Travel - Tanner Latham

Travel
The interstate
cuts along the
edge of downtown
Jacksonville. Stop
here to boat across
St. Johns River at
sunset and then
check out the
restaurants at
The Landing.
(
Use our interactive maps to explore the
best stops: southernliving.com/interstates
)
95
IBest Exits Off
Slooooow down. Savor the South. We
perfectly understand how you doggedly rush
to your destination, but why hurry? Especially
when I-95 offers a variety of super stops for
stretching legs and making memories. Hop
off that relentless highway at our favorite
interstate exits—for food, adventure, sights,
shopping, and refueling your soul. We promise:
Each one sits 15 minutes or less from the
off-ramp. By tanner C. latham, Carolanne
griffith roberts, Annette thompson,
photography Art Meripol
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Travel road trip
clockwise from
far left: Lindsey
Vincent serves up
a favorite snack at
Good Earth Peanut
Company. Drop
into Le Gaulois
Café in Old Town
Alexandria. The
sombrero tower
at South of the
Border will catch
your eye.
Virginia
Exit 177B: Le Gaulois Café,
Old Town Alexandria
Distance from interstate: 1 mile
Request a table out in the courtyard
garden full of green trees and blossoming fresh flowers. The cassoulets
($17 at lunch) are consistent at this
French restaurant, but we say splurge
for the seafood (especially the scallops, $23), the chef’s specialty. 1106
King Street; www.legauloiscafe.com
or (703) 739-9494.
VIRGINIA
95
NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTH
CAROLINA
GEORGIA
95
FLORIDA
26
Need a Room
for the Night?
Reserve a room at a
hotel before you leave
home (choose your favorite
chain and gauge your
stopping time accordingly).
Without a reservation,
you’re playing a game
of hotel roulette.
95
Rooms tend to stay
booked on weekends,
especially if you arrive
after dark.
s o u t h e r n l i v i n g M ay 2 0 0 8
Exit 148: Potomac
Point Winery,
355
355
Stafford
7
12
127
Distance from
interstate:
5.5 miles
1640
1640
Draw straws to
decide
who
drives and
7
7
1
1
who tastes (nine wines,
$5). Try our
95
favorite, the Heritage,
a full-bodied
485
485
yet smooth blend of Bordeaux varietals. Wine or no, enjoy the patio with
peaceful views of the young vineyards.
275 Decatur Road; www.potomacpoint
winery.com or (540) 446-2266.
95
Exit 4: Good Earth Peanut
Company, Skippers
Distance from interstate: 1 mile
People tell owner Lindsey Vincent
that Good Earth’s chocolate-dipped
peanut brittle is as addictive as most
hard drugs. All we can say is that our
bag only made it a few miles down
the interstate. 5334 Skippers Road;
www.goodearthpeanuts.com or
1-800-643-1695.
North Carolina
Exit 95: Ava Gardner
Museum, Smithfield
Distance from interstate: 1 mile
The actress’s hometown honors its
native daughter, star of the screen
(1940s through 1980s) and the stuff
of today’s tabloids (married to Mickey
Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank
Sinatra; linked with Howard Hughes;
friend of Ernest Hemingway). You’ll
love her movie costumes, newspaper
clips, and posters from blockbusters
such as Barefoot Contessa and The
Night of the Iguana. Why not rent one
to watch in your hotel room later?
325 East Market Street; www.ava
gardner.org or (919) 934-5830.
Exit 56: Cape Fear Botanical
Garden, Fayetteville
Distance from interstate:
less than 4 miles
Been cramped up in the car too long?
Take advantage of the pea gravel
trails winding through the pine forest and skirting the edge of the Cape
Fear River in this 79-acre refuge.
536 North Eastern Blvd.; www.cape
fearbg.org or 1-877-486-0221.
South Carolina
Exit 1: South of the Border,
Hamer
Distance from interstate: inches
Do it. Quell your curiosity and stop.
Granted, the political correctness is
Travel road trip
questionable. (Read: A billboard touts
the mascot Pedro’s forecast: Chili
Today, Hot Tamale.) And you won’t
purchase anything of note, unless you
value kitschy shot glasses. It would
be a shame, however, to pass by the
towering sombrero signifying the
South’s more colorful equivalent to
the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. www.
pedroland.com or 1-800-845-6011.
