This is a tour of NY 17, one of the longest routes in the State, as it was originally routed before being transferred to an expressway alignment for most of its length. The travelogue commemorates the beginning of the end of the NY 17 designation, which from Pennsylvania to East Corning was joined by Interstate 86 on December 3, 1999. Upon completion of the Interstate designation, NY 17 will likely be truncated to the short north-south segment in Rockland and Orange Counties.

Before the New York State Thruway was opened, US 20 was the main artery for long-distance travel across the State. It bypasses most large cities and is supplemented in this respect by NY 5 along the Water Level Route. Nationwide, US 20 stretches from the Pacific Coast in Oregon to the city of Boston, Massachusetts.

At its eastern edge, New York's breadth is nearly as great as its length, and NY 22 travels the entire distance between New York City and the Canadian border, the only highway other than Interstate 87 to do so. Hugging the state line, it avoids large cities and is a secondary corridor to the more congested US 9, some distance to the west near the Hudson River.

This unusual highway follows the Delaware River along the New York-Pennsylvania border from Port Jervis to Hancock. This relatively unknown section of New York State provides for a very isolated and beautiful day trip. This description has a more personal slant than the others. The trip took place as part of my journey home from Boston to Rochester shortly before Christmas of 1999.