What route is that through New York State? I can’t easily tell from the map, but it looks like you might be coming through, or at least near, the Finger Lakes.
I might be in Seattle when you are. Not exactly sure, as my schedule is not yet fixed. As I am traveling from central Europe it might be the farthest that two dopers traveled to meet.
The route is indicative (shortest distance) only. Diversions are anticipated.
The routing app has me on I90 passing just to the north.
#10 is Poplar Bluff, added as a diversion to cross into Missouri and cross another state line on way from Memphis to Jack Daniels.
Quite a number of interesting possible diversions not too far south of the Thruway. Are you interested in Haudenosaunee history and culture? Wineries and/or breweries? Blown glass? Farmers’ markets? Waterfalls? Hiking areas?
(I’ll be doing a market myself that time of year, about 40 minutes’ drive south of the thruway, Saturday mornings. Small market; interesting small town, if you’re interested in small towns.)
Please forgive me but I’d never heard of Haudenosaunee until your post.
A winery/brewery visit sounds good.
Am from a big farming family and so am not big on farmers markets.
Likely too broken down for too much hiking trails and I have Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite to go after this leg.
I don’t know that you need forgiveness. I’m sure that there are people in the world I haven’t heard of. – it’s possible that you might have heard of them as Iroquois.
This is what I was thinking of:
Most of the Finger Lakes have winery trails (routes around the lakes which have multiple wineries along them which do tastings and tours as well as sales) and breweries have recently become quite frequent.
Here’s some links:
Further evidence of the falling standards to be found within the institutions of the United States of America to wit, my ESTA Application.
# AUTHORIZATION APPROVED
Your travel authorization has been approved and you are authorized to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
It is an educational experience. Go for it
When I was 12, my family set out from Boston with a station wagon full of camping equipment. We visited relatives, old acquaintances, national parks, Disney, cable cars, Old Faithful, etc. Before graduating college, a buddy and I did it twice more using a VW Beetle and different routes each time. Each trip took about four weeks. By the time I graduated college, I’d been in 45 states.
When my son graduated college, he and two of his buddies did it before looking for employment.
I spent a year wandering around the country in my late 20’s. Very interesting, and very good for me.
– the ground beneath one’s feet is not the same color everywhere. I think I knew that theoretically before the trip, but I didn’t understand it until I was standing on red earth instead of brown.
Them ducks continue to line up nicely:
The Canadians took (slightly) longer in their vetting than the US. This could mean they were more thorough but I’d like to think it was just because they were more polite when requesting the pertinent details.
For what it’s worth, a LOT of farmers’ markets these days have many things other than produce. They often have crafts, wine, liquor (if the state allows that to be sold at such a place; not all do), and so on. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to one, but if you’re somewhere that has one, it can be fun to spend a half hour browsing.
It looks like you’re going into Pennsylvania for part of the trip - what part? (not clear from the map). Philadelphia has lots of history and interesting stuff to see, though to my mind it doesn’t require more than a day or two. Going a little west of there will take you to the Harrisburg / Hershey / Lancaster area, where you’ll see the Hershey Chocolate factory (no tours of the actual factory anymore, but there’s a free indoor ride / exhibit), and may even encounter some Amish people. One of the most amusing “cognitive dissonance” moments I’ve ever had was in Strasbourg, PA, watching a gentleman drive his buggy through a bank’s drive-through lane.
I’ll see you I-5 and raise you I-95.
We have driven from DC to Florida on 95 NUMEROUS times, and there is literally nothing scenic the entire route. It’s not much better north of here, either; I haven’t driven the entire length of it northward, but the majority of it, through southern Maine - and it’s cities all the way.
No hills though!
We took I-5 south from Salem, Oregon to Los Angeles about a year ago, and while I won’t deny it’s not the most scenic, there is some variety of terrain - quite a lot of mountains in southern OR and northern CA; the jaunt through California’s Central Valley is somewhat interesting, as it’s field after field after field of food production. The last hour, driving into the LA metro area, was a bit white-knuckle terrifying: 4+ lanes each way, STEEP hills on either side, etc.
Not that I’m arguing to use I5 for any significant part of the trip - almost any alternate will be prettier - but it isn’t quite as boring as you said (at least not to someone who’s driven I-95 as much as we have).
When we did our trip, decades ago, we did US101 most of the way down the coast to Berkeley, CA. Part of it, we went on California Route 1, which is lovely; having driven that both ways, northbound is somewhat less scary.
Approaching the DC area, be prepared for Very Bad Traffic. You’ll likely be on 95, unless you go a very out of the way inland route, and we have found that there is ALWAYS a major backup somewhere along the route. Either between Richmond, VA and Fredericksburg, VA, or Fredericksburg VA to the DC Beltway. And there’s no good alternate route there - there are rivers with limited bridge crossings and the only ways across are US1 and I-95.
@penultima_thule when you’re headed down the Oregon coast I’d love to meet up for lunch or dinner as I’m only an hour or so inland from the Bandon area.
Any updates? No clue what your planned timing is, but it seems like you must have hit the ground on this side of the planet by now!
Departure tomorrow morning AEST.
Arrival much the same time Pacific Standard
Certain degree of trepidation building.
If I can survive the first 36 hours, I should be fine.
May your travels go smoothly!
“May Fortune guide your Journey.” - Captain Max, Nebula 9
The most scenic thing is that canyon along the Susquehanna Delaware, as you cross on the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge.