What's Your Most Beautiful Drive?

OK, good point-- guess I could use a dog sled-- in the Winter! Still need my GPS. LOL

No, the hippies all moved to Jerome and Bisbee. Sedona got too expensive. The crystal stores in Sedona are now run by Stanford MBAs who got downsized from their venture capital firms.

I would have to say that one of the most beautiful drives is on US-97 through Oregon. There are many small towns that you go through that have a wonderful history as well as many beautiful natural creations. I ran this route commonly when I was driving truck and it is still my most favorite drive.

Be forewarned that there are a lot of deer, and during the winter it can be extremely hard to navigate due to the amount of snow that you encounter.

A good place to stop and eat is Gordy's truck stop. It is still one of the few truck stops that I have commonly shut down at night that is still owned by Gordy. The food there is great and a good deal for what you get!

My most beautiful drive occurred on June 30, 2003. It was my last at work and I drove off into the sunset, with a big smile on my face, more than ready to experience, the joy of retirement...

Regards,

Tailspin

Nüvi 670 & 880
Mac Pro & OS 10.5.7

I am mad at California, but I have to say that a drive through the Redwoods of Northern California are breath taking. The ride up to Hearst Castle is incredible.

One of my favorite drives is in Northern California; the famous: 17 Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach, California, United States, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses and mansions. It also serves as the main road through the gated community of Pebble Beach. Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation.

One of my favorites is Red Lodge,MT to Cody, WY via Beartooth Pass and the Chief Joseph Hwy.

The ride through Rocky Mountain National Park is also amazing.

I plan on doing Beartooth next June. Rocky mountain Park is nice, but in my opinion the Million Dollar Highway and the San Juan Mountains are prettier.

thanks for the post.

These three have been mentioned, but are certainly amongst my favorites - all three are "bucket list" worthy drives ...

- The Going to the Sun highway in Glacier National Park

- The Icefields Parkway, between Lake Louise and Jasper, Alberta

- Pacific coast highway from Monterey bay to San Fransisco

I'll also add these to the list:

- Skyline Drive & Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in NC

- Beartooth Highway, Northest Yellowstone

- Maine Coast, near Acadia National Park - think it's Route 1 - lots of small, old fishing towns/lighthouses etc.

- Bryce Canyon National Park

- The North Shore of Oahu, HI

- Road to Hana, Maui,HI

Road from Big Sur to San Fransisco is beautiful. Bryce Canyon is outstanding. Maine Coast is outstanding. Blue Ridge Parkway is okay.

Plan on doing Beartooth Highway and Going to the Sun next June. Hope to do the ones in Hawaii and Alaska in the next few years. thanks for the post.

hope to be able to add some Alaska drives to my list ... never been there yet!

Sky Line Drive-BLUE ridge parkway

Going to the Sun Road IS spectacular and well worth a trip. I haven't been down it since a trip to Glacier in the 1970s when we traveled it several times, but it is memorable!

Other favorites include the Pacific Coast Highway in the Monterrey to Big Sur area, and the Kancamaugus Highway in New Hampshire especially during the fall foliage season.

One downside to all three of these, especially in season (and the season is short for GTTS in Glacier NP), is traffic. But if you can overlook the traffic and enjoy the spectacular scenery, they're well worth it.

It's drives like so many of the preceeding that lead me to rent a convertible on vacation. The view is so much better with the top down (once in the snow too).

Especially coming back from a business trip, it's the drive home (to the place where they have to let you in)!

As a California native, driving the Coast route is tremendous -- in good weather. The short stretch from Santa Monica to Oxnard is nice and not as well known. Same for the stretch North from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, nice but not as well known. And North of the Bay, still essentially unknown.

That middle part -- from San Louis Obispo to Carmel -- in good weather, it's beautiful. In bad weather, it's a horror movie you do NOT want to be in!

Oh, if you think turning leaves are pretty in the Autumn, try the Wine Country, like Highway 12 around Santa Rosa and the Valley of the Moon. When the leaves on the vines start turning, the views are spectacular -- and you can SEE what that "microclimate" stuff is all about, looking at how the colours follow the terrain.

Top of the World Highway from Dawson City Yukon to Chicken Alaska.
Alaska should be its own category. More smiles per mile than anywhere I've rode.
We did Icefields Parkway, Going to the Sun and Beartooth/Chief Joseph this summer and each was my favorite when I was doing it!

..What a GREAT thread!

Seeing these roads bring back a LOT of great memories. I've been fortunate enough to have visited all of them* on my motorcycle(s) over the last 40 years, and NONE of them should be missed regardless of how you visit them, imo!!

I have to say that Going to The Sun, and the roads in Alaska/NW Canada pop into my heard first, though for sheer beauty that just doesn't stop.

* Never