Traveling South through Pa.

[wtmtnhiker]

Hi all,
Trying to plan a route to get from Florida,NY south through Pa. We usually go I-84 to I-81. They are predicting iffy weather about the time we want to leave so in order to avoid the higher terrain we were thinking of NY 87, NY 287 into NJ, exit 21B onto I-78 to Pa then I-78 to I-81. To those who know this area is this a good plan?

[jfkmk]

Ed C wrote:
If the weather is good I like I84 to I81, but if it is at all threathening I take 209 to I80 to 33 to 22 which goes into 78 to I81. 209 is slow but a nice drive I80 is only a few exits 33 is good 22 has lots of traffic but is flat and low in altitude as is I78. I81 through the mountains can be foggy and/or icy, in just iffy weather, but horendous in bad weather!

Why not continue down 33 directly to 78? It is only a couple of extra miles south on 33 to 78, and you avoid the mess around Whitehall, PA.

[wtmtnhiker]

ct1964ups wrote:

wtmtnhiker wrote:
Hi all,
Trying to plan a route to get from Florida,NY south through Pa. We usually go I-84 to I-81. They are predicting iffy weather about the time we want to leave so in order to avoid the higher terrain we were thinking of NY 87, NY 287 into NJ, exit 21B onto I-78 to Pa then I-78 to I-81. To those who know this area is this a good plan?

Yes, we use this route most of the time coming out of Ct...but if the weather is on your mind.....using your same route to 81, but in Harrisburg ,pickup 83 south to the Wash/Baltimore area and pickup 95 down there...little more traffic but will get you farther south than going out 81 into Va and possible bad weather...Chuck

Thanks for the info, we are not heading to 95 we'll be going toward Danville, Va then into NC working our way southwest to I-10 then west.

[Ed_C]

If the weather is good I like I84 to I81, but if it is at all threathening I take 209 to I80 to 33 to 22 which goes into 78 to I81. 209 is slow but a nice drive I80 is only a few exits 33 is good 22 has lots of traffic but is flat and low in altitude as is I78. I81 through the mountains can be foggy and/or icy, in just iffy weather, but horendous in bad weather!

[ct1964ups]

wtmtnhiker wrote:
Hi all,
Trying to plan a route to get from Florida,NY south through Pa. We usually go I-84 to I-81. They are predicting iffy weather about the time we want to leave so in order to avoid the higher terrain we were thinking of NY 87, NY 287 into NJ, exit 21B onto I-78 to Pa then I-78 to I-81. To those who know this area is this a good plan?

Yes, we use this route most of the time coming out of Ct...but if the weather is on your mind.....using your same route to 81, but in Harrisburg ,pickup 83 south to the Wash/Baltimore area and pickup 95 down there...little more traffic but will get you farther south than going out 81 into Va and possible bad weather...Chuck

[jfkmk]

I live in NJ near 78 on the border of PA. I've taken the route you've proposed many times, both from New York border through to 81 in PA. I've not been on 81 north of 78 in PA, so I can't speak to that, but what I can say is what you propose is a decent route. There is no major construction on any of these roads, except for 287 near Parsippany, but that is north bound. There is one major hill on 78 near mile 11called Jugtown mountain. Trucks get down to about 35 mph sometimes, but beyond that it is an easy trek, and you should have no problems.