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(I'm sure it's lovely but I tried to get her here)
Anyway, google maps tells me it's about a 10 hour drive, but that's going on the DC beltway for part of it, so that means a 13 hour drive. I wonder if it's best to make my way west a bit and take 81, or is there another way?
If you have to drive, I'd avoid DC (and 95 from there to NY) like the plague. It looks like you could cut over to 81 around Fredricksburg and avoid DC without adding too terribly many miles.
Yep you can do the 17 to 66 to 81. I think you pick up 17 in Fredericksburg or Warrenton. It may add an hour to what google maps tells you for going around DC but you won't get stuck in that traffic up there. I do it all the time!!
You could go up 95 to Fredericksburg, VA, then get off at Exit 133 to get on US 17. This goes thru Warrenton, VA, the very exurbs of the Washington area.
This goes to I-66. You take this less than 30 miles, and go to 81 just a few miles S of Winchester, VA, around Middletown. Take the R fork, and 81 goes to Syracuse.
So when I got up that way to visit my family here is my route.
264 east to I-95, Rt 17 to I-81, and I-81 to Syracuse. You might get a little traffic in the Fredericksburgs area depending on time of day but nothing like going right through DC. For the most part Fredericksburgs is the outside limit for the Metro area traffic.
It takes my 11 hours to get up there from Holly Springs. I probably spend about 45 minutes of that traffic on breaks for gas, food, bathroom.
I live in Syracuse for a few years. Hope your mom likes clouds, rain and snow. There were upstate ny champs in snow fall last year.
We regularly drive up to Canada past Syarcuse and usually go DC beltline. The beltline is fine if you time it right (so middle of day 10am to about 3pm or after 8-9pm). Timed right it's always quicker than trying to detour around.
That said if you want it real easy head west on 64 at Richmond and up to join 81 the whole way. It will probably add an hour or so to the route
I just moved to Raleigh from Syracuse. I left at 8 P.M. and drove through the night. Great way to avoid the DC traffic if you can pull the all nighter. I made it in about 11 hours, give or take for stops. Not a bad drive, Penn. is the longest stretch of the journey.
I have driven the I 81 route as an alternative to 95 on our way to Western Mass. It was a bit longer distance wise but no traffic and beautiful scenery. I would take that route again for sure.
I am from very Northern NY and it takes me 14 hours to get there from Raleigh (and we were about 3 hours from Syracuse). I usually take the route several have mentioned (thru Fredricksburg avoiding DC). When I have hit it at the right time going through DC has not been an issue..just hit it at the right time
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