Please help us avoid NYC ... traveling DC to Maine

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

I just know someone here has the answer

Can you please help us map out a route from the Washington DC area to Maine?

Mapquest keeps wanting to send us straight thru NYC! Uhhhh, we did that last year, enroute to Canada ... didn't KNOW we were going to do it, but we did. Yep. The GW bridge was sooo not fun, pulling our TT through in the middle of rush hour!

Mapquest also sent us on a CT parkway ... with those overpasses that have very short height restrictions -- we were afraid we'd come out the other end with the a/c ripped off our roof, so had to take our 1/2 of the road out of the middle, where there was more clearance space! (you know, those beautiful, old, arched bridges aren't very tall! luckily, the road was empty, but yikes!)

Thanks so much for any route mapping assistance!!

 

[homebrew2]

Just a quick look, but your best bet to get north of NYC might be...

I95 into NJ....then north on the Garden State Parkway till it ends at I87.

If you're using Mapquest try putting Paramus NJ and Tarrytown NY in as stops
enroute and then just disregard the directions getting you into and out of the
respective towns. You didn't specify where in Maine you were headed, so
thats the best I can do. I'm sure someone will jump in with better directions
if I'm wrong as we have a couple of posters on here from Maine.

 

[fireman17]

Living in CT I too try to avoid the GWB we have taken route 287 which will take us to the Tappen Zee Bridge. Now we return from PA. taking the same route back.
If you can Mapquest yourself onto route 287 North and follow that to the Tappen Zee Bridge that will take you right back to I95 North in CT.
We've traveled this route for 10 years each and every trip to PA and back and never go through the GWB.
Hope this helps.If you need any more help you can PM me.

 

[disney4dan]

Our route around that congestion has normally taken us further out along I-81 and I-84. While it seems like a ways out west, it really is not all that far west compared to the hassles of the metro NYC area.

On our trip south last summer we took I-84 to Scranton, then I-81 south to Winchester, then took a very nice and scenic drive along Route 17 to Fredericksburg. It was a very enjoyable ride (except for the kids fighting in the back seat, but what are you gonna do about that other than duct tape?).

When we were on that route, we noticed a lot of traffic on I-81N, just south of Scranton due to construction, so we made a note to take I-78 east to I-287 in NJ on the return trip. That ended up being a disaster; I-78 is concrete with expansion joints that were spaced in a way that our truck/trailer combination kept getting into a "wave" sort of pattern and we were like a dolphin jumping through waves. At any speed above 50 mph the spacing on the bumps started that bouncing and getting on our nerves. Also, we had the book "the Next Exit" and could not locate a good gas station along Rte 287 that could accomodate a truck/trailer easily. We HAD to stop for gas at some point and ended up finding a little station, two dispensers on a postage stamp sized lot in a residential neighborhood nearly half a mile off the highway. My attitude is, if they can get an 18-wheeler in there to make a gas delivery to the station, I can get in for a fill up, but it's not always easy.

So, I guess my suggestion is either stick with I-81 to I-84 (which will ultimately bring you through Hartford to Massachusetts), or maybe just try going through the metro NYC area in the very early morning like around 4 to 6 am. If you go through NYC, stay on Route 95 in southern CT despite the annoying traffic and construction all the way to New Haven. Having driven that route a few times for work (without the trailer), it is more "tolerable" but never easy. If you go to I-84, there is an RV friendly rest stop just over the state line in CT that is huge and has a dump station; probably one of the few free dump stations left in the northeast.

If you are the type of traveler who likes scenery and are not on a tight schedule while en route, and don't mind winding two lane roads, I have also travelled Route 22 from I-84 near the NY/CT border up north to Pawling and Wingdale, crossed over to Route 7 in the CT Berkshire mountains and up to the Massachusetts Turnpike. Very rural, scenic country like Norman Rockwell kind of towns, but could be slow going and not for people who prefer wide open 4-lane interstate driving. Lots of state campgrounds along this route for an over-night.

 

[BradyBz12]

When we go from NH to FL this is the route we take to avoid NYC...

495 to 290 (through Worcester - not bad unless it's Mon-Fri rush hour)
290 to Mass Pike west
get off at 84
84 to 87
to Garden State Parkway
through a chunk of NJ and past NYC (gotta love those high speed EZ Pass lanes!) and then hop on 95

It's a bit longer distance-wise but avoids NYC (which isn't fun pulling a TT)

Good luck and safe travels!

