Oh Baby: Road Trip Edition: When the Toll Road Bell Tolls
February 7, 2023 7:42 AM Subscribe
Upcoming travel from central NC to northern NJ with a 6 month old. Best routes? Rest stops? Traffic to avoid? Snowflakes below the fold.
A family member has a BIG IMPORTANT EVENT Easter weekend in Northern NJ, so I'm planning to drive up with OhHaieSpouse and OhHaieSpawn. Getting route ideas from family, but they seem to think this will be a breeze... I am not so sure. None of them (or us) have ever done this route with an infant. The last time I made this trip was in the 2000s, and back then the general advice was "avoid DC, avoid Baltimore". I vaguely remember driving through rural PA. Google Maps has us going right through both (!), essentially via i85 and i95.
I suspect we'll need to tack on 3-4h from the route time for stopping and feeding the baby/stretching/etc.
The only advantages I see to this route are known rest areas and possibly stopping at a childhood haunt assuming they're open when we get to that part of New Jersey. I doubt Spawn will be interested in driving by any DC monuments, they will likely be focused on figuring out their fingers and other infant stuff.
Not interested in flying (yet). So hivemind... have you done this? How long did you leave for travel on both ends? Do you have a secret route that avoids DC and/or Baltimore? Is this achievable in 1 day or did you break it up into two drives? What are specific things we need to keep in mind with a 6 month old? We also don't know how to toll... will an NC EZ Pass get us through NJ? What was your diaper stank containment strategy (I suspect we'll be starting solid food trials by then)? What other questions am I not asking but you have wisdom on?
The questions, they abound. And like Jon Snow, I know nothing.
A family member has a BIG IMPORTANT EVENT Easter weekend in Northern NJ, so I'm planning to drive up with OhHaieSpouse and OhHaieSpawn. Getting route ideas from family, but they seem to think this will be a breeze... I am not so sure. None of them (or us) have ever done this route with an infant. The last time I made this trip was in the 2000s, and back then the general advice was "avoid DC, avoid Baltimore". I vaguely remember driving through rural PA. Google Maps has us going right through both (!), essentially via i85 and i95.
I suspect we'll need to tack on 3-4h from the route time for stopping and feeding the baby/stretching/etc.
The only advantages I see to this route are known rest areas and possibly stopping at a childhood haunt assuming they're open when we get to that part of New Jersey. I doubt Spawn will be interested in driving by any DC monuments, they will likely be focused on figuring out their fingers and other infant stuff.
Not interested in flying (yet). So hivemind... have you done this? How long did you leave for travel on both ends? Do you have a secret route that avoids DC and/or Baltimore? Is this achievable in 1 day or did you break it up into two drives? What are specific things we need to keep in mind with a 6 month old? We also don't know how to toll... will an NC EZ Pass get us through NJ? What was your diaper stank containment strategy (I suspect we'll be starting solid food trials by then)? What other questions am I not asking but you have wisdom on?
The questions, they abound. And like Jon Snow, I know nothing.
EZPass should work everywhere yu are going, according to the network map (the page loads SUPER SLOW, btw).
posted by rockindata at 7:53 AM on February 7, 2023
posted by rockindata at 7:53 AM on February 7, 2023
Best answer: I also regularly did Chapel Hill, NC to Northern NJ, using 85 and 95, in the 2005-2010 range. Best case scenario, it was 8-9 hours; worst case (e.g., Thanksgiving weekend) was closer to 15. The DC Beltway through Delaware is where stuff gets gnarly--once it took me about an hour to cross Delaware. Drives with baby, in my experience with that, add about 50% of the time on, so yeah, add on at least 4 hours for a 12 hour drive because yeah, you'll need to stop at least every two hours, if not more frequently, both to get baby out of the car seat, and also for feeding if you're breastfeeding.
One alternative route is via 81; my parents would regularly go that way when we did northern NJ to GA. It'll add about an hour to the drive if you go via Lynchburg, but it'll be more scenic, and you'll avoid DC. You can also go via the Delmarva Peninsula; I only did that once. It adds a bit more time than the 81 route.
Yes, your EZ Pass will work all the way through.
Diapers, bring lots of plastic bags; double bag and put them in the trash cans at rest stops. It's OK, that's what they're for. Note that 6 months is *just* at the starting solid foods range, so you're not likely to have a ton of poops.
posted by damayanti at 7:53 AM on February 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
One alternative route is via 81; my parents would regularly go that way when we did northern NJ to GA. It'll add about an hour to the drive if you go via Lynchburg, but it'll be more scenic, and you'll avoid DC. You can also go via the Delmarva Peninsula; I only did that once. It adds a bit more time than the 81 route.
