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Tomorrow in the early morning I will drive to New York City from Columbus Ohio. Google Maps gives two options one of them by using I-80, and the other one is using I-70 & I-76. They are almost same. Which route should I choose? Which one is better for driving?
76/70/78 is the nicest drive but most of it is a toll road.
80 is just a boring drive
The one part of 80 that is interesting is between Williamsport and State College. (Bellefonte) Actually, even as far west as Brookville, it is a very scenic, mountainous drive. But of the two, I would agree with the last poster that the PA Turnpike is overall the more visually appealing road, particularly between Bedford and New Stanton.
I-80 doesn't go to Williamsport (although there are enough confusing signs to make you think it does) but passes higher hills/mountains from about DuBois east to Milton (West Branch Susquehanna River crossing), with a couple of nice spots just east of Bloomsburg (North Branch Susquehanna crossing), and (if you're not stuck in traffic) in the Delaware Water Gap at the NJ/PA border.
The rolling high plateau continues west from DuBois to near I-79, with high bridges to look off at Brookville and Emlenton.
I-76/PA Turnpike is often an uncomfortable road to drive for people not used to the proximity of concrete barriers, or to tunnels. As "America's First Superhighway" the sight lines and median width are different from more modern Midwestern/Western interstates to the point even of triggering claustrophobia for some folks. I like the scenery on the Turnpike from about Cranberry (I-79 again), east to the Blue Mountain interchange, with higher mountains again from New Stanton (western I-70 split) east to Blue Mountain. West of New Stanton on I-70, the high bridges over the Monongahela and Youghiogheny Rivers add some interest.
From Carlisle east to NYC there is a choice of I-81/78 via Allentown, or the Turnpikes via Philadelphia. The scenery in NJ is far superior on I-78 than on the Turnpike. A lot of I-78 in PA is substandard/too narrow with plenty of wrecks in an area where scrubby farms are yielding to monster warehouses with lots of truck traffic. From the Harrisburg area I usually just take the Turnpikes heading to central Jersey anymore, though I-78 is nominally shorter it seems always to take longer without enough lanes to carry its traffic.
I think that Interstate 80 gives the best overall SCENIC route and best overall road conditions...76 is OK; but the THUMP>>>THUMP...of the concrete expansion joints gets very annoying.
I've driven 80 across PA more times than I want to count. Its pretty, but after a while it gets very old.
It has to be the most boring drive in the entire country (and I've driven across the entire country a few times). The scenery is pretty much the same throughout the entire trip. Most of the towns along the way are backwoods truckstops and not very inviting.
Unless you like country and religious programming, I hope you have an ipod or satellite radio (although there is a very good stations out of State College and Lewisburgh).
I've driven 80 across PA more times than I want to count. Its pretty, but after a while it gets very old.
It has to be the most boring drive in the entire country (and I've driven across the entire country a few times). The scenery is pretty much the same throughout the entire trip. Most of the towns along the way are backwoods truckstops and not very inviting.
Unless you like country and religious programming, I hope you have an ipod or satellite radio (although there is a very good stations out of State College and Lewisburgh).
Uhhh, you have got to be kidding me. More boring than the midwest/plains states?
Not. A. Chance.
The scenery in PA blows away much of the center of the country... which isn't saying much.
Uhhh, you have got to be kidding me. More boring than the midwest/plains states?
Not. A. Chance.
The scenery in PA blows away much of the center of the country... which isn't saying much.
Yeah, I forgot about my drive across Kansas. That was pretty bad, but I only did it once.
I used to go to school in PA and WV and drive I-80 back to NY more times than I want to remember. PA is a big state and the ride is way too long without anything interesting along the way.
Thank you very much for the suggestions. I would use I-70 76 78 series, but the car broke down. Therefore, I'm stuck in Columbus
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