For the first time I am going to the Daytona Bike Week. Leaving NJ on Friday 3-8-2019 have to be home by 3-17. I am looking for some route advise. I don't mind riding highway to make time but if I don't have to I rather ride 2 lane back roads. I was thinking making B-line to Delaware take 301South to 50 then 13 to the Bay Bridge. After the bridge take VA-58 to I-95 South then when I am in GA I can hope back on 301 South all the way to Acola then cut across to Daytona. I will be camping in the warmer climate areas, hotels in the colder area. Is there better road options? I am open for suggestions

 

Enjoy your first time at Bikeweek! It can be a blast. Just beware it can get very cold (20's-30's) in Daytona also or it might be 90 degrees. Prepare accordingly.if you're planning on camping there.

 

Enjoy.. Sadly its a mere shadow of what it was even just 10 years ago. Its become very "sanitized".
But certainly something you need to at least do once.

 

58 over to 95 in VA is a HUGE speed trap, take 17 south out of Portsmouth VA to Elizabeth City NC, then angle over to Tarboro NC. that is four lane all the way, with gas & local food along the way.

there's a BBQ joint somewhere below Elizabeth City that is GREAT. IDK the name now....

 

O4ctd said:
....take 17 south out of Portsmouth VA to Elizabeth City NC, then angle over to Tarboro NC. that is four lane all the way, with gas & local food along the way.
THAT is a great ride. Great suggestion.

 

It really depends on the weather.

I ride to Bike Week from Ohio, some years it's unseasonably warm and I can take my time heading down. Most times it's cold as a MFer, leaving a small window to get there and miss weather I don't want to be in. I get the whole "stop and smell the roses" thing but it's hard to smell them with a frostbitten nose. When it's cold and snow is in the forecast for some part of the near 1000 mile trip I'm a highway riding SOB. The same goes for the return trip, especially if you're coming back to a job. One year, I left a couple guys in Daytona who said they were going to take the back roads back home. I hit the big road and was home in 17 hours or so; they spent 8 nights in a motel in Tennessee, burning vacation days, waiting for the road to clear. When it comes to actually riding to and from Bike Week from the north, planning should be taken with a grain of salt because the weather changes everything, plans be damned.

 

Bike Week is still fun. My first BW was in 1986. From then and for the next few years was the "hayday". I quit going in the late 90's. My wife had never been since she started riding her own so we went last year but just for Sat and Sun. We had a good time and saw the usual stuff. It has changed quite a bit from back in the day. You will have a good time. 301 is a good route and you can cut across the state on 40. That is a nice ride.

 

The lady and I practically commute between NJ and FL. You can avoid a whole bunch of aggravation and traffic by just taking the Parkway to Exit 0 (yes there really is an Exit 0) to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry (www.cmlf.com). When you get off at Lewes, you're already as far south as Washington DC and without all the I-95 aggravation. Take Delaware 24 to U.S. 113 all the way to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel through Virginia Beach to Portsmouth.

We usually take U.S. 58 to Emporia and pick up I-95 south from there, but as 04ctd said, it's a huge speed trap, just keep to the posted limits and you'll be OK. But I might try the 17 South route next time. Have fun and ride safe!

Edit: Just before the Bridge-Tunnel, stop at Sting-Ray's in Cape Charles, VA for gas and lunch!

 

If the weather sucks I can always do the auto train to and from Lorton VA to Sanford FL. I am hoping weather will cooperate this year. So far it has been very mild winter for us her in NJ. First 300 miles of my ride will be cold but nice I hit south of Richmond VA it should be ok.

 

Thank you for all chimed in. I will B-line to Delaware and take US 301 depending on traffic I'll b line to bay bridge. From there take 17 south then 64 to I-95 South, till Santee SC jump on to US 301 South head all the way to Ocala FL then take FL-40 to Daytona Beach. I will leave on Friday arrive on Sunday or Monday. Depending on the food and beer, I find along my journey. Sting-Ray's in Cape Charles VA and IDK in Elizabeth City is must stops for eat so far.