Yes, your EZ Pass will work all the way through.
Diapers, bring lots of plastic bags; double bag and put them in the trash cans at rest stops. It's OK, that's what they're for. Note that 6 months is *just* at the starting solid foods range, so you're not likely to have a ton of poops.
posted by damayanti at 7:53 AM on February 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Are you open to night driving? That would reduce traffic and encourage sleep. It looks like 8ish hours of driving. I know people who did a similar drive and literally did it from 10 pm to 6 am, with adults taking turns driving and kids sleeping the whole way. That's extreme, but you could leave at 4 pm and arrive not insanely late, and the baby should sleep most of the trip. (Full disclosure: one time we did this and ended up watching a well-rested toddler jump on a bed at our destination from 1 am to 2:30 am, but that shouldn't be an issue at 6 months.)
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:10 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 8:10 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Once you get in New Jersey, keep an eye on whether it makes sense at any point to jump from 95 to the Garden State Parkway. Lots of rest stops along that route.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:11 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:11 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Depending on how central (Charlotte? Winston?) you could take 77 to 81 and up that way. Prettier drive, less traffic, avoids DC and Baltimore.
If you are closer to Durham then 85 to 95 is mostly the way to go. 95 is a beast, def, but I've done the Brooklyn to Chapel Hill drive a million times now and honestly I just do whatever Waze tells me to do to get the best route, and it has served me well. Try to plan stops before you get into DC and after you leave Baltimore area bc it can def be hard to find a good place to pee/get gas/eat in between.
Maryland and NJ highway 'travel plazas', though often swarming with people, I do find to be pretty clean and mostly efficient.
EZ pass will work throughout and also grant you access to a nice stretch of EZ-pass car-only express lanes around DC/Baltimore that are great for skipping crawling traffic.
posted by greta simone at 8:29 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you are closer to Durham then 85 to 95 is mostly the way to go. 95 is a beast, def, but I've done the Brooklyn to Chapel Hill drive a million times now and honestly I just do whatever Waze tells me to do to get the best route, and it has served me well. Try to plan stops before you get into DC and after you leave Baltimore area bc it can def be hard to find a good place to pee/get gas/eat in between.
Maryland and NJ highway 'travel plazas', though often swarming with people, I do find to be pretty clean and mostly efficient.
EZ pass will work throughout and also grant you access to a nice stretch of EZ-pass car-only express lanes around DC/Baltimore that are great for skipping crawling traffic.
posted by greta simone at 8:29 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Timing is everything. Your best bet for 95/495 is to shoot around DC from 11 AM - 2 PM. Fridays are BAAAAD.
I-81 might be an option depending on where you start in NC, but trucks trucks trucks trucks and there are fewer lanes.
posted by credulous at 8:30 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
I-81 might be an option depending on where you start in NC, but trucks trucks trucks trucks and there are fewer lanes.
posted by credulous at 8:30 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Google maps will re-route you based on traffic. But I second that careful timing is your friend. It may be hard to figure out on a holiday weekend, but if the drivers are able to stay up late safely, I second the suggestion to drive through the night.
posted by metasarah at 8:34 AM on February 7, 2023
posted by metasarah at 8:34 AM on February 7, 2023
I don't have any tips for this specific route, just for driving with an infant. Some kids (e.g. my oldest) find the car relaxing and it's easy to get them to fall asleep; others (e.g. my youngest) are the opposite. Try to know which kind of car sleeper your kid is. If they're the former, you can depart whenever, and you'll be able to make the trip with minimal stops. If they're the former, timing the drive to a scheduled sleeping time, either at night or a daytime nap, will be a big help.
Whichever one of you isn't driving should sit in the backseat with the baby. Have a few bottles of milk in a cooler, and that way, if the baby gets hungry while you're driving, you can bottle-feed them without having to stop. You might also be able to do some solids, depending on the baby.
If your baby does sleep in the car, stopping can wake them up, so be stopped as little as possible. When you stop for yourselves to eat and pee, go one at a time, and have the other one drive the car around the parking lot with the baby still sleeping, then switch roles.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:36 AM on February 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Whichever one of you isn't driving should sit in the backseat with the baby. Have a few bottles of milk in a cooler, and that way, if the baby gets hungry while you're driving, you can bottle-feed them without having to stop. You might also be able to do some solids, depending on the baby.
