MD to Fla

 What people do about protecting their stuff from theft at the motels: Propeller Locks – McGard

Perko Replacement Locking Gas Cap for 1.5" Non-Vented Fills (wholesalemarine.com)

______________________________________________________________________

Hotels that allow trucks and RV's (and presumably, boats): South Carolina SC Hotels with Truck Parking (allstays.com)

Super 8 by Wyndham in Manning, SC is pet friendly and is on the allstays.com list of hotels that allow trucks.  Cost on 6/17-6/18 is $54/night for 2 guests per room, $62/nt for 4 guests per room.  Breakfast and WiFi included.  7 hrs from Annapolis, 8.5 hours from Harbour Towne Marina.  Super 8 by Wyndham Manning, Manning (kayak.com) No restaurants within walking distance.

Super 8 Walterboro, SC gets 6.1/10.  is on the allstays.com list of hotels that allow trucks

Sleep Inn Walterboro I-95 Hotel - Book Today! (choicehotels.com) gets 7.2/10.  is 7.5 hours from Harbour Towne marina, 8 hours from home.  Booking directly through choice hotels is $57/room + $7 tax.  They have queen rooms (2 queen), King rooms (1 king), and double rooms (2 doubles).  Huddle House, Waffle House, and Starbucks are the only restaurants within walking distance. 

Comfort Inn Walterboro is what we went with.  Exit 53, which is SC 63E.  

Checked other booking search engines but they were more expensive than booking directly.  Kayak.com best rate: $96 for 4 guests/room, $72 for 2 guests per room refundable or .  zenhotels.com has a cheaper price, but 10% of people who reviewed zenhotels.com said it is run by scammers.  Watch out for  (insertHotelName).guestreservation.com  They said the room was $79 with a "service fee" of $43.  Assholes.

There is a consideration that the most budget-friendly motel may attract an unsavory clientele and increase the risk of theft.  That is a big concern with thousands of dollars of boat parts sitting in the parking lot.  

Comfort Inn, Walterboro, SC.  Rates & Available Rooms - Comfort Inn & Suites Walterboro I-95 (choicehotels.com) $80+$10 tax per room with a free membership, or $84 + $10.10 w/o membership.  Ruby Tuesday across the street.  

____________________________________________________________________

truck and trailer parking in Miami: Good boat ramp with long term parking in Miami area? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums (cruisersforum.com)

"I have used Harbour Towne Marina in Ft. Lauderdale yearly since 2014 for my annual powerboat trip to Bimini. Facility is topnotch and VERY secure parking, app. 15 bucks a day. You will have no worries about your vehicle and trailer while you are gone and you can concentrate on your adventure."

Harbour Towne Marina Facilities and Amenities

"I went out of Haulover recently. Launched the boat around 8AM and the marina was pretty quiet. Lots of parking. Came back in at 1PM and didn't have to wait for a ramp. Unlike Crandon Park. That place becomes a shit show after 12PM and reaches capacity quick."

"The 79th St ramp is the worst ramp in the world, most rude people that you can find are there. If that was the only ramp that I could use I would sell my boat." "Everyone should tow their boat through Miami traffic on a weekday just once, that way the crowded boat ramps on the weekend don't seem so bad."

In re Haulover: "you have to pay for parking, no guard on duty. Relatively safe, very busy marina. I’d leave it at Harbor Towne in Dania, with security."

places to stay near Harbour Towne Marina

considerations: would like to be very close to Harbour Towne Marina if we are all 10 shuttling back and forth in Rob and Tina's truck would mean FIVE trips (hotel to marina, drop 4 off, back to hotel, back to marina, drop 4 off, back to hotel, back to marina park with the last 2), so a hotel 15 minutes away means spending 15*5 = 75 minutes getting everyone to the marina.  A hotel 4 min away means 20 minutes getting everyone to the marina.  I was thinking that having breakfast included would save a bunch of money, but hotels probably don't serve breakfast before 6 a.m. and Casey wants the boats packed, dunked, and ready to leave at 6 a.m.  We've been watching the weather and the winds are slowest from 4a-8a, fairly consistently, so a 6am leave time means it is light out, but the winds are low.  

Sunrise times, Dania, FL.  After June 8, first light and sunrise start getting later even though the days are still getting longer.  June 23 first light = 6:04a, sunrise = 6:30a.  Almost an hour later than Chincoteague.  Sunrise and sunset times in Dania Beach, Florida - June 2021 (sunrise-sunset.org) If you look at a map, this makes sense because Chincoteague is so much further East.  I was considering walking the 1.4 miles down A1A because there are sidewalks the whole way, until I realized it will be dark.  I don't want to walk with the kids in the dark in an elevated crime area.  

