East Coast Road Trip: From Clemson to Montreal

As we left Clemson this morning, it was the start of 3 straight road days up the East Coast.

But first! A mother-daughter Clemson pedicure at the Aloha Salon and Spa!

Interstate 85 (I-85) stretches approximately 666 miles (1,070 kilometers) from Montgomery, Alabama, in the south to Petersburg, Virginia, in the north. It passes through several states, including Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

We had a wonderful time with our daughter these last three days. Fortunately, we’ll get to see her again here in about a month to view and celebrate her Ring Ceremony.

When we were planning this trip, we decided to stop in Richmond, Virginia for the night tonight to break up the driving to our next major destination – Nantucket Island. But considering several factors, we chose to push through to Fredericksburg for the night. So about 480 miles door-to-door from our Airbnb to our Fredericksburg hotel, a Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton. It took about 8 hours. Nothing like my “Iron Man” friend Joe who has regularly driven from our home town to Seattle in 13 1/2 hours in one trip.

We left tonight and tomorrow night open (no hotel reservations) so that we could be flexible about where we ended up for the night.

Most of our northbound journey today was along Interstate 85.

I-85 is a crucial route for both passenger and freight transportation. It facilitates travel and the movement of goods between the southern and northeastern regions of the country.

Construction of I-85 began in the 1950s, and it has undergone numerous expansions and improvements over the years to accommodate growing traffic demands.

In some spots, I85 was stressful to navigate as we encountered hundreds of large semi-trucks in narrow lanes through construction zones.

Eventually though, traffic thinned out as we headed north, through what I call a typical East Coast “tunnel” with thick forest on both sides of the highway.

As we approached Fredericksburg, Lorna checked the TripAdvisor app and found us a convenient Hampton Inn on the north side of town which will help us in the morning when we depart.

Since we arrived in town around dusk and had very little time to explore, we decided to head to the old town to check it out and find a place for dinner.

Fredericksburg was founded in 1728 by an act of the Virginia Assembly. It was named after Frederick, Prince of Wales, and became an important colonial port along the Rappahannock River.

During the American Revolutionary War, Fredericksburg played a significant role. George Washington, who was from nearby Westmoreland County, frequently visited the town. The Battle of Fredericksburg took place in 1777 when British forces attempted to capture the town.

Fredericksburg continued to grow in the 19th century and became a major center for trade and commerce. It was also a prominent location during the Civil War. The town witnessed significant battles, including the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 and the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Notably, the Confederate Army’s General Robert E. Lee used Fredericksburg as a headquarters during the war.

Being a Monday night, a fair number of restaurants were closed but by using the Yelp! app, we were able to find an Italian restaurant, Orofino, which was open and just a half block away from where we were standing.

Returning to the hotel, we crashed for the evening knowing that tomorrow we drive some more!