I'm going to be riding in your area

[Jared]

July 25th-Aug 10th I'll be riding from Utah to the northeastern united states. My route is still to be determined and I'm hoping to get some good input.

I'll have 4-5 days to ride the New England states, and because I most likely wont be in that area of the US for years to come, I'd like to ride all the states (or as many as possible).

I have to start and end in Pittsburgh, where my wife and daughter are visiting family and the only reason I've gotten approval to make this trip.

Riding near the cost from DC up to Portland, ME seems to be the shortest route through the states.

Here's a general route, but please give me suggestions. I've never been north of Virginia, so this is new territory for me.

[fish]

looks like your taken slabs rt.95 up to maine and then NY. turnpike (90). In NY try rt.20 instead. It will take you all the way across the state but you won't make good time, but its free. Maybe Tim has some input.

This isn't Utah your going to have traffic

[Jared]

Originally Posted by fish

looks like your taken slabs rt.95 up to maine and then NY. turnpike (90). In NY try rt.20 instead. It will take you all the way across the state but you won't make good time, but its free. Maybe Tim has some input.

This isn't Utah your going to have traffic

I am by no mean set on this route, I just put in general directions that I wanted to go and that's it. I'm really hoping to get better route input than what google provides.

I'd also prefer not to spend a lot of $ on tolls, but that is what it is.

[Top Cat]

Jared, route 20 is by all means more scenic than route 90.
90 is the thruway and a toll road. 20 will be slower also.
If it were me i would go through the Adirondack Mountains and probably hit route 81 south to get back on track. 81 is also a super slab but free. It runs north and south.
Do you just want to say you have ridden in these states or do you want to see the scenery.

[fish]

OR outside of Albany get on 88 southwest to Binghamton the 17 west to 220 south then west on 6 across the norther part of pa. then 79 south to Pittsburgh. Like Tim said rt.28 across the adirondacks.

[jestephens]

What's your route from Utah to Pittsburgh; I-80 or I-70? If it's the latter, I'll give you the "biker wave" as you pass through St Louis. . . . Even though you're probably trailering, with the family and all.

[kawgirl]

Tim and Fish are right about the Adirondacks. Gorgeous and fun riding!

[Jared]

Originally Posted by jestephens

What's your route from Utah to Pittsburgh; I-80 or I-70? If it's the latter, I'll give you the "biker wave" as you pass through St Louis. . . . Even though you're probably trailering, with the family and all.

I will be taking a northern route, through the Dakotas on the way out. Probably going to take 80 back. I'll be meeting my wife/kid out there.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Do you just want to say you have ridden in these states or do you want to see the scenery.

I'd like to do both, but within my time frame. One could ride scenic routes in that areas for months and still not seeing it all.

[Bud2rat]

Sounds like fun. Ride Safe and be careful.

[Loafer]

Depending how you enter and exit New England will make a difference as to what some of the best riding roads are. Maine to New Hampshire to Vermont to the Adirondaks of New York would find you some great roads to cruise on and see the greenery of these states.

Points of interest might be:

Mystic Pizza in Mystic, Conn.
Narragansett Beach, R.I.
Vanson Leathers in Fall River, Mass. this is a poorer section of town be careful.
Plimoth Plantation and Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Mass.
USS Constitution in Boston Harbor
Gloucester, Mass. Fisherman's Memorial cool town.
Rte.1 and 1A north sunrise is great while riding get up early and enjoy.
Hampton Beach in Hampton, N.H.
North on rte.1 and 1A to Portland, Me.
Ogunquit Beach and the Marginal Way walk in Ogunquit. Awesome do the walk!
Jake's snack bar rte.1 Wells !!!
Maine Diner rte.1 as you are leaving Wells heading north.
Kennebunkport, Bush's compound and cool town, eat at the Clam Shack at the bridge!!
Old Orchard Beach, lots of bikers, (some are friendly) lots of food vendors Amusement park.
Portland Waterfront area (Old Portland) bars and restaurants can be fun.
Photo-op The most photographed Light House is the Portland Head Light.
Rte. 302 east to rte.16 south.
Tamworth, N.H. macmac (Bill) lives there. Worth the visit.
Rte.16 north to rte. 112 west, great riding to rte. 302 west.
I am at the end of rte. 302.
Montpelier Capital building very picturesque downtown Montpelier
Ben & Jerry's Tour the factory $$ in Waterbury Ctr.
Smugglers Notch rte.108. in Stowe, can take rte.15 to Bulington from there.
Rte. 2 west to rte.100B west to 100 south to rte.17 to N.Y.
Couple of ways to go from there Northwest to Lake Placid.
Rte. 3 is a lot of nothing from Watertown west, only one gas station last time I was over that way, don't get stranded!
Or south to Lake George rte. 9 is a great ride from Crown Point to Lake George.
Or from Bill's take rte.16 south to rte.25 west to rte.302 west.
Or rte.25 to rte.118 to rte.4 to rte.149 to 9 south or I-87 south.
I-87 runs somewhat parallel to rte. 9. if you wish to make up some time.
I-87 has a toll booth in Albany depending on which way you are headed.
I-81 from Watertown south is pretty boring. But a quick and no tolls road.
From rte. 302 to rte. 2 and or I-89 to Burlington, Vt. Catch a 30 minute ride on the ferry to Port Henry.
I-87 to Plattsburg, N.Y. rte.3 to Watertown. I-81 south.
Depends on how much time you have as to which way you may choose to go.
Anyway you can make changes as you go because these aren't vast areas to travel through.
I can give better route numbers if I know what peeks your interest.

