Road trip to DC tomorrow

[02redhawk]

I’m riding down to DC tomorrow which will take me across either the GW bridge or the Tapan Zee bridge. I expect traffic “might” be a bit less because of the long weekend but figure someone on here has more experience with the route. Considering it’ll be the Friday before Memorial Day would you recommend:

Morning ride from the Providence area down 95 S then:
- straight over the GW bridge
- take the Merit Parkway to the Tapan Zee, then down the Palisade Parkway

I’d planned on stopping at the rest area just before the Merit Parkway and checking Waze.

[SRTie4k]

Whenever I head down that way, I avoid 95 at all costs. I think I'd take 84 to Scranton then 81 the rest of the way. It's so much more relaxing than 95, despite the extra time it takes.

[TheIglu]

Taking the Tappan Zee may get you a bit wet.

I'd take the Mario M Cuomo bridge instead.



Hell no to the GW and 95. HELL no.

[tls25rs]

Avoid the GW if you can. Pretty much any other option is better.

[MattR302]

Absolutely Tapp over GWB.

[e30addict]

Go through white plains and then down 287. Or the palisades parkway if you want to pick up the NJTP on the other side of the GWB.

Agreed that 84 to 81 is a more pleasant trip. You can either cut over on 15 or stay on 81 to Winchester and then boot an hour east to d.c.

[02redhawk]

Thanks for the great tips. I haven't made that trip in 30+ years and I was sure it wasn't any better.

I'm riding down with my brother who wants to do the Rolling Thunder event in DC. It's the last year for it so I'll give it a go. I'll likely be the only one there on a Yamaha. Now that I'm thinking of it I went to Sturgis a couple years ago for him and was about the only non Harley out of 700K bikes that week. Seems he owes me on picking the next trip. Why not IOM?

[02redhawk]

Guess I missed the name change for the new span though I don't know how having traveled across the Pap probably 50 times in the last 3 years. That would be one hell of a drop.

[Jim]

i just drove home from DC yesterday.
take the GW going south, and the Tappan Zee going north. Gas prices have skyrocketed in NJ, so it's actually cheaper to get gas in NY before the bridge

[Garandman]

Waze seems brain damaged for that part of the trip. It always seems to route you down towards the city, then you get stuck in 20 more minutes of traffic. Another vote for 287.

I stick a waypoint in Nyack to force the route there.

[golden chicken]

On a bike without nav I tend to stick to 95 as much as possible, so I don't have to rely on my phone battery/data until I get much closer to the destination.

[Garandman]

On a bike without nav I tend to stick to 95 as much as possible, so I don't have to rely on my phone battery/data until I get much closer to the destination.

You can do it the old fashioned way: Route instructions written on paper in tank bag or taped to tank. With Google Maps it’s easier than ever before, because the turns and exact distances are given.

Reset your trip odometer to start and use big letters!

[golden chicken]

You can do it the old fashioned way: Route instructions written on paper in tank bag or taped to tank. With Google Maps it’s easier than ever before, because the turns and exact distances are given.

Reset your trip odometer to start and use big letters!

Yeah, that's not a trip I intend to make alone on a bike ever again.