User Content > Road Trips
Straight through the Appalachians?
hbelkins:
I've long wondered what would be the ideal road trip from west to east (or vice versa) across the Appalachians.
Ideally, the route would stay as true E-W as possible without any significant northward or southward deviations.
Even more ideally, you would stay on the same numbered route the whole way.
I always default to US 50, starting in Cincinnati and working east all the way to the DC area.
I think I-80 from Youngstown to the NYC metro is also a good candidate.
Using various route numbers, KY 100 east from Franklin to Burkesville, then KY 90 to Monticello, KY 92 to Pineville, a short jog south on US 25E, then US 58 all the way across Virginia to at least South Boston.
The idea would be to get a good experience with the geography of the trip. You wouldn't get as much of a feel for the social aspects of the towns you pass through on I-80, but you'd get a better idea on a route like US 50 because the road passes through so many smaller towns.
Anyone else got any ideas or opinions to offer?
Dirt Roads:
--- Quote from: hbelkins on July 06, 2022, 12:30:21 PM ---I've long wondered what would be the ideal road trip from west to east (or vice versa) across the Appalachians.
Ideally, the route would stay as true E-W as possible without any significant northward or southward deviations.
Even more ideally, you would stay on the same numbered route the whole way.
I always default to US 50, starting in Cincinnati and working east all the way to the DC area.
I think I-80 from Youngstown to the NYC metro is also a good candidate.
Using various route numbers, KY 100 east from Franklin to Burkesville, then KY 90 to Monticello, KY 92 to Pineville, a short jog south on US 25E, then US 58 all the way across Virginia to at least South Boston.
The idea would be to get a good experience with the geography of the trip. You wouldn't get as much of a feel for the social aspects of the towns you pass through on I-80, but you'd get a better idea on a route like US 50 because the road passes through so many smaller towns.
Anyone else got any ideas or opinions to offer?
--- End quote ---
Considering that the poorest part of Appalachia is actually in southeastern Ohio, my recommendation is following OH-7 along the Ohio River until it becomes US-33 at Rock Springs and following US-33 across all of West Virginia. You get a smattering of all sorts of interesting terrain that you won't experience on any of the other routes. Sadly, this route now has you hop onto I-77 for a short spell (you could stray over onto the old US-33 route from Mason to Ripley if you want to stick to the smaller roads). If you haven't done US-33 between Elkins and Harrisonburg, the scenery is more than worth the price of gasoline.
Rothman:
I agree with US 50. I know PA is in the Appalachians, but thinking about going across the Appalachians, I think more WV than PA.
skluth:
I took a fair number of trips between St Louis and Norfolk during my four years in Tidewater. I-64 got boring very quickly. My favorite drive across the Appalachians started west on US 48 from I-81. I took I-79 and I-64 the rest of the way but I've also driven OH 32 from Cincy to Serpent Mound and would recommend that (connecting via US 50) if convenient. Another decent route is west on US 58 to Cumberland Gap, north on US 23 and I-75 to KY 80, then west on KY 80 and US 68 to the Kentucky Lakes region. I also took the Mountain Parkway in KY once, then zigzagged to US 460 to Blacksburg VA. For more northern trips, I-86/88 is a relaxing trip through NY State.
I-80 is fast and convenient but you really don't experience the land you're driving through.
hbelkins:
Obviously, I've done most of these drives in bits and pieces (including the OH 7/US 33 route) but I was thinking more along the lines of a continuous trip and getting the full range of the geography (and to a lesser extent, the sociology) one would encounter on such a trip.
I drove US 50 from the Loogootee, Ind. area straight through Cincinnati to Chillicothe as part of a clinching effort several years ago; I had already been on the two-lane portion of US 50 between Chillicothe and where it joins Corridor D. I've also done Corridor D in its entirety, but not all at once.
I-64's north-south concurrencies with I-77 and I-81 take it off my list for consideration.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version