Bad weather Wednesday: What if the weather is such that we can't leave on Wednesday at all and have to stay near FLL another day?  Of course we don't book a hotel to plan for this, but it might not hurt to find something to do down there on a windy or rainy Wednesday.  Perhaps bring chaulks so the trucks can be disconnected from the boats at the marina?

no longer available: $99/night, 2 bdrm bungalo Dania Beach 6/18/21 (Friday): 2 Bedroom Bungalow+Free Parking In Downtown Hollywood, Hollywood (kayak.com) 4.4 mi from the marina, 15 min drive, less than a block from Runas Peruvian Cuisine.  

price now $144/night: (was $99/night), Residence Inn by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, Dania Beach (kayak.com) 3.3 miles from marina, 12 minutes.  

$85/night Motel 6 Dania Beach, 4 minute drive, reviews say homelesss people knock on the room doors and ask to use the showers and to charge their phones.

$89/night La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Ft. Lauderdale Airport, 11 minute drive from Marina.  has King or double beds, no queens.  not a lot of complaints.  One person said there were a lot of homeless people nearby.  Assume if there are homeless near one airport hotel, they are near all of the airport hotels?  Is a 2 star hotel.  Free wifi, free breakfast

$98/night Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, Dania Beach (kayak.com), 2 queen beds, 10 min drive. 

$99/night Holiday Inn Express:  13 minute drive people complained about not enough parking for all the guests and rooms not clean enough.  free wifi, free breakfast.

$106/night Fairfield Inn & Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport-Cruise Port  10 minute drive.  3 stars, complaints were about cleanliness, but didn't have specifics.  Many 10/10 reviews.  Free parking, free wifi, free breakfast.

****$101/night Wyndham Garden Ft Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port Rooms & Rates (wyndhamhotels.com) 4 minute drive, 2 queens, free parking.  

$117/night SpringHill Suites by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port. 15 minute drive. 3 stars.  Wifi and free breakfast and free parking.  complaints: airport shuttle trouble, cold pre-packaged breakfast during COVID, rooms need updating.  Free breakfast and wifi.  Has a sofa and mini fridge.

$124/night Hotel Dello Ft Lauderdale Airport, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Dania Beach (kayak.com) free breakfast, free WiFi free parking.  

$139/night Comfort Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport, Dania Beach (kayak.com), 4 minute drive, mini fridge and microwave, 2 queen beds.

Casey and I talked about hotels near the beach, but by the time we drive 8 hours, make stops for food, check the boats into Harbour Towne, etc., it will basically be dark and we'd like to start the boat trip as early as possible Wednesday morning, so there is no time for the beach.  

_____________________________________________________________________________

RESTAURANTS on the way down, every 1/2 hour or so, with places nearby to park: 

Possible stops for lunch that can accommodate boat parking: 

112 Miles, Ashland, VA (about 1hr 50- 2.5 hours from home)

TA Travel Authority in Ashland, VA has a Fuddruckers.  They have Beyond Burger, turkey burger, grilled chicken sandwich, Napa Salad with grilled chicken, chicken tenders, sweet potato fries. Fuddruckers — Ashland, 100 North Carter Rd.

TA Travel Authority in Richmond, VA has Popeyes and Pizza Hut Express.  Popeye's has fried chicken with or without bones, fried shrimp, or fried flounder.  Pizza Hut Express has pre-made individual-sized pizzas.  

Walmart in Ashland, VA shares a parking lot with Brick Oven Bistro which has pizza, salads with chicken on top, shrimp parmesan, chicken parmesan, etc. Brickoven Bistro (orderonlinemenu.com)

138 miles, Mechanicsville, VA (2-2.75 hours from Annapolis)

Kohl's has a big parking lot shared with Bonchon, Panera, Chipotle, and Applebee's

160 miles, Chester, VA (2hr 20 - 3 hours if we take the Richmond bypass)

Park at Home Depot to go to Buffalo Wild Wings

Park at Kroger to go to Panera

Park at Food Lion to go to River's Bend take out

156 miles, Petersburg, VA (2.5 - 3 hours from home if not taking Richmond bypass, adds 13 minutes to take the bypass and then weave over)

Walmart in Petersburg shares parking lot with Subway and a short walk to Captain D's which has lemon pepper white fish or blackened tilapia, or fried fish or shrimp.

The Thrift Market Truck Stop has KFC.  KFC's only non-fried chicken is a chicken pot pie.

