HRPT 2012 caravan thread-New ENgland to Detroit

[Jarlaxle]

Anyone up for it? Tentative route is:
I-95 to CT Route 9 to I-91 to I-691, to I-84 west.
I-84 from there, into New York, over the Hudson, all the way to the NJ/PA line.
At Port Jervis (NJ), get off I-84, and get on US 209 south. 209 runs alongside the Delaware river on the PA side...take that south to East Stroudsburg.
In Stroudsburg, jump on I-80 west...stay on 80 all the way across PA and into Ohio, to Youngstown. (In Youngstown, I-80 turns into the Ohio Turnpike, a toll road. )
Here, I haven't decided...either take US 422 into Warren and then to Cleveland, or bite the bullet & pay the tolls on 80 into Cleveland.
Either way, in Cleveland, I'm bailing off the tollway and taking state highway 2 west...it parallels I-80/90 right on the lakefront, and is a multilane highway much of the way (Cleveland to Port Clinton, ~75 miles) and a 50-60MPH divided highway the rest of the way...following route 2 to Toledo.

Not 100% sure on US209...might stay on 84 to Scranton, pick up I-81 and take that to I-80.

I will be in my Cherokee towing a small camper.
In Toledo, I'll take I-280 north to I-75 north, to I-94 to St. Clair Shores/Mt Clemens.

[Stich496]

I tried to google map it.. but I get a north east heading then a north west then a southwest.. like your doing a big u turn...
what I do wrong as it looks like rt95 south to port chester. then a west heading is shorted for you..
I'd be coming from southern ma. coastal area..

[BluLightning]

What day and time will you be coming through Cleveland. I live 20 miles east but I'm not sure what day I'm leaving yet.

[Stich496]

my route sends me over ohio.. waiting on the o/p to map out a mapquest route to see where his is going
and says 13h 15m 754 miles almost a straight shot.. across so I figure with rest area stops/traffic 16h if I leave 8am the 1st. land at 1st stop at midnight and cat nap.. this leaves enough time for if something goes wrong.. traffic nitemares ect.

[Jarlaxle]

I tried to google map it.. but I get a north east heading then a north west then a southwest.. like your doing a big u turn...
what I do wrong as it looks like rt95 south to port chester. then a west heading is shorted for you..
I'd be coming from southern ma. coastal area..

It's a bit of a zig-zag, but it's for a reason: mostly, to avoid the awful traffic in Connecticut and New York. I did I-78 to I-87/287 over the Tappan Zee last year...even taking the Merritt Parkway last year, western CT was miserable. Going CT9 to I-91 to I-84 to I-81 avoids that, as well as dodging NYC. I have done both ways (this will be my sixth Power Tour), the way I'm planning this year is MUCH less stressful.

Mapquest gives 805 miles and 14.5 hours from Westerly, RI. I can't seem to link it...you can see the route if you go to Mapquest and put in Westerly, RI as a starting point, 31300 Metropolitan Pkwy, Harrison Twp, MI as a destination, and under "driving options", check off the boxes to avoid tolls and country borders. (The default route is through Canada!) That's taking I-84 to I-81 in Scranton...taking US209 to Stroudsburg will save 15 minutes & about 5 miles. I also recall that 84 to Scranton has a couple of long grades, which will slow me down a bit.

I hope to leave early Friday morning (Thursday night would be wonderful, but I doubt it will happen), run all day and stop for the night in western Pennsylvania or eastern Ohio.

Also, with the trailer, I will be keeping the speed down to 60-65MPH.

[Stich496]

It's a bit of a zig-zag, but it's for a reason: mostly, to avoid the awful traffic in Connecticut and New York. I did I-78 to I-87/287 over the Tappan Zee last year...even taking the Merritt Parkway last year, western CT was miserable. Going CT9 to I-91 to I-84 to I-81 avoids that, as well as dodging NYC. I have done both ways (this will be my sixth Power Tour), the way I'm planning this year is MUCH less stressful.

Mapquest gives 805 miles and 14.5 hours from Westerly, RI. I can't seem to link it...you can see the route if you go to Mapquest and put in Westerly, RI as a starting point, 31300 Metropolitan Pkwy, Harrison Twp, MI as a destination, and under "driving options", check off the boxes to avoid tolls and country borders. (The default route is through Canada!) That's taking I-84 to I-81 in Scranton...taking US209 to Stroudsburg will save 15 minutes & about 5 miles. I also recall that 84 to Scranton has a couple of long grades, which will slow me down a bit.

I hope to leave early Friday morning (Thursday night would be wonderful, but I doubt it will happen), run all day and stop for the night in western Pennsylvania or eastern Ohio.

Also, with the trailer, I will be keeping the speed down to 60-65MPH.

your only 80 miles from here.. so your spliting the 800 mile between two days.

[Phil]

We have two routes we always take traveling either to FL or when we head to the Detroit area. We never go through NY.....just too much traffic. We also use Rt. 95 to Rt. 9 to Rt. 84, but we go through Middletown, CT to pick up Rt. 84. We then travel Rt. 84 to Rt. 80 when heading to the Detroit area. A few times we have gone up through Canada via the MA Turnpike and Rt. 87 to the Buffalo area and across Canada to reach the Pontiac area, just above Detroit. That route is actually two hours shorter. Haven't decided which route to take this time as we do have friends in the Mentor, Ohio area and would be nice to stop and say Hi.

Interesting picking up Rt. 209 in the Port Jervis area. It would avoid Scranton. The map looks like whether going through Scranton or using the Rt. 209 route it's pretty much similar in distance. Just wondering how good a road Rt. 209 is. One thing though.....we never miss a chance to stop at the Rt. 84 Diner at Exit 12 in NY on Rt. 84 just before the toll bridge. Always good food and just three hours from our house so a nice rest stop.

Gwen (Phil's wife)

[BluLightning]

Looks like I'll be heading out before you guys get to Ohio. I want to be in Detroit early Friday or even Thursday.

[Stich496]

WHY SO EARLY, raise some hell. wobley pop and such

[BluLightning]

As close as I live to it, I've never been to the Henry Ford Museum and I really want to see it this time. Plus, the Freaks always do a car show at a VA home on the Friday afternoon before PT starts so I want to be there for that.