Cheap attractions

[Rachel17]

My friend and i are planning a road trip in June. We will be going from Missouri to Rhode Island, where my uncle lives. We have already started planning. I have two things i would like to know. In the states we are traveling through(illinois,indianna,ohio,Pennslyvania,New York, and Rhode Island) what are some good tourist sites to see. My second question is my parent are a little concerned avout the trip is there any facts that might reassure them or any sites that they could visit to help them. Thanks

[Mark Sedenquist]

My second question is my parent are a little concerned avout the trip is there any facts that might reassure them or any sites that they could visit to help them. Thanks

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum -- Two columns that you can print out or e-mail for your folks.... Teenage RoadTrip! and Six Tips for a Safe Roadtrip.

Mark

[AZBuck]

It looks like Mark has answered your second question, so let me take a stab at your first. I would say the highlights of your trip might include some of the following:

Cataract Falls south of Cloverdale, IN.
The museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Octagon Mounds just west of Newark, OH
Falling Water south of Donegal, PA
Old Bedford Village in the city of the same name (PA)
Hershey Park in PA
Caves in PA: Indian Echo Caverns and Crystal Cave
Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CN

On a separate note, I will point out that the direct route will take you right through the heart of New York City and that some can find this daunting, to say the least. If you would rather avoid this, there are ways around it, but what to do about getting through or by NYC is something that you should consider beforehand.

AZBuck

[Rachel17]

Me and a friend are going to Rhode Island we know niether of our cars could make the trip. because our cars are pieces of crap. Where is the best place to get a rental car. We need one that allows unlimited milage and is cheap. Please help us out.

[PNW Judy]

According to your other post, you are both minors. I do not believe you can even rent a car. Renting a car means that you sign a contract with the rental company and minors can not enter into contracts. Also, drivers under age 25 have to pay significant extra fees so it can get very expensive. If you put the same money you would pay to rent a car into getting one of your vehicles fixed enough to be road-ready, that might be a better option.

[Rachel17]

What about if my dad rented the car and we drove it? About how much is the extra fees for underage people?

[Midwest Michael]

Sorry to say, until you are 18, renting a car will be impossible. It doesn't matter if your dad or anyone else rents the car in their name, since you'd have to get authorization to drive it. I do not know of any car rental agency that will allow anyone under 18 to drive their cars. In fact, most will not even do business with a driver under 21. If you were to attempt to drive a rental car without permission, your insurance would become void and you'd most certainly be stuck paying cash for any and all damages in an accident.

You are going to have to look at other options to make your dream come true. If your dad would be willing to rent a car, perhaps you could borrow his personal car, and pay for the cost of a rental which he could use while you were on your trip?

[Rachel17]

My grandpa told me that going through New York would be a bad idea. He also said there is a way that goes around New York taking you thrpough the Bronx. He said it was less safe but that it was an easier drive. I would really like ideas of how best to get around new york. I know i am not a expirenced enough driver to handle that traffic

[AZBuck]

There are actually several ways to get past New York between the south/west and north/east. The most direct is just to stay on I-95 between the New Jersey Turnpike and the New England Thruway. However, this involves multiple toll roads and some of the narrowest lanes and shortest merges I know of, and is not for the faint of heart. Another way through New York that minimizes tolls is to cross the George Washington Bridge (tolls collected eastbound only), take the Admiral Deegan / New York State Thruway (I-87) north to the Cross County Parkway in Yonkers; take that eastbound to the Hutchinson River Parkway north from Mount Vernon and finally connect in the White Plains area to the Merritt Parkway, or via I-684 north to I-84 east; or via I-287 south to I-95 north. While that route saves on tolls, it is still a tight and heavily travelled set of roads, particularly the Hutchinson River Parkway, which is fairly narrow, twisty, and has short (to nonexistent) sight lines at some entrances. I would only use it in the wee hours of the morning when I used to travel regularly between Maine and Delaware.

Probably better suited to the driver who is a less experienced urban road warrior, is to go around New York City. New York does have a beltway of sorts in I-287 which follows the fringes of the metropolitan area on the west and north sides. There are connections with I-95, I-78 and I-80 from the south and west; NY-17, I-87 and the Taconic State Parkway to the north; and I-684, the Merritt Parkway and I-95 to the east. I-287 can be quite heavily travelled at times, but it is typically multi-laned (3+), does avoid the City, and only requires that you find two interchanges.

Finally, there is my favorite way around New York City. Although it is a fair bit longer and does require some navigational skills, it is quite scenic and relaxing. You would start out (from the southwest) by taking I-287 north. At Suffern, NY exit onto NY-17 north to the town of Sloatsburg. Keep a careful look out for a right turn onto Seven Lakes Drive to and through Harriman State Park. Cross the Hudson on the Bear Mountain Bridge and continue on US-202 north towards Peekskill until you come to the Bear Mountain State Parkway which will take you around Peekskill and reconnect you with US-202. You would then follow US-202 to Somers, NY and finally use NY-116 and NY-22 to join up with I-684 which will take you north to hook up with I-84 eastbound into New England.

AZBuck

[Midwest Michael]

Buck has got some great routes for bypassing the heart of NYC, however, I'd approach it slightly differently, I'd avoid the NY metro area all together.

Once you get to eastern PA, take I-81 north to Scranton. From there you can take I-84 all the way to Connecticut. It would add a few more miles, but you would avoid the NYC area altogether.

I do have to also agree with Buck about his favorite route being very scenic. I haven't driven the whole thing, but I've used the Bear Mt. Bridge to get to Peakskill, and that is some very pretty country to drive through.