Geographic Anomalies - Northeast

Areas: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware

City: New York City

These five states hold a lot of our country's history with the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and Gettysburg to name a few. Industrial and mining regions, rolling farmland, big cities and quaint towns make up the diverse landscape of this area. You can ski in the Pocono Mountains, watch whales from Cape May, and enjoy fresh seafood from the Chesapeake Bay and chocolate from Hershey's.

The Northeast is heavily populated in many areas and with the people comes traffic, traffic, traffic. Most main roadways are very congested. You will run into delays, especially during working hours.

Pennsylvania typically has poor roads with potholes and bumps. You will find road construction in many places. The speed limit is 65 mph on major roadways, and less on secondary roads and within city limits. The traffic fines are very high in this state.

In New York, by state law, all overpasses are marked one foot below the actual height. If a sign is marked "12-feet, 8-inches" it is actually 13-feet, 8-inches. If your trailer is 13' 6" you should have no problem passing underneath. Many bridges with have a second sign with "actual height" written on it. If the bridge is over 14-feet, there is no requirement for the height to be marked.

Also in New York are Parkways. These are for cars only. The overpasses are low and if a trucker wanders onto a Parkway by accident he will have to back up to the nearest ramp.

On the toll roads from Maine to Delaware, you can use the EZPass system. A transponder is mounted to your windshield, which emits codes. As you drive through the tollbooth, the fee is automatically deducted from your account. It is very convenient to use since you won't have to wait in line or carry as much cash.

If the weather is bad, always use the Turnpike. It is well taken care of during winter storms. The little bit of cash out is worth the safer driving conditions. And if the weather is really bad, as it sometimes gets in this region, pull off and take a break.

Let us know what it's like to drive in other parts of North America by emailing us at layover.com