Exit 102, Santee National Wildlife
Refuge, Summerton
Distance from interstate: 1 mile
When you wind the quiet trails
throughout this 15,000-acre refuge,
you’ll have a hard time believing your
proximity to the gray monster highway that’s only minutes away. Almost
300 species of birds love this glorious isolation too, so keep your eyes
peeled. 2125 Fort Watson Road; www.
fws.gov/santee or (803) 478-2217.
Lights
sparkle on St.
Johns River
in downtown
Jacksonville.
right: Abraham
Quesada, known
as Chef Q, cooks
up French and
Asian delicacies
at his downtown
Brunswick bistro,
Pearl Restaurant.
above:
Get Out of Town—Fast!
I-95 skirts several major cities. When you must drive
through these metro areas, you’ll want to avoid the high
traffic rush hours: 6-9 a.m. and 4-6:30 p.m.
• The busy miles from D.C. to Fredericksburg, Virginia, are
challenging around the clock. Grab your chance to drive in
the HOV lane just south of I-295. Avoid Fridays, if possible.
• Jacksonville, Florida, fills roadways well into Friday
nights before any big beach weekend. The Palm Beachto-Miami stretch, another busy route, stays under
construction with reduced speed limits.
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Exit 57: South Carolina Artisans
Center, Walterboro
Distance from interstate: 2.5 miles
Clay pots, paintings of marshes at
daybreak, and smooth-as-silk wood
bowls fill this historic home, all
created by the state’s craftspeople
and artists. 334 Wichman Street;
www.southcarolinaartisanscenter.org
or (843) 549-0011.
Exit 38: Two Times the Fun,
Yemassee
Distance from interstate: Le Creuset
0.25 miles, Old Sheldon Church
3 miles
Bright casseroles at the Le Creuset
factory outlet make your mouth water.
The prices on the enameled cast-iron
cookware satisfy at 25% off. 30 Lane
Street; www.lecreuset.com or (843)
589-6650.
The Revolutionary War-era Sheldon
Church sits in quiet ruins. Picnic
tables offer you a place to sit and take
in the beauty. Travel 5 miles north of
I-95 on U.S. 17 to Old Sheldon Church
Road; turn left, and go 1 mile.
Exit 33: Sabatier Knives,
Yemassee
Distance from interstate: 1 block
The only outlet in the U.S. for Frenchmade knives shows off its finest
points here. Prices for individual
knives range $6-$110—a 25% to 30%
savings off retail. 1-800-525-6399.
Exit 5: Texaco, Hardeeville
Distance from interstate: 1 block
You may be able to find cheaper gas,
but only this station features Honey
the Money Dog (a chubby Cocker
Spaniel). The well-trained and wellfed pup runs your bills to the cashier
in exchange for a treat. 15967 Whyte
Hardee Blvd.; (843) 784-5086.
Georgia
Exit 102: Mighty Eighth Air
Force Museum, Pooler
Distance from interstate: 1 mile
View a collection of WWII
aircraft, and hear the stories of our
country’s valorous men and women.
175 Bourne Avenue; www.mighty
eighth.org or (912) 748-8888.
Exit 99: Savannah
Distance from interstate: 10 miles
I-16 East leads travelers off the
north-south route 10 minutes into the
historic city. (A word of caution: I-16 is
well patrolled—watch your speed.) If
you need a room reservation, stop in
the Visitors Center. 301 Martin Luther
King Blvd.; (912) 944-0455.
Exit 36: Pearl Restaurant,
Brunswick
Distance from interstate: 5.6 miles
Chef Q dishes up exquisite French
and Asian specialties at this
downtown Brunswick spot, a haven
for sushi, spring rolls, Kobe beef, crab
cakes, roasted duck, and New York
strip steaks. 1401 Newcastle Street
(follow State 341 south to Newcastle
Street); www.pearlrestaurant.us or
(912) 265-0111.
