U.S. 20 across New York

[RetiredRealtorR]

What's the overall condition of US 20 across the State of New York? 2 or 4-lane? We're not going to be in a big hurry, but is it slow going? Looks like some interesting smaller towns along the way. Traveling end-July, Buffalo to Albany, then into VT & NH. Thanks in advance for your responses.

[pitch]

What are your interests? Finger Lakes region has been expanded in the last few years. Anything between Rochester and Syracuse,and from the Ontario Shoreline to the PA border is now considered Finger Lakes.
Erie Canal Corridor,Wine and Cheese Trails, Cornell University in Ithaca at the South end of Cayuga, Watkins Glen at the South end of Seneca, Corning Museum of Glass in Corning,kind of out of the FLX but within the expanded FLX borders.
Waterloo Premium Outlet Mall,Geneva is getting a reputation for being a foody town, Seneca Falls has Womans Rights National Park and the newly remodeled knitting mill housing the National Womans Hall of Fame.
Ontario has a couple of State Parks, of route 104, with Chimney Bluffs probably being the best. There is not really a shoreline drive that I know of.
104 is the northern E-W route
Rt 20 runs several miles below that.
Rt 13 Runs on the Southern end of the Finger Lakes,
I-86/Rt 17 makes up the Southern Tier EW corridor.
NY FLX region is about 80 miles E to W, and about 100 N to S. No bad roads,even our seasonal roads are passable except during heavy rain.

[SpeakEasy]

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:
Thanks for the responses. We'll be in a rental car on this trip, not an RV, so it looks like 20 might be interesting and not too challenging.

We're thinking that the Finger Lakes region would be most interesting & picturesque, are we right?

Any opinions on the drive along the south shore of Lake Ontario?

I'm sitting on the western shore of Cayuga Lake right now, looking out at the sparkling-diamond morning-sunshine on the lake. I grew up in the Finger Lakes, and hope to be here until I die. Sailing, swimming, fishing, kayaking, powerboating - can't find a better place for all of this. If you're not able to get out on one of the lakes, there are a ton of family-run wineries that are producing award-winning wines. The Rieslings are notable. On weekends, you can almost always find a local chicken barbecue fund-raiser at a fire hall or church. (The barbecue sauce they all use is the same - a vinegar-based sauce that was developed at Cornell University back in the mid 1950's, I think.)

Route 20 will take you through the town I live in - Canandaigua - where you'll find a lot of small shops and some art galleries on Main Street. (You'll have to get off route 20 to go down Main Street.) Further east, the village of Skaneatelas has lots of those too. Again - right on route 20. Back to the west, outside Buffalo, the town of East Aurora would be an interesting stop. I'm not sure it's right on route 20, but it can't be far off it if it's not. If you go there, Vidler's is an interesting stop. It's an old fashioned "department" store - like what you might have seen in the 1950's.

The drive along Lake Ontario between the Buffalo and Rochester area was in pretty bad shape the last time I drove it (about 2 or 3 years ago). That road is the Lake Ontario Parkway, if I remember correctly. I doubt it has been repaved since then.

I've lived here so long, and love it so much, I've considered writing a travel book for the region. So, if you'd like to PM me for more ideas, feel free.

-Speak

[RetiredRealtorR]

Thanks for the responses. We'll be in a rental car on this trip, not an RV, so it looks like 20 might be interesting and not too challenging.

We're thinking that the Finger Lakes region would be most interesting & picturesque, are we right?

Any opinions on the drive along the south shore of Lake Ontario?

[ACZL]

Lots of hills.

[SpeakEasy]

If you are looking for slow, route 20 will provide it for you. Most of the time it is 2-lane, and it goes through a lot of small towns where you'll see plenty of 35MPH speed limits. It is not a road that has been updated and modernized to speed traffic along.

I avoid it whenever I can, but living here, it is pretty much impossible to avoid it.

-Speak

[Matt_Colie]

Rick,

About two years ago. we took 20 from the Toledo area to Albany. We abandon it on the way through Cleveland because it was too slow and there was only city to see. Once we got clear of that, we ran it all the way to Albany as that was out destination. It was fun, and not much slower than we might run on an interstate. We did detour when south of Rochester to go to the Strong Museum there, but other than that, we stayed with it to Albany. We did not go any farther east.

Matt

[pitch]

20runs the gamut. Mostly two lane opening up tp four in places. Rt. 20 is the main street for many many towns across NY. Expect rural driving interspersed with commercial districts.
Certainly not a drive if you do not want to sight see,a wonderful drive if you want to smell the roses and take it easy
I-90 parallels and not a horrible distance away if you need to escape the slow drive.
Syracuse and Rochester are the largest cities but you can get around the downtown areas with a little map work.

Every fifteen or twenty miles will be a small village that will have you at 30 MPH.
you will want not to be on 20 into Albany, downtown in to all the state offices, congested and stupid.