For something different, consider traveling up US 7. It travels north through rural western Connecticut, up through the Berkshires in MA and into Vermont. It veers NNW around Burlington and goes to Lake Champlain. You can pick up the Adventure Cycling maps of the Lake Champlain bike routes. They (I think) hook into AC's Adirondack loop maps. If you want to make a circuit, you can follow the Hudson down to NYC and make a loop of the whole trip. Feeling more adventurous? At Albany, pick up the Erie Canal bikepath all the way out to Buffalo.