Leaving from Charlotte, NC to knock a few visited states off my map. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Thinking 1 week to 10 days total, so not a tremendous amount of time. First half map Second half map Going to take the scenic route up, through the mountainous/rural areas, as shown, then the city route back after NYC, DC, etc. Suggestions of routes and things to do and see? It's a blank slate right now, other than eat fresh lobster in Maine. EDIT: will edit the list below and add things as suggestions flow in. Day 1: Charlotte, NC to Beckley, WV Up Highway 16 from Charlotte As scenic as possible Day 2: Beckley, WV to Howard, PA As scenic as possible Possibly camp at Bald Eagle State Park Day 3: Howard, PA to Montpelier, VT North to Utica, NY take 28 to 30 up to Tupper Lake Elizabethtown, NY take 9N south to Port Henry. Cross the bridge there take VT125 to VT100 to VT100B up to Montpelier Day 4: Montpelier VT, to Bath ME Go through Waterbury, VT for lunch at Black Back Go through Rockland, ME Go through Camden, ME Lobster dinner Day 5: Bath, ME to Boston, MA see sights in Boston Harvard Constitution etc. Day 6: Boston, MA to New York, NY Rt 3 or 3A to Cape Cod Seafood lunch Ben and Jerry's Factory 195 to Providence I-95 to NYC Day 7: New York, NY to Washington, DC Day 8: Washington, DC to Charlotte, NC Get the heck to the house in one piece.
If you have time on the return trip, you might consider Rt 3 South from Boston, down to Cape Cod, then 195 West to Providence, and hook up with 95 there. You'll be able to check off Rhode Island on your list, and enjoy some nice scenery before hitting the 95 corridor heading down to NYC. Good luck!
Thanks for the tip, Will definitely do that. Any other suggestions? I did a search but didn't find much. Just a thread about the best lobster roll in ME.
In Maine you should also try the blueberry pancakes! Rockland and Camden are both nice towns a little farther up Rt 1 from Bath with views of Penobscot Bay. In Vermont I recommend the Hill Farmstead on tap at the Black Back Pub in Waterbury. Also, Rt 100 is a nice ride up to Stowe, Vermont, and there's a Ben & Jerry's factory on the way. Most places along the coast will have lobster, fried cod, and fried clams. Your map looks like you know what you're doing. You will enjoy that ride through the White Mountains. Just be careful of the 18 wheelers on 95 in Conn. Have fun!
Personally I enjoy Hwy 16, you can pick it up not too far from Charlotte and take it all the way. Past Taylorsville it gets to be a nice ride, definitely the scenic route if Beckley is your target for the first day.
In addition to asking the fellow inmates for suggestions, I also used http://www.motorcycleroads.com/ to plan my routes.
RT 3 from Boston to the cape sucks. It 3-4 ln highway going 65-75mph. I ride it all the time there is nothing to see ( not to be rude to the inmate that suggested it). I'd take 3A south when you get south of the city, from situate through Plymouth. There are lots of stop lights, but you'll see some nice old towns (and some not so nice). In Plymouth stop to see the mayflower, stop in Charlestown to see the constitution when in Boston, as well as Salem north of Boston. Salem is pretty cool ,witches everywhere, and some good eats. I'll have to look up the route but there is a great road from Portsmouth NH to Boston along the coast. 1A and 1 in Maine aren't bad depending on your timing. Traffic is pretty thick in the high summer season. The cape is my back yard, I live 30 miles out on Nantucket island. I'll come over for the day and ride up cape with you if you'd like. Some neat old seaside towns, but from late June through august traffic is suffocating. I have a second home in VT Id be willing to meet you there as well, could put you up for the night and take you on a great ride through VT, eastern NY, and into ME. You'll have to look at what you want to see, as you couldmeasily spend 6-9 days in VT, NH, and ME, and not scratch the surface of the roads, Leyte alone trails. Feel free to PM me and we can talk about your wants, and make up a list of good roads for you
Can't beat that. We were planing for August, but nothing is set in stone. Sounds like it would be wise to push to September. I will definitely get up with you and I very much appreciate your suggestions.
Two suggestions for you: 1. North of Utica, NY, take 28 to 30 up to Tupper Lake. Much more scenic and "twisty." Route 3 is crap, and will be loaded with RVs. 2. From Elizabethtown, NY, take 9N south to Port Henry. Cross the bridge there, and take VT125 to VT100 to VT100B up to Montpelier. You'll love 100! And keep an eye out for Bullwinkle. Enjoy your ride!
Couple of thoughts for you, based on your trip alterations and the fact that your riding partner is a novice. . Since your up to Tupperware Lake you might want to consider going into lake placid. Great town with lots to see and do. "tail of the pup" has great barbecue and good blues just outside of town. From there I'd take the ferry to burlington VT. I'll have to look up the road to get there, and the ferry I think is crown point. I love port henry and it would be my choice, but both VT125, and VT17 could be demanding for a novice rider. From Burlington I'd take 89 to Stowe, and pick up RT100 in Stowe. Warren is probably the coolest little town on 100 the country store in Warren has amazing cookies. Another thing I noticed is you plan to ride from Montpelier to Bath ME via Camden. That's asking a lot. It's a long way to go based upon the speed limits and roads in the area. I might be tempted to stay up North, and ride to bath Via moose head lake. You could pass through north Conway and ride the cank, there is great riding throughout the northern area. Bath to cape cod is 3 1/2 hours by the slab. Thanks for letting me mess up your plans yet again Pete
