best route from NYC

[djd66]

My brother is coming up from NYC next Friday morning. What is the best route to take? What about 87 to route 17?

[chuck]

I live in Northern NJ - Morris county, been coming to the Bush for about 37 yrs, tried all different ways. The way i think is the easiest is the NYS thruway to Albany, to 87 (Northway) to Glenns Falls, exit 21? for Rte 149/4 Fort Anne, whitehall. Follow that into Rutland, past Pico, bear left onto 100 thru Stockbridge, bear left onto 100 to the Bush. I'm about 300 miles door to door, and do it in about 4:45. The roads are usually pretty clean, carefull thru Fort Anne/Whitehall - the local cops like to tag skiiers going over the limit, same in Stockbridge vt.

[noski]

http://www.madrivervalley.com/vermont/valley/index.asp?contID=6 Maybe this will help some.

[ski_resort_observer]

Another option is from just north of NYC get on I95>I91>I89 then exit 9 >Rt100B>Rt 100. This way is about 20 miles longer but considering the route from the Thruway/Northway you drive about 80 miles on state highways you more than make up for the extra miles by cruising along at 70mph and you avoid driving thru Whitehall and Rutland which can slow you down even if you use the hospital cutoff. The problem with Rt 100 north is that if you get behind some slowpokes it can really cost you in time.

Some people also go north on Rt 30 to Rt 17 over App Gap to the MRV using Chuck's route. You pick up Rt 30 about 10/15 miles past Whitehall on Rt 4.

As far as using Roxbury Gap off of I89, I believe some GPS's and Mapquest send you this way, I personally wouldn't recommend it but if the roads are dry, that's an option. Folks do drive it every day to commute to the MRV but it can be risky if your not familiar with it.

One other twist is to get off I89 at the Bethel exit, go thru Bethel north of Rt 12 then go on the Bethel Mtn Rd dropping down into Rochester on Rt 100 the north for maybe 20 miles to the Bush. I think Tin likes this way. It is paved but the signage is not all that great getting of Rt 12 and it's a mountain road. There is tho an awesome view at the top to the south and in the late spring when kmart kept Superstar open into June you would look upon this sea of green and in the middle was this little sliver of white.

Chuck's way and the I95/I91/I89 way are the two most popular, either one will get you here in fine fashion. :)

Sorry Susan...I gotta start typing with more than one finger...... :lol:

[chuck]

Two of my reasons for taking the 149/4 route is the semi new Dunkin Donuts in Forte Anne - and i make it on 3/4 of a tank of fuel to Rutland where the gas is 24/hrs and less expensive - makes a big difference in the wee hours of the morning! The gas stations in Pittsfield, Rochester and Hancock close early, (plus about ten cents a gallon more). I know it's not much, but i drive a big truck, every weekend, it adds up.

[ski_resort_observer]

Two of my reasons for taking the 149/4 route is the semi new Dunkin Donuts in Forte Anne - and i make it on 3/4 of a tank of fuel to Rutland where the gas is 24/hrs and less expensive - makes a big difference in the wee hours of the morning! The gas stations in Pittsfield, Rochester and Hancock close early, (plus about ten cents a gallon more). I know it's not much, but i drive a big truck, every weekend, it adds up.

I hear ya, I have a big Silverado altho I have been driving the Outback more. The wife was born and raised in RutVegas and the only reason we can up with regarding the cheaper gas prices is there is abit of competition(Vermont perspective) along that Rt7/Rt4 strip. Have you stopped at the Midway Diner yet? I love that place.

Amazing where you find D&D's these days. Putting in a McDonalds in Whitehall a few years ago was a surprise as well but I guess it points to all the folks driving that Rt 149/Rt 4 route to kmart and the Bush.

[HowieT2]

Two of my reasons for taking the 149/4 route is the semi new Dunkin Donuts in Forte Anne - and i make it on 3/4 of a tank of fuel to Rutland where the gas is 24/hrs and less expensive - makes a big difference in the wee hours of the morning! The gas stations in Pittsfield, Rochester and Hancock close early, (plus about ten cents a gallon more). I know it's not much, but i drive a big truck, every weekend, it adds up.

I hear ya, I have a big Silverado altho I have been driving the Outback more. The wife was born and raised in RutVegas and the only reason we can up with regarding the cheaper gas prices is there is abit of competition(Vermont perspective) along that Rt7/Rt4 strip. Have you stopped at the Midway Diner yet? I love that place.

Amazing where you find D&D's these days. Putting in a McDonalds in Whitehall a few years ago was a surprise as well but I guess it points to all the folks driving that Rt 149/Rt 4 route to kmart and the Bush.

