A little help on directions

Hobe · January 19, 2009, 08:46:20 AM

I will be leaving on the 17 of Aprial , Going to the Pocanos in Pa. Then on to Main. I need a way to get from the Pocanos to Main with out going through the big cites of New York and Boston. And out of the high traffic areas. I looked at mapes and don't see a easy way. Fred

Runcutter · January 19, 2009, 09:18:19 AM

Hobe, not sure just where you're starting from in Pennsylvania, so I'll give you a couple of options.

Head for 84 east, cross the Hudson River at Beacon, NY, and go up through Hartford CT. Hartford can be a little unpleasant, the highway has a lot of curves, but it beats most anything else. Stay on 84 to the Mass Pike.

Your other option is 88 from the Binghampton, NY area. One of my favorite diners is on 88 a little west of Albany, the Duanesburg Diner. East through Albany to the New York Thruway, then the Mass Pike. If you're adventurous and it isn't winter, you could take New York 7 and 2 from the Albany airport area, then Route 2 across northern Massachusetts. The only problem area could be climbing east of North Adams, a climbing hairpin turn to the right. Route 2 goes directly to 495, see below.

From either 84 or 88 to the Mass Pike:

Take the Mass Pike to I-290 just before Worcester. Take 290 north to 495. 495 dumps on to I-95 in Amesbury, and you're on your way to Maine. Tolls on the Pike; on 95 in Seabrook, NH, and again in Maine - 95 is the Maine Turnpike. If you're continuing to Augusta or beyond, take 295 at Portland, and go through Freeport/Yarmouth. No tolls, and the factory outlets (including the DeLorme map/gps factory store) in Freeport make this a better route than staying on 95, the Maine Turnpike north of Portland.

Good luck

Arthur

Ednj · January 19, 2009, 12:37:28 PM

Fred,
Just what Runcutter said, definetly rt 84 from 81/380 in the Pocono's.
84-90-290-495.

OneLapper · January 19, 2009, 12:56:08 PM

I live in CT! When you're in Connecticut you can take 84 East to 691 to 91 North and bypass *most* of the heavy Hartford traffic. You'll only need to do this if you're near Hartford during commuting hours. 84 East from NY near Danbury, CT on a Sunday evening is a mess, too.

Take the Mass Pike (90 East) to 495 North to 93 North. Don't forget to "beep" going through Worcester, MA. I live 20 minutes south on 395.

gus · January 19, 2009, 01:28:05 PM

I just made a trip from DE as far north as NH in June and can only say it was a nightmare around NYC. The farther west you can get the better. I don't remember exactly what routes I took it was so confusing.

I tried to avoid the big cities as well as the toll roads but at this time of year I definitely would swallow the tolls to stay off a bunch of traffic heavy secondary roads I took then. It is pretty hard to tell when you leave one city for the next in the east. I spent many years of my life living there and still can't get used to all the frantic traffic.

I tried to avoid the NJTP as much as possible but it wasn't worth the trouble because of all the traffic. Next time I'll just pay the tolls although some of them are outrageous.

Try not to cross the Hudson River any further south than on I84, as already recommended, and stay as far away from the coast as possible.

Around CT and NY you will also be faced with some "Parkways" for autos only so check those out before you leave. Most road atlases will note these. Also some tunnels won't let you through if you have large LP tanks.

NJT5047 · January 19, 2009, 07:03:24 PM

When we annually traveled throught NYC and north, I finally figured out to drive through that area late at night. A couple day trips through the NYC area cured me from dinking around there during the day...another issue was tunnels. They've got these huge signs that say "NO LP"....to avoid the &%^* tunnels you had to drive down thru the city...NOT. I drove through the tunnels. Figured that if anything happened I'd sit in prison for the rest of my life. Also figured that I'd act like a stupid redneck (which I am) and claim only 'Propane'...or whatever wasn't on the sign.
Travelling at night worked out great. Minimal traffic, all well lighted roads and easy to follow.
NYC is a different world.
Good luck, JR

chargePlus · January 19, 2009, 09:38:34 PM

Having lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and now in North Carolina, and having visited many places in Maine, I concur with RunCutter. I avoid I-93 in Massachusetts if I can, especially when getting to it from I-90 (Mass Pike) to route 128 North...

I like the trip north on I-81 in the summer because it's a nice drive with scenic views along the way.

If you opt for the I-88 North to I-90 East route, beware of the "Six Mile Hill" on the Mass Pike. I've forgotten the % grade, but there are a couple of run-away turn-outs on the way down, and if you miss them, the Connecticut River is waiting for you at the bottom. Probably nothing like the Grapevine, but in the neck of the woods I used to call home, it was "special."

Cheers,

- John

buswarrior · January 19, 2009, 11:24:35 PM

Nothing I like better than Manhattan in a bus...

Law of the jungle, might is right, stare 'em down, don't blink.

An MCI 102E3 Renaissance is a fine conveyance in the Big Apple, me thinks. Some day, the MC8 will have to get there...I figure quite an advantage, yes, a little less power, but 6 inches narrower! And with a turbo 8V71.... they won't know what hit 'em!