193 miles, Emporia, VA (3 - 3.75 hours from home or 194mi (Rt 3031) or 206mi (495to95))

Park at Food Lion.  Taco Bell and Arby's are a block away.  The Mahal Mart gas station at this exit has diesel and a lot of people's reviews say it is always the best priced fuel. Taco Bell has chicken quesadilla, black bean quesarito, bean burrito, chicken tacos, etc.  Arby's has a turkey and swiss sandwich, a chicken mediteranian wrap, buffalo roast chicken sandwich, etc.   

DINNER possibilities: 

350 miles, Fayetteville, NC (about 6.5 hours including 1 hour lunch stop)

everything in Fayetteville that has "bus parking" adds 20 minutes to our travel time except for the Cracker Barrel on Jim Johnson Rd

Food & Drink in Cumberland County, North Carolina (visitfayettevillenc.com)

366 miles, St Pauls, NC (about 7 hours including 1 hour lunch stop)

Taco Bell near Food Lion.

376 miles, Lumberton, NC

Smithfield Chicken and BBQ in Lowes Parking lot, has BBQ chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, fries, hush puppies Smithfields Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q | Home (scnbnc.com)

426 miles, Florence, SC

Wendy's at Pilot Travel Truck Stop, Grilled Chicken sandwich, fried chicken sandwich, salad, baked potato

437 miles, Florence, SC (about 8 hours from home, including 1 hour lunch stop)

park at Best Buy, which shares parking lot with Chipotle, Chik Fil A, and Buffalo Wild Wings

480 miles, Manning, SC

Yucatan (Mexican) or Yummy Japanese

499 miles, Santee, SC

Cracker Barrel near Food Lion

walterboro, sc, stop for the night, Comfort Inn (557 mi from Ken's, 543 from Annapolis)

202 miles, 3 hours, Jacksonville, FL

Al's Pizza (Park at Publix Riverside)

218 miles, 3 hours, Jacksonville, FL

Panera 13740 Old St Augustine Rd, Parking lot shared with Kohls

235 miles, 3 hours 25 min, St Augustine, FL

Cracker Barrel

235 miles, St Augustine, FL

Fords Garage (pub with fancy burgers and salads, park in Outlet mall)

263 miles, Palm Coast, FL 3 hours 44 min

Texas RoadHouse (park at Harbor Freight, or 

292 miles, Daytonna, FL 4 hours 8 min

Millers Ale House (park at Haverty Furniture)

338 miles, Titusville, FL 4 hours 45 min

Panda Express, park at Target

355 miles, Cocoa, FL 4 hr 57 min

Cabbage Fish Camp, park at boat ramp across the street, 3rd best restaurant in Cocoa

374 miles, West Melbourne, FL 5 hr 15 min, 

Umami Sushi, park at Winn Dixie

406 miles, Vero Beach, FL 5 hr 39 min

Cracker Barrel, park at Vero Beach outlets

434 miles, Port St. Lucie, FL 6 hr 5 min

La Paisita, park at Walmart

474 miles, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 6 hr 35 min

Whole Foods, or Voodoo Bayou share parking lot

508 miles, Boca Raton, FL 7 hr 2 min

Mario's Osteria, park at Nordstrom Rack

532 miles, Ft Lauderdale, FL 7 hr 37 min

The Fish Grill, Menu – The Fish Grill at Dania Beach (daniafishgrill.com) right next to Wyndham Garden Hotel.  

IHOP is open 24 hours, could do breakfast there, 3 block walk from Wyndham Garden.  

Harbour Towne Marina, drop the boat off, and then parking is easier at restaurants, or do the trucks stay with the boats?  

Things to do if stuck in South Florida

Chloe asked about the amusement parks.  Islands of Adventure with the Harry Potter stuff is 3 hours away.   

Party Venue in Fort Lauderdale FL - Go Kart Racing, Bowling, Sports Bar, VR Escape Game Room (xtremeactionpark.com) has roller skating, indoor go kart, laser tag, indoor ropes course, bowling, escape room, and virtual reality.  Reviews are great and reviews talk about "bazooka blast" being the most fun, but the website doesn't describe it that I can find.

Fuel stops

Casey's fuel tank = 40 gal, consumption = 10 mpg.  

If we go 60 mi/hr then we burn 6 gallons per hour.  If we stop for gas at lunch, then we shouldn't have to stop for gas again until we get to the hotel.  Can the bathroom breaks be spaced out that much?  Pee at 8a, noon, and 5p?