One of my favorite roadways. I was born and raised on LI, in Huntington. My family had a lake house on Roaring Brook Lake from 1946 till 1988. Pudding St was our "exit." Except in my time, it wasn't an "exit" in the modern sense of the work. It was a cross street identified by a wooden sign post with the Pudding St name in white on green background hanging from the sign post, as all "exits" on the Taconic were identified at that time. The Taconic was built in stages from the late 20's until the last segment was built in the early 60's to make the connection to the Berkshire Section of the Thruway. The Taconic was never meant to be a commuter highway. The roadway was built to the contours of the landscape, not the other way around. There are narrow sections, especially through the Hudson Highlands in Putnam. In the 50s, 60s & 70s, there were no exit ramps or entrance ramps. Quaint street signs mounted on wooden posts noted the cross streets, such as Peekskill Hollow Rd, Pleasantville Rd, Rt 6, Rt 129, Rts 202 & 35, Bryant Pond Rd, Pudding St, etc. After going through the traffic signals at the beginning of the parkway in Valhalla, you came to the infamous Hawthorne traffic circle with the connection to the Saw Mill River Pkwy. After that, the Taconic was a 4 lane parkway w/ NO box rail median - just a double yellow line. There was only one bridge across the Croton Reservior that carried north and south bound lanes until a 2nd bridge was built in 1970. The parkway, especially in the Westchester section, was beautiful. It was meant to follow the contours of the land it was built on with accents such as wooden guard rails and wooden street lamp posts. Even today, with the concrete Jersey barriers and metal guard rails, the parkway stays true to its roots. And the section through Putnam and the Hudson Highlands is truly beautiful. Keep it narrow, enjoy the landscape, no need to drive 70; the parkway was built originally with a design speed limit of 45. If you drive the current 55 mph speed limit, you will truly enjoy the parkway as it was meant to be.
I am back again. I looked up the parkway on Wikipedia, and found that it was proposed by Franklin Roosevelt in 1925, while he was Chairman of the Taconic State Park Commission, but was not completed until 1963. In fact, I remember vaguely driving on part of it in the late 1950s, and already found it mesmerizing. Indeed, for anyone else who is immersed in this drive, the Wikipedia description adds a lot of useful information, including things to look for as you drive through the different counties. A lot of history. Thank you for screening!
Wow! I’m glad to find this. The Taconic was one of my favorites routes from NYC to Vermont, and I drove it at least 80 times both ways. Talk about memory lanes. This is a memory highway.
Haven't driven this road in over 15 years. Does it have alot of potholes? Can a sports car like the Cayman drive on there without getting too beat up? The US Northeast has so many great roads. Couple of years ago I drove from Danbury CT to New Haven CT... that was a great,long winding road.
Years ago I saw a woman near the dutchess county Police barracks off the taconic parkway drive off into the woods off a cliff. We stopped our van to run to see if we can help her and the car was wedged into between two trees and she couldn't get out but she didn't fall to her death. Truly incredible. It's probably in the news somewhere
In September 2020 the family I took this road from the Bronx to Hudson for most of the ride to avoid toll roads, to see some old friends I ain't seen in decades. Great views and loved the windy path it took me.
Moved here 3 months ago from north Texas. I make this drive twice a day now from the 20.5 mark to about the 43 mark. At first it was 55 or below and white knuckles. Now it’s just like the rest of them, 70 to 75 , or more!
I travelled the TSP a ton of times, going from CT to NYC. I hate 'The Rocks' below I-84, even though I know it well and am willing to drive it at speed (which is 70+ mph) when conditions permit. It's scary both sides. Rocks northbound, rock wall southbound. I was driving a friend to from NYC to Lenox, MA and a really nasty storm hit. I usually drive the TSP at speed, but not that day. I told my friend that I really don't like the conditions and I don't want to end-up in The Rocks. Then, a jack@$$ blew past me, at about 75 mph. I said to my friend, "Betcha we'll be seeing that butthhole in The Rocks...." About a mile or so before I-84, the end of The Rocks, guess what we saw... Yes, that butthole had totaled his nice, fast Porche in The Rocks. Thank God he was OK. However, he did get what he deserved. The Rocks ate his Porche. Even with The Rocks, the TSP is a treat to drive, until you get to Columbia County, with its speed traps. I know a lot of people who got nailed on the TSP in Columbia County.