[macmac]

That run we call BOSWASH is Hell. I-95 to you. No one I know driving a car even likes that road. It is a mess of busted pavement and a snarl of traffic with nasty people behind the wheel.

BOSWASH means Boston to DC and everything in the middle.

I will re-search the Interstate for you ASAP. I will do the run from Washington DC to Vt, NH, and Maine.

The route from Portland Maine west is the way you want to go back I take it. Lets move that north some too.

Nothing other than the coast of Maine, and the little NH has is scenic that far south.

I will be away in Springfield Mass on the 25th and 26th of July, but other than that you can count on a bed here in Tamworth if it pleases you.

I took this from Loafer's post above:

"Tamworth, N.H. macmac (Bill) lives there. Worth the visit.
Rte.16 north to rte. 112 west, great riding to rte. 302 west."

I live 14 miles south of Rt 112, we call it the Kanc. From there are a few other roads as scenic as it gets in NH. It will be Moose and Bear time on roads like Rt 112, so consider what's around the next bend before you git thar'.

Also I live apx 60 miles west of Portland Maine, but not the way you have marked on the map.

I understand you don't know the area and the map is debateable too.

GPS in NH atleast can be SCREWED UP. Most any directions will start from a town center and work out.

In some cases the roads a GPS will tell you to use are no longer there, I mean gone, or a dirt path, and where if there were bridges these too are gone.

If I say in NH to go this certain way, like whar the high school burned down in 1954, then go that way even if you never knew where the school was

My wife has family in the DC area and in the Rochester Ny Area, I call it the 500 mile triangle.

I will be following this thread hnow I know it will be something to read and help as I can.

If you want anything to do with me in person, just shoot me a pm for the cell number.

The list Loafer has would take me months to do and see all of so you will have to select, but be sure to select Rt 112.

That Rt will take you to the Vt line, and Vt is a small state like NH and can be crossed east to west on the 'right roads' with out much lost time and be as scenic as it gets.

2 years back I did the Kawa ride to Lk George and found on the return trip it was just one tank of gas to home apx 178 miles. All of that ride was scenic and making decent time.

From that area Lk George, there are many other scenic rides and or you can jump on the interstate to make better time.

IMO all interstates are boring.

Might check out Google Earth for in NH.

A list might be Mt Washington, Cog Railway, Ossipee Mt's, Rt 112, Rt 16, Rt 2, Rt 302 (this one starts in Portland Maine and ends in Vt on the Ny border I think). Also in NH Lakes Region.

[Jared]

Okay, I've changed the route for the northern portion of the trip. Going through the Adirondaks (new to me) is the type of information that I'm looking for.

Take a look at this route, and let me know your thoughts.

As far as getting from DC up to Maine, I'm still working on that route.

I'm still looking for suggestions and would love to meet up with anyone along the way.

[fish]

looks like you'll be going right near TC's backyard in Camden NY
RT 21 in western NY is nice.
rt.446 south to rt.6 to Kane is also good.

[Loafer]

That route looks much better, I think you are going to enjoy it. If you want some company through Vt. I'll find some time.