route help: southern NJ to VA mountains

[newrvers09]

need to avoid the Baltimore tunnel and no desireto drive the 'beltway' for a trip leaving southern NJ to Gordonsville, VA up to Shanendoah mountains in a few days.  We are close to all major highways, just outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Our travel buddies live up in Chester County, PA and are opting for PA turnpike to Rt. 15 South on down into VA and then to Gordonsville, but seems too much out of our way. 

Any suggestions?

 

[bill40]

You could also use 76 to 81 to 33 in VA. It would be some what longer in miles but would be all interstate. Rt. 15 would be good but some parts will be two lanes. I have used both. RT76 will cost a few bucks.

 

[Mc2guy]

The 695 route around B-more is not that far out of your way. 

From Phillly I would take 95S to 695W (outer loop), and stay on 95S.  From there, you can either stay on 95S to Fredericksburg and take Rt3 to SR20 over to Gordonsville, or you could take 95S to 495W in DC, hop on 66W and take 29 South. 

You can take SR15 South in Frederick, MD, but the road is mostly a two lane, windy road that can be VERY congested depending on when you are traveling it.  Staying on 95 will be much faster.

If you decide to take either of these routes on a weekday morning (6-10AM) or evening (3-8PM), you WILL hit DC traffic.  It will be worse in the evening for 95 route, and worse in the morning for the Rt 15 route, but both would be bad regardless.  I would try and hit the Baltimore/DC corridor early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, or late at night.  If you have to drive during a weekday, try and hit Baltimore around 11AM, which should get you through DC by 1PM.


Good luck.

 

[Mc2guy]

BTW, I grew up about 10 miles from Gordonsville, off Rt 20. near Stony Point (went to Stony Point Elementary School).  Now I live outside DC...miss that area a bunch.

Have fun.

 

[newrvers09]

Hey Mr2guy:  We are actually leaving tomorrow (Fri, 7/23) morning and think the 95S to Fredericksburg route sounds good, missing the tunnel and beltway, but probably the fastest and most direct from our neck of the woods. 

We had planned on leaving here, approx 15 miles  south of the Walt Whitman bridge, around 8 a.m. or so.  That might land us smack in the middle of rush hour traffic though ?  We are bringing the GPS and will switch it on once we hit Fredericksburg to find our exact location.

We are camping at Shanendoah Crossing, up there in Gordonsville, you might know of it, since you are from this area.  Some extended family have a time share there and thought it would be a nice long weekend of camping and reunion!  Looks like lots to do just at the CG itself, might check out LuRay caverns and whatever else looks interesting besides some R&R at the campsite! 

Thanks so much for the help.  Ill post an update on the trip.

 

[Mc2guy]

Hey Mr2guy:  We are actually leaving tomorrow (Fri, 7/23) morning and think the 95S to Fredericksburg route sounds good, missing the tunnel and beltway, but probably the fastest and most direct from our neck of the woods. 

We had planned on leaving here, approx 15 miles  south of the Walt Whitman bridge, around 8 a.m. or so.  That might land us smack in the middle of rush hour traffic though ?  We are bringing the GPS and will switch it on once we hit Fredericksburg to find our exact location.

We are camping at Shanendoah Crossing, up there in Gordonsville, you might know of it, since you are from this area.  Some extended family have a time share there and thought it would be a nice long weekend of camping and reunion!  Looks like lots to do just at the CG itself, might check out LuRay caverns and whatever else looks interesting besides some R&R at the campsite! 

Thanks so much for the help.  Ill post an update on the trip.

Leaving at 8AM will put you in Baltimore traffic for sure, but you may avoid DC traffic as Friday's are always light in the morning.  So many Feds and Contractors work a 4 x 10 work week that at least 15% of the work force is usually not working on Friday.

The exact route I would recommend is 95 South to the 695W Beltway around Baltimore.  Pick-up 95S again and take that to the DC 495 Beltway.  At the split to get on 495, stay to the LEFT on 495 East / 95 South.  This is the eastern side of the Beltway or INNER LOOP.  The eastern side is in much better repair and will get you around the city much faster than the 495W side toward Northern Virginia.

After you cross the brand new Wilson Bridge across the Potomac, you will be in Virginia.  In about 5 miles, stay to the left and those lanes will split off onto 95 South again. (wave to the right as you round the bend as my house is about 2 miles from there)

Once on 95S again, its about 50 miles to Fredericksburg, where you will want to take SR 3 West to Route 20 South to Route 15 South to Gordonsville.

Have fun, and good luck.  Saturday is supposed to be 101F up here in DC.  Hopefully you'll get some relief from the heat down there (but I doubt it ;D)