Visiting Scranton 2/26 - 3/1

[heathernichole]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Nope. You pretty much just summed up 99.9% of the fine folks on our forum! LOL! Please have a safe trip up, and if there's anything else we can do to help put your mind at ease, please let us know!

Thanks I should have my laptop so if need be I can just get on there while I'm in the area. I actually can't wait, despite what people are saying, but it's more who I'm going to see rather than "omg it's Scranton" lol.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by heathernichole

Well guys, I'm pretty much all set. All I have to do is finish packing a few things, gas up my car and go! Leaving Thursday morning, taking I-64 all the way to I-81 (here in VA) and then driving straight up 81. Anyone have any suggestions, words of wisdom, etc other than "Scranton sucks" (people keep asking me why I'm going there!)

You're taking 64 to 81? That's definitely a scenic route, but I think its also a long route. I would take 95 to 495 to 270 to 15 to 81......basically the Washington Beltway, then 270 to Frederick, 15 from Frederick through Gettysburg and up to the Harrisburg area, then get on 81 at Harrisburg. As long as you don't hit Washington beltway at rush hour the traffic shouldn't be too bad. And US 15 is a nice scenic drive through rural Maryland and Gettysburg.

[CHS89]

I concur. I've taken both routes to Richmond, and while the traffic on the beltway might be a little heavier, 81 all the way from VA is mindnumbing.

Timewise, IIRC, it's pretty much a wash.

[heathernichole]

Originally Posted by go phillies

You're taking 64 to 81? That's definitely a scenic route, but I think its also a long route. I would take 95 to 495 to 270 to 15 to 81......basically the Washington Beltway, then 270 to Frederick, 15 from Frederick through Gettysburg and up to the Harrisburg area, then get on 81 at Harrisburg. As long as you don't hit Washington beltway at rush hour the traffic shouldn't be too bad. And US 15 is a nice scenic drive through rural Maryland and Gettysburg.

Well my uncle told me I should take 64 to 81 bcuz it's easier and I guess I avoid all the traffic and stuff, and part of the way the other way is like an actual road so it might actually take a longer time. IDK. I'm gonna be going over this stuff tonight, making myself crazy lol.

[heathernichole]

Hey guys! Got back from my trip this morning around 1 or 2...yeah the weather was bad coming home! It was great while I was up there with the exception of the rain on friday. I had an amazing time! I seriously hated to leave. I'm even more excited to move there now. Nay Aug was awesome! I even went to an area of Blakely where there are some falls, near my boyfriend's grandparents house and it was beautiful. Maybe it's just me visiting for the first time, but I don't know what people complain about! I loved it. Can't wait to come back up there, and hopefully then it will be for our move instead of just visiting.

[I LOVE PA!]

Heathernichole....were you happy with your visit to St. Josephs?

[heathernichole]

Originally Posted by I LOVE PA!

Heathernichole....were you happy with your visit to St. Josephs?

Well we ended up not being able to go to St Joseph's. I was supposed to go up there on thursday but I didn't end up getting into town until after 6pm.

[NEPA-x-pat]

Hi Heather,
Glad you had a good time. I know I always love getting back to NEPA for a visit. Looks like you brought the cold back down here with you. Did you get a lot of snow in Hampton? We got a dusting in Ptown.

Blakely falls is pretty neat. You ought to get back up there for Riverfest the second weekend in May. For me it is a lot of fun. You can rent a canoe and paddle from Blakely to Scranton on the Lackawanna river.

OBTW...I think you are right to take 64, 295, 95, 17, 81 up there. I avoid 95 beltways at all costs.

[heathernichole]

Originally Posted by NEPA-x-pat

Hi Heather,
Glad you had a good time. I know I always love getting back to NEPA for a visit. Looks like you brought the cold back down here with you. Did you get a lot of snow in Hampton? We got a dusting in Ptown.

Blakely falls is pretty neat. You ought to get back up there for Riverfest the second weekend in May. For me it is a lot of fun. You can rent a canoe and paddle from Blakely to Scranton on the Lackawanna river.

OBTW...I think you are right to take 64, 295, 95, 17, 81 up there. I avoid 95 beltways at all costs.

I drove up there taking the other way "the beltway". BIG mistake! I ended up in Downtown Baltimore near the Aquarium and the Hard Rock. Don't ask. lol And that was with GPS on my phone! I took 81 to 64 home. And while that was actually pretty awful bcuz of the weather, it was a lot simpler for me.

I'm going back up to PA April 3-6th for Jeremy's birthday. But he's leaving and driving home with me. We had our little discussion and have came to the conclusion while I absolutely love it up there and at times I seriously want to escape the craziness of Hampton Roads here, it'd be so much easier for the girls and I and him as well if he moved here instead of the girls and I moving up there. My family is here, if we have any problems there's a multitude of people to go to, switching Lola's therapist and the huge amount of doctors Alana has collected in her almost 5 years of existence would just be a lot more of a headache. Plus, the job market here in Hampton Roads is actually better than it is in the Scranton area, at least for his line of work. We may actually move there years down the road, but the better option is turning out to be staying in VA.

Oh, we got a good amount of snow here in Hampton. The worst I saw was when I was driving home sunday night/monday morning..the 295 overpass ramp to get on 64 was frozen over and there was an accident. I saw at least 10 accidents coming home. But in my first time driving in really bad snow/sleet I did really well!

[NEPA-x-pat]

I can see your point Heather, I left after college and have been in Tidewater since. But I do love to get back there for a visit every chance I get. I guess it will always be home for me. My mom passed away this past January, so I don't have to get back there as much for visits, but my two brothers are in the area, our family has a cottage on a lake, and I just love kayaking the big L's (Lackawanna, Lehigh and Lackawaxen rivers).

The food is fantastic, the people (despite some gruff characters here) are warm and friendly, the mountains wonderful. Heather you can attest that when you see flat land every day, rolling hills look spectacular.

I know you will make the best decision.