Wow, every time I go by a stretch of road repair, I wonder if I should invest in the company that supplies the hundreds of barrels placed there to keep drivers in their lanes. It’s not just here, I had the same feeling when following road trips in Scotland and England. Count them as you pass and you’ll see what I mean.
I’m back again. I recommend other viewers should follow this trip with Full Length Interstates’ full length drive north on Route 87, from NYC to Canada. I also drove up and down that route at least 80 times. Thanks for the memories.
It's the best connection between Long Island/NYC and Albany. I made the drive south a number of times on weekends when the Thruway was packed, and the Taconic still flowed. However: 1 - I would never drive this parkway in a snowstorm 2 - I was driving home on the empty Upper Taconic at night once with my young son, a deer ran out of the woods right into our path, I had no time to avoid it, and almost miraculously it turned at the last possible second, and we only sideswiped it. So don't drive the Upper Taconic at night. 3- They love to write speeding tickets on the Upper Taconic.
Back in the '90s when I was traveling up and down this road I don't remember there being a toll booth I remember coming off of 90 heading east onto the taconic and I don't remember there being any toll booth or any structures of any kind as you started on the taconic Maybe I'm just forgetting it but I traveled it quite a bit and I don't ever remember there being a toll booth If anyone knows for sure what year they put a toll booth in I'd be interested to know if my memory is correct
Was there ever since the last segment of TSP was completed to the Berk Extension (I-90) in early 1960’s. Apparently you never noticed? Maybe you’ve only driven thru via EZPass, but I go way back to the days of Thruway tickets and cash payments.
So not a fan of this parkway. Drove on it a couple of months ago from NYC to Poughkeepsie. The lanes are so narrow, everyone going 70 and above. I felt like I was going to get sideswiped any second. Road kill everywhere. And it was pitch black coming back home. I can't even imagine driving in the snow on this parkway.
Yeah definitely takes getting used to. But if you know what to expect and you know the limits of your car and your driving ability its not too bad. Its a stressful drive if you need to get somewhere fast (have a deadline) but in those cases its just better to take the train (which is pretty good).
I commuted on it for 18 years. Some days I was so tired, I took 684 even though it was out of my way. Other days, I felt like my weariness was manageable, so I just drove it, reflexes kick in. Not afraid, but very focused. Many days though, I was pumped to drive it, ready for anything, had my tunes cranking and had a great time.
I had ezpass, but I don't remember what year I got it. I might have had it back in 95 I remember getting a paper ticket in the 70s,80s and early 90s Maybe I had E-ZPass or maybe I just forgot about paying the toll I remember paying the toll on i-78 that was originally 50 cents to cross from New Jersey into PA but not from PA into New Jersey which I never understood why they only had it on one side And I remember paying at the harriman plaza back when it was $2 from exit 24 to Harriman The last time I went through and paid cash I think it was $3.85 I had E-ZPass from pretty early on because I traveled the Thruway a lot As I understand it they're going to be phasing out the cash windows on all of the throughways and if you don't have an E-ZPass they send you a bill in the mail by taking a picture of the license plate and sending it to the registered owner of the vehicle I like the idea of E-ZPass only exits because it doesn't require the toll barrier and all the extra stuff they have to do to make an exit they can just have the overhead readers and have a stop sign or traffic light if needed for the exit It used to be super quiet on the taconic at night I remember being the only car going down or coming back up They used to have the roads where they intersected and crossed over the taconic with a stop sign I guess they've done away with those intersections because of the increased traffic but it was really convenient And I remember the old two pump gas stations and the no-tell motels The motels were little shed style bungalows Big parts of history that don't exist anymore And all of the farms that used to be in Columbia County and dutchess County down around Red Hook it used to be all farms and huge orchards on both sides of the turnpike and they're all gone now Very depressing
There are still plenty of at grade intersections in Columbia and Duchess. In Columbia county in the middle of a weekday in the winter you can go miles without ever seeing a car. It’s still not busy at all up north.
