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You are receiving the Drive I-95 Trip Tips because you are a fan of Drive I-95 or Sandra Phillips' Smart Shopping Montreal . If you wish to be taken off our newsletter list, please follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of this email.
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you know who lives, works or plans to travel along the Eastern U.S. from Boston to Florida, so they too can learn how to have fun on the road.
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When searching for eats on I-95, you can replace “fast food” with “fresh food”. Right on exits you can chomp on hand-picked, fresh from the farm food and enjoy that old-time feeling.
Fresh produce means it came right off the vine, stalk, tree or out of the ground, usually within the past few hours and within a few miles of where you are standing. Home grown means you can ask questions from the person you are buying it from about... what variety it is, where it was grown or when was it picked, etc. Support our local farmers and eat healthy at the same time - it’s a win-win choice.
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Very Berry | | 2 - | A Feast for a Bishop | | 3 - | Farm Amusement Park? | | 4 - | Getting Gammon | | 5 - | Barn Again | |
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| DROG and TWITTER |
 | 1 - Very Berry
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RI Exit 8: Ward's Berry Farm - Jim and Bob Ward's dad purchased land in 1981 for his "retirement" - he bought 7,000 blueberry bushes to start a farm. Neither son had any farming experience, but when their father died they decided to run the 150-acre farm. All crops are still hand-harvested and there are many other steps still done b y hand. Everything they produce and more is sold in this farm stand store.
Pop in for their sandwich bar or check out the fridge for quick lunch food: garlic hummus, chicken grapenut salad, oriental noodles, eggplant parmigiana, Hungarian mushroom soup or Mrs. Ward's meatballs. Finish it off with fresh fruit juices and smoothies and one of Mrs. Ward's home-baked pies. You can pick berries (it’s strawberry season now) or later on, pumpkins, or take hay rides. In season there's strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, peaches, squash and Asian eggplants, etc.
There's even an indoor petting zoo cared for by the local 4H club and an outdoor playground, including toy tractors. Hours: Mon-Fri 9-7, Sat & Sun 9-6. Tel: 781-784-3600.
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| 2 - A Feast for a Bishop |
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CT Exit 57: Bishop's Orchards - Just like it used to be back in 1871, you can buy fresh farm products and home baking at this 6th generation market. Over 300 acres of fruits and veggies are grown for sale, and in season you can pick your own (strawberries now). Fresh this week are: lettuce, beet greens, radishes, spinach and tomatoes.
However, way beyond produce, you can gourmet up your car food with the likes of stuffed chicken, veal riblets, 5-veggie ravioli, sushi and two dozen fresh soups (asparagus brie, Hungarian mushroom) accompanied by a wheat ciabatta roll or multigrain bread. Wash it down with their famous apple cider, and for dessert: apple cider donuts or pies (apple cranberry, chocolate lemon) or banana bread. There’s a microwave in the front to heat up food, and picnic tables to enjoy it in the noonday sun. After lunch have fun watching the llamas, alpacas or goats which are housed on the left side of the main building.
If you won’t be driving after this, you can take advantage of their winery products, with twelve of their own labels and two from other CT wineries. This is one of the few places in CT which can sell wine on Sundays. Hours: Mon-Sat 8-7, Sun 9-6. 1355 Boston Post Rd. (US 1) Tel: 203-458-PICK. www.bishopsorchards.com
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| 3 - Farm Amusement Park? |
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MD Exit 109: Milburn Orchards - Exactly when did farms become playful amusement parks? This 4th-generation one has been around for 100 years and is famous for their apple cider doughnuts and u-pick fruits in season (peaches are coming up and then blackberries) and for just plain family fun. Kids love the barnyard buddies and we loved the goat walk. There's a hay maze, a wooden truck to climb in, a sand box, wagon ride, bean bag throw, cutouts for picture taking and a talking outhouse. The farm stand (their own fresh fruits) has turned into a gourmet store with sauces, dressings, dipping pretzels, pickled beets or pickled eggs, local honey and cheeses and brown bags of cake mixes (funnel cake!). 
