I decided to take a more rural route to Wilmington this year for a few reasons. One was to avoid the traffic around Philly, Baltimore, DC, Richmond, etc. Another was to have more scenery to preoccupy my eyes. Let’s face it, 95 South is not a very scenic route. The third and most important was to clear my head.
The world of freelancing was off to a very rough start. Three bids I had been counting on all feel thru. It had been several months since my last paycheck. I was beginning to panic a little. So I needed to get away. To see my old friends and just chill for a while as I let my life fall into place. This less stressful driving route was just the way to get started.
So, after crossing over into Delaware from NJ, I hopped on 13 South and then to 17 South. On such a long drive, even with this new route, there are bound to be boring stretches where every several miles are a carbon copy of the previous. Velaros Gas Station, Dunkin Donuts, Bob Evans Restaurant, fast food, shopping center and then repeat.
Every so often, in the more residential areas, you can see the unfortunate invasion of ugly housing developments among the older homes that look like they’d been here for many years. These newer ‘McMansions’, as it were, are clusters of large, identical homes propped up on the side of the highway in lots completely void of, trees, color and character.
I was surprised as I drove further south that the gas prices were going down. Normally New Jersey has the lowest gas prices in the country due to so many refineries being located there. However just in Delaware the gas was about 10 to 20 cents cheaper. I would later find out that the Valero refinery was here. This also explained the abundance of their stations here being on par with Duane Reade or Starbucks in NYC.
Normally, when you drive down 95, you could blink and miss Delaware. However, coming this way you realize just how long the state is. From Wilmington, DE to Delmar is over 100 miles. Speaking of Delmar, I love that part of the town in Delaware and part is in Maryland. Its slogan is ‘The Town Too Big for Just One State’.
And the gas keeps getting cheaper as I drive. This combined with driving on a toll-free road made me happy. That is until I came to about 100 yards of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. It’s a $12.00 toll with barely any warning. I pulled over quickly and found $11.00 in my wallet and $1.00 in the car.
I think it’s a bit of a nasty joke to have such a high toll with no chance to get money if you need it. It would get worse driving north where there is no warning whatsoever. So be prepared to have that extra $24.00 in your car.
Once I got over the sticker shock, I was able to enjoy the 20 plus mile drive. I was amazed at the thought of how this monstrous roadway was built. First section in 1964 and the newer, parallel section in 1999. There are 12 miles of low-level trestles, 2 one-mile-long tunnels, 2 bridges, 2 miles of causeway, 4 manmade islands and 5-1/2 miles of approach roads. Over 5000 total concrete piles support the trestles.
There is a turnoff area for sight seeing before one of the tunnels with gift shops and a rest area. The view on a clear day must be spectacular. However it was pretty cloudy so I decided to just keep driving. I was concerned about how lousy the weather had been for this entire drive. No rain yet, but a lot of clouds.
A site that catches my eye is a car at the side of the road that is totaled but so shiny and clean that it looks like an art installation, not an accident. There is a truck full of chickens that I need to get around as well as a pickup with two dogs in the bed. They appear to be a father teaching his pup the proper way to ride in a truck.
Another warning for those traveling this route; the speed limit changes quite unpredictably. Every so often I’d find myself having to slow down to 45 mph. Sometimes this is in a business district, other times it is in the middle of nowhere. Whether intentional or not these are easy speed traps so be aware.
There is a rest stop just as you enter North Carolina which is a quaint oasis. There are picnic areas, a couple of large-mast sailing ships on the canal and a long bike run thru a wooded area. The folks inside are very pleasant and knowledgeable. My one issue is with the name. It’s called the Dismal Swamp Canal. Not a welcoming name for such a welcoming place.
That $12.00 toll wiped me out and I’ve been waiting to hit a bank ever since. It seems that banks are not as readily available as ATMs in convenient stores. However, I wanted to save on the fees even just a little. I did find a bank down in Elizabeth City finally. However the fee was just as high as any where else.
I was all excited about meandering by some rural, residential areas to breathe in the charm. Unfortunately the slowdowns got a little tiring. I really need to get to Wilmington by 9:00 PM. Luckily, once you hit 17 South, you have the option to take the bypass highway. It is exactly what it claims, a way to bypass the local traffic.
I did feel a touch guilty moving to the larger, faster highway, but the scenery was still pleasant enough to keep me interested. Another advantage of this drive versus the more common 95 South to 40 East to 17 South is the amount of exiting and turning one needs to do just to stay on the same highway. I must have exited 17 South just to get back on to 17 South a half dozen times. This worked well to keep me alert on the long drive.
Having a shitty driver in a large white pickup truck cut you off to make a u-turn will also keep you awake. I’ve noticed that the folks down here drive like maniacs. Whether it be the constant tailgating or the sporadic turning with no signals, you really have to have your eyes open. Especially with the higher speed limits.
This far down on the drive, just about a couple of hours or so from Wilmington, I’m noticing that my car is averaging 35 to 40 mpg. It pays to have a smaller car for these kinds of trips. I’ve also noticed that I am behind another Jersey driver. I always assume that anyone with Jersey plates this far down at this time of year is going to the W.E. Fest. I’m usually wrong about that.
