Scenic drive from New England? And best time of year to go?

[JMLBrats]

Hi all,

So we’ve done the drive from the New England area numerous times which I despise doing mostly due to all the traffic in the NY-NJ-DC area. I would like to somehow avoid all of that. I keep hearing about a scenic route through VA etc but we’ve never done it. I realize that it will be longer but I don’t care because the traffic makes me so miserable-it really ruins the trip for me. DH does not like flying and we’ve done the auto train many times but it’s gotten CRAZY expensive plus you still have to deal with all the NY-NJ and DC traffic so what’s the point!
Any advise is appreciated!

 

[Suger Mag]

we have done the drive a few times coming from Massachusetts and our preferred route is 91>84 >81>77>26>95>4

Not really much longer. We like it better, scenery and no tolls. CT>>NY>>DC is such a soul suck when the traffic is heavy. We usually stay the night in Orangeburg right after the 26

 

[Jimsig]

It's a great route to go to get around NYC and DC and as the PP said not really much longer. Granted you can catch traffic on either route but it's almost a guarantee you will get caught in traffic on 95 and that can make the trip even quicker by going the I-81 route.

Where are you leaving from in NE @JMLBrats? There are a few ways of catching I-81depending on where you are leaving from.

 

[reddog21]

we have done the drive a few times coming from Massachusetts and our preferred route is 91>84 >81>77>26>95>4

This is similar to what we have done in the past except I stay off 95 for as long long as possible. I usually don't get on 95 until I get near georgia somewhere. It adds a couple of hours to the trip but I would rather drive a few extra hours then be stuck in traffic for any length of time.

 

[OKW Lover]

Originally from Plymouth MA and moved to Orlando ~11 years ago. Back then when we were house hunting we drove down & back probably 10 times. Tried both routes and our preference was for the more inland route described by @Suger Mag above. Didn't find the extra mileage to be that bad and the route is very scenic. Just wouldn't attempt it in winter though because of the mountainous terrain.

 

[JMLBrats]

we have done the drive a few times coming from Massachusetts and our preferred route is 91>84 >81>77>26>95>4

Not really much longer. We like it better, scenery and no tolls. CT>>NY>>DC is such a soul suck when the traffic is heavy. We usually stay the night in Orangeburg right after the 26

Thank you!

 

[JMLBrats]

Originally from Plymouth MA and moved to Orlando ~11 years ago. Back then when we were house hunting we drove down & back probably 10 times. Tried both routes and our preference was for the more inland route described by @Suger Mag above. Didn't find the extra mileage to be that bad and the route is very scenic. Just wouldn't attempt it in winter though because of the mountainous terrain.

Awesome-I think we will try that. Definitely won’t do in winter-probably sometime this fall

 

[JMLBrats]

Like reddog21 said, I would rather drive a few extra hours than sit in heavy traffic. We are up by Portsmouth NH so it’s a haul for sure

 

[FastPasser.]

Drove down from southern NH a long time ago, once was enough and never did it again.

 

[Jimsig]

Like reddog21 said, I would rather drive a few extra hours than sit in heavy traffic. We are up by Portsmouth NH so it’s a haul for sure

From Portsmouth you have a few routes to get to I-81 from New England.

You of course would start going 95-495 to 84 and you can then follow what @Suger Mag said by going 84 >81>77>26>95>4.

You could also take 84 to 91 to CT 15 (Wilbur Cross/Merritt becomes the Hutchinson River Parkway in NY- no trucks) to 287 over the Cuomo/Tappan Zee bridge to 78. 78 turns into 81 a bit east of Harrisburg. You then follow 81>77>26>95>4.

Taking the 287 route can save you 45min between Portsmouth and Harrisburg PA over the 84 to 81 route if there is no traffic on either route. Another options is to stay on 84 through Hartford and CT and then take 684 to 287.

EDIT: changed it to 287

 

[MikeF;NJ]

From Portsmouth you have a few routes to get to I-81 from New England.

You of course would start going 95-495 to 84 and you can then follow what @Suger Mag said by going 84 >81>77>26>95>4.

You could also take 84 to 91 to CT 15 (Wilbur Cross/Merritt becomes the Hutchinson River Parkway in NY- no trucks) to 278 over the Cuomo/Tappan Zee bridge to 78. 78 turns into 81 a bit east of Harrisburg. You then follow 81>77>26>95>4.

Taking the 278 route can save you 45min between Portsmouth and Harrisburg PA over the 84 to 81 route if there is no traffic on either route. Another options is to stay on 84 through Hartford and CT and then take 684 to 287.

