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Driving North or South on I-95?By Sandra Phillips
Travelers can look ahead exit by exit to see which motels and gas stations are coming up, where the radar traps are or where to stop for a good homemade meal. All in one handy guide you can find 24-hour gas stations and pharmacies, campgrounds, 800-numbers for all the motel chains, golf courses and even which radio station to tune to.
At the “Modern Diner”, opened in 1941 in Providence RI, you can enjoy their schizophrenic menu - the oldsters can still have their classic “Jimmie Gimme” (2 poached eggs on an English muffin with sliced tomatoes, melted cheese and bacon) while the boomers trek in for the modern twist on it: “Eggs St Nick” (2 poached eggs with fried onions and leeks set in a potato skin). Nature lovers can take a break at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden at Exit 83B in VA where they can enjoy 82 magnificent acres and more kinds of gardens than you ever knew existed. A piece of I-95 Trivia: the land was once owned by patriot Patrick Henry. Speaking of patriots, George Washington slept in many places, but he lived in Fredericksburg VA from the age of 6 to 16. Just a cannon-shot from I-95, you can visit his mom’s house, his brother’s tavern and enjoy strolling a 40 square block “Old Town” with more than 350 18th and 19th century houses and a lively main street still filled with locally owned businesses. Heck, you can even tour it by horse and buggy - there’s one parked right outside the Visitor Center. Sure beats a night in a plastic motel watching the boob tube. But if you are dedicated to motels, why not look for the deals? There’s a Comfort Inn at Exit 49 in NC where you can get a free car wash with a night’s stay - and - a free hot breakfast. Pet lovers will enjoy the comradery of the other pet owners in the pet wing of this traveler-friendly motel. Many inventions were created right on I-95. Eli Whitney, a graduate of Yale, was on a ship heading South when he happened to meet Catharine Greene, widow of George Washington’s right-hand man General Nathaniel Greene. Catharine was running a plantation, and she invited Whitney back to tutor her children. After a couple of weeks there, Whitney thought up an amazing method of separating cotton, and thus invented the cotton gin.
Bet you remember fondly those road trips you took when you were a kid. Well, road trips are back again, because by traveling in the security of your own car and visiting small town America, you can bring back the way America used to be and the way you would like it to be again. Mark Sedenquist of RoadTripAmerica says, “If you are one of those millions of travelers who traverse sections of I-95 each year, Drive I-95 is one book you should keep in easy reach.”
Garden Kitchen photo: permission of Garden Kitchen All other photos taken by Stan Posner | |||||||||||||
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“If you’re driving on I-95, why not have more fun by stopping at a B& B where you can sleep overnight and go 
“And while you’re at it, why not take a look at the Russian sub stashed off the coast of Rhode Island?” note the authors, Sandra Phillips-Posner and Stan Posner of “Drive I-95: Exit by Exit Info Maps, History and Trivia.” “Or, stroll around the artsy-craftsy town of Occoquan, VA and then saunter up to the pie lady in The Garden Kitchen”, they add.
This husband and wife team has taken all the stress out of driving any piece of the highway from Boston to Florida by offering easy-to-follow 30-mile overviews of the road ahead, pinpointing your position and helping you quickly locate upcoming services on each side of the road.
Sandwiched between the North and South maps, the middle of the book has stories of the road: history that happened on it, quirky museums worth a visit and Americana trivia.. Did you know that you can read George Washington’s diaries at the Collingwood Library in Alexandria VA? Kids getting fussy? Let them blow off some steam in Funland at an exit in Fredericksburg VA or at Mr. Mark’s Fun Park in Florence SC.
Even gassing up can be a gas if you stop at Crazy D’s All American Fireworks and El Cheapo Gas Station. Here in Hardeeville, SC “Honey the Money Dog” will collect your money when you gas up. At the same exit, you can have some of the best fried chicken on the road at the 
Hamburgers and pizza were invented along this route too, both in Whitney’s home town of New Haven CT. At Louis’ Lunch, Louis Lassen was asked in 1900 for a meal on the run. He broiled some chopped beef on a vertical grill along with some bread. Today you can take a bite out of history with a burger cooked on that very same grill (they sure knew how to build them in those days!).
Frank Pepe of Pizzeria Napoletana started out as a baker, and eventually spread sauce on top of his bread. It is definitely worth a detour onto Wooster St. in Little Italy for some of the best pizza and Italian food in the U.S. Don’t forget to waddle down the street to Lucille’s for dessert.
Sandra and Stan have covered over 160,000 miles in car trips together (some with their kids) and are still happily married. You can see more of them on the road and get a taste of their fun book at