So driving up to VT from the tristate area, there are a couple options that are just about 4 hours away. Mt Snow, Bromley, Magic etc. Google Maps says the fastest route is the Taconic Pkwy, but anyone who's been on that death trap knows to stay away. So if I'm taking I-91 up to Vermont which resort is the best to drive to in terms of distance from the highway? I hate getting off and then driving 30-45 minutes down country roads but is that unavoidable?
One time I drove to Sugarbush by myself..at night during a storm. Not the smartest move but hey I had to feed the need. Long story short my GPS made me get out at the wrong exit about 50 miles away and took me down country and rural roads including an icy one-lane mountain pass with no lights, guardrails or houses anywhere in sight. Oh and my cellphone had ZERO bars, not even roaming. If I fell off it would have been a while before anyone found me. Extreme example obviously but I would like to avoid those kinds of experiences haha.
Been avoiding 91 like a plague these 16 years of going to VT and I usually make a trip or two a season up there. Much longer drive than I87, much more traffic prone, way more depressing and you still have to drive a fair amount of distance on country roads to get to resorts.
Speaking of country roads I've never had problems with Rt 7 or Rt 100 even during snowstorms. It's been my experience that most minor VT roads are maintained better than some major highways in metropolitan NYC.
So you take 87 and then cross over to VT way upstate?
So if it is unavoidable as I had suspected, which of the options would be best all things considered? And if not I-91 what's the best way (avoiding the Taconic which I loathe).
I think Snow has the worst roads to get there if you take the shortest route which is getting off in Greenfield, MA. It's almost an hour of non interstate.
Stratton is an hour off 91, but vt30 is a pretty good road.
You can poach Ascutney! Close to the highway...but they shut down a few years ago.
Mt. Snow has two ways to get there, and is the closest; Rt. 2/Greenfield, MA over miles of winding two-lane back roads through quaint little New England villages. I love it when I drive by myself. I give myself extra time and stop to take sunrise photos over the hills and churches. But it really sucks if it snowing or icy. If you go a few more exits up 91, take Exit 2/Brattleboro to 9 West. It is still a two lane road, but it's a state highway and usually is better maintained, not as winding, and traffic flows faster (but not by much -- you'll always get stuck behind the local in the Subaru wagon).
The trouble with 91 is rarely the drive up. It's the drive back on Sunday afternoon sucks ass. All mountain roads feed onto it eventually, so by the time you hit the MA state line it is bumper to bumper all the way into CT.
As f00bar said, Stratton is the same Brattleboro exit as Mt. Snow, but you take 9w for a mile before turning up Rts. 30/100. It's a beautiful drive, and you'll pass some great coffee stops, and even a bourbon distillery that does tastings (for the trip home).
Otherwise, yeah...nothing in VT is close to the highway.
Like others said, it is basically unavoidable. Some of those back roads do suck and my GPS has taken my some pretty interesting routes before. The main roads though are normally fine, like others also said. Rt. 4, 100, 9, etc. are normally all maintained very well and cleared very well.
Google Maps is a bit misleading at times and I think that may be due to traffic that it adds in. If I Google for Stratton it'll normally tell me ~3 hours, but it normally takes me 2.5 hrs or so to get there. Loon it tells me 3+ hours, but actually takes 2.5 hrs to get there also.
Thanks for all the good advice guys! Normally I drive during off peak times so for example I'd never be taking I91 back Sunday evening but rather on a random Thursday night after rush hour for example.
Maybe that's part of the problem. When I drive up I'm not interested in scenery because I want to maximize time on the mountain. Ain't nobody got time for that. When I'm driving back it's already dark and I don't see anything regardless lol.
Well, GPS like Waze will take you the quickest route including traffic, etc. however, some of those roads may be less than great in bad weather.
If its bad weather, I try to stick to the main routes as much as possible like 91, 4, 100, etc. because those will be in the best shape. There isn't really a good "scenic" route driving up into VT. The drive out into NW NY or NH is much nicer from a scenery standpoint. Still, I find the drive enjoyable and the day ahead keeps me in good spirits while driving up.
I almost never have traffic issues going up or back and I almost always day-trip up to VT/NH. Perhaps it gets more busy back down towards CT? I get off at I-90 (The Pike) in MA and the only times there's ever really traffic is if there is an accident or snow causing slowness.
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