Small note -- That is I-287, not 278. 278 is the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which runs to the Staten Island Expressway, over the Goethals bridge into NJ at Elizabeth/Linden. Not sure of its northern end, but it doesn't go up to the Tappan Zee.

 

[JMLBrats]

From Portsmouth you have a few routes to get to I-81 from New England.

You of course would start going 95-495 to 84 and you can then follow what @Suger Mag said by going 84 >81>77>26>95>4.

You could also take 84 to 91 to CT 15 (Wilbur Cross/Merritt becomes the Hutchinson River Parkway in NY- no trucks) to 278 over the Cuomo/Tappan Zee bridge to 78. 78 turns into 81 a bit east of Harrisburg. You then follow 81>77>26>95>4.

Taking the 278 route can save you 45min between Portsmouth and Harrisburg PA over the 84 to 81 route if there is no traffic on either route. Another options is to stay on 84 through Hartford and CT and then take 684 to 287.

Yes thanks-we always do the tappen zee when we head that way because I will always avoid the GWB.

I’ll have to look at a map to see all of this but it definitely sounds good-better than the usual route anyway!

 

[Jimsig]

Small note -- That is I-287, not 278. 278 is the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which runs to the Staten Island Expressway, over the Goethals bridge into NJ at Elizabeth/Linden. Not sure of its northern end, but it doesn't go up to the Tappan Zee.

Yes thanks-we always do the tappen zee when we head that way because I will always avoid the GWB.

I’ll have to look at a map to see all of this but it definitely sounds good-better than the usual route anyway!

Thanks for picking that up @MikeF;NJ I changed it in my original post to be safe. Crazy part was I got it right in the last paragraph originally

 

[Mikey15]

I keep hearing about a scenic route through VA etc but we’ve never done it.

Re: this, one way my wife and I had wanted to go several times but the timing never worked out is going down through the Delmarva peninsula and crossing the bridge&tunnel to Virginia Beach. It looks like a pretty way to go, and it may even add less time for you from New England than it does for me from Canada.

The ~other~ pretty route through Virginia would technically be adding a detour on top of a detour, but the famous Skyline Drive in the mountains runs somewhat parallel to the I-81 route that people are talking about. I do think it’s worth seeing at least once, maybe slowing down a trip and checking out some of that area’s natural caves.

If you stick to 81-77-26-95, you do get some mountain views in NC that are breathtaking, even if not the full experience of the region,

 

[Jimsig]

Re: this, one way my wife and I had wanted to go several times but the timing never worked out is going down through the Delmarva peninsula and crossing the bridge&tunnel to Virginia Beach. It looks like a pretty way to go, and it may even add less time for you from New England than it does for me from Canada.

Few years back we did a trip to Myrtle Beach with another family from Boston. On the way back home they left at 9a and went back out to 95. We left at 930a and were meeting a friend for lunch in New Bern so we took US 17. It ended up being a 3 hour lunch as we had not seen her in ages. After lunch we decided to head back via the Chesapeake BBT and the Delmarva Peninsula so we stayed on 17. In the end we only got back home an hour after our friends as they hit so much traffic through DC and on 95. If our lunch had been quicker we would have beaten them home.

 

[JMLBrats]

Re: this, one way my wife and I had wanted to go several times but the timing never worked out is going down through the Delmarva peninsula and crossing the bridge&tunnel to Virginia Beach. It looks like a pretty way to go, and it may even add less time for you from New England than it does for me from Canada.

The ~other~ pretty route through Virginia would technically be adding a detour on top of a detour, but the famous Skyline Drive in the mountains runs somewhat parallel to the I-81 route that people are talking about. I do think it’s worth seeing at least once, maybe slowing down a trip and checking out some of that area’s natural caves.

If you stick to 81-77-26-95, you do get some mountain views in NC that are breathtaking, even if not the full experience of the region,

That sounds amazing but unfortunately I can’t get enough time off of work for that! Definitely will keep it in mind for the future though

 

[JMLBrats]

When do you all think is the best time of year to drive down? It seems like we always end up going in the summer due to the kids schedules etc but this time it will just be the two of us so we have more options

 

[OKW Lover]

One of our drives along the scenic route was in the fall when the leaves changed. Spectacular views driving through the mountains.

 

[JMLBrats]

Thank you-I was wondering that. It’s just so hard to leave New England during that time since it’s so spectacular up here in the fall! Lol

 

[OKW Lover]

Thank you-I was wondering that. It’s just so hard to leave New England during that time since it’s so spectacular up here in the fall! Lol

I understand. I lived in Plymouth MA for ~65 years!