly it is about 8 hrs from Fort Erie.
What makes it a good stop is that it is right before the hardest part of that drive through the Virgina mountains, so you can get up refreshed and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Also on that route there isn't that many places to stop - from Beckley the next place with a lot of choice for hotel, dining etc would be Statesville which is a least a few hours between the two.
I think we stayed at a Marriott, but there are a lot of choices of hotel and restaurants at Beckley - I think it is a good choice for a stop.

 

[Hockeychic]

I just felt so much better reading your post. My husband thought that about the mountains so you confirming it is making us think this is definatley the place to stop.

Thanks again.

 

[DisneyLisa]

We stopped in Beckley, WV last summer & I agree that it's a good place to stop. We had a very bad experience, however, with our room at the Hampton Inn (dirty underwear (among other things) in one of the beds) so although I normally like the Hampton Inns, I'd be hesitant to recommend it (although I have since been notified that the maid who "cleaned" our room that day was fired).

Our trip log shows we crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 12:50 pm and arrived in Beckley at 9:30 pm. As Yzma and Kronk said, Statesville, NC would be the next place to stop & it's about 2 1/2 hours past Beckley (we've stayed there as well).

Depending on when you leave, I'd aim for Statesville as it takes you closer to WDW, meaning a shorter drive the next day. But if you're uncomfortable driving through the mountains late in the day (or don't want to miss the view), then Beckley would be your best bet.

Enjoy your trip...it's a really nice drive.

 

[dsneygirl]

When I was younger and we drove that route we always stopped in Beckley WV the first night. It was about 11 hours from our home in Waterloo. There was always a good selection of hotels and restaurants around there.

 

[cdntowdw]

We took this route to Myrtle Beach during March break this year. To give you an idea of our travel times here is what we did. We cleared customas at Buffalo at 7:30 a.m., made it to Beckley at 2:30 pm which was too early to stop. We drove on to Wytheville exit 73 (arriving at 3:30) stopped at Cracker Barrel for an hour for supper until 4:30 and then drove on until 5:00 when we arrived at the Hillsville exit, (Hwy.221). We stayed at the Fairfield Inn here for $52.00. Would recommend you check out www.roomsavers.com for roadside coupons like they have in the coupon books on the Interstates. Found this to be a wonderfully clean hotel, with pool, hottub and great continental breakfast. The break for early supper was very nice, so that when we got into our hotel we could hit the pool right away and then just unwind from the day's drive. (Warning: my husband may have a little bit of a heavy foot - he usually cruises at about 110-120 kph.) Starting Day 2 at the Hillsville Exit puts you only a few minutes to the North Carolina border and then you seem to knock off those states quicker. Have not driven from here to Florida though. We are planning on taking this route in Dec. to Florida but will spend a few days in Myrtle Beach golfing, (over Xmas the rates here are so much cheaper and weather is moderate. We will then do the rest of the trip from there to Florida after Xmas once the crowds have cleared.