Trip from Bristol Va to Morgantown (Charleston, Beckley: how much, homes, cost)

[allwayz_smilin]

Hi! I was hoping yall could help me. I have to make the trip to Morgantown later this summer and was looking at the route. The problem is, I'm a chicken flatlander, lol. I have spent a lot of time around the mountains of NC, and my grandmother was from near Marlinton and I remember those roads! So my question is what is the best way to go? Mapquest has me going I 81 to I 77 and then takes me up 19 and then to I 79.

Another route had us going up 64/77 to Charlestown and then getting 79 from there.

I read an older post that talked about a few steep grades south of Charlestown, but I couldn't tell if that was where I would be or not. Which way would be best? Less traffic, less steep grades and sheer drop offs. In other words, the best way for a big ole chicken to go.

Thank you so much!

[David Kennedy]

Mapquest gave you the best route..new highway, compliments of RCByrd..watch the speed trap at Summersville and all will be well. Stop at Tamarac, for sure.

[snorpus]

You're remembering Rte 219, probably. I-77 and I-79 are modern interstates. While there are steeper grades than, say, I-81, tractor-trailers and motor homes routinely go 60-70mph, so you won't have any problems. Rte 19 from I-77 at Beckley up to to I-79 is four-lane, would be an interstate except it has some traffic lights. Staying on I-77 all the way in to Charleston before picking up I-79 would probably add an hour to your trip.

But as DK notes, watch the speed trap on 19 in Summersville.

[vec101]

Originally Posted by allwayz_smilin

Hi! I was hoping yall could help me. I have to make the trip to Morgantown later this summer and was looking at the route. The problem is, I'm a chicken flatlander, lol. I have spent a lot of time around the mountains of NC, and my grandmother was from near Marlinton and I remember those roads! So my question is what is the best way to go? Mapquest has me going I 81 to I 77 and then takes me up 19 and then to I 79.

Another route had us going up 64/77 to Charlestown and then getting 79 from there.

I read an older post that talked about a few steep grades south of Charlestown, but I couldn't tell if that was where I would be or not. Which way would be best? Less traffic, less steep grades and sheer drop offs. In other words, the best way for a big ole chicken to go.

Thank you so much!

Just so you don't get confused:
I-77/I-64 runs to Charleston, the state capitol.
Charles Town is in the Eastern Panhandle of WV - not far from DC.

Rt. 19 is curvy at times but don't remember any scary dropoffs. You will save a lot of time going that way rather than going to Charleston and hitting I-79. The main highways can have some fairly steep grades, etc. but nothing scary (unless you consider the trucks flying down the mountain between Beckley and Charleston).

[tallydude02]

The 1st way is the best. It take you on Rt 19 through the infamous speed trap of Summersville. Fayetteville can be a speed trap too and it's just north of Beckley. Just watch your speed through there and you'll be fine. Going to Charleston then I-79 will put you through more tolls.

I've been through Bristol, TN-VA area before. It's a nice area. I-81 isn't that hilly in that part of TN/VA (they tend to set back more). Once you hit Wytheville northward the mountains and hills are right along the interstate.

[allwayz_smilin]

Lol, I have no clue why I typed CharlestoWn, much less twice.Must've been tired, I did mean Charleston, not sure what I was thinking.

And tally, when you say the hills / mountains are along the interstate, what does that mean? That might sound dumb, but there are a lot of places in NC where you go between the mountains, and it's not a lot of steep up and down and hairpin curves.

And going down a steep downgrade with a huge semi truck right on my tail would probably give me a panic attack. Lol, I am fine once I get used to a place, but was in a bad accident and rolled down a hill, that's why I am so worried about this.

So thanks everyone for your patience with my crazy questions.

[CTMountaineer]

Route 19 is actually a nice road except for the infamous speed traps, and it is actually where I77 likely should have originally gone if not for the fact that the politicos got involved. Take that route... it saves a lot of time, but watch your speed.

[GottaHerdOn]

Don't forget the speed limit in and withing about a 5-10 mile radius of Charleston apparently is 60 mph... not 75 mph as I was informed of this previous weekend.

[snorpus]

GHO... I don't think the speed limit is 75 anywhere in the state of West Virginia.

So how much did it cost you?

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by snorpus

GHO... I don't think the speed limit is 75 anywhere in the state of West Virginia.

So how much did it cost you?

Well I had been running between 75-80 following one of the sheriff cars, I don't think its fair that they think they can just drive as fast as they want whenever they want. So pretty much what happened that guy turned off down 64 and I went north on 77/79 and they pulled me after where the interstates separate/merge and the pric* informed me that the speedlimit in Charleston is 60 not the 75 I was going. I was literally 50 fee from the "speed limit 70" sign. I was so pissed....

$160.00 donation to the city of Charleston. Apparently across WV they pulled over like nearly 1,700 people over Memorial Day weekend... Yours truly was one

When I told my best friend, she responded with.... "How do you still have a license???" ha ha I've been pulled over 8 times now