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PBARNISH

Northern NJ to Lexington, KY

Question

Leaving late April for Lexington area.  There are two basic routes. The first is west through Pa then southwest through Ohio.  The second is south on 81 then southwest through West Virginia.  Which would be best road and best route?

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In regard to the trip to MA we have been avoiding I 84 in CT by taking NY Thruway north to Mass Pike then east through MA.  This has proven to be a better route lately.

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From your location, your first choice is best: west on I-80 into Ohio then join I-76 taking that through Akron to I-71 south. In Cincinnati I-71 joins I-75. They run together until south of Cincinnati. I-75  then heads almost straight south to Lexington.

Spoken by a retired trucker. If you want to go sight seeing  follow the other suggested routes. Now that I am retired, I might consider another way, but West Virginia is really not a lot of fun. Level overnight sights are difficult to find unless someone can give you reliable advice.

OK guys. Beat me up:P.

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I have run I81 many times, no issues, Once you are off of I-81 to I-68 I cannot help after that. 81 has a few hills but not horrible. It will also depend on your coach and toad (weight). I have heard the Interstates in WV have steep hills. Perhaps someone else could chime in. I always run with the mind set if its an interstate how bad could it be, so far we have been OK. But we are defiantly not the most experienced. 

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Joe.  Took it up to I-68, 2 years ago with no problems.  It is hilly in sections and do not remember anything over 7% up or down.  Curves are banked the correct way, so no problems with loss of rpm, lots of truck traffic...that seems to be a thing away from our wide open spaces!:D:rolleyes:

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Nice thing about being retired and having a RV, is that I take my own sweet time from point A to B.  I have been both routes and I made a promise to my self that I would avoid Akron at all cost, if possible.:P:angry:...what may be an OK road to a trucker, not so to us.  I feel that I have left parts of 3 perfectly good DP's in Ohio!:(  I only average about 325 miles per day.:)

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ObedB, I was actually hoping you would see this and respond with your experience. I have never been into WV with an RV or large vehicle for that matter, but I have never heard anyone say its a nice state to drive through. Large hills, tight turns and narrow roads is the only thing I have ever heard. I-78 to I-81 and south I have driven before, not bad, once they are off of I-81 I have no idea. Carl has been on I-68 and from the sounds of his post it wasn't bad. Google maps recommends I-78 to I-81 to I-64 into Lexington, since its all interstates is it still that bad?

I do not worry about hills now like I did before with the old coach, but the RV they have will most likely dictate the route also.

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Gentlemen, thank you very much. 80 west to Ohio, then southwest sounds like the way to go. One other thing, there are many more campgrounds in Ohio than West Virginia.

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2 hours ago, PBARNISH said:

Gentlemen, thank you very much. 80 west to Ohio, then southwest sounds like the way to go. One other thing, there are many more campgrounds in Ohio than West Virginia.

Good choice! Safe travels

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I still use a road atlas fo calculate mileage. Always have and always will. I was about to post my reasons for the Ohio route, and one is that at end of your day a level campground is a lot easier to find in Ohio. You already figured that out, and you are so right. Not knowing where you are, I used Patterson as a departure point. My calculations show the mileage each way a statistical wash. 748 through Ohio using I-80 to Ohio and 740 heading through the Virginias. Long day without a stopover. Lexington/ Horse Country. Going shopping? Regardless/ safe travels.

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The nations roads are in large part a mess. Traffic has increased beyond what anyone could imagine and the funding for repairs has not kept pace. Politicians are too busy spending money on people that will re-elect them and not the roads. Frost heave caused mostly by salt melting snow into water and then refreezing (expanding and pushing up against the road surface) is a northern thing mostly. Guess you Texans don't have that problem, but up here we have two seasons winter and road repairs.? I don't like it but I am powerless to do anything about it. We live with it because it is all that we can do except moving to Texas. Got room down there? Oh shoot! My wife hates tornados and hailstorms.

I would still go through Ohio to get to Lexington KY instead of the Hill Billy (trucker talk).

 

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I have yet to figure out what roads to take to MA. this summer.  I do not want I-95 or I-75, guess I'll go to a friend in Ashville first, then figure it out. 

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Maybe I-10 to Baton Rouge, I-12 to bypass the big easy, rejoin I-10,  I-59 north through MS, Al, Ga, ends at I-24, then join I-75 just from Chattanooga to Knoxville, then run with I-40 east from K-town to the start of northbound I-81, north to Scranton and take I-84 to Hartford, then north to Springfield on I-91. Have run them all many times. That way you can stay off the mess also known as I-95,  Believe or not I have hauled live oysters caught in Galveston Bay. Never tasted them but they loved them up north.  What they didn't know.?

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PBARNISH/ so 84 is a mess getting to Hartford?  Big FMCA rally in Springfield Area in August. What is going on with 84?

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Bet you got the oysters at Smith Point...dealer there does around 36 ,18 wheelers a week in season.   Now their  in a big legal battle.

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I travel to Maine/Mass 2x a year for work, I run 287 to 87 to 84 to 90 to 495 to 95 (north of Boston). I have run 287 to 95 and up (gets close to NYC), only a slight delay in CT New Haven have I ever experienced. You will never see me on 95 from Philly over the GW in NYC.

The farther away from NYC the better off you will be, those routes can be hilly and boring but scenic.

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Right on about staying away from 95? What's boring about not being constantly heading to the brake pedal? 

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14 hours ago, ObedB said:

Right on about staying away from 95? What's boring about not being constantly heading to the brake pedal? 

Good point!

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Since I started this.  I might bring everything up to date.  July 11th I have to be back in TX., Then I will leave for a pre rally visit to Springfield, PA.  Got a feeling, I'll be advised from there.

Thank you.

Carl

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