D.C. to the Northeast. What should I see?

After the outing in D.C. (I encourage everyone to come out with us), I'm going to drive up to the Northeast, where I've never been. I don't really want to drive the interstate, and time's not really a concern, so I ask you, SJ, what should I see, and how should I get there? Also, if anyone is close in my travels, a couple of beers are on me.

Thanks.

 

Going through Jersey, that's like your only option.

Even up and around into Pennsylvania is major highway / turnpike

 

Spend a day driving thru Southern Vermont.

Our mountain roads were built to have fun on.

 

You can take Amtrak from DC , up through NYC, along the CT coast and into Boston. Plenty to see and do, depending on what you like.

 

Swingline, have you been to any Nor†heast big cities. Because while it pains New Englanders to say it, if you haven't been to New York City, you positively have to go there. I do also recommend Amtrak to Boston. You can rent a car there and explore the place. I love Cape Cod, but IMO Acadia National Park in Maine around Bar Harbor is one of the country's best national parks. Super beautiful. Far away, though. Five-six hour drive from Boston.

 

So happy I made time for Acadia the last time I was up that way. Drove three hours from Portland, went up Route 1 along the coast for the drive up and it was a beautiful drive through quaint little towns with plenty of great ocean views. Took 95 back to Portland for the drive back just to get back a little quicker. I'm going to carve out a few days to do Acadia again some day, because there's so much to see there. Would love to play the golf course that runs through there, Kebo Valley. Was apparently a favorite of Taft's.

 

This is what we’re doing for our 25th anniversary trip in mid-October.

 

"Big hitter, the Taft."

 

I’ve been to NYC and Boston, seven and 27 years ago, respectively. Loved NYC, although having a friend to show me around probably had a lot to do with that. Boston was fun, too; I especially liked the Constitution.

Acadia sounds like a place I should visit.

 

Second vote for Acadia. My cousin got married up there this summer and we had a blast.

 

Even though they’re pretty far from the “coast,” I’ll plug my happy place, the Finger Lakes.

It’s a 6-hour trip from DC, but once you get past Frederick, it’s a really easy drive up 11/15. And there is no more beautiful stretch of road than Route 15 from Williamsport, PA to Corning, NY.

You can get a pretty decent Airbnb at a condo complex in South Bristol, NY, which usually comes with water access and a private beach. Maybe not on short notice like this, though.