Exit 29: U.S. 17 North, Brunswick
Distance from interstate: 4 miles
Belly up to the Georgia Pig for
barbecue, and then take your bounty
northeast to the Marshes of Glynn
Overlook for a picnic with a view.
iturn to page 30
Travel road trip
A trip
to Worth Avenue with
stores such as Chanel
and Gucci will entice
any shopoholic. And
look out for spots
where your hot dog
can cool down.
below: The loop route
to Flagler Beach and
back features a winding
lane hugging a
saltwater marsh.
above and right:
Florida
Exit 353: The Jacksonville
Landing and S.S. Marine Taxis,
Jacksonville
Distance from interstate: 1.7 miles
With ample parking, this glass-andsteel entertainment center along the
St. Johns River offers concerts, art
shows, diverse shops—from collectibles to cigars—along with sit-down
restaurants and a food court. We
suggest grabbing from the latter
and then wandering. 2 Independent
Drive; www.jacksonvillelanding.com or
(904) 353-1188.
An extra-time bonus: Board a water
taxi ($3 each way for adults) and
travel all six scenic stops, staying on
or hopping off. Another comes along
in 20 minutes. www.jaxwatertaxi.com
or (904) 733-7782.
Exit 323: World Golf Hall of Fame,
St. Augustine
Distance from interstate: 2.2 miles
The 18-hole pro putting course ($5)
takes less than two hours, and you’ll
talk about it forever. If there’s time:
36 world-class holes, a Renaissance
resort, the PGA Tour Golf Academy,
and imax movies. 1 World Golf Place;
www.wgv.com or (904) 940-4123.
Exit 284: Scenic Drive to
Flagler Beach and the Tomoka
River Estuary
Distance from interstate:
15-mile loop
Drive the 3 miles down State 100 to
Flagler Beach where farmers sell local
produce on Fridays. Turn right onto
A1A to drive by an unblocked view
of the ocean. Order fried oysters at
Snack Jacks—the area’s best beach
dive—before turning right onto
Highbridge Road. Cross the Tomoka
River, and follow its marsh to Walter
Boardman Highway (on the left at
the T-intersection). It’s a paved path
through an overhanging jungle. You’ll
end up at Old Dixie Highway, a couple of blocks east of I-95 (to the right).
If you have an extra 20 minutes, turn
left on Old Dixie at Bulow Creek State
Park to see Fairchild Oak—the largest live oak in the state.
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Exit 220: Dixie Crossroads
Seafood Restaurant, Titusville
Distance from interstate: 2.3 miles
Stop here if you love seafood—
especially shrimp. Laurilee Thompson
and crew serve only domestic shrimp,
fresh and mostly from Florida waters.
Now’s the season for the sweet royal
red shrimp, a true delicacy. Summer
brings the rock shrimp, rather lobsterlike in flavor. The place is touristy—
five bustling rooms—and the payoff
tasty. 1475 Garden Street; www.dixie
crossroads.com or (321) 268-5000.
Exit 215: Blue Heron Water
Reclamation Facility, Titusville
Distance from interstate: 0.5 miles
Look for the brown sign that leads
to this city water reclamation plant.
Drive past the light industry to spy
a bald eagle or a 4-foot-tall sandhill
crane at these seven ponds that
border I-95. The grassy dikes serve
as your road and host a busy nesting ground. Open 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday. 4800 Deep Marsh
Road; www.titusville.com or
(321) 383-5642.
Exit 70: West Palm Beach and
Palm Beach
Distance from interstate: 2 to 4 miles
In 10 minutes you’re in West Palm
Beach and its centerpiece, CityPlace.
Stores and eateries with familiar
names thrive in a European blend
of architecture that gives them new
personalities. 700 South Rosemary
Avenue; www.cityplace.com or (561)
366-1000.
Cross the bridge and drive through
the palm-lined avenue to A1A. Turn
south to the aptly titled Worth
Avenue, ideal for window-shopping.
An appetizer or dessert at any of the
chic little cafes is a why-not splurge
and a vantage point for the parade of
people and swanky cars (we love the
yellow Rolls-Royce that always seems
to show up). As you return to your own
car and real life, peek through the
gates at the little Palm Beach courtyards, a fleeting snippet of charm to
end the trip. www.worth-avenue.com
or (561) 659-6909.
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