trailblazenyj

1) Planning a trip in June. will be starting from Maggie Valley, going over to Wilmington, then working our way down the coast to end up near Savannah GA by the end of the week. Would like to see some non-interstate parts of NC. Looking at taking 74 across. Will be towing the 5th. Has anyone been this way and if so is it a good trip? Not in a real big hurry but curious to know how long it will take. <br><br>2) After we get to the coast is 17 ok? Once again, we have several days to make the trip but I don't want to sit in stop and go beach traffic all day.<br><br>thanks for any info, mark

WA4SLC

I live in Eastern North Carolina where Hwy. 17 and 264 intersect. I have driven 74 between Rockingham and Charlotte. It ie a very good road in that area, and you will get to see some of the NC country side and some of the small towns. I have not traveled the complete route that you are talking about, but from looking at the map I think it would be a good choice to see some of the real North Carolina. Anything to avoid Interstate 40. It can get very intense at times and it becomes slow moving parking lot at rush hour around the larger cities like Greensboro and Raleigh.<br>Highway 17 is a good road also. It is 4 lane in places. There is a by-pass around Myrtle Beach that moves along fairly well. My wife and I went down I-95 to Savanna then went up 17 to Charleston then to Myrtle Beach then home on a vacation trip in 1998. There is a nice campground near Charleston that is in a park. It is called James Island Park. There are lots of campdrounds around Myrtle Beach. <br>I think the route you have chosen will be a very enjoyable one to drive. If you want more information just email me at dawsonw@mail.ecu.edu. I hope you have a good trip.<br><br>Bill

Outrider

If you like I'm in western NC near Burnsville if like to stop here. Plenty of room for a fifth wheel here.74 is a good road to take your time on.Charlotte will be the only haedache if I remember right.

trailblazenyj

Hey guys, thanks for the info. Looking forward to the trip. Outrider, thanks for the offer. Probably going to be a bit south of you on this trip. Looks like we will be rolling through there yearly now that the sister-in-law moved to Raleigh. Maybe next time we can stop by and have a coke.<br><br>Mark

PapaSmurf

Hello,<br><br>We are alittle north of your route, just off of Hwy 17 and Hwy 24, up in Swansboro. If you need a hand with anything while in our neck of the woods let us know, we'll help you out if we can. <br><br>Wilmington has a KOA on Hwy 17 North, not too far from downtown shops and storefronts.<br><br>Shallotte has I believe two campgrounds there, the ocean and intercoastal isn't too far away either.<br><br>Hwy 17 is a good route south. The by-pass around Myrtle Beach is a blessing for those who trying to get away from the hustle and bustle of the beach town.<br><br>The siteseeing down your routes should be interesting. Good luck with the traffic around Charlotte. Timing of work hours will be the plus, especially going to and from work. <br><br>Enjoy the country-side views.<br><br>See ya,<br>Chris<br>

trailblazenyj

papa S,thanks for the info and offer. I am constantly amazed by the sense of community on this board. Really looking forward to the trip. Only a week long but usually we just drive somewhere and camp the whole time. This should be a bit more of an adventure. We were real conservative on trip planning. Should be helpful for when we hope to hit the road in a few more years.

dalton4

Be prepared for &quot;a lot&quot; of stop and go traffic going out of Charlotte. Used US 74 in 1999 while going to Whiteville, NC. to visit family. I do believe there was 20+ miles of traffic lights. I would just get up to speed and there would be a red light. And we are talking the 35-45 mph speed limits for several miles leaving the main area of Charlotte.

ramdodge

If you are going thru the Queen City and want to dodge traffic i always take Billy Graham Parkway over to 77 south to 485 west and it will take you over to 74 just north of monore at the county line, that way you can dodge almost all of the traffic lights. Happy pulling