The Baltimore to Miami route can be as fast as 19 hours driving straight through, though for this trip I took three days which far more comfortable and gives me a bit of time to explore off of I-95. I know the route well enough to know that leaving at 5:30 AM will avoid most of the rush hour traffic. I also now have my regular, reliably low priced gas stops. (VA exit 104, SC exit 164, GA exit 109 and FL exit 201.) Rather than a day by day account of the drive, I will just hit a few highlights.
Whirligigs, the North Carolina official folk art.
As you enter NC and stop at the welcome center you are greeted with one of Vollis Simpson's towering whirligigs. Simpson was a self taught artist who took metal scraps and fashioned them into things like rockets and planes that use the force of the wind to whirl and twirl. Reading the information plaque at the welcome center I became aware of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, NC.
On the return leg of my trip I took the time to get off the interstate and make a visit to the park. While the plans for the park are quite elaborate, the current reality is a dirt and weed lot with about eleven whirligigs. While not the polished vision of the city, it was still a good visit with a chance to walk around and admire them. It was also a day with a bit of wind so most of the whirligigs were in motion.
Wilson is a small southern town that has seen better days, but still looks like a nice little community. The drive back to the interstate took me through the West Nash Historical District with some lovely period towns.
If you can't get to Wilson, NC, you can see the work of Vollis Simpson at the American Visionary Museum in Baltimore.
South of the Border
If you have ever driven I-95 through the Carolinas then you know that Pedro wants you to stop and shop. At one time it seemed that there was a billboard for South of the Border about every mile, usually portraying a bad Mexican stereotype. Now days the SOB billboards fight for space Glory Canned goods. Here is the Carolinas there is also an interesting mix of religious and adult bookstore billboards. I guess they are giving you the option to sin and get saved.
South of the Border itself is a collection of concrete block stores with various themes, a giant sombrero sign and a down at the heels mini amusement park. I think that SOB has past it's prime, but a kitschy stop on the highway.
Food stop - Florence, SC
If I am passing through Florence during business hours, I always make a stop to shop for food. Exit 164 is just a short distance from the Pee Dee Farmer's Market and on this trip it was peach season. Stopped head south and then again headed north. The market also had scuppernongs, sort of like a grape on steroids, a lots of other farm fresh produce.
Young's Plantations shop nearby is another usual stop. On the trip down I bought some tasty pecan muffins and some nice pecan pralines. The trip back they were out of pralines, but I did get some of the muffins. A nice thing is that at. The back of the store you can sample all of the baked goods, various pecan varieties and a few candied items. Unlike the food ladies (and men) at Costco, the sample station is unattended so you don't have to worry about getting two samples of your favorites. If you have stopped at the SC visitor center on the highway, you will have your 5% off coupon. What's not to love with coupons and free samples.
Traffic
No description of the drive would be complete without awards for the highway departments. Coming in first for the worst managed highways is Florida. Always under construction, this year they get extra points for re-routing the highway mid-afternoon on a Friday, narrowing the three lanes to one off and on lane as they paved the new route. Second place goes to Virginia, with back-ups starting 30 miles south of Washington, DC.
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