From Silver Spring, MD to Boston, MA

[dinesh75]

Hey guys, I need to drive from the DC area to Boston in the last week of May. I had earlier asked for a local route from DC to Syracuse and I got extremely helpful suggestions.

So I will ask the same question again. Are there nice scenic routes from DC to Boston (not the interstates) but also have easy accesses to the interstates? We will have around 1.5-2 days to do the drive, so we can take it easy. So suggestions please!

[AZBuck]

I'm really glad that you specified that you will have up to a couple of days for the drive, because there really is a significant difference in the time it takes for some of the many available routes between the Chesapeake area and Massachusetts Bay. As I've reported here before, I used to make that general run several times a year and I am an inveterate shunpiker. So, here's the route (again, one of many) that I'd recommend if you are fairly good at navigating yourself around some back (but all numbered) roads.

Start by heading west out of the DC area on VA-7 to Leesburg and pick up US-15 north there. Since you're starting from the Maryland side of the Potomac, you might want to look at I-270 to Frederick. Continue north, with a possible visit to Gettysburg, to York Springs PA and there take PA-94 and PA-34 north to Carlisle. This sets you up for your transit of Harrisburg on I-81. Stay on the Interstate to Exit 104 and use PA-125 as a cut-off to US-209 at Tremont. Stick with US-209 all the way up and through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Next, another little 'detour' onto an Interstate, I-84 to cross the Hudson at Newburgh, but then hop on the Taconic State Parkway and take that up to US-44 at Millbrook and follow that east to Amenia and NY-22 north. Hang a right onto NY-23 which will become MA-23 and take you all the way to US-20 around Westfield. You'll probably want to use the Mass Pike for just a bit to get through the Springfield area, but otherwise US-20 is good to get you all the way into 128 and the Boston area proper.

If that doesn't work for you, in whole or in part, there are always alternatives.

AZBuck

[glc]

Here are some possibilities, you can pick and choose.

Head up I-270 to Frederick and take US-15 to Harrisburg. Take US-422 to Reading, then US-222 to the Allentown area (option - just take I-81/I-78). Take PA-33 north to Stroudsburg, then US-209 north to I-84. Take that to the Taconic State Parkway, take that north to NY-23. Take NY/CT-23 to US-7. Then you can either take the Mass Pike to Boston or continue north and take MA-2 in.

[Lifemagician]

The route Buck outlined takes you through some of my favourite country. A small detour would take you through Ashland and Centralia. Stay on I-81 to exit 124 and head up through Gilberton, to Centralia. From there you could head back to 209 at Pottsville, or take the local roads through Mahaney City and Hometown to Nesquehoning where you pick up 209. Not much further on is the lovely hamlet of Jim Thorpe, definitely a place to take a walk.

Lifey