One of my favorite roadways. I was born and raised on LI, in Huntington. My family had a lake house on Roaring Brook Lake from 1946 till 1988. Pudding St was our "exit." Except in my time, it wasn't an "exit" in the modern sense of the work. It was a cross street identified by a wooden sign post with the Pudding St name in white on green background hanging from the sign post, as all "exits" on the Taconic were identified at that time. The Taconic was built in stages from the late 20's until the last segment was built in the early 60's to make the connection to the Berkshire Section of the Thruway. The Taconic was never meant to be a commuter highway. The roadway was built to the contours of the landscape, not the other way around. There are narrow sections, especially through the Hudson Highlands in Putnam. In the 50s, 60s & 70s, there were no exit ramps or entrance ramps. Quaint street signs mounted on wooden posts noted the cross streets, such as Peekskill Hollow Rd, Pleasantville Rd, Rt 6, Rt 129, Rts 202 & 35, Bryant Pond Rd, Pudding St, etc. After going through the traffic signals at the beginning of the parkway in Valhalla, you came to the infamous Hawthorne traffic circle with the connection to the Saw Mill River Pkwy. After that, the Taconic was a 4 lane parkway w/ NO box rail median - just a double yellow line. There was only one bridge across the Croton Reservior that carried north and south bound lanes until a 2nd bridge was built in 1970. The parkway, especially in the Westchester section, was beautiful. It was meant to follow the contours of the land it was built on with accents such as wooden guard rails and wooden street lamp posts. Even today, with the concrete Jersey barriers and metal guard rails, the parkway stays true to its roots. And the section through Putnam and the Hudson Highlands is truly beautiful. Keep it narrow, enjoy the landscape, no need to drive 70; the parkway was built originally with a design speed limit of 45. If you drive the current 55 mph speed limit, you will truly enjoy the parkway as it was meant to be.
I am back again. I looked up the parkway on Wikipedia, and found that it was proposed by Franklin Roosevelt in 1925, while he was Chairman of the Taconic State Park Commission, but was not completed until 1963. In fact, I remember vaguely driving on part of it in the late 1950s, and already found it mesmerizing. Indeed, for anyone else who is immersed in this drive, the Wikipedia description adds a lot of useful information, including things to look for as you drive through the different counties. A lot of history. Thank you for screening!
Wow! I’m glad to find this. The Taconic was one of my favorites routes from NYC to Vermont, and I drove it at least 80 times both ways. Talk about memory lanes. This is a memory highway.
One of my favorite drives, so beautiful in the fall brings back memories. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I drove this way many times. Thank you for the video. It makes me miss my old time in NY!
same here !
Haven't driven this road in over 15 years. Does it have alot of potholes? Can a sports car like the Cayman drive on there without getting too beat up?
The US Northeast has so many great roads. Couple of years ago I drove from Danbury CT to New Haven CT... that was a great,long winding road.
Years ago I saw a woman near the dutchess county Police barracks off the taconic parkway drive off into the woods off a cliff. We stopped our van to run to see if we can help her and the car was wedged into between two trees and she couldn't get out but she didn't fall to her death. Truly incredible. It's probably in the news somewhere
Good grief!!! So happy she survived and that YOU were probably her saviour😍😍😍
In September 2020 the family I took this road from the Bronx to Hudson for most of the ride to avoid toll roads, to see some old friends I ain't seen in decades. Great views and loved the windy path it took me.
Took me back when I was a kid. Thanks
Having a stone wall so close to the road is nuts.
Moved here 3 months ago from north Texas. I make this drive twice a day now from the 20.5 mark to about the 43 mark. At first it was 55 or below and white knuckles. Now it’s just like the rest of them, 70 to 75 , or more!
You should see all the ice on it in the winter time
I travelled the TSP a ton of times, going from CT to NYC. I hate 'The Rocks' below I-84, even though I know it well and am willing to drive it at speed (which is 70+ mph) when conditions permit. It's scary both sides. Rocks northbound, rock wall southbound. I was driving a friend to from NYC to Lenox, MA and a really nasty storm hit. I usually drive the TSP at speed, but not that day. I told my friend that I really don't like the conditions and I don't want to end-up in The Rocks. Then, a jack@$$ blew past me, at about 75 mph. I said to my friend, "Betcha we'll be seeing that butthhole in The Rocks...." About a mile or so before I-84, the end of The Rocks, guess what we saw... Yes, that butthole had totaled his nice, fast Porche in The Rocks. Thank God he was OK. However, he did get what he deserved. The Rocks ate his Porche.
Even with The Rocks, the TSP is a treat to drive, until you get to Columbia County, with its speed traps. I know a lot of people who got nailed on the TSP in Columbia County.
Yes, watch the rocks on 28:20 and 40:50.
This road isn’t too bad during the day but if you drive on it at night in the rain it’s a totally different story
Thank you for sharing. My Exit was Exit 41, desteny Hopewell Junction with a Chevy Malibu.
a masterpiece video of masterpiece highway bravo bravo this video is historic
Wow, every time I go by a stretch of road repair, I wonder if I should invest in the company that supplies the hundreds of barrels placed there to keep drivers in their lanes. It’s not just here, I had the same feeling when following road trips in Scotland and England. Count them as you pass and you’ll see what I mean.