If your baby does sleep in the car, stopping can wake them up, so be stopped as little as possible. When you stop for yourselves to eat and pee, go one at a time, and have the other one drive the car around the parking lot with the baby still sleeping, then switch roles.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:36 AM on February 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Don't worry about diaper stank, by definition diaper changes will generally happen in a place with trash cans. For the sake of humanity, try to ditch them in an outdoor trashcan whenever possible.
posted by Ausamor at 8:55 AM on February 7, 2023
posted by Ausamor at 8:55 AM on February 7, 2023
Best answer: Routing/timing advice: We've done Atlanta to northern Delaware a few times in the last year. We take 85 to 95 and drive overnight, which might be worth considering if your kid sleeps through the night and if you can at least grab a morning nap at your destination. You won't hit any traffic overnight.
You can avoid Baltimore by heading east out of Washington, taking the Bay Bridge, and then taking US 301; you hook up with 95 just south of Wilmington. You can avoid Washington *and* Baltimore by getting on US 301 just north of Richmond. I'd make the decision on the fly.
In southern New Jersey I'd prefer the Turnpike to 295; 295 can get hit with local traffic. If it's relevant, I-81 through Virginia is more boring but also more scenic. There are less places to stop than I-95.
Kid advice: Depending on what kind of car you have, you might be able to change the kid in the backseat; this opens up the ability to do a diaper change at some random gas station with a sketchy bathroom, which could be useful.
posted by madcaptenor at 9:00 AM on February 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
You can avoid Baltimore by heading east out of Washington, taking the Bay Bridge, and then taking US 301; you hook up with 95 just south of Wilmington. You can avoid Washington *and* Baltimore by getting on US 301 just north of Richmond. I'd make the decision on the fly.
In southern New Jersey I'd prefer the Turnpike to 295; 295 can get hit with local traffic. If it's relevant, I-81 through Virginia is more boring but also more scenic. There are less places to stop than I-95.
Kid advice: Depending on what kind of car you have, you might be able to change the kid in the backseat; this opens up the ability to do a diaper change at some random gas station with a sketchy bathroom, which could be useful.
posted by madcaptenor at 9:00 AM on February 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I do this route frequently because I live in carrboro and my parents live in nj and I have two little kids. We do 85 to 95 and stop in Richmond, Maclean and Delaware. There are a bunch of playgrounds with bathrooms that you can find by saying show me the closest playground. That’s nice if you want to stretch but not be at a rest stop.
posted by melodykramer at 12:34 PM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by melodykramer at 12:34 PM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Great tips, everyone! Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful advice. The EZ pass tips are appreciated, we'll get that sorted out soon and I'll try to test it on 540.
Spawn likes sleeping in the car, so I think the trick will be balancing having them stay awake enough to not be a terror when we get there. Spouse doesn't think he's up for night driving, so we'll map out the routes you all have suggested and try to time things accordingly - some of our stops will be at the whims of a hungry 6 month old, so there will only be so much planning we can do. We're planning to give ourselves a 2 day travel buffer in case it becomes too much and we have to stop; best case, we get an extra day with some family.
Fingers crossed no massive diaper blowouts like what happened today, haha... But we have towels and the car seat can be washed, so that's a plus. We're at the 1-2 poops per day stage, but those 1-2 are BIG.
I'll plan on breastfeeding vs pumping/bottle feeding throughout the car part of the trip if only because setting up the pumping infrastructure on the road feels like a major PITA.
Again, thanks everyone!
posted by OhHaieThere at 7:13 PM on February 9, 2023
Spawn likes sleeping in the car, so I think the trick will be balancing having them stay awake enough to not be a terror when we get there. Spouse doesn't think he's up for night driving, so we'll map out the routes you all have suggested and try to time things accordingly - some of our stops will be at the whims of a hungry 6 month old, so there will only be so much planning we can do. We're planning to give ourselves a 2 day travel buffer in case it becomes too much and we have to stop; best case, we get an extra day with some family.
Fingers crossed no massive diaper blowouts like what happened today, haha... But we have towels and the car seat can be washed, so that's a plus. We're at the 1-2 poops per day stage, but those 1-2 are BIG.
I'll plan on breastfeeding vs pumping/bottle feeding throughout the car part of the trip if only because setting up the pumping infrastructure on the road feels like a major PITA.
Again, thanks everyone!
posted by OhHaieThere at 7:13 PM on February 9, 2023
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posted by mosst at 7:53 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]