Route Suggestions Please

[+team moxiepup]

We're going to be visiting the NC Outer Banks in September. We're leaving from Maine and are planning to meet up about 1/2 way down with family traveling down from Rochester, NY, spending the night in a hotel, then follow each other down to NC from there.

 

Mapquest has suggested we travel down Rt. 13 through Delaware and MD then VA. My older sister says that going that direction means lots of tolls, and traffic jams on the bridge. She says AAA usually routes them down 83, 695, and 95 to 64. To me, that way seems to steer you too close to Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond to comfortably avoid big city traffic jams. The Delaware route seems more direct, but if the traffic/tolls are that bad...

 

If anyone here is familiar with any/either of these routes, could you please list to pros and cons of each? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[+briansnat]

he says AAA usually routes them down 83, 695, and 95 to 64. To me, that way seems to steer you too close to Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond to comfortably avoid big city traffic jams. The Delaware route seems more direct, but if the traffic/tolls are that bad...

 

No, no, n,o no, no. 95 is way out of your way and you are likely to hit traffic around Baltimore and DC.

 

My parents live in Duck on the Outer Banks and they take Route 13 all the time, and they should know. I didn't listen to them once and took 95 figuring it's longer but I could drive faster. Wrong. Always listen to your parents.

 

13 is the much better route. First off the new Route 1 in Delaware is a toll road, but is worth it. For a buck you get to miss all the lights for about 40 miles. They've also added lanes to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which should cut down on any traffic issues.

[+gpsfun]

What briansnat said.

 

We do the Route 13 trip at least two or three times per year and it is much better. The I-95 route might be faster in the middle of the night, and perhaps even on those weekends when there are stock car races at the Dover, DE racetrack.

 

A couple of weeks ago we took the Bay Bridge (Route 50) approach to the DC area so I could log a couple of caches there, and then took I-95 south. A haz-mat spill on I-95 caused it to close, forcing us onto Route 1. Three hours and eight miles later, we were back on I-95 but the bubble of traffic still made for slow going. But at least I can color in DC!

[+team moxiepup]

Thanks Briansnat and Gpsfun! It's always good to hear from folks who have actually made the journey!

 

Now to plan the cache route...

[+briansnat]

Thanks Briansnat and Gpsfun! It's always good to hear from folks who have actually made the journey!

 

 

Many times, but not nearly as many as my folks, who are constantly shuttling back and forth. They live in Duck but the rest of the family is up north, so they are back here frequently.