Have you or your kids ever been to the East Coast of the US? Our Nation's Capitol seems a glaring omission, as does the Orlando area attractions. That leads me to believe either you have visited them before or have no interest in such things. If you and your kids would have no interest in theme parks or museums, then you need to tell us exactly WHAT activities you find interesting before you will get efficient ideas.

Here's a few places to stop and rest on I 95 between FL and VA. When you get to Jacksonville, FL on I 95 get off at Exit 353 C on W Union St. and go about 8 blocks to Pearl and take a left to Jenkin's Quality BBQ which is home owned by the Jenkins' Family for over 50 years. Get off I 95 at Exit 373 and go W to Callahan's BBQ.

Jenkin's Quality BBQ @ 830 North Pearl Street, Jacksonville, FL 904 - 353 - 6388.
http://www.jenkinsqualitybarbecue.com/

Callahan's BBQ @ 45007 State Rd 200, Callahan, FL 904 - 879 - 4675.

Get off I 95 at Exit 1 and go W on St. Mary's which turns into Scrubby Bluff Rd. and go to Jack's BBQ. Or you can get off I 95 at Exit 3 at Kingsland, GA and cross E King Ave. to Boone Ave. which is the next street then take a left to Blue's BBQ at the Chevron Market for good BBQ.

Jack's BBQ @ 1359 Scrubby Bluff Rd., Kingsland, GA 912 - 729 - 1500.
Blue's BBQ @ 1330 Boone Ave. Extension E, Kingsland, GA 912 - 576 - 8682.

Get off I 95 at Exit 29 and go W on Highway 82 about a mile to Gary Lee's Market for good road food.

Gary Lee's Market @ 3636 U. S. Hwy. 82, Brunswick, GA. 912 - 265 - 1925.

Get off I 95 at Exit 49 to the right at Darien, GA and go NW on Highway 251 less than a mile to Smokey Joe's BBQ. It is between two hotels on the left and has excellent pulled pork.

If you want the best fresh seafood on your trip get off I 95 at Exit 49 in Darien, GA to the right and go E on Highway 251 to Highway 17. Take a right on Highway 17 and go S for 1.2 miles. Turn right on Broad St. just before crossing the bridge. Go one block and take your first left on Screven St. and have some outstanding fresh seafood at Skipper's Fish Camp. [size=3 font="times new roman"].

Smokey Joe's BBQ @ State Hwy. 251, Darien, GA. 912 - 437 - 2555.
Skipper's Fish Camp @ 85 Screven St., Darien, GA 912 - 437 - 3474.
http://www.skippersfishcamp.com/

Get off I 95 at Exit 58 at Townsend, GA to the right on Highway 99 and go less than a mile to Highway 17. Turn left and go N about 2 miles to Pine Harbor Rd. Take a right and go E about 2 miles to Sepelo Station Crossing and fantastic fresh local seafood and hand cut steaks.

Sapelo Station Crossing @ 1172 Pine Harbor Marina Road, Townsend, GA 912 - 832 - 3555.

Get off I 95 at Exit 67 at Townsend, GA to the right and go S on Highway 17 for 1.2 miles then take a left going E onto Harris Neck Road just past a small church. Go 5.7 miles E to the Jessie Grant Road and look for the purple OSD sign on your left. Turn to the right at the sign for about 100 feet to Old School Diner for the best fresh seafood around. OSD is open for dinner Wednesday/Saturday and Noon to 10 PM on Sunday. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. This might be the best road food you will have on your trip.

Old School Diner @ 1080 Jesse Grant Road, Townsend, GA 912 - 832 - 2136.
http://oldschooldiner.com/
Get off I 95 at Exit 76 at Midway, GA and go E on Highway 38 to Sunbury Rd. Take a left and go to Brigantine Dunmore Rd. Take a left and go to Sunbury Crab Co. which is open for dinner serving outstanding fresh seafood. This might be the best place you stop for the seafood is outstanding.

Sunbury Crab Co. @ 539 Brigantine Dunmore Road Midway, GA 912 - 884 - 8640.
http://sunburycrabco.wp.net/

Get off I 95 at Exit 87 at Richmond Hill, GA and go W on Highway 17 half a mile to Smoking Pig BBQ next to the BP Station on N side of Highway 17. The ribs and chicken are excellent. This is probably your best stop for BBQ in GA.

Smokin Pig BBQ @ 3986 U.S. 17, Richmond Hill, GA. 912 - 756 - 7850.

