Southeast Massachusetts to Nashville TN

[hedgehog48]

Looking at possibly planning a trip next summer from south eastern Massachusetts to Nashville. Maps look like 95 south to New York, then 287 over tap pan zee bridge . Then 78 into Pennsylvania, 81 to Knoxville tn and then i40 to Nashville. Is this a good route? How is traveling on 81 south versus i95? How bad are the hills? I’m towing a montana fifthwheel with a 6.2 f350 gasser with 4.30 gears. Any input is appreciated.

[suprz]

jplante4 wrote:
Our route through there is I-195 to Providence, then I-95 to Old Lyme CT, CT 9 to Middletown then 66/I-691 to I-84. They just finished rebuilding I-84 through Waterbury and Danbury, so if you've been avoiding it, it's better now.

From there you have a couple of choices. You can stay on I-84 all the way to Scranton to pick up I-81 or take US209 down the Delaware Water Gap and pick up I-80 to I-81.

The roads around the NYC metro area are pretty dismal. The new Tappan Zee bridge is great, but the roads to it are still 3 lane and very crowded.

X2

[hedgehog48]

I didn’t mean it like that, I’ve already been to Hershey park 3 years ago which was nice but I don’t think I can get my wife on all them roller coasters again. Lol

[DrewE]

Hedgehog wrote:
We were looking at Hershey pa but I camped there a few years ago and I don’t remember much to do around that area. It is definitely in the distance range I want to be in.

Well, offhand there is HersheyPark, and the chocolate world, and the (smallish but nice) Hershey Park Zoo, and maybe some events going on at the arena/convention center there. That's plenty to keep me from being bored in Hershey, but your interests may well differ.

[Hedgehog]

We were looking at Hershey pa but I camped there a few years ago and I don’t remember much to do around that area. It is definitely in the distance range I want to be in.

[Hedgehog]

So we are going to do the Nashville trip and we are looking for advice on an area to stay a night or two on the return trip. I don’t mind if it is a little out the way as long as there is stuff to see and do. Prefer an area that is 600 miles at the most from home which is Massachusetts.
I since have also upgraded my tow vehicle to a 6.7 powered F-450 so the fuel range isn’t as much of a concern.

[docsouce]

We use the route jplante4 suggeste, I95 SOUTH TO Rt. 9 north... When we go that direction we like to stay at the "Tri State RV Park" in Matamoras Pa. It's about 235 miles from our house in Seekonk Ma. Which is enough driving for us in one day. This camp is right at the route 209, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area exit off I84.

[magicbus]

We do this every year heading to Florida and every other year, weather permitting, we head over to Nashville to visit friends. One slight change. The Tapan Zee is almost demolished, you will now be taking the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge :).

In addition to a lot of campgrounds (not so many in February :W ) there are some great state parks just off 81 where you can usually stay a night. Also note that Rt 40 in Tennessee has a few twists and turns and it is not the wide open interstate that 81 is.

Dave

[ACZL]

There is a CG just east of the Flying J (below I-77 ???). Go past the J, up/over a hill and CG will be down on left side. Nice, cheap, clean. We stayed there on way back from FL as our 1/2 way point in '18.

[hedgehog48]

We were looking at wytheville va for the trip down and hershey pa for the return trip although I’ve been to hershey and it really didn’t do anything for me so I am up for alternatives

[eastcoasthd]

hedgehog48 wrote:
Looking at possibly planning a trip next summer from south eastern Massachusetts to Nashville. Maps look like 95 south to New York, then 287 over tap pan zee bridge . Then 78 into Pennsylvania, 81 to Knoxville tn and then i40 to Nashville. Is this a good route? How is traveling on 81 south versus i95? How bad are the hills? I’m towing a montana fifthwheel with a 6.2 f350 gasser with 4.30 gears. Any input is appreciated.

Just returned from a 4400 mile round trip from SE Ma. to San Antonio Tx.
Departed in the evening at 630 pm. 495 > 90 > 84 > 81 very little traffic made it to Scranton in about 6 hrs. First fuel stop in Danbury Ct. around 170 miles. Exit 8 off 84, Global gas, easy in and out. Second fuel stop just prior to Scranton, exit 8, Liberty Travel Plaza, Mt. Cobb.

A couple of sections E & W bound of 84 in NY west of the Hudson are under construction and reduced to one lane for several miles. Several areas of rough road in both NY. and PA. on 84. Other than that pretty smooth going all the way down to Knoxville.

You should be fine with the hills. Ran into several 3rd gear / 50 mph climbs with my set up. I preferred manually shifting to keep the revs in the sweet spot. Not a big fan of the 5500 rpm, 2nd gear drops while using cruise.

2016 F250 6.2 3.73
2019 Jayco 25.5 REOK (29’ - 9500 lbs.)

[TenOC]

When I lived in Belchertown MA we went to Nashville a number (30+) of times. There are 3 acceptable routes. (1) I81 as you suggested or
(2) through PA and Ohio or (3) through upstate NY and Ohio. All are about the same distance and depending on the time of day take about the same amount of time. It depends on what you want to see on the way.

[hedgehog48]

Any recommendations for a 1/2 to 3/4 way stopping point for the night for both the way down and the way back?

[DrewE]

Your route is reasonable. jplante4's route is also fine. If memory serves, the bit of I-84 through New York state was rather rough the last time I was on it (a year or so ago).

I-81 is in my opinion a much nicer route than I-95 for getting to Tennessee. I-95 through NYC, Baltimore, and Washington, DC is not exactly fun driving. You'd have to go over the Great Smokey Mountains to get from I-95 to Knoxville, presumably on I-40, and that's at least as bad as anything you'd encounter on I-81. There are hills along I-81, to be sure, but they're generally more of the rolling variety than anything. (No interstate is going to have worse than a 6-7% grade in any case.)

[Horsedoc]

Having been hung up in NYC traffic on some very bad local advice, I might find a way west(I-84 maybe??) above the City and then head south on I-81.

We have traffic in Atlanta, but NYC has TRAFFIC!