Fall Drive
 

Friends and I are planning a driving trip up the east coast to Maine starting in Washington DC. Are there any suggestions as to which routes to take and what might be some interesting places to visit? We have just over a week and plan to spend a day and night in DC. We've never driven I 95 before, is it more problematic than any other Interstate? Any tips from fellow travelers who have taken a similar excursion would be appreciated.

Well, I95 is more congested than I70 through Kansas...

What happens when you get to Maine? any time there? That's lots of driving for 1 week. Could you explain what you envision doing/seeing?

~Liz

I've a feeling they're not in Kansas any more.

If your objective is to see the countryside, especially fall foliage, then I95 is not the preferred route. For much of the way, especially from CT south it's along a heavily built up/commercial/industrial corridor.

A better route would be to head west through NH/VT, or to Western MA, then south perhaps through eastern PA.

So I echo elberko's request - elaborate on what you envision doing/seeing, and we can give some suggestions on route & stop over points.

Is this a one-way rip. Even if so a week is short time.

If it's rount trip you need to plan very carefully.

I-95 is a horror, especialy near the major cities. (In much of Jersey it's 8 to 10 lanes - at rush hour packed bumper to bumper. And rush hour can last a long time.

In CT it's basically a truck route - and to be avoided at all costs.

From DC north there are a bunch of road designated "parkways" that are cars only - no trucks, buses, campers, etc. They were originally built in the 1920s for families going out for a drive after Sunday lunch. As a result they are usually very pretty - landscaped, often running next to lovely streams. But, even after upgrading they are very narrow and curvy, shoulders may be narrow or nonexistant and entrances and exits are VERY short. You need a vehicle with good pick up and to use it - to merge from almost a standing start into 60 mph traffic in a short space. I love driving these roads, it;s a lot of fun if you like to drive and have a vehicle that handles well (they're not kind to SUVs) - and way prettier than I-95. But - not for the faint of heart.

I-270 north from the Beltway to Frederick MD. US Rt. 15 north to the Harrisburg PA area. I-81 north at least as far as Binghamton NY. Decide if you want to go through the Catskills or up into the Adirondacks and then east through Vermont or Massachusetts. Avoid I-95 if you want to see great scenery.

First, let me thank all who gave me invaluable tips. We may have to modify plans so we can do fall foliage viewing and picture taking (our primary reason for the drive) as well as do some sight seeing along the way. We had plan to fly into DC and then rent a car and drive eastward. I have done a little research on Highway 1 and there are some interesting spots along there and from what I have read we would probably see some wonderful fall colors as well as interesting tourist attractions.After doing some more research on I-95, I see why we need to avoid it especially at rush hour. Thanks again to all.

The option to go up thru PA, over thru NY and then VT is a much nicer drive. Bennington VT and over the mountain is scenic. Otherwise, if you travel 95 for speed, once you get to CT you can head for Hartford and then up I91 to Brattleboro VT thru western MA is a decent drive thru western MA which is far more rural. Get off to go to Keene NH. From Keene, head to Concord NH. It will be state highways, mostly 55 mph. Connect with I89 to I93N to I393 east to Rt 4. Rt 4 is a rural route thru small towns the payoff is the approach to Portsmouth thru Durham to Dover Point and across the Great Bay bridges. You can then connect with I95 north but Portsmouth is a great coastal city where you can take a foliage cruise.
One of the major tourist attractions near Concord NH is Canterbury Shaker Village. Very beautiful any time of the year. Also, lots of good apple orchards in the area. One with a nice view convenient to I89 is Gould Hill Apple Orchard in Hopkinton NH.

U.S. 1, the original Maine to Florida highway, may have scenic spots in Maine, but in large stretches of the mid-Atlantic states it is quite congested with strip malls and other unscenic commercial buildings.

U.S.1 isn't great in Maine, either. Very few scenic stretches, mostly slow through towns, or miles and miles through trees.

~Liz

US 1 is pretty bad in Massachusetts too. Strip malls, traffic lights, and chain restaurants.

I'm not too sure about the part from DC to New York, but from New York, I'd consider taking the very pretty drive up the Taconic, and then into the Berkshires. You could then take the Mass Pike to 495 (a relatively boring, but fast drive) and then start the coastal part of your trip in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Or you could go up into Vermont, and work your way across northern New England to Maine...which is generally a pretty slow drive but definitely has some scenic parts.

In general, I find driving from place to place in New England to be decidedly un-scenic. You have to actually GO somewhere to see things. The coast of Maine is very much like this. There are lots of nice towns, and coastal scenery, but the drive between these places isn't really scenic. There's no shore highway like US-1 in California.