Get off I 95 at Exit 102 at Pooler. GA and go W on Highway 80 4/5 blocks to Don's Famous BBQ.

Don's Famous BBQ @ 217 US Highway 80 E., Pooler, GA 912 - 748 - 8400.
Get off I 95 at Exit 5 at Hardeville, SC and go S on Highway 17 which is Speedway Boulevard. Go 5.5 miles and take a left on Highway 170A which is S 27 34 and go 3.5 miles to Oakatie Highway. Take a right and go to The Pink Pig.
The Pink Pig @ 3508 South Okatie Highway, Hardeeville, SC 843 - 784 - 3635.
http://www.the-pink-pig.com/

Get off I95 at Exit 21 at Ridgeland, SC and go E on Grahamville Road to State Road S/27/13 and take a right. Take your next left and go to The Old House Smokehouse on Highway 336 or Old House Road for good steaks and seafood. Get off I 95 at Exit 21 at Ridgeland, SC and have great pulled or chopped port at BBQ Grill. They also have BBQ ribs and chicken. I think it's better than Dukes.
Old House Smokehouse @ Hwy. 462 @ hwy.336, Ridgeland, SC 843 - 258 - 4444.

BBQ Grill @ 8084 East Main St., Ridgeland, SC 843 - 645 - 4414.
Duke's BBQ @ 690 South Jacob Smart Blvd., Ridgeland, SC 843 - 726 - 6244.

Get off I 95 at Exit 38 at Yemassee, SC and go SE on Highway 68 to Castle Hall Road to Ray's Rib King for good BBQ.
Ray's Rib King @ 4 Castle Hall Road, Yemassee, SC 843 - 589 - 2919.

Get off I 95 at Exit 57 at Walterboro, SC for good BBQ @ Duke's. Low Country is good but Duke's is best.

Duke's BBQ @ 949 Robertson Blvd., Walterboro, SC 843 - 549 - 1446.
Low Country BBQ @ 635 South Jefferies Blvd., Walterboro, SC 843 - 549 - 8355.
Get off I 95 at Exit 98 at Santee, SC and go W on Highway 6 to the 1st street on your left which is Britain. Turn left and go to Maurice's for good BBQ. Get off I 95 at Exit 98 and go W on Highway 6. Take a right on State Park Road and go to Lonestar BBQ for good southern food. Clark's Inn and Restaurant is a very fine place to spend the night and have breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Maurice's Gourmet BBQ @ 263 Britain St, Santee, SC 803 - 854 - 3889.
http://www.mauricesbbq.com/
Lonestar BBQ @ 2212 State Park Rd., Santee, SC. 803 - 854 - 2000
http://www.lonestarbbq.net/
Clark's Inn and Restaurant @ 114 Bradford Boulevard, Santee, SC 803 - 854 - 2101.
http://www.clarksinnandrestaurant.com/

Get off I 95 in Summerton, SC at Exit # 108 and go N less than a mile to Church St. and good country cooking at Summerton Diner.
Summerton Diner @ 32 Church St., Summerton, SC 803 - 485 - 6835.
Get off I 95 at Exit 119 at Manning, SC and go E on Highway 261 to N Brooks Street. Take a left and go to McCabe's for good BBQ.
McCabe's Bar B Que @ 480 N. Brooks St., Manning, SC. 803 - 435 - 2833.
Get off I 95 at Exit 119 at Manning, SC and go E to Scott's for outstanding BBQ.
Scott's Variety Store and BBQ @ SC Hwy. 261, Hemingway, SC. 843 - 558 - 3629.
http://www.thescottsbbq.com/
Get off I 95 at Exit 160 A going S at Florence, SC and go E on # 20 less than a mile to Red Bone Alley in Florence Mall Shopping Center on Palmetto St. for a RBA Black and Bleu Burger or a Bubba Burger. Or go to Apple Annie's for good road food.