Had a guy in a school bus race me in the Lincoln tunnel, and I LOST!!! Darn, I wonder what was under that thing's hood?! As long as you can hold a line, it is some serious fun joining in with the mayhem. You also have to be able to fit your bus through with an inch or two on either side. Over and over....

Definitely not for the faint of heart or those who are unsure of their skills. They can sense your fear....

But a BLAST for those who feed off that kind of jazz!

Wearing my somber serious hat, I would second the motion for passing through at night. Lots less time and more efficient running. Nobody likes running in a traffic jam. If it works, I have found being outbound from NYC in the early AM (well beyond downtown before 7am) during the inbound commute is ok too.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

niles500 · January 20, 2009, 12:11:43 AM

Catch I-87 north to Burlington Vt then east on US 2 through the Green and White mountains - nice beautiful ride - HTH

Hobe · January 20, 2009, 05:56:46 AM

Thanks for all the help. I sure don't like bad trafic, And toll roads pullng a car kills your budget. Thanks for the great help. Fred North Florida Buss Conversion

Runcutter · January 20, 2009, 07:54:59 AM

Fred, you might double-check on some of the other advice here. Interstate 93 will take you to New Hampshire, not Maine - so it's not involved. I-91 north of Hartford, then the Mass Pike to 495 is the long way, and has more tolls. Cutting diagonally across Connecticut on 84, then a very short trip on the Pike to 290 to 495 is shorter, will save you a lot of fuel. A few hills (Tolland Hill), but not bad - you'll probably see much worse in Pennsylvania.

290 will take you through Worcester, the Pike really doesn't. However, the traffic on 290 there really isn't very bad. 290 also avoids the Pike exit to 495, which has a kind of tight turn that can surprise folks. In the end, you're saving time and money.

The question is whether you want a slow, leisurely trip - you could take 2 across Massachusetts (watch out for the Hairpin Turn), or 9 across and through Bennington VT. I never go that way, so I don't have an opinion about going all the way up to Burlington - but if it's a New England tour, that may be an option. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are also a treat, so you could drop down 301 to Portland - or head a little south and take the Kancamagus Highway between Lincoln and Conway, NH. Winding, climbing, 2-lane, but a beautiful drive. You can do the Kancamagus in 45 minutes, or 1 day if you stop at the scenic overlooks.

Probably, one of the real questions, is what part of Maine are you going to?

By the way, I not only grew up there, but I'm there several times a year - and these are the routes I use - and I'm a cheap son of a gun. Another way to think of tolls is the price you pay for saving fuel. You could easily save the tolls at Seabrook, NH on 95 (not 93), but that's taking Route 1 up through Salisbury MA, Seabrook and Hampton NH, trading traffic and congestion. If you're there mid-summer, Route 1 would be a lot slower, and you might burn more in fuel than you save on tolls.

If you're taking your time, you have more options. You could even use 1A up through Hampton and Rye NH, to Portsmouth - then 1 and 1A up through Maine, right along the coast. It'll be slower, but great views - you're along the ocean much of the way - but you're also going through the heart of towns (small towns, but crowded with tourists in the Summer). I would suggest, though, that before taking 1A, make sure you have power steering.

Bus Warrior's comment on Manhattan. When I was driving commuter runs in and out of Boston, the best time I ever made coming out in the evening rush hour was in a beat up old transit (we normally used 4905's or fishbowl suburbans). There wasn't a straight piece of sheet metal anywhere, it was a hoot to watch traffic get out of my way.

Arthur

OneLapper · January 20, 2009, 10:43:42 AM

Quote from: Runcutter on January 20, 2009, 07:54:59 AM

Bus Warrior's comment on Manhattan. When I was driving commuter runs in and out of Boston, the best time I ever made coming out in the evening rush hour was in a beat up old transit (we normally used 4905's or fishbowl suburbans). There wasn't a straight piece of sheet metal anywhere, it was a hoot to watch traffic get out of my way.

Arthur

Speaking of Gettin' Otta The Way, you should see the FungWa buses FLYING up 95 from NYC the north on 91 to 84. I commute from New Haven to the northeast corner of CT (80 miles) every day. The FungWa drivers will cut off a mile of backed up traffic getting over the Charter Oak Bridge leading to 84 East! EVERTIME! Never fail. Within inches of other cars. They're doing 85 mph if they're going 5!

gus · January 20, 2009, 03:09:39 PM

I agree with Arthur about I84, MTP and I290. I took that route in June.

However, I would hesitate to take Rt2 to I91 in winter because I took it in June. The two lane sections look short on the map but they are really narrow and through a bunch of tiny towns. I can't imagine driving them in snow. It is very scenic though.

I've had plenty of snow driving experience but not in the bus and don't want to start!

One more comment, why would anyone want to go to Maine in Jan except at gunpoint???

JackConrad · January 20, 2009, 03:13:53 PM

Quote from: gus on January 20, 2009, 03:09:39 PM
One more comment, why would anyone want to go to Maine in Jan except at gunpoint???

Fred said he was leaving Florida on April 17

gus · January 20, 2009, 04:12:19 PM

Right! Not the first time I've not paid close attention!!

However, April is far from warm in that part of the country. Spring starts in June there.

When I was there in early June it was near freezing in PA and got up to 98*F while we were in NE MA! However, that high temp was very unusual as it is usually still freezing there in April.