There’s a daily lunch special for only $5: Meatball Monday, Tuna Tuesday, Wings on Wednesday, Thumbs-up Thursday, Fat burger Friday plus more choices, with salads right off the farm and mac ‘n cheese too.
For dessert pies you can dig into awesome apple, peach praline, walnut apple crisp, apple caramel bread or Sandra's favorite coconut custard pie. The Orchard View Ice Cream Deck has opened, serving Kilby, a local dairy’s ice cream, in a dozen flavors. Since peaches are coming there will be peach toppings, peach soft serve and peach milk shakes and smoothies. 1495 Appleton Rd. Hours: June-Dec Mon-Sat 9-7, Sun 10-5 (Xmas to mid-Jan M-Sat 10-6) Tel: 800-684-3000 or 410-398-1349. www.milburnorchards.com
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| 4 - Getting Gammon |
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 NC Exit 13A: Southeastern North Carolina Farmers Market - You can stop here at this small market if you want to taste some fresh fruits and vegetables or buy nursery plants, honey, hams, collectibles, crafts, dolls and quilts. There’s a stand for British and Irish meats: Wiltshire Cure, gammon (a cut of bacon or ham), boiling bacon, and for marmalades, etc. The handicrafts are by local craftsmen and must be authentic to be sold here. Hours: Mon-Sat 8 am - 6 pm, Sun 1-6. (Dec-Feb less hours), 1027 Hwy 74. Tel: 910-618-5699. www.ncagr.com/markets/facilit/farmark/lumberton/index.htm
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| 5 - Barn Again |
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SC Exit 164: Pee Dee State Farmers Market - On land that had been a farm, the old red mule barn has been "Barn Again", and now houses Elijah Thomas’ potter's studio and Hobnob Gourmet www.hobnobgourmet.com. Travelers will love the shop's fresh brewed gourmet coffees, special iced teas and iced cappuccino. For a quick bite they make daily fresh ham biscuits. They bake the ham and biscuits themselves, and they’re slathered in homemade mustard. Then you can have some of their cupcakes or muffins for dessert. The shop is filled with kitchenware, gift items, specialty jams, jellies and sauces. Tel: 843-664-0486.
There’s an open covered farmers' market offering fresh veggies (the locals rush in for the butter beans and butter peas), boiled peanuts, sugar cured hams, mountain butter, peanuts, jams and jellies and lawn ornaments. Southwest Pottery and Indigo Marsh Nursery are there for your green thumb.
A new building houses McLeod’s Farm Market, where you can have some ice cream, fresh fruits and veggies, homemade breads: zucchini, peach, pecan, as well as jams, jellies, sauces and candies. Trinity Farms offers organic products: omega-3 eggs, fruits, veggies,and some free range meats, and then there’s Harvest Moon soaps, gift items and a John Deere gift shop. Hours: Mon-Sat 8-6. 2513 W. Lucas St. (US 52) Tel: 843-665-5154. www.pdfarmersmarket.sc.gov
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| 6 - DROG and TWITTER
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You’ll be happy to know that we continue to drog (drive blog = drog) on a regular basis. Our driving adventures demand constant blogging, since there is so much to do, so many yummy tastes and so many things going on along Interstate 95 between Massachusetts and Florida. You can keep checking our web site HERE to see what new things we find and hear about to let you know how to have fun off the road.
 In addition to our books, newsletters and drog, we are also on twitter. You can follow the Drive I-95 oriented one at: www.twitter.com/drivei95
We have a general travel one at: www.twitter.com/travelsmarter
Sandra has her Montreal shopping one: www.twitter.com/smartshoppermtl
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What's inside Drive I-95 : Here's a FREE look
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Look ahead exit by exit to see which motels (with 800 numbers), gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds, 24-hour pharmacies, auto mechanics, radio stations or radar traps are there, and where you can stay with your pet. We share our stories of the road : history on I-95, museums, trivia, towns to explore or places to run the kids. These can be read for entertainment during the drive, and may entice you to stop, stretch your legs and discover someplace new.
Don't forget that our radio and TV interviews can always be seen HERE on our site, as well as some of our YouTube videos. |
| PS: Buy the book to find free activities on I-95. Click here | |
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