Skipping I-95: A Beetle Road Trip to Cape Cod

Typically, my wife and I drive back and forth to Florida in our Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. This year, the return trip was a bit different. Due to a death in our family, my wife flew home, and I drove home after I got our Florida place (“the Tin-Shack”) closed up.

As a side note, I had never done a solo drive this long before, so it was a different experience. We also have a 17-year-old Volkswagen on Cape Cod that needs replacing, so I decided to leave the Hyundai in Florida and take our 2015 Volkswagen Beetle north instead.

Typically, we make this trip in three days, with stops along the way for fuel and to stretch our legs. The 2015 Beetle has spent about half its life in Florida and has weathered three major hurricanes without incident, but it still is an 11-year-old car. So, in the words of Derek Bieri, host of the YouTube channel Vice Grip Garage, who rescues abandoned vehicles: “Will it run and drive 1,700 miles home?”

To me, preparation is the key to any long road trip. This started with a thorough vehicle inspection that included an oil change, topping off vital fluids, checking the belts, hoses, and battery, and giving the car a good cleaning.

All of our cars have an emergency kit—plan for the worst and hope for the best. In this car, stored in a small duffel bag, were one gallon of European-spec coolant, one quart of oil, gloves, and some basic hand tools. These included sockets, wrenches, pliers, a test light, screwdrivers, a compact flashlight, zip ties, a tire plug kit, and a combination air compressor/jump pack.

Where I go a bit extreme is that I also carry a computer scan tool. If a check-engine light comes on, I want to know why.

I also do not stop for lunch and instead bring snacks. Included in my cooler were grapes—both a good snack and something that helps maintain hydration—along with peanut butter crackers, water, Red Bull, and beef jerky.

My road trip is a bit longer because I try to avoid the stress of Interstate 95. To leave Florida, I get on Interstate 75 and head toward Georgia and the Carolinas, typically stopping south of Charlotte. The Volkswagen was comfortable and efficient, averaging a remarkable 35–39 MPG. In this case, I drove a little farther, stopping in Statesville, North Carolina.

I found a comfortable hotel for $90 that included breakfast. After a quick dinner, it was early to bed and early to rise, heading out again at 6:15 a.m.

The next leg is about the same. Eventually, I get on Interstate 81, which runs along the western side of Virginia and bypasses most of the urban traffic. I prefer sharing the road with trucks.

Next up is Interstate 84 through Pennsylvania, a short stretch of New York, and into Connecticut. Because of my timing, I hit Hartford during rush hour and encountered plenty of delays. I decided to take the shoreline route, getting back on Interstate 95 and then connecting to Interstate 195 and Route 25. As anyone who has visitors coming to the Cape, you always call when you get to the Sagamore or Bourne bridges.

The Volkswagen performed perfectly. The only issue along the way was that I ran out of windshield washer fluid in Massachusetts.

Now that the 2015 Volkswagen is on Cape Cod, it is time to go car shopping—a story for another time.