I’m back again. I recommend other viewers should follow this trip with Full Length Interstates’ full length drive north on Route 87, from NYC to Canada. I also drove up and down that route at least 80 times. Thanks for the memories.
Beautiful parkway ❤ the autumn colours.
I'm interested in things US from Australia 🇦🇺 hence the Australian spelling and vocabulary
It's the best connection between Long Island/NYC and Albany. I made the drive south a number of times on weekends when the Thruway was packed, and the Taconic still flowed. However: 1 - I would never drive this parkway in a snowstorm 2 - I was driving home on the empty Upper Taconic at night once with my young son, a deer ran out of the woods right into our path, I had no time to avoid it, and almost miraculously it turned at the last possible second, and we only sideswiped it. So don't drive the Upper Taconic at night. 3- They love to write speeding tickets on the Upper Taconic.
Back in the '90s when I was traveling up and down this road I don't remember there being a toll booth
I remember coming off of 90 heading east onto the taconic and I don't remember there being any toll booth or any structures of any kind as you started on the taconic
Maybe I'm just forgetting it but I traveled it quite a bit and I don't ever remember there being a toll booth
If anyone knows for sure what year they put a toll booth in I'd be interested to know if my memory is correct
Was there ever since the last segment of TSP was completed to the Berk Extension (I-90) in early 1960’s. Apparently you never noticed? Maybe you’ve only driven thru via EZPass, but I go way back to the days of Thruway tickets and cash payments.
DUDE, turn the wipers off!
So not a fan of this parkway. Drove on it a couple of months ago from NYC to Poughkeepsie. The lanes are so narrow, everyone going 70 and above. I felt like I was going to get sideswiped any second. Road kill everywhere. And it was pitch black coming back home. I can't even imagine driving in the snow on this parkway.
Only a small part of this way is very narrow from NYC to Poughkeepsie
That stone wall so close to the road is criminally hazardous. I took this road because I thought it would be scenic. Got a nervous breakdown instead.
@@bigtex4058 I drove to fish kill from nyc in a minibus it was brutal
Yeah definitely takes getting used to. But if you know what to expect and you know the limits of your car and your driving ability its not too bad. Its a stressful drive if you need to get somewhere fast (have a deadline) but in those cases its just better to take the train (which is pretty good).
I commuted on it for 18 years. Some days I was so tired, I took 684 even though it was out of my way. Other days, I felt like my weariness was manageable, so I just drove it, reflexes kick in. Not afraid, but very focused. Many days though, I was pumped to drive it, ready for anything, had my tunes cranking and had a great time.
I had ezpass, but I don't remember what year I got it. I might have had it back in 95
I remember getting a paper ticket in the 70s,80s and early 90s
Maybe I had E-ZPass or maybe I just forgot about paying the toll
I remember paying the toll on i-78 that was originally 50 cents to cross from New Jersey into PA but not from PA into New Jersey which I never understood why they only had it on one side
And I remember paying at the harriman plaza back when it was $2 from exit 24 to Harriman
The last time I went through and paid cash I think it was $3.85
I had E-ZPass from pretty early on because I traveled the Thruway a lot
As I understand it they're going to be phasing out the cash windows on all of the throughways and if you don't have an E-ZPass they send you a bill in the mail by taking a picture of the license plate and sending it to the registered owner of the vehicle
I like the idea of E-ZPass only exits because it doesn't require the toll barrier and all the extra stuff they have to do to make an exit they can just have the overhead readers and have a stop sign or traffic light if needed for the exit
It used to be super quiet on the taconic at night I remember being the only car going down or coming back up
They used to have the roads where they intersected and crossed over the taconic with a stop sign
I guess they've done away with those intersections because of the increased traffic but it was really convenient
And I remember the old two pump gas stations and the no-tell motels
The motels were little shed style bungalows
Big parts of history that don't exist anymore
And all of the farms that used to be in Columbia County and dutchess County down around Red Hook it used to be all farms and huge orchards on both sides of the turnpike and they're all gone now
Very depressing
There are still plenty of at grade intersections in Columbia and Duchess. In Columbia county in the middle of a weekday in the winter you can go miles without ever seeing a car. It’s still not busy at all up north.
Im in dutchess county!
It should be banned🤯 Or you should have an escort!!!!