I've been at the Western end in Newport OR and in Boston. Not many traffic Lights. and great scenery esp where it goes thru The Cascades east of Newport Oregon.
From Albany to Buffalo - beautiful countryside drive. Stops everywhere...antiques, history, restaurants, inns. Beautiful villages along the way...Richfield Springs, Cazenovia, Skaneateles...etc. Take a long weekend and meander down Route 20...
We traveled many miles on Route 20 from Geneva at the top of the Finger Lakes east into Albany. We were purposely bypassing the state thruway. Route 20 is slower but much more scenic -- past old villages with beautiful old churches and other buildings This is definitely the way to go to absorb more of the natural surroundings. See New York as it should be seen!
I have lived within a hour of route 20 my entire life. It offers a little bit of everything museums scenic views, a wide range of places to eat, and a ton of attractions along the way or just a short side trip away. I have driven across the entire state many times. It has both the comfortable and familiar but I always see something new.
We travelled this road from Albany heading towards Boston. Very beautiful drive. Slow in some spots but the small towns and lakes were worth it. I felt comfortable taking over the wheel from my husband when he got tired. We loved seeing new places that this route took us. Definately a good road to unwind on and to start enjoying our vacation.
If you are driving to Cooperstown from the East, an alternative choice is to get off Interstate 88 at the Duanesburg exit and take Route 20 nearly all the way to Cooperstown. It is a very scenic drive and for the most part, you can drive 55 miles an hour. The pastoral countryside is lovely in all seasons. Sharon Springs is the nicest small town along the way, so if you want to stop and have lunch or dinner, it would be your best choice.
such a weather worn and beaten road. its so tired, it either needs put to pasture or revamped completely
Decided to try 20 before leaving Ontario as part of the trip down to Boston. Had spent couple of hours getting across the border from Canada and I-90 was full of caravans, RVs, trailers and people hogging the left lane. So when we dropped down onto 20 close to Geneva it was a breath of fresh air. Minimal traffic seems to use this route and there were some very pretty little towns on the route. Stopped for a drink in Skaneateles, which was well worth it, before continuing on East to Albany. With much of the route at state speed limits of 55 and not a single state trooper on the route, this was probably as quick as the I-90 and 100 times more enjoyable.
Rather than take the usual Interstate which rushed you through miles of trees, we decided to take Route 20 on our drive west. It was so nice to drive through all of the towns and see all of the scenery.
Route 20 is called Western Avenue as it travels through Guilderland, NY (immediately west of Albany), and it's the main commercial road through this popular suburb. It's also apparently a prime revenue generator for the town, called "The Gauntlet" by local police who patrol it regularly with speed traps and cameras that scan licence plates and flag alerts for outstanding violations.