East Coast Photo Road Trip: I am thinking of driving up the coast from Charleston, SC to Chincoteague Island, Va this October to shoot lighthouses and spend the days antiquing or...

Hoops12751 Loc: Lexington, KY

I am thinking of driving up the coast from Charleston, SC to Chincoteague Island, Va this October to shoot lighthouses and spend the days antiquing or playing on the beach when I am not focused on shooting. What are some little known "non-touristy" spots that I may have missed when googling things to do in this area. Last October was spent on the coast of Maine photographing over 25 lighthouses up there and that entire coastline is just fabulous.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. The lighthouse is West Quoddy in Lubec, Maine.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Hoops12751 wrote:

I am thinking of driving up the coast from Charles... (show quote)

Shelburne Farms Shelburne VT

Great walking trails

https://shelburnefarms.org/about

It is an old Vanderbilt estate that is now a not for profit organization. Great breakfasts and dinners.
I gave property tours for 8 years. It is an amazing place.

(Download)

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

How are you going? I-95 is the most logical route if you want to save time to the destination. There are, of course, many lesser roads nearer the coast -- US-17 and US-13, for example. Once that is known, how far off route would you be willing to go?

Hoops12751 Loc: Lexington, KY

I will take the US 17 or 13 routes and I do not mind getting off the route at all.

tomcat

All of the NC lighthouses are worth the trip. there are 6 of them.

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

Great shots of the lighthouse and landscape. Sounds like you are going to have a great trip going north. Am hoping to do some boondocking next year along the eastern coast. Have a great trip and am looking forward to seeing your photos.

OleMe Loc: Montgomery Co., MD

Consider Chaleston to Cape Hatteras via Rt 70 and Rt 12, etc.
From Charleston to Hatteras via US-17 N. 10 hr 6 min (364 mi)
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/H5sorXWzft6PcJz89

We did this several years ago. Great trip. Camped at Cape Hatteras Natl. Seashore - famous light house. Ferry rides are invoved. Interesting: a ferry will motor along and slow down to make a 90 degree turn in the middle of the water, with no obvious land marks. Check to make sure roads are open and ferries are running. DON'T GO if a hurricane is in the offing.

Nags head is at the north end of the outer banks. The Wright Bros. historic site is there.

Further north, take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to the DelMarVa Pennensula - its worth the drive.

Near Chincoteague Island is the Wallops Island rocket launch facility. The area us also known for low light pollution, a plus if you do any astrophotography.

Enjoy the trip.

/Roger

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Hoops12751 wrote:

I will take the US 17 or 13 routes and I do not mind getting off the route at all.

I asked so others would know. I am not familiar with that route so have no personal suggestions. I plotted the route on MS Streets & Trips and there are 316 "Landmarks" within 4 miles of the route. Most of those are major business locations, not what I call "landmarks", but I'll try to pick out a few from the list.
Hopsewee Plantation
Rice Museum
Nasa Visitor Center
Venture Charter Fishing
Kaminski House Museum
Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge
QVC Chesapeake
Henrietta III River Boat Tour
William Aiken House
Cape Fear Museum
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Grounds
Bellamy Mansion Museum
South Carolina Aquarium
Fardoth Exotic Animal Zoo
Carolina Safari Tours
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Chesapeake Arboretum
Fort Sumter National Monument

If any sound interesting, I'm sure a web search would yield details.

ZtaKED Loc: Lakes Region, New Hampshire & NE Florida

Hoops12751 wrote:

I am thinking of driving up the coast from Charles... (show quote)

Go a bit further up the coast to Delaware to see some WW2 towers built at the beaches. Not quite lighthouses but interesting, nonetheless. https://www.legion.org/magazine/160265/silent-sentinels

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Hoops12751 wrote:

I am thinking of driving up the coast from Charles... (show quote)

Your trip "to Chincteague" will take you to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. If you can "nudge north" just a little farther, the lighthouses on the Bay can make it worthwhile.
https://www.visitmaryland.org/list/take-tour-marylands-lighthouses

VeraP

Not sure how far off the beaten path you want to get. Once you get into Virginia - around Virginia Beach - First Landing State Park and Cape Henry Light House, False Cape State Park, the Great Dismal Swamp; whale-watching tours; over in Norfolk at Waterside there’s the Nauticus Center including the Battleship Wisconsin, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, McArthur Memorial. Probably you are going across the Bay Bridge Tunnel - if you wanted to head up RT. 17 instead, you can hit Yorktown (or Williamsburg/Jamestown), and then go up through the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck - plenty of historical sites, little towns with great food and a couple of wineries, a couple of good lighthouses not on the shoreline.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

PixelStan77 wrote:

Shelburne Farms Shelburne VT

Great walking trails

https://shelburnefarms.org/about

It is an old Vanderbilt estate that is now a not for profit organization. Great breakfasts and dinners.
I gave property tours for 8 years. It is an amazing place.

I think that's a long way out of his way!

dumbo

Hoops12751 wrote:

I am thinking of driving up the coast from Charles... (show quote)

The OuterBanks of North Carolina are terrific. Ocracoke Island is amazing. The language spoken there comes from old English. Even a one day ferry ride will prove to be amazing. Avoid the tourist traps.

david vt Loc: Vermont

PixelStan77 wrote:

Shelburne Farms Shelburne VT

Great walking trails

https://shelburnefarms.org/about

It is an old Vanderbilt estate that is now a not for profit organization. Great breakfasts and dinners.
I gave property tours for 8 years. It is an amazing place.

Unfortunately, the inn and farm are closed this summer due to the pandemic. It remains an amazing place to walk, but not many lighthouses

If you do come this far from the coast, stop at shelburne museum as well - a large outdoor museum of American. Limited exhibits for now, but open

Beware of travel restrictions in Vermont. Some of the toughest travel self-quarantine restrictions in the country. You have to know the infection rate from everywhere you are coming from and through for last two weeks. All must be 400 per million residents by county or less or you would have to quarantine, which would kind of defeat the purpose of your trip That said, you can’t criticize the results. Less than 20 active cases, 58 total deaths, a,d a positivity rate of 1%

Xanadu Loc: Clay County FL

He is only going as far as Virginia.