Summer 2025: Our East Coast Road Trip from Florida to Pennsylvania

In the summer of 2025, we packed up a rental car and headed north from Florida to Pennsylvania, with one big goal in mind: check off more East Coast states! Our route took us through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, with a mix of historic sites, quirky roadside attractions, small-town discoveries, and a few unexpected adventures along the way.

Of course, no road trip out of Florida would be complete without a stop at Buc-ee’s. Clean bathrooms, road trip snacks, and an excuse to stretch our legs? Count us in!

Our first overnight stop was Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia, where we stayed in Navy lodging and explored the wooded surroundings of the base. From there, we headed to Charleston, South Carolina, for Southern food, historic streets, and a private horse-drawn carriage tour. Charleston was beautiful, although the unmistakable smell of the horses around our hotel was something I could have done without!

North Carolina proved a little more challenging to plan, but it ended up delivering one of the most memorable surprises of the trip: the Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor. Sometimes the best road trip stops are the ones you stumble across by accident!

In Virginia, we spent time exploring Colonial Williamsburg, enjoyed dinner at Shields Tavern, and took a fantastic ghost tour that was a hit with both our son and Grandma. We then continued into Maryland to visit Crystal Grottoes Caverns and Antietam National Battlefield, managing to fit two worthwhile stops into one day.

West Virginia brought us to Shepherdstown, where we browsed the wonderfully eclectic O’Hurley’s General Store before checking into the Bavarian Inn. The inn’s incredible views and infinity pool were highlights, although the stairs were a challenge for Grandma.

Finally, we made our way through Pennsylvania, stopping at the Flight 93 National Memorial and visiting Punxsutawney Phil at Gobbler’s Knob and downtown Punxsutawney. We wrapped up the trip with a few days in Erie, my husband’s hometown, before driving to Pittsburgh and flying home to Melbourne, Florida.

This trip was a little bit of everything: history, quirky attractions, memorable meals, beautiful scenery, and plenty of time on the road. It also reminded us how important it is to plan ahead for accessibility when traveling with family members who have mobility challenges.

Rather than cram every detail into one enormous post, I’m breaking our trip into smaller stories, each focused on a different part of the journey. That way, you can explore the stops that interest you most, whether you’re planning your own East Coast road trip, looking for unusual roadside attractions, or searching for practical tips for multigenerational travel.

So buckle up, grab your road trip snacks, and come along for the ride!

Explore the trip:

• Georgia and South Carolina: Navy lodging, Charleston charm, and carriage rides.
• North Carolina: Battleships, pickle tasting, and unexpected roadside discoveries.
• Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg, historic taverns, and a memorable ghost tour.
• Maryland: Crystal Grottoes Caverns and Antietam National Battlefield.
• West Virginia: Shepherdstown, O’Hurley’s General Store, and the Bavarian Inn.
• Pennsylvania: The Flight 93 National Memorial, Punxsutawney Phil, and a stop in Erie.

I’ll share the details, highlights, honest reviews, and accessibility considerations for each part of the journey in the individual posts.