Re: Boston-NY-DC Route?
- From: Ron Wallenfang <rwallenfang@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:39:28 -0700 (PDT)
On Oct 14, 6:30 am, Sweet Old Bob <Kasti...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm thinking about, not really planning yet a trip for next year
sometime between these three cities, either direction up or down.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a route?
Here's info on what I did from Boston to Philadelphia. I"ll try to
add shortly info on the Philadelphia - Washington segment.
Tuesday, June 1, 2004 - Day 11
Left at 4:45 and rode 108 miles before taking a rest stop at
Haverhill, Massachusetts, around 1:45 p.m.. Then I struggled through
Boston
until stopping at 8:00 at the intersection of Route 1 and 95 (128) in
the
Southwest suburbs of Boston.
After starting out dry, I rode through 40 miles of rain in
Maine; then
dry, which except for my feet, allowed me to dry out.
Temperatures started out at 42° and peaked at around 52° - June
anyone? I wore my raincoat all day for the warmth. Because of
threatening
rain, I kept my heavy shirt in a plastic bag, and wore my raincoat
instead.
I stayed on Route 202 in Maine. It was mostly O.K. - fewer
hills than
earlier. There were a few scattered sections with no paved shoulder
area,
but not bad. The only flat riding was the last half dozen miles
before New
Hampshire.
In New Hampshire I rode Route 125, which was a delightful road -
fully
paved wide shoulders except for the final few miles before
Massachusetts.
Quite a few little rises and dips plus some modest hills but nothing
major.
Coming into Boston, Routes 125 and 28 both had some decent
areas, but
for the most part, cities are cities, with lots of traffic, stop and
go
lights, and pock-marked roads. Once in town, I swung past Harvard,
handling
the route clumsily for one who biked thousands of miles around there,
albeit
35 years ago.
After some equally clumsy maneuvering through the Brookline
area, I
picked up VFW Parkway, which later became Route 1.
Mileage for day - 156
Massachusetts 64, New Hampshire 41, Maine 51.
Mileage for trip - 1592.
Wednesday, June 2, 2004 - Day 12
I slept in this morning - indeed last night, I fell asleep
before
updating my logbook or showering, so I was obviously ready for some
extra
sleep.
Departure time was 7:30; I took a rest stop in Providence close
to
noon with 42 miles - the first 25 in Massachusetts.
I had mapped out a Rube Goldberg scheme of a route through
Connecticut
but decided to simplify things and stick to U.S. 1, so I wouldn't get
lost.
Naturally, I promptly got lost trying to use U.S. #1. Near the
MA/RI
border was a sign that said "1A" to Providence and "1" to
Pawtucket. I
stayed on "1" and it ended in Pawtucket, just ended - not even a sign
saying
so. Information was hard to come by, but I drifted east toward the
direction IA had veered from 1 and eventually got directions to 1A.
In East Providence, the signs for 1A just quit, too, but I was
able to
cross the needed bridge on 44. Across the bridge I saw a single sign
for US
1 and immediately lost track of it. So I took 44 west and decided to
resurrect my complex plan for Connecticut. I thought I could save
mileage
by switching from 44 to 6, but used 5 to do so, which veered back
toward
town and added miles and a big hill.
As this is written, it's almost 4:00 and I have only 70 miles.
I'm
sitting out a thunderstorm at a KFC in Danielson/E. Brooklyn,
Connecticut.
The morning began as yesterday ended, misty and cool with temperatures
around 50°. But it warmed up nicely and was mostly sunny reaching the
mid-70s. The current shower looks like it will pass.
The terrain is hilly, like most of the trip. Route 1 in
Massachusetts - after the VFW Parkway ended - was safe, but not scenic
(consistent businesses along the route, few of which were landscaped).
Western Rhode Island and the first few miles of Connecticut have been
mainly
wooded.