Redbone Alley @ 1903 West Palmetto St., Florence, SC 843 - 673 - 0035.
http://www.redbonealley.com/
Apple Annie's Deli and Pub @ 1720 W Palmetto Street, Florence, SC 843 - 669 - 6247.
Get off I 95 at Exit 181A and go one mile to Highway 917. Take a left and go about 3 miles to Abingdon Manor Inn and Restaurant at Latta, SC. Spend the night in a soft bed in a grand old inn and have a fantastic dinner.
Abingdon Manor Inn and Restaurant @ 307 Church Street, Latta, SC 843 - 752 - 5090.
http://www.abingdonmanor.com/

Get off I 95 at Exit 20 in Lumberton, NC to the right then turn NW on Highway 201 which is N Roberts Ave. and go about half a mile to Fuller's BBQ for good road food.
Fuller's Old Fashion BBQ @ 3201 N Roberts Ave., Lumberton, NC. 910 - 738 - 8694.
http://www.fullersbbq.com/index.html
Heading N on I 95 at Exit 56 try Fuller's Old Fashioned BBQ at Fayetteville, NC. They sell a good burger and also a buffet lunch with fried chicken.

Fuller's Old Fashioned BBQ @ 113 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville, NC. 910 - 484 - 5109.
http://www.fullersbbq.com/index.html
At Exit 73 in Dunn, NC get off I 95 going W on Cumberland go about a mile take a right on General Lee and next left on Broad for some fine fried chicken at Kim's. Don't let the name bother you. They sell a BBQ sandwich but 99% country food.

Kim's BBQ House @ 900 W. Broad St., Dunn, NC. 910 - 892 - 7750.
For outstanding BBQ and country fried chicken get off I 95 at Exit 79 at Benson, NC and go W on E Main Street to N Fayetteville Street which is the first street to your right. Take a right and go N to E Church Street. Take a right and go to N Honeycutt Street. White Swan will be on your left.
White Swan BBQ and Fried Chicken @ 105 N Honeycutt St, Benson, NC 919 - 894 - 4446.
http://www.whiteswanbarbeque.com/
Get off I 95 at Exit 90 just S of Smithfield, NC to your right and turn back N on Highway 301 and go to White Swan BBQ just up the road for good BBQ.
White Swan BBQ @ 3198 South Brightleaf Blvd., Smithfield, NC 919 - 934 - 8913.
http://www.whiteswanbarbeque.com/
Take Exit # 138 going S on I 95 at Nashville, NC and go W on # 64 about 6 miles to Exit # 458. Turn back E on Western Ave. less than a mile for some outstanding BBQ at Doug Saul's.
Doug Saul's BBQ @ 813 Western Ave., Nashville, NC 252 - 459 - 4247.
When you reach VA on I 95 at Exit 31 try Stony Creek Tastee Hut for good fried chicken or BBQ.
Take Exit 138 off I 95 at Rocky Mt., NC and go E on I 64 for 1 1/2 miles to Exit 466 and go S on N Winstead Ave. to Sunset Ave. Take a right and go to Gardner's BBQ. Gardner's has 3 locations in Rocky Mt., NC but this one on Sunset is the most convenient to I 95. You will pass a Hampton Inn on your right when you exit I 64 if you are planning to spend the night in Rocky Mt., NC.
Hampton Inn @ 530 North Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 252 - 937 - 6333.
http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=RWINCHX
Gardner's Barbecue @ 3651 Sunset Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 252 - 443 - 3996. I64/EXIT468A.
http://www.gardnerfoods.com/Home.html
When you get to VA on I 95 at Exit 31 try Stony Creek Tastee Hut for good fried chicken or BBQ.

Stony Creek Tastee Hut @ 12420 Blue Star Hwy., Stony Creek, VA. 434 - 246 - 2328.
A few miles N of Richmond, VA get of I 95 at Exit 92 and go E on E Patrick Henry Road or Highway 54. Go 1.4 miles to N Center Street and turn right. Go .1 mile to Henry Clay Road and turn left. Then Immediately turn left on N Railroad Ave and go .1 mile to Henry Clay Inn for the night. They have fourteen rooms that run $95.00/$195.00 per night. You can walk S on Railroad to the next block for outstanding lunch or dinner at Iron Horse Restaurant.
Henry Clay Inn @ 114 North Railroad Avenue, Ashland, Virginia 804 - 798 - 3100.
http://www.henryclayinn.com/
Iron Horse Restaurant @ 100 S Railroad Avenue, Ashland, Virginia 804 - 752 - 6410.
http://www.ironhorserestaurant.com
Get off I 95 at Exit 130 B at Fredericksburg, VA and go E on Highway 3 to Jefferson Davis Highway # 1. Take a left and go N to Allman's BBQ in front of Park and Shop shopping center. You will find good BBQ since 1954.
Allman's BBQ @ 1299 Jeff Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, VA‎ 540 - 373 - 9881.
http://allmansbarbeque.com/
Get off I 95 at Exit 161 at Woodbridge, VA on U. S. 1 toward Woodbridge, VA. Go 1.8 miles and take a right on Occoquan Road to Dixie Bones BBQ.
Dixie Bones @ 13440 Occoquan Road, Woodbridge, VA. 703 - 492 - 7885.
http://www.dixiebones.com/index.html

Agree that DC is an obvious stop that you ahve missed - evenif you can only spend one day there (it's worth at elast 3 or 4).

