Before the crack of dawn tomorrow I’m heading up to the Maryland part of the Delmarva Peninsula to visit the elder daughter. I’m by driving that DC beltway like Flydood’s wife was about driving in the mountains. I dread it and hate fightin’ that traffic.
Once I get out of Em’s stomping ground( Annapolis) and onto the bay bridge I’m ok, but 'til then…
Of course driving with a 5 yr old who will have been in the car about 8 hours by then should make it even better. 
Road Trip. Ugh.
I hope you have fun. Take kiddie singalong music and lots of snacks. 
oh, that does sound like terror 
Yikes! Be careful on that DC beltway, those people are maniacs. I avoid it as much as possible. When I go to DC I nearly always go Amtrak and leave my car behind.
Have fun on the eastern shore and welcome to MD!
Yeah…I guess 81 to DC is the quickest way, but–despite living near enough that I should be at least sort of used to it–I detest the Washington Beltway. It’s maniacal. I do everything I can to avoid it.
It would be helpful if there were a clear west—>east route so you could shoot straight across horizontally and cross via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel at Norfolk.
Do be careful out there!
Reg
It would be wonderful if I didn’t have to go that beltway, but the only alternative that’s realistic is up through Charlottesville, then Harrisonburg then on up. That’s how my brother goes, but my daughter says it will take much longer.
Em, I’ve often thought that it sure would be nice if there was another bridge somewhere in the middle.
When I use to go to Gaithersburg for dog shows and visiting friends I would go all the way up VA, take a ferry across the Potomac and come in via little back roads- all to avoid the beltway.
I’m hoping by leaving that early, I’ll hit a window between noon and 5 'clock traffic. That’s what we did two years ago when we went up there and it wasn’t too bad. But we will have to deal with all the “beach traffic” heading to Ocean City and Rehobbah beach. We are packed with dvds, both favorites and two new ones for the little one so I’m hoping that we can make decent time without too many stops.
I could whup her for moving somewhere that’s such a pain to get to.
But then, maybe that’s why she moved there???
Rehoboth beach. It’s a nice place. Kids love Wawa too. http://www.wawa.com. Oughta be easy to find one.
Make CERTAIN you take some Beatles Cd’s. Trust me. 
have a good time!
I’ts the new riviera. Lotsta DC + VA folks have their summer homes in south DE.
It’s been a few years since I travelled the old Beltway. The last time was a Sunday morning and it was still crowded.
I’m happy to report that the trip up was uneventful.
We are on our second full day of many hours in their pool. My granddaughter loves it and we get to just float around .
Tomorrow we head to the coast so she can see the ocean for the first time.
glad the trip went well 
Trying to decide what I would druther…travel the DC beltway w/a 5 yr old or 1600 mi w/a 9 why 5 yr old man and a cat! Couldn’t decide. That’s why I just completed a 2400 mi solo drive over the 4th. Good trip and lots of cd’s.
Think of old C&F friends and YES…I am alive and well.
GM
Hey! Grannymouse!!! Good to “see” you!
We are back. About 800 miles round trip not counting the travel to the beach in Delaware or back to Kent Narrows to eat at the Jetty. Whew, lots of driving. We did break up the trip back today with a quick stop here- I love this place, all the “farms” are very impressive.
http://www.frontiermuseum.org/exhibits/irish.php
But I survived the Beltway, the boredom of I-81 and thanks to a Spongebob movie that was watched w-a-y to many times during the drive, the trip was a success.
