Road Trip: New Jersey to Michigan, The Southern Route

If you have not already done so, I highly recommend reading my post “Road Trip: New Jersey to Michigan, The Northern Route”. If you have met anyone that has made the drive across Pennsylvania on Route 80, I can almost guarantee you have met someone that will do anything humanly possible to avoid the drive across Pennsylvania on Route 80. I fancy myself a bit of a road trip expert, and even I find myself coming up empty handed on this one. In fact, we have driven up into New York State and then cut across the upper northwest corner of Pennsylvania into Ohio just to avoid the monotony that is Route 80 across Pennsylvania. With that being said, sometimes time, money, or plans require you to take this route, and my best advice is to power through Pennsylvania as quickly as possible and carry on with your trip.

Note: Is this description a bit overdramatic? Yes, absolutely. Do I stand by it? 100% The good news is, once you have traversed 5 hours of nothingness, the rest of your road trip is not only a breeze, it’s actually enjoyable.

Our first stop is in Warren, Ohio. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive as a street fair was gearing up for the day. Vendors lined the town square, food trucks sold every kind of comfort food you could think of, and local bands played on the stage. It was quintessential Main Street USA at its finest, and it was a great way to kick off our trip. After enjoying a lunch of street meat and elephant ears, we walked a block behind the main street area for the real reason we were visiting, Dave Grohl Alley. Yes, Foo Fighters frontman and rock and roll legend, Dave Grohl was born in Warren, Ohio and to honor him, his hometown has painted an alley with a variety of artistic renderings of Mr. Grohl and adorned it with the World’s Largest Pair of Drumsticks. (The kind for making music, not the KFC kind).

My husband is a huge fan, and enjoyed seeing this little known shrine to his favorite musician. The alley is just that, an alley, so it doesn’t take long to explore and is a great stop to stretch your legs and enjoy a bit of rock and roll history.

About an hour west on Route 80 is Cuyahoga Valley National Park. With easy access to the highway and no parking or visitors fees, this is a great stop along Route 80. I love this park because you can easily pop in for a peek around the Visitor’s Center or a quick hike, or just as easily stay a night or two to explore all the park has to offer. We were pressed for time, so our first stop was the Visitor’s Center to get my National Park Passport stamped. We did not have time for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, but we promised the kids we would return to do that. Instead we hopped back in the car and drove over to Brandywine Falls (pictured above). This is a short hike (really a walk) and the most popular spot in the park. Plan to arrive before or after peak hours to secure a parking spot.

We spent two nights at The Fairfield Inn and Suites Akron Stowe while we explored the area. The hotel was clean, comfortable, close to the highway and had several dining options in close proximity. We originally planned to spend the following day in Cleveland, but they were supposed to have rain so we headed south instead, in an effort to find some sunshine.

Our first stop was Sugarcreek, Ohio nestled in the hills of Ohio’s Amish country. Sugarcreek is a one horse town with a huge claim to fame, the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock. Be sure to time your visit between 9am and 9pm. Every half hour the bells chime, the cuckoo bird appears and German music plays while tiny figurines dance around the clock.

From the middle of town, we headed toward the countryside to the Farm at Walnut Creek. The Farm features a drive through safari, walkthrough animal exhibits, a playground, a working Amish farm, a blacksmith’s shop and a bakery.

Pro-Tip: Bring some solo cups for the car. The feed bucket they give you is 64oz. and I promise you, your children will drop it all over your backseat the first chance they get. Also, the farm is cash-only, so come prepared.

I’ll be adding a full write up on The Farm at Walnut Creek as it was a great stop and a fantastic value for the money.

As we headed north to our hotel, we stopped off in Canton, Ohio. My husband wanted to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If you are a football fan, this is a must do. If you are a mom of two young kids that don’t have the patience or attention span for a museum dedicated to a sport of which they have no knowledge, you can keep on trucking.

We made it to downtown Canton just in time for the First Ladies National Historic Site to close their doors for the day. The ranger was kind enough to let me peek my head in and stamp my passport book, but I will have to put this on the list for our next trip.

Before arriving at our final destination near Traverse City, we always make a stop in Frankenmuth, Michigan. We are suckers for a Bavarian-style town and Frankenmuth does not disappoint. The main drag is not very large but it is jammed packed with restaurants, toy shops, German bakeries, fudge shops and the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus (pictured above). I will be writing a separate blog post dedicated to Frankenmuth and will link it here when it’s available.

We stayed at The Drury Inn & Suites, which is on the far end of the main drag. It has a Bavarian themed exterior, and is small but in a charming way. The interior decor including the rooms are dated, but well maintained and clean. They feature a Happy Hour every afternoon and a free breakfast, and there always seemed to be people playing cards or hanging out in the lobby. It had a very homey feel, which was nice.

If you are interested in my opinion of Frankenmuth’s “Famous Chicken Dinners” head over to “New Jersey to Michigan, The Northern Route”. Spoiler alert: I don’t love them. But I highly recommend you head to the basement level of Zehnder’s for pretty much anything they are selling at the bakery. We had an apple strudel and cinnamon raisin bread which were both fantastic.

Stay tuned for the next leg of our journey, Michigan to the Florida Keys! And be sure to follow us on social media for videos and photos of our travels.