Would like to travel through the Berkshires on our return trip from Maine to South Carolina, but realize that our timing is bad. We will be in that area the weekend of June 30, July 1 and have an idea that traffic will be terrible. We have travelled this route a couple of times without any problems, but never on the beginning of a holiday weekend. Should we just forget it and stick to the interstates?

I don't think it will be that bad. What route were you going to take? Sure, there might be backups in the middle of Lenox, or Stockbridge, but there's no huge bottlenecks, like Cape Cod, for example.

We would cross southern New Hampshire and Vermont through Brattleboro and Bennington, then US 7 to I-84 and west to I-81. We have taken several long road trips since we retired and have always gone a circular route rather than simply turning around and going home the same way we went. No matter how many miles we travel, we count every day as "vacation" time and look for new adventure until the last day home! We won't even consider I-95 through the big East Coast cities, so our options this time are limited.

Thanks for your help.

well, here's an idea, I don't have a map in front of me, so you'll have to verify the route numbers. But go ahead into the Berkshires, take route 7 down to Gt Barrington, and then take 41/23 into NY State. You want to pick up the Taconic Parkway in New York and head south on it. You'll end up catching i84 a bit furthur west. I think the Taconic is faster than route 7, but its also really pretty. And I don't think the traffic on it is too bad.

I think the worst you will run into is a slow down in the small towns like Lenox, and downtown Stockbridge. There are probably minor detours you could do to avoid the really bad intersections (like that rotary in the middle of Lenox).

all that said, I still don't think the traffic willbe unbearable. My mom lives in the Berkshires, we are out there all the time. I'd rather be stuck for 20 minutes in Stockbridge, than 2 hours at the toll both on the interstate!

China_cat has a good idea and if you check a map you will find other roads that will take you through the bucolic farmlands around the center of Lenox. Most of the traffic will be heading out of NY and into the Berkshires....and even at that, the traffic is not bad. It is a lovely ride and well worth the slow going near Stockbridge.

Thanks for the good suggestions. Obviously both china_cat and yellowbyrd have a good idea of the way we like to travel. When the scenery is great, the time spent on the road is just as enjoyable as the destination!