What is Your Favorite Driving Road?
Roads give us freedom. They take us to our destination, whether that’s an actual place or a metaphorical reference to the thrills and fulfillment of the perfect combination of automobile and path. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a miles-long straight, a gravel farm road, mountain pass, or canyon asphalt, we all have at least a few favorites on our lists.
So we humbly ask members of the Hagerty Community one question to help us celebrate next week’s special award: What is your favorite driving road?
This is normally where your humble author chimes in with a suggestion in hopes of spurring conversation. But good driving roads are over an hour away from me, and I rarely get the chance to drive that far just to drive some more.
Don’t Look At Me
Instead I have this monstrosity, the Katy Freeway, just a couple of miles from me. I admit the flyovers can give you a giddy little thrill sometimes, but otherwise my life as a car enthusiast revolves around visits to other places with better roads, smaller highways, elevation changes, and a lack of streets designed around a grid.
So help me out here, Hagerty Community, and tell me your thoughts on the matter. What are some good driving roads, and what is your favorite driving road?
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Hey 67 between Elkhorn, WI and Oconomowoc, WI.
FM1431 between Cedar Park, Texas and Marble falls. Lots of hills and curves. It’s a blast.
I’ve taken Tail of the Dragon in my Mini Cooper S, a fun drive! But for a nice day drive in my SLS AMG, I say M22 starting in Traverse City. Great views, enough curves to be fun, and many great spots to stop for a lunch or a cool drink.
Deer Creek road along Mt Charleston north of Vegas. A twisty mountain climb, wicked fun in a hot rod!
Pikes Peak in Colorado. I used to work on the mountain and have been to many of the race weeks.
At the right time of day, the combo Lincoln Drive & the Kelly Drive ranks way up with me. Morris rd from Germantown Academy to Salford twp is excellent as well. Take the trip both ways; they were very different rides on my Ducati 750 GT.
My favorite is in Virginia. Take State route 43 from Altavista to Eagle Rock, especially from Bedford to Buchanan. Part of 43 is on the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Peaks of Otter through Powells Gap. By the way, trucks and commercial vehicles are prohibited on the parkway. I enjoyed the trip in my 1935 Ford – a little overheating going up the mountain, but cooled off going down the other side. Side trips include, Smith Mountain Lake, The D-Day Memorial, kayaking on the James River, and Natural Bridge.
Peninsula Drive on the Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City, Michigan. The views are amazing, speed limit is 35 to 45, 17 miles long. A great top down ride.
We go for mid-week drives in the Gold Country Foothills of the Sierras here in California. Hwy 49 runs north/south and has great sections to enjoy. Nevada City to Sierraville is a great stretch at the north end. Then you go south and the section from Sonora to Mariposa is a lot of fun.
Tail Of The Dragon in North Carolina is awesome! Also the highway in northern Door County leading to the car ferry is full of many sharp curves that really get you laughing.
Rim trail. Beautiful views from the vantage point of driving along a cliff with a valley almost 1200 feet below you. A dirt road through Tonto national forest, the entire road is an old trading route trail from Fort Apache to Fort Verde (where Geronimo was captured) in Arizona. The cliff portion is primarily between Strawberry and Payson.
AZ 89A between Prescott and Cottonwood is one of my all time favorites. Snaking through breathtaking mountain vistas and going through the touristy old ghost town of Jerome is my idea of a fun drive.
Not naming roads but if you Head down to Luckenbach TX and then to Kerrville, you can pick some of the most stomach tingling and butterfly giving roads I’ve ever been on. Wander and you’ll soon see!
Rolling hills you can’t see over until it’s too late, with sweeping blind turns that change in elevation and make you almost weightless at times. Think Isle of Man.
I haven’t pressed this car since it was rebuilt correctly from the ground up, and it is now on sticky 200tw tires, so I have no idea where the “line” or limit is. Still I pushed it to around 50% of what she (I think) had and it was the most fun I’ve ever had in a vehicle.
I rock crawl/race and race ATVs, as well as fish offshore, so I`ve seen a few things.
In California:
Hwy One from Carmel Highlands through Big Sur to Cambria.
Hwy 120 through Yosemite and to Tioga Pass.
Hwy 108 above Twain Harte to Sonora Pass.
Avenue of the Giants, off Hwy 101, Humboldt Redwoods area.
Skyline Rd, Santa Cruz Mountains from Castle Rock Park to Sky Londa.
Hwy 9 between Saratogagap and Big Basin St Park.
Back, not Tail of the Dragon. Too many idiots on Tail. There are many great roads in western NC, but don’t want to tell the secrets.
Byway 12 in Utah. Winding roads, long straights, and tons of elevation changes all while taking in breath taking landscape.