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Past post was trying to reduce traffic issues driving Boston area-cnetral NJ/Newark, DE area and then leaving there in AM - seems no good way to avoid Balt/DC rush hour.
Several suggested a more western route - and although a bit longer I think this may in the end be faster with less traffic.
So now thinking go over Tappan Zee Bridge, then 287 - 78 - 81. Stopping in Harrisburg for the night and leaving in AM for Greensboro/Burlington, NC area. I need to be there by mid-afternoon and mapping programs say this is about 6-7 hours from Harrisburg.
I now remember the issue I had with this route before - that is the portion between Rte 81 and where I pick up Rte 29 into NC. That is the cowpath portion I remember - lots of strip malls and traffic lights that took forever - south of Staunton, VA. Do I remember this correctly and are there solutions?
Thanks to all of you reworking Bos-NC trip. After Harrisburg, then route?
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There are lots of srip malls and bad traffic on the fringes of Charlottesville. Avoid this by crossing the mountains below Staunton.
Cross from Lexington to Amherst and pick up US 29 there. There will be some congestion in Lynchburg and Danville, but I would estimate not more than 20 minutes each since 29 bypasses the city centers.
Pick up NC 87 in Reidsville, NC, and it will go right to your destination.
None of the congestion will be remotely as bad as Rte 16 north of Boston or 3A through Quincy or 27 south of Boston.
I could leave Winchester after breakfast and be in Chapel Hill for an early lunch at Allen and Sons BBQ, though I took 86 for that.
You could run into road work, school buses, accidents, or tobacco planting, all of which could slow you up, but nothing on this route is comparable to the NY-NJ-DE-MD-DC-VA. You have to go with the law of averages.
Just come on south on I77 from I81. Then take I74 to I40.
Gretchen - that route works if I was heading to Charlotte - but need to be far east of there - seems a bit out of the way. But route seems highway most of the way.
Ackislander - not sure I follow. I think I need to go to AAA to get a paper map since can't get a full enough picture with on-line maps. I know you have driven this route before.
gail, not sure if you plan to spend any time in Harrisburg, PA or not, but if you're so inclined, there's about a day's worth of things to see there.
The state capitol building is arguably the most impressive one in the US, and is definitely on my short list of best capitols I have seen from the 29 visited so far. There's also the State Museum of Pennsylvania, a very good state history museum, plus the National Civil War Museum, also very good and situated in a pleasant park.
You're also in Pennsylvania Dutch country, near Lancaster and Hershey, which also offers several good tourist options.
Thanks - might have time to catch some of that on my way back north - will be seeing close childhood friend who I have not seen in 30 years and my sister - and all sorts of drama and trauma there. So either way it will be good - if it works out, more time with them. If not, more time to sightsee.
I have stayed at a nice hotel at Grantville PA that is about a half mile from Penn National racetrack.
The US 15 route from Camp Hill to get to the west leg of the Washington beltway is shorter and probably faster than all the way down to I-77 and back east to Burlington.
I agree that the PA capitol building is among the most beautiful in the nation.
Yes, it is west, but at the NC line you begin heading back east pretty directly to Greesboro.
We drove from Charlotte to basically Newark in 11 hours. I was pretty amazed.