 

[LarryJ]

I just know someone here has the answer

Can you please help us map out a route from the Washington DC area to Maine?

Mapquest keeps wanting to send us straight thru NYC! Uhhhh, we did that last year, enroute to Canada ... didn't KNOW we were going to do it, but we did. Yep. The GW bridge was sooo not fun, pulling our TT through in the middle of rush hour!

Mapquest also sent us on a CT parkway ... with those overpasses that have very short height restrictions -- we were afraid we'd come out the other end with the a/c ripped off our roof, so had to take our 1/2 of the road out of the middle, where there was more clearance space! (you know, those beautiful, old, arched bridges aren't very tall! luckily, the road was empty, but yikes!)

Thanks so much for any route mapping assistance!!

Where in the D.C. area are you starting out from. I live in the far western part of Fairfax Cty basically at the junction of I-66 and Rt. 28 and if going south I go down US 17 south where it hits US 29 to Fredricksburg and if going north take US15 north all the way to Harrisburg PA and pick up 81 to 84 into NY/Ct. This avoids the D.C./Baltimore/NJ/NYC nightmare.

Larry

 

[ntsammy5]

I've been trying to avoid NYC most of my adult life, but somehow I end up there a lot.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

pick up 81 to 84 into NY/Ct. This avoids the D.C./Baltimore/NJ/NYC nightmare.

Thank you, everyone - for all your advice! We SO appreciate it!!

We are not far from Winchester, so will probably try this route.

Thanks again!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I was going to suggest the route Larry mentioned. Just be careful on 81 - I believe it is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the US by professional drivers. Drivers are aggressive, fast and furious. I nearly lost a soldier in a spectacular accident caused by two vehicles racing aggressively and cutting off her Hummer. Her life was ruined - she was a flight attendant for a major airline, but has been confined to Walter Wonderful for the last 3 years. I have never quite gotten over the guilt of this accident.

 

[tlh0726]

Just be careful on 81 - I believe it is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the US by professional drivers. Drivers are aggressive, fast and furious.

Very true statement.


When going from the Gettysburg PA area to Foxboro MA we cross the Tappen Zee Bridge instead of going through NYC. Doesn't matter what time of day you go through CT, traffic always seems to be bad.

US-15 N
Merge onto PA-581 E/HARRISBURG EXPY toward I-83/HARRISBURG/HERSHEY
Merge onto I-81 N via EXIT 51B toward I-78/HAZLETON/ALLENTOWN
Merge onto I-78 E via EXIT 89 toward ALLENTOWN
Merge onto I-287 N via EXIT 29 toward I-80/MORRISTOWN/US-202 N/US-206 N
Merge onto I-287 E/I-87 S/NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY S toward TAPPAN ZEE BR/NEW YORK CITY
Keep LEFT to take I-287 E/CROSS WESTCHESTER EXPY via EXIT 8 toward WHITE PLAINS/RYE
Merge onto I-95 N
Keep LEFT to take I-295 N via EXIT 11 toward WOONSOCKET
Merge onto I-95 N via EXIT 2B toward BOSTON.

 

[MapQuest]

I wanted to let you know that if you're having a hard time getting a route around a specific area, you can click on the route and drag it around the area you wish to avoid.

If you would like some additional information, please check out our blog:
http://blog.mapquest.com/2008/11/06/drag-your-way-to-customized-directions/

Happy & Safe Travels,
-Your Friends at MapQuest

 

[2goofycampers]

I wanted to let you know that if you're having a hard time getting a route around a specific area, you can click on the route and drag it around the area you wish to avoid.

If you would like some additional information, please check out our blog:
http://blog.mapquest.com/2008/11/06/drag-your-way-to-customized-directions/

Happy & Safe Travels,
-Your Friends at MapQuest

Very cool !! Thanks for the info.

 

[LarryJ]

I wanted to let you know that if you're having a hard time getting a route around a specific area, you can click on the route and drag it around the area you wish to avoid.

If you would like some additional information, please check out our blog:
http://blog.mapquest.com/2008/11/06/drag-your-way-to-customized-directions/

Happy & Safe Travels,
-Your Friends at MapQuest

To be honest I've been using RM routing mainly, but will check out this MAPQUEST feature and if it works as described RM will be history since all the routing programs never take me where I think or know how I want to go basically.

Great Post

I really like MAPQUESTS aerial views and use that often to get a better lay of the land at times.

Larry