From DC you can travel a little west to get to 81 then up thru the pokies in PA, then head north thru catskills, taconic parkway in new york, see cooperstown if you want it’s the headwaters of the Susquehanna river. and then the berkshires in mass.
If someone is going to do I-81 up into the Catskills, two other options that are breathtaking are I-87 in NY, known as the Northway, and I-91 up along the eastern edge of Vermont all the way up to the Canadian border.
That northern part is aka the Northeast kingdom.
VT is very eclectic, to put it nicely. In reality, it’s weird.
You do want to avoid a little town on Rt 4 named Bridgewater. It has a reputation for being family owned and the local LE will ticket you for going even the slightest bit under or over the speed limit, either for speeding or impeding traffic. And his in law, the judge, will NEVER dismiss a ticket the cop writes.
They have a neat little money making system all sewed up tight.
If that has since changed, I’d be glad to hear it, but we’ve been warned to avoid it at all costs.
Thank you. Several people have recommended starting out by going west up thru Pennsylvania and coming back down the coast. We’ve been to Gettysburg so no need to stop again.