Travel Advice please

Friends, once again I come hat in hand seeking your advice. Today I have what I hope are hypothetical questions, concerning a drive from Boston to Washington DC.

Suppose someone were to move from Boston to Washington DC in a fully loaded small car along with a small dog. All things being equal-ish, with neither time nor distance of the essence, but having no wish to stop in NYC, it feels like a good idea to avoid the area all together. Is this right thinking? Is this a situation where adding an extra 100 highway miles saves 4 hours in city traffic?

Option one is to drive south from Boston across Connecticut then to Scranton, Pa south to, Harrisburg, to DC.

Second is to suck it up and take the 90/95 route through the city.

There must be a preferred way? WDTLD? What do the locals do?

You're life savers thank you so very much.

Toad

Mea Culpa

Once upon a time a seemingly angry, yet mistaken woman let slip that men don't, or won't follow instructions, read manuals, or ask for directions. Like most other urban legends this egregious lie took on a life of its own, and ever since men have been unfairly tarred with the directions brush. Except for me. I have it coming, and am required to share with the world my faux pas.

I didn't read the manual. A job that had I read the manual first, would have taken 30 minutes in balmy weather, has since taken the better part of 3 days in near 100F (36C) temps to complete. Once I finally read the manual my task was completed in less than half an hour.

Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa. Hold me up as the exception rather than the rule.

Toad