Route 1 - East Coast

[thestand]

This summer my wife and I are driving from Boston to Miami and would like some advice on this particular portion. We'll be leaving Boston early (about 8.30) and would like to get into New York maybe 4/5ish. Ideally we'd keep off the Interstate and see some scenery as we pass through Massachusetts, RI and Connecticut.

Does anyone have any suggestions for road-side stops or sights that we should check out? Or even a suggested route would be great!

Many thanks in advance, it's great to be part of this forum,
Steve Bellamy

[AZBuck]

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a good low-stress route from Boston to New York that included Rhode Island. It's possible, but would require some serious on-the-fly navigation to avoid all the Interstates and population centers. From the sound of your request, I think a drive out the Mohawk Trail to the Berkshires and then basically down US-7 to Danbury is more what you're looking for, and at just over 300 miles can still be made in a day

AZBuck

[sunnymonkey]

I do the Boston/NY drive often, but usually trying to do it as fast as possible. If you want to stop for some sights, Old Sturbridge Village is just off of 84 or 90. But if you live in Boston, chances are you've been. Of note, the southwestern part of Rt-15 in CT called Merritt Parkway is designated as a "Scenic Route", but it's really just trees. It can be really nice with fall foliage, but the rest of the year, it's just trees. It's also very curvy and hilly, but you'll find people familiar with the road will drive 80mph when the speed limit is 55mph (45 in some parts). If you find yourself near Norwalk, CT (I think there's one in Danbury and Yonkers, NY too) and hungry, I suggest stopping by Stew Leonard's. Toted as the world's largest diary store, it's so much more than that. Baked goods are VERY good.

BTW, you may want to aim to reach NYC on the early side to avoid traffic. There is, surprisingly, traffic going into the city.

[Mass Tim]

The Merritt Parkway is one of my favorite drives - yes, there are a lot of trees, but also a lot of architecturally significant bridges, including the (finally reconstructed) bridge near Sikorsky. It is a road that will keep you on your toes more than the Interstate, that's for sure.

Old Sturbridge Village is a good stop if your into history, but I would second Buck's advice to head along the Mohawk Trail to be able to really take in the scenery.

[thestand]

I think a drive out the Mohawk Trail to the Berkshires and then basically down US-7 to Danbury is more what you're looking for

I appreciate what you're saying but this is actually just the first days run of a much larger trip from Boston to Miami via the Appalachian Trail so I can't really deviate.

BTW, you may want to aim to reach NYC on the early side to avoid traffic. There is, surprisingly, traffic going into the city.

Good tip, thanks! I'm from the UK and not sure what time the rush hour begins towards the end of the day in NY. What would be a good time to have arrived by?

Old Sturbridge Village is a good stop if your into history

Thanks for that - I've looked at the website and it looks really interesting.

I'm looking to be leaving Boston at about 8.30 but as yet am unsure what time to aim for NYC as I don't know the rush hour times. My original plan was to leave Boston heading south until I hit the coast and then follow the coast to NYC. Is this a bit naive for a days driving or is it achievable?

[Mass Tim]

I'm looking to be leaving Boston at about 8.30 but as yet am unsure what time to aim for NYC as I don't know the rush hour times. My original plan was to leave Boston heading south until I hit the coast and then follow the coast to NYC. Is this a bit naive for a days driving or is it achievable?

The trip is about 4-5 hours. Heading out of Boston gives you an advantage as you will be going in the opposite direction of the commuters coming into the Boston. You would also arrive in New York at a time when most commuters would already be at work. That's not to say you're not going to run into traffic, but it should be significantly lighter. The US "rush hour" runs from 6-10am and 3-7pm in many cities.

I appreciate what you're saying but this is actually just the first days run of a much larger trip from Boston to Miami via the Appalachian Trail so I can't really deviate.

An interesting thing - if you did have time to head out in the direction that Buck advised, you would cross the Appalachian Trail twice (in Massachusetts) and parallel it for most of the state. The AT doesn't go anywhere near Boston.

[thestand]

The AT doesn't go anywhere near Boston.

Thanks Tim,
My actual trip is Boston > NYC > Philadelphia > Washington > Shendoah > Atlanta > Savannah > Florida

All the accomodation has been booked in advance it's just a case of plotting the route now. As I said I was hoping to drive from Boston through RI and CT to New York. Do you think this is a viable route whilst avoiding interstates?

[thestand]

I'll be driving some portions of Route 1 (and 1A in Rhode Island) this summer and was hoping someone who has done this before may be able to advise me on points of interest, roadside attractions or towns/villages to stop at.

I'll (roughly) follow the route from Boston through RI and CONN to New York, then Philly and Washington.

Later on my trip I'll rejoin Route 1 at Savannah and drive through Florida.

I'm from the UK and have no idea what kind of road Route 1 is. My one and only US road trip was Route 66 last summer. If it's not a particularly scenic drive perhaps someone knows an alternative for a particular stretch. A few people on this forum have advised me to do the Merritt Parkway in CONN - are there similar parkways further on?

Many thanks,
Steve