US 1: Washington, DC to New York City

This week, we're heading from our nation's capital to the Big Apple on US 1.  Starting in DC, you'll move more slowly than you did farther south because in general, towns in the Northeast are closer together and more heavily populated than those that the highway passes through farther south.  

But there is a lot to see along the way:  quaint little towns, large metropolises (or is it metropoli? and is it redundant to call a metropolis large?), historic buildings, and national parks . 

US 1: Columbia, SC to Washington, DC

We're continuing with our US 1 series this week featuring the drive from Columbia, SC to Washington, DC, with a few stops along the way.

Three Days in Key West

Key West is home to the Southernmost Point in the Continental United States, key lime pie, beautiful sunsets, the End of US 1, and Hemingway's 6-toed cats.  We spent three days there after arriving by way of US 1 and the Overseas Highway, and today we're sharing our recommendations for how visitors to Key West can spend their time.

US 1: The Road That Started it All

To sum up US Highway 1 in a single, manageable blog post would be a major challenge - both for me to write and for you to read.   The highway originates at the Canadian border in Fort Kent, Maine and ends 2,593 miles later in Key West, Florida!  This first US 1 post will focus on the southern portion from the State House in downtown Columbia, SC to the Southernmost Point in Key West, FL - only about a third of the highway!

Our US 1 story takes place over several years, beginning in 2008 and ending in 2016.  After our wedding in 2008, we moved into an apartment on US 1 in Lexington, South Carolina.  We traveled on it daily to and from work and errands and at some point we learned that if we just drove past our apartment and kept going, we'd get all the way to Canada or Key West, depending on which direction we headed.

In August 2009, we set out on our first vacation together.  The first of our many back roads road trips began on a Friday afternoon with 9 days of open road ahead of us.  We began in downtown Columbia in front of the South Carolina State House and drove South with the goal of reaching Key West, taking US 1 the whole way.

Our Favorite Restaurants in America

Traveling long term requires that you dine out quite frequently.  Today, I'm sharing our recommendations for finding good restaurants in unfamiliar towns, along with a few of our favorite local restaurants from across the USA.

Finding local joints instead of always eating at the Olive Garden or Golden Corral is really a requirement for the best and fullest road trip experience.  Generally, these restaurants are family run and many have employees who have worked there for 10, 15, or 20 years.  Often, the owner will be present.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, the service is above and beyond the average experience at a chain place.  It can be a little daunting to cruise into a town you've never heard of and find a restaurant with great food and great service, but we guarantee it's possible!