<p>Living in NJ and 2 hours from the school I figured we would drive down the night before and stay at a hotel. (have it booked) </p>
<p>Now I'm starting to wonder what I do with my fully packed SUV? </p>
<p>What have you guys done in the past? Or what are you planning on doing? </p>
<p>I'm starting to wonder if it would make sense to just wake up at the crack of dawn and head down the turnpike? (the turnpike traffic makes me crazy! lol!) </p>
<p>Is it safe to keep her stuff in my locked car if we stay overnight? decisions, decisions! help! :)</p>
<p>This is pretty funny because we had the same plan, in fact my room is still booked, but we decided not to go through with it because of a concern regarding all of the property in the SUV. How can you sleep worrying about it? Not that my wife or D will sleep much anyway but we decided to just go down that morning. No amount of comfort from anyone on this board is going to change the fear of going out the next morning and finding I’ve been robbed. I guess that means some traffic and family togetherness on Saturday but oh well…</p>
<p>We live on Staten Island, so our trip is about two hours too. We have left early and driven down the day of and never had a problem. There is some traffic right past the Delaware Memorial Bridge, but it’s never been significant. We usually get there, unpack the room, have lunch, pick up the books and leave. It’s totally doable in one day if you would like to do that. We are planning to get there this year around 9:30 am so we can leave by about 1:00.</p>
<p>We do the overnight thing. Too much for me to do it in one day by myself (about 3.5-4 hours each way), although I did it in one day last year because of the crazy move-in due to the storm. Plus, I want to get out of there early-ish on Sunday and avoid afternoon summer traffic with everyone leaving the shore on Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p>We just take valuables out of the car and park somewhere really well lit in front of the hotel. I do think about it, but it’s ok. </p>
<p>(zoosermom, you’re lucky you can avoid the Belt Parkway and the entire SI Expressway!)</p>
<p>I am also coming from LI but not more than 3 hours tops. You guys are making me think about it again but we are Saturday (first year) so no weekend beach traffic, I hope.</p>
<p>For those of you who are new to travel to UD if you are traveling down Rt. 95 south on arrival day I would recommend getting off at exit #3 (DE 273 - follow signs for Newark). This is the next exit below the Rt. 1/Mall exit. Stay on this road and it becomes Main Street in Newark. You can avoid about 5 miles of 95 south if the traffic is backed up. Just a suggestion. We never found a backup on this road and traveled it multiple times over 4 years.</p>
<p>This is what we do, as well. ^^^ In all the times we’ve driven down there since D was a senior in high school, we only hit traffic once. And boy was it a doozie. There was a tractor trailer involved in an accident with a couple of cars just before the bridge. It backed up traffic for more than two hours. But what can you do? Such things happen with surface transit and it has never happened again.</p>
<p>zoosermom: I actually inquired about graduation weekend last time I was at the Marriott on campus in the spring (but I was too early - what a surprise). One of my friends has a DS at West Point (same age as our DDs) and she’s had reservations for graduation since his freshman year.</p>
<p>I hear 95 won’t be too much fun on 8/25 regardless because of all the colleges in that direction that have move-in that day. For Rodney/Dickenson and George Reed, exit 3 is the most direct way anyway. We’re actually staying in Wilmington that night and driving to Newark on Sunday am (just wanted a change of scenery, plus socaldad told us about the new Sheraton so we thought we’d try it).</p>
<p>I only had really bad traffic picking up DD after fall semester freshman year. Was making record time (even through Brooklyn and SI) until I hit SNOW at exit 5 on the Jersey Turnpike. OMG. The rest was so painful.</p>
<p>thanks for the exit suggestions, I believe that exit 3 is where the holiday inn I booked is! we came into UD on that road that became main street and it was pleasant. </p>
<p>I think I will just wake up early that morning and go. Plus I can put that hotel money in my pocket! lol! </p>
<p>So good to know I’m not alone with all these crazy thoughts going through my mind! :)</p>
<p>I hope you booked the wilmington south, not the downtown wilmington. The wilmington south is actually in New Castle, the next town over from Newark. In between Newark and Delaware. Maybe we will meet in the lobby…</p>
<p>FYI if booking for graduation, your best bet is to book hotels near bob carpenter arena, there are several within walking distance. Literally you can walk across the street. There are shuttle services that day, from the hotel by the Christian towers but believe me when you see people just meandering across the street from hotels to graduation ceremonies you will be kicking yourself(as you sit on the shuttle bus in massive traffic) and I mean massive traffic.</p>
<p>You are my hero samiamy. I hadn’t known that. Consider yourself hugged. I plan to be a wailing, weeping mess that day and I don’t need any help from the traffic.</p>
<p>Three kids and never yet had a problem leaving a loaded car in the well-lit hotel parking lot. Then again laptop comes upstairs and we don’t bring tvs or other pawn-able items. Who wants to steal clothes?</p>
<p>Thanks. I think mind made up. We have tv, wirelss printer, all new in boxes and I don’t really want to take that stuff out of the car and carry it in and then carry it back down. The tv isn’t big and is flat and printer also not that big but just seems like hassel. And now D is saying she wants to sleep in her bed that night, see friends, etc. …</p>
<p>just cancelled my hotel reservation. @bill exactly the same thing here. D is happy for one more night at home in her bed with her doggie by her side. I’ll see you on the road bright and early Saturday! :)</p>
<p>We had a long trip so we needed to stay the night before move in. We were at the Homewood Suites. Brought in her computer and overnight stuff but otherwise, everything else was left in the car (and DH really worries about such things, but was fine considering the location).
We had thought we would stay at the same hotel for graduation (sort of coming full circle) but just couldn’t justify nearly $300/night. We stayed at the Staybridge Suites and had no problem with traffic/parking on graduation day.</p>
<p>I would have thought the better course is to bring what you need with you and NOT plan on going to BBB or Target that day for things you know you don’t have but D is insisting that we shouldn’t bring drying rack, soap, etc. and just go that day and buy because we’ll forget something anyway. Being the planner I am, that seems to me absurd but I know D is starting to stress about the big day so I don’t want to make it a big deal. It seems like a huge waste of time not to bring things you know you need (assuming you have space to bring). Would appreciate input from this learned assembly.</p>
<p>Well, Bill 124, there always are some things which, you may not have forgotten, but didn’t or couldn’t anticipate, but think of once you see the room and layout. For example my D wanted those sticky removable wall hooks for scarves, purse etc.; the closet was dark so we got a stick on lamp; a clip on light for the bed, extra extension chord and a few things we had brought from home didn’t quite fit in the spaces intended so we got smaller.
I suggest looking at it as a way of being part of the “experience” and excitement. And you can make suggestions to perk up the room or make living in it more livable or comfortable. I have to admit, while I’m mostly there to carry, move, set up things, hook up computer and printer, etc. it’s kind of fun going out with your kid to the store, helping with (and paying for) last minute things to decorate or add small conveniences or things that are needed or would be nice once you actually see the room and set up the basics.</p>