After the rain passed, I rode another 25 or so miles to Norwich
(just
missing the brunt of a second storm). In Norwich, a third
thunderstorm
started that lasted well over an hour. After 5 days getting wet
earlier in
the trip, I played wimp today and took shelter at a gas station. It
soon
became apparent there wouldn't be enough daylight after the rain
passed to
do anything much and still find a motel, so I stayed at a Ramada about
1 ½
miles away. With some other local riding I got 101 miles for the day.
In Connecticut: Route 6 to 169 to 2A to 82 - 169 was scenic if
hilly.
A lot of "old new England" looking farms but more trees, which in
places
formed a canopy over the road.
Miles for day - 101; Massachusetts - 25; Rhode Island - 40,
Connecticut - 36.
Miles for trip - 1,693
Thursday, June 3, 2004 - Day 13
Left the motel at 5:30 a.m. Early weather was cool and cloudy -
low
to mid 50s. No rain, though. The skies cleared late morning and
temperatures rose to the upper 70s.
At 18+ miles there was a ferry crossing - over the Connecticut
River -
state operated - $1.00 for bikes.
Early riding was mainly west on 82, 148 and 80, with a few miles
south
on 81 sandwiched in. As elsewhere, the hills are much worse going
east and
west. The New England rivers flow south, which help explain which way
the
hills run.
At mile 44 I hit East Haven and was in urban riding the rest of
the
day.
I picked up US 1 in New Haven, after a little looking - the
route 103
connector on the map wasn't there. I stayed on 1 to the New York
line,
taking a break in Milford (mile 59) (the third "Milford" I've
encountered
after Milford, Pennsylvania and Milford, Maine) for eating some trail
mix
and also taking a short nap.
I reached the New York line about 4:00 at mile 100, and got lost
in
Westchester, logging about 7 extra miles. I left US 1 in New
Rochelle,
moving east to Pelham Road.
The Bronx proved easy to cross - first going south within a long
park,
then west along an e/w parkway with many walkers, joggers and kids
playing
in the greenway. Then past the Zoo and gardens, and then a trip along
Fordham Avenue, which was just teeming with life, rowdy and noisy but
safe
enough. It was fun to "ride" through, though slowly, because traffic
laws
meant little here and nobody could move very rapidly.
Only about 9 miles through the Bronx, including a little extra
time to
find the bridge to Manhattan (I shouldn't have left Fordham Street).
Then
in Manhattan I found the George Washington bridge (which was easier to
find
than the bike route across it) and got across and had barely light
enough to
find a motel in Fort Lee. It's a Best Western.
Mileage for day - 135; Connecticut - 100; New York - 32; New
Jersey -
3.
Mileage for trip - 1828.
Friday, June 4, 2004 - Day 14
Left the motel at 5:40 and with slight difficulty got on route
46,
which I took all the way to Hackettstown, some 55 miles away. New
York
traffic played a role most of that way, including some uncomfortable
merge
and turn situations - one where 2 lanes merge in from the right, and 2
others where I was supposed to be in the left lane of a multi-lane
road with
heavy traffic. I learned the safest course is to get off the bike and
wait
for a break in the traffic.
I stopped for breakfast after 25 miles and then for 3 oranges
and a
chocolate milk in Hackettstown. I also took about a ½ hour break for
a
snack in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, just 25-30 miles from the end.
Temperature today was 60° to 70°, and sunny until late.
The westerly route in new Jersey (46 , then 57) like almost all
the
others in that direction had a lots of big hills. In Pennsylvania I
took
611 again, except stayed on it this time all the way into
Philadelphia.
Coming into Philadelphia was difficult outside the City - too
much of
the road was too narrow for me to fit comfortably in traffic. The
last 8
miles or so were good, though, as City riding goes. No more uphills,
the
street was wide, not too much traffic and the lights were usually
green for
Broad Street traffic. The last few blocks in Center City are slow but
that's because of the pulse of life on narrow streets. Within limits,
it's
fine.
I arrived at Matt's apartment in Philadelphia about 6:45 p.m.
.
- References:
- Boston-NY-DC Route?
- From: Sweet Old Bob
- Boston-NY-DC Route?
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