Thanks everyone! Just got back in LA and I thought I would say thanks for all the great advice
The drive from Arlington to Princeton wasn't too bad. It took a long time to get from Arlington to Baltimore, but after that it was smooth sailing. On the way back we drove traffic-free late at night through Baltimore and went from Baltimore to Dulles traffic-free on the beltways the next day.
Also I didn't realize how much tolls were
Princeton was really hot and rainy. It was interesting to learn about some of the graduate programs - like the fact that the funding for PhD students is excellent (basically, fellowships for everyone admitted) - even though it didn't seem like a place I would go.
But now that I did such a rocking job on this trip, I get to plan next months trip to Knoxville too! O_o