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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There is hardly a straight road on Cape Cod! My favorite is Pimlico Pond road in Sandwich
A lap around Torch Lake in Northwest lower Michigan. Mostly county roads. Also circle Lake Leelanau, north-west of Traverse City.
The west side of the Leelanau peninsula on M22 isn’t a bad ride either.
Arkansas Scenic Pig Trail
https://www.arkansas.com/ozark/outdoor-recreation/pig-trail-scenic-byway
Favorite stretch of freeway is I-5 southbound, just south of Dunsmuir, CA.
Favorite country road is Cal 128, heading west from I-5. The first part goes through twisty, rocky, up and down
riverside terrain–fun! Then it goes through lovely green, treelined countryside on its way to the Napa Valley.
Favorite dirt road is the Oakville Grade between Napa and Sonoma. Very narrow and twisty. And the Mustangs slow me down. LOL!
All that being said, these were a ton of fun in a 49 HP Fiat 128, but my high-powered 105 HP Civic has removed any question about the wisdom of, “It’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow.” It’s all relative!
In the 70’s the Arab oil embargo brought a national speed limit of 55, and I searched for a quicker east/west route than interstate 80. Luckily I found it in the stretch of US 50 through Nevada that was later named “The Loneliest Road in America” by Life magazine. Publicity brought no doubt fame and traffic, but when I drove it you could go for a half hour without seeing another car. Needless to say, the “speed limit” was whatever you wanted to go. I’m sure it’s still just as scenic but definitely not as lonely…
I’m a driver, and I love being outdoors. So I would have to say I enjoy driving on any road that doesn’t look like the lunar surface and doesn’t involve stop and go on a major artery. This is what we have to deal with here…
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMMshfYP3/
So many great roads, but my favorite is Highway 395 between Burns and Pendleton, Oregon. The curves and remarkable vistas, especially near the town of Long Creek, are flat-out wonderful, and the lack of traffic makes it even better. The route invariably reminds me that there are huge portions of Oregon where almost no one lives. Looking forward to driving my ’59 Buick Electra on the route during the near future, with a group of several friends also driving “Jet Age” cars.
The Narchez Trace!
Make that the Natchez Trace!
Lol!
Simple, either the road home from work, or the road to where I want to go, not the road to work or someplace I don’t want to go. CT 63 to RT 7 heading towards Limerock is nice most of the year, heading back south is a nicer ride because you don’t have to stop at the 7/63 junction but if I’m going that way I’m leaving Limerock or the Canon VFW so it is kind of a bummer.
Hwy. 16 out of Marion Va. One direction takes you to the Back of the Dragon the other into No. Carolina. If you like mountain roads the Back of the Dragon will get your adrenaline going. Beautiful drive in either direction through the Jefferson National Forest.
Blueridge Parkway
That is a nice drive.
FM 1431 between Lago Vista, TX and Marble Falls, TX is a fast and curvy trek built for sport car fun (and motorcycle). A bit of a challenge when slow traffic is in front of you, but there are “Slow Traffic Turnouts” that you can encourage the offenders to take.
The Cherohala Skyway, a beautiful mountain highway winding up and over 5,400 foot mountains for 18 miles in North Carolina and descends another 23 miles into the deeply forested back country of Tennessee. The road crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests thus the name “Chero…hala”. Lots of nice sweepers for a motorcycle 😉
San Juan Skyway, an absolutely breathtaking 232-mile loop though the Southwest Colorado high country with lots of twisties, scenic views and very few guard rails!
https://roadtravelamerica.com/million-dollar-highway-us550.htm