The other thing is that you are traveling in January, I hope you're from a place where yuo routinely drive in ice and snow. There are no guarantess on any particular dates - but any place from VA north yuo are quite likely to get ice, sleet or snow - and driving can be much slower and more difficult. If you aren;t comfortable driving under these conditions - perhaps you are better off flying or taking the train. (This year our winter had been totally od - the warmest since they started keeping records.) But typically the DC through NYC area and north get 6 or 7 snow storms (perhaps only a couple of inches - but can be up to 2 feet) every winter.

Thanks to all for the great replies so far. Yes we have done Washington and places north of there before. And my kids (or at least their parents) aren't ready yet for the crowds at the Orlando resorts.

What we're really interested in is seeing the real America, away from the big urban centres - historical places, regional culture and food etc. For example we had a fantastic visit to Amish country last year, which was a unique experience that the kids loved.

We're really open to any suggestions or ideas. Thanks again !

I should have mentioned some activities my kids have enjoyed in the last year: fruit picking at a farm, visiting a firefighter museum, riding on a historic scenic railway line, digging sandcastles on a beach etc.

So what's the deal on the rental car? Flying to Miami and then heading for Key West?
Could you take an Amtrak train north from Miami after returning the rental car? Do you know how much if any drop off fee you will pay if you don't return to the place where you rented?

Hope you realize that St. Augstine to Charleston is only about a 5 hour drive. So the bulk of your driving will be on the front and back ends of your trip. Also, just curious, what is the appeal of Fayetteville NC?

Thanks again for the questions - i should have been clearer up front. We're keen to drive so that we can get off the beaten track for stop-offs and overnight stays.

Fayetteville wasn't picked for any scientific reason - it just loooked like it left a reasonable final driving leg to New York. We'd welcome better ideas of towns/places to stay from anyone who knows the territory.

Have never been to Fayetteville or heard of anybody going there that is why I asked. One suggestion in place of Fayetteville would Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Newport News area. There is a lot going on here including one of the largest Naval bases on east coast, bridge/tunnel drives to chincoteague island, beaches, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Busch Gardens, etc. Just an idea.

Skip Fayetteville--it's only a couple of hours from Charleston and is the home of Fort Bragg. And it could be a pretty long day's drive to NYC from there.
You could drive up the coast from Charleston on Route 17 to Wilmington NC, and then go over to I95 to continue on up north. It would be about a 3-4 hour actual drive with no particular stopping.
There is the Battleship North Carolina at Wilmington that might be a fun stop for the kids..

I worked in Fayetteville for 6 months at Ft. Bragg. Unless you are REALLY interested in the US Army, it might not be what you are looking for. It's about 3 hours from Charleston.

I like gmoney's suggestion. Williamsburg and Yorktown are neat.

Decide if you'll take 95 (yawn) or do part of the Highway 17 drive, like Gretchen said. I like the towns north of Charleston on 17: McClellanville, Georgetown and Pawley's Island. There are a couple of nice plantations up there too.

Sounds like Fayetteville is crossed off my itinerary!

I like the sound of a detour on the 17 north of Charleston - thanks Suewoo. Any thoughts on good places to stay in that direction. And - forgive my ignorance - but what are the plantations?

Fayetteville's not a bad place at all, but I just think your time is better spent in other places.

The plantations north of Charleston are Hopsewee:
http://www.hopsewee.com/

and Hampton:
http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/hampton/introduction.aspx

The ones closer to Charleston are Middleton, Magnolia, Drayton, and Boone Hall.

If you don't want to travel far on the day you leave Charleston, drive up the coast to Wilmington and stay there.

Since you are going in January be sure to checek the opening hours of the varuios attractions. In midwinter - as well as bad weather - you often get shorter openng hours at many attractions - due to weather and much earlier darkness.

Right. But it's a great time to visit Charleston. The camellias will be blooming. We hope.

Thanks to you all for your tips and suggestions. I'll let you know how we get on.

saving for winter..