Niagara Falls to NYC

[Almeida]

Hi all!

I am looking on some good tips for a route to drive and have some nice spots to stop for a roadtrip going from Niagara Falls to NYC.

Sadly we will only have one day for this little trip so I'm hoping you guys can provide some good tips. Was told on a different forum that the state of New York doesn't have that great options but hoping you guys can prove them wrong!

Cheers in advance,

Michael

[DonnaR57]

Welcome aboard RTA!

Realize first that this is either 409 or 447 miles by interstate one way, so there isn't a lot of playtime as far as "nice stops". We intend to travel in this area sometime in July, so I've done a bit of research on it already.

If you were to take I-90 (toll road) to Albany, and then shoot south on I-87, you'd have several places where you could stop and learn about/see the Erie Canal. Cooperstown, location of the National baseball museum, is about 35 or 40 miles south of the highway at Herkimer. I-87 takes you down to I-80. This route is about 450 miles.

Another route would take you I-90 to Rochester, where you catch I-390 down to I-86. At Corning, you could take a stretch break at Corning Museum of Glass. Take I-86 to I-81 south, to I-80. This route is about 470 miles.

The route recommended by my mapping software at 409 miles was I-90 to Syracuse, where you catch I-81 all the way down to I-80.

So there are 3 different options. If you wanted to take smaller highways, US-20 goes across the state. It will be a lot slower going. Only short stretches are double lane. It will take you from Buffalo to Albany where US-9 heads south. So that's a 4th option.


Donna

[Charlie H]

Donna's right - you're not going to have to much time for site-seeing even though New York state is full of good places to visit. If you're not familiar with the Hudson Valley, I believe I would take I-90 to I-87 and cross the river at Catskill and pick up New York 9 to Hyde Park. Hyde Park is a neat place with a Vanderbilt Mansion and the Roosevelt home and library. If you're familiar with the film Ironweed with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, you might want to take a drive through Hudson where it was filmed. Hudson is just north of Highway 23 after you cross the river at Catskill. You could then cross back over the river on I-84 near Fishkill and then pick up US 9W to West Point. However the last time I was there shortly after 9/11/01, they were not letting anyone in to the Academy. I don't know if that is still the case. Perhaps someone else knows.

Have A Great Ride!!