Funny, I just got rid of my Expedition in favor of a Mazda CX-9 because the gas was killing me. Made the first trip in the new wheels this weekend.

[win]

I have been doing this for years? From the West side Of NYC I take the Westside Highway to the Cross Country and follow the Hutchinson to the Merritt and join up with 91 South of Hatford. Take 91 to Rte 89 in Vermont and then take Exit 4 and follow 12A to Roxbury and then over the Roxbury Gap into Warren and then Rte 100 North 1.5 miles to the Sugarbush Access Road.

From the East Side I take Triborough to Bruckner Blvd 95 to Merritt and same directions.

The key is to get out of the NYC area on Friday before 2pm. If you beat the NYC traffic you can get here in 5- 5.5 hours.

[mattlucas]

I like the fort anne route whenever weather looks good, otherwise 89 is the place to be. I wouldn't have wanted to be on the brandon gap with the blowing snow this weekend....

[smootharc]

Rutland adds miles, traffic, time.

I go to VT border, take exit 4 just past Lake Bomoseen. Then head north on RT 30 (just paved). To 73. To Brandon. Through Brandon Gap (Just paved). To 100N just south of Rochester. Done it all ways many times doing both mileage, and timed, and factoring in road conditions, from RT 4/NYS border, and personally feel this is best/quickest.

I find Brandon Gap to be well maintained, and have done it 20+ times back and forth each season for past two years....from dry roads and starry nights to howling/nasty. At the top....definitely crest and proceed down steepest grade section like....well....like you're going down a steep grade. This is about 1/2 mile in each direction from summit.

Watch for moose. Witnessed a moose vehicle head on coming up to valley last Friday. Car.....hurt. Moose, really hurt. Two headlights were coming at me, all peaceful, and all of a sudden black blur, one headlight gone, big bang, and car parts flying.

I do have a 4 wheel drive vehicle with dedicated snow tires.

[Dellwood]

SRO wrote "Whitehall and Rutland which can slow you down even if you use the hospital cutoff."





Where & how do you use the hospital cutoff?

[nelsapbm]

I call it the McDonalds to McDonalds short cut. Coming north on 7, take a right at McDonalds. Follow for approx 1 mile to hospital. Take left. This will bring you to Route 4 by RHS & the other McDonalds.

[shadyjay]

Motorist Advisory -
Don't know if its been brought up, but the Moretown Mountain alternative, via Northfield (Exit 5) I would advise against.

As I type this, I just got home from work after going off into a ditch, waiting for tow truck to come, first truck comes and can't get my work truck out, second truck gets it out, but a flat tire on 100b. So I may be a bit biased against that alt here. But Moretown Hwy Dept apparently plows more than the roads. But I can't beat the generosity of Moretown folks - dozens stopped to make sure I was ok.

Jay

[outofshape]

If you have to do the Jersey City/Hoboken route, i.e. across the "river".

Rte 3, 17, 87 to Ft Ann. Then gas up at Sunoco in Ft Ann.

149 to Rte 4 East, then Rte 3 to 7, to 73 through Brandon into 100 in Rochester.

West Side and East, I would do Wins.

Brooklyn, get to 287 to Merritt, then 91/89, etc.

I am doing the ride to Jersey City in the morning, I can post the exact mileage. I am still trying to figure out TeleNav.

[mattlucas]

Also, watch out for the fuzz in Brandon!

[smootharc]

Also, watch out for the fuzz in Brandon!

....in about 150 passes through.

But from Hancock down to Rochester on 100....I've seen the traffic control (police?) car sitting and waiting about 50 times in 150 passes through. Three or four times he's sitting and giving out tickets.

[shadyjay]

I've been "bagged" in Mendon on Rt 4 heading east out of Rutland up to the top of the pass. One was sitting in the Mendon Town Offices/P&R and got me going 55 in a 40. Where he pulled me over was the start of the 50 zone, but he got me on radar back in the 40. Just a couple more hundred feet and I would've been safe. That was a bad week.
Now I go at or below the speed limit espec through towns where it goes from 50 to 30.

[outofshape]

This week did from Jersey City out of Jersey City 3 to 17/287 87, exit 20 in NY 149 to 4 to 3 north, to 73 (yes watched for Fuzz in Brandon) to 100 in Rochester.

With some holiday traffic and some snow, 5.5 hours 317mi .

[chuck]

outofshape - good travel time. I'm 30 min northwest of you - morris cty - My direct time jrzy to bush is 5 hrs - 301 mil

[outofshape]

Only for a bio break in the sunoco at exit 20 off 87 and gas up.

I got huge time savings from skipping Rut-vegas altogether by RTE3 and then using rte 73 off of 7.

Average overall, 57mph.