I'll be driving from Chicago to Maine in 3 weeks.
I want to explore the country by vehicle. I prefer to avoid highways, crowded cities, overvisited locations.
The majority of my driving is on the backroads by ear with no real destination in mind, just what looks good on the map, and a vague idea of where I want to be at dusk.
Along the way I like to look for hiking spots, vistas, twisting roads, local eats, gun/car museums, National Forests, historical sights, local nature, a place to pull over and relax. Recommend me hiking spots around Maine, Vermont, and anything else along my route.
I sleep in my truck, either on the side of the road, or at a campground. As long as I can pull over somewhere, I'm good for the night.
I'm considering going through Canada on the way back. Can I pull off sleeping in my car in Canada? Can I cruise through the countryside as I please? please share you experience.
I would like to, if time allows drive up to Nova Scotia, circle around the entire thing.
What kind of weather should I prep for?
Frick off tourist we're full
>I want to explore the country by vehicle. I prefer to avoid highways, crowded cities, overvisited locations.
So you want to turn a 23 hour drive into an 80 hour drive? How much free time do you have for this trip? Are you a NEET?
yes. that is exactly what I like to do. im a neet with a cushy work from home job where i can easily take off 3 weeks in a row
>im a neet
>with a cushy work from home job
At least you acknowledge that working from home isn't a real job.
working from home is real and its beautiful. hardware gays are just jelly.
im more productive at home when im not glued inside an over lit cubicle and smelly coworkers
but yes, i like to take backroads when possible. i figure i would drive out on the highway to around syracuse. and then take be backroads over to maine.
i got friends in toronto, so on my way back im probably going to zip through canada to get there.
>hardware gays
L
what do you think about this route through maine? will these roads be passable in october?
I drive 2021 F150 4x4 on truck tires
Everything will be passable, no snow yet
Vermont... im an PrepHoletist so i want to send you up and over app gap/17 or lincoln gap. Lincoln gap is gnarly steep, theres national forest roads off it for camping too on the east side.
Nh kancamangus highway/franconia notch are it.
Ive camped on the top of kanc pass with a small fire and not been bothered
Sorry, west side has the nf roads on lincoln gap
Babbys first road trip in the new trucc huh?
>Babbys first road trip in the new trucc huh?
no, ive been doing this for years with a rental. moved out to the countryside and needed a truck, so bought one i rented before. i. got the v6 tarbo its nice
thanks for the fuel tip.
nice info here, i will look into those spots.
so far ive probably spent about 45 nights in a car either at a camp ground, side of the road, or mall parking lot. never had anyone bother me yet.
so its all dirt roads with large gaping potholes?
does it get busier or emptier towards the end of october but before halloween
>all dirt roads with large gaping potholes
Yes as well as huge frost heave and lots of washboarding. But the worst part is that some of the tires in the North Woods especially--the roads owned by logging companies not public--are shale instead of regular gravel which has sharp edges that are rough on tires. Just carry an extra spare if you're traveling alone.
>does it get busier or emptier
Bad news anon, Maine is famous for fall foliage and the leaf peepers come up here in fricking droves. Just like with the summer traffic though, most of that is concentrated in Acadia and along the coast so you're a little better off in the northern and western parts of the state, but still will see lots of tourists.
thanks, i wasnt planning to be near arcadia, ill try to stick to the empty west side of maine, if the road is passable, i'll take it.
whats the bear situation up there?
how does NY treat open carry from other states? can i have a firearm on me in NY locked in a box with ammo separate?
>arcadia
It's Acadia you illiterate frick
>carry in NY
Don't open carry unless you want to get your butthole expanded by Tyrone for several years. Don't conceal carry either. Lock box suggestion is correct, IF you are only passing through the state stopping for nothing but food and gas. But not all the cops are familiar with the law, so best option is to not get pulled over at all. Also--the lock boxes must be in the trunk out of reach of the driver.
This guy's drunk. Our state relies on tourism dollars. Just please for the love of frick don't buy a home here. Tourists are welcome to come in, spend a bunch of money and then get the frick out again. If you're not some fricking stuck up Karen from Massachusetts I don't even mind seeing you on the trails.
Passable? Yes, if you're prepared. Bring an extra spare tire, tools and extra fuel. Those roads out there are seriously in bumfrick nowhere territory and some of them are merciless on tires.
If you're into fishing you should check out the Miramichi River in New Brunswick on your way to Nova Scotia, there's some good fish in there.
For New York, I would swap out I-90 with I-86/88 between Erie and Albany. Visit some rock cities in southwestern NY, waterfalls and lakes near Ithaca, and caverns near Cooperstown. Stop at Mossy Bank Park in Bath (right off the Southern Tier Expressway) for a crazy good view and hiking trails.
If you decide to go the I-90 route, see the sunset at Lake Erie State Park which is free in the evening hours. Green Lakes State Park near Syracuse is also unique and there are some nice waterfalls close to there (Chittenango and Pratts are two of the better ones). Montezuma Wildlife Refuge is right off the Thruway if you want to do some birdwatching.
For non-interstate driving, I'd suggest Route 6 that goes across northern Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Wilds has quality hiking and views without the typical northeast crowds.
Please
please
please stop in Binghamton NY and drive me at lest 30 miles out. I neeeeed to get out of this shithole but I can't drive and 30 miles is too long a walk
OP here, im loosely planning my route.
im going to book it from chicago to buffalo on the first day, its a 10 hour drive. then in the morning im going to hit the side streets and make my way to upper new york sightseeing along the way. Im aiming to end up somewhere around Old Forge, looks like a lot of forest preserves. anything here worth of interest?
the next day i might drive to montreal, and then out south into vermont.
