Advice on any places to stay/things to during a road trip to the east coast.?

Here is our tentative itinerary:



Chicago, IL

Niagara Falls, NY

Boston, MA

New York, New York

Washington DC

Outterbanks, NC

Nashville, TN

Urbana, IL (friends here...very exciting town, I know)

Chicago, IL



-Mapquest said it would be quicker to drive through Canada to get from Chicago to Niagara Falls...is this too much of a hassle?

-Also, traveling from the Outterbanks to Nashville...will we have to travel through mountains, should we try and avoid this?



Any suggestions, little restaurants, favorite spots would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks in advanced!Advice on any places to stay/things to during a road trip to the east coast.?
Don't worry about the mountains, they aren't difficult and are very scenic.

Going through Canada would be the quickest way to Niagara Falls. Does everyone have a passport?

If you are using I-95 to travel from NY to DC you could stop in Philly to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It's only about 10 minutes from I-95.

After DC you could make your way to the coast.

You could visit Assateague MD or Chincoteague VA to see the wild ponies.

After that continue south to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It's a fun experience and you can stop at Seagull Island for refreshments and watch the ships pass by.

Have a fun trip.Advice on any places to stay/things to during a road trip to the east coast.?
I live in Springfield, IL which is close to Urbana. I have no suggestions of where to stay or what to do in any of these places, but I DO recommend driving through the mountains from NC to Nashville. I've driven through those moutains and they really are pretty.