There is nothing in upstate new york worth going their for the value... its about witnessing how somewhere so close to so many economic centers is so destitute, fricked, and fricking beautiful at the same time.
Literally only new york could frick up such a region so hard. Its so ragged and sick, but so so fricked. Miles of essentially abandoned properties and aidirondack park.
I love going to ny to buy vehicles without titles
Make sure your tank is full when you leave the interstate, and any fuel station you see after 5pm fill up. There wont be others
OP, the finger lakes and the Adirondacks are both nice areas in NY. I-90 sucks because there's no scenery near it. Go through VT and NH into ME, there's not much to see in western MA.
Former NY-anon here. This is sadly true. Went from downstate to Rochester many times and there is very little economy between the major cities. The smaller state parks aren't good enough to support tourist economies.
NY has some of the worst gun laws in the country. You can find articles about their response to the Bruen decision to make (legal) concealed carry very difficult. You can transport it locked and unloaded due to federal law, but that only applies if you're just passing through as another anon pointed out.
That's a great route. Go through Newcomb for a decent town beach for swimming and access to trailheads for the Mount Marcy hike. Long Lake also has lake access iirc. Could also take the longer north route through lake placid and see the olympic stuff.
Crowds thin out noticeably once you clear Old Forge, but thicken again near lake placid. You can cross lake champlain into vermont which is cool I forget which road is best. You can see the Adirondaks/Green mts from either side which is cool.
Crown point bridge is prolly the sickest unless you get off on ferries, in which case jerk yourself off to that.
Also there is a museum in Blue Mountain but I have never been.
Mainegay reporting in. The Green Mountains and White Mountains through NH and VT are beautiful, I'd get off the Interstate and take the state highway through there. As for places to go in ME, Acadia National Park is the most famous, and it's pretty nice for the hiking (shit camping though) but holy frick is it packed full of tourists right now. They are bad every year but this summer is worse than usual. Your best bet is to skip the coast unfortunately and head for Baxter State Park and the North Woods. (The North Woods is land owned by logging companies that they let you do outdoor recreation on, you have to pay a fee to use their roads). Lots of free or cheap camping out there, unfortunately a lot of them now you have to reserve a spot cause there are so many goddamn people. Buy a copy of the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer, there are lots of lesser known free public campsites marked on it.
Bring lots of bug dope. Be ready for any weather. Everyone's drunk, high and carrying guns and no one gives a frick what you do. Barely any crime, you don't have to worry much about people fricking with your stuff unless you're in a city, thanks to some demographic traits of our state that need not be mentioned here. Cops or overly helpful old boomers might come tap on your window if you're sleeping in your truck at night, you might be better off finding free campgrounds, Walmart lots or park-n-rides but those are plentiful.
>I'll be driving from Chicago
You should stay there. Our unofficial tourist slogan is "If you're not going PrepHole here in January and February then stay the frick out in September and October."
I had this mentality for a while till I actually did it and took backroads on road trips a few times.
>These 2 lane country roads are often poorly maintained.
>You'll have to slow down/stop in dozens of tiny towns.
>The speed limit is low and often changes dramatically. You have to be careful not to get tickets.
>You'll probably get a flat tire.
>Dodging deer/wildlife (particularly after dark) is not fun.
>You'll get stuck behind heavy farm equipment/trucks.
>The locals will tailgate and get frustrated with you because they know the twisty roads and you don't.
>Probably not an issue with your trip, but I nearly ran out of gas in eastern Montana. It's a BIG country man, keep an eye on your range.
Just my experience, and now I stick to the main highways. It's just easier in every way and can pull off to see some local attraction if needed. Good luck!
I cant agree with any of that.
Never been stuck behind slow traffic for long. Longest time I remember was some local boomer doing the speed limit for 20 minutes along this windy road from one town to the next. all other times they pull off, I pass, or I take a different road.
small towns are neat to view, and i have no problem slowing down in them. respect the locals, drive their limit. between towns, fricking 70-90 in a 55/60
havnt had a flat in 15 years
seen a few black bears, deers, always a danger
from my experience, i drive better than the locals. ive never been tailgated and i drive 8/10 on some roads. this one time i accidently ended up on tail of the dragon, tore through it at dusk with not a single other car on it, didnt realize it till i made it to the gift shot at the end of it. lol. it was fun, i immediately ran it the other way. its a bit scary at night.
what i fricking hate is driving on 2 lane interstate slowly passing morons and fighting to go around. then needing to fuel up, and end up behind those same morons again. I fricking hate interstate driving
i will always take backroads when possible. the best driving is back there. very little traffic, no cops, pull over and sleep on any side of the road, never been bothered, never had issues. its the best, most amazing driving experience. this is all i do for vacay, drive out somewhere, or fly out and rent a truck and live out of it for a week.
This. My state is full of old people so slow drivers are a little more common, but other than that I agree and I like back roads better if I'm not in a hurry. You find cool local spots that you won't find from the Interstate on on a map. Locals tend to haul ass on country roads. They also tend to drive while piss fricking hammered which presents a bigger road hazard than deer or flat tires.
Always have a spare tire, fuel and basic tools. You might not have phone service to call AAA if you break down, and even if you do the truck might get lost. Hard to get them to your exact location when you haven't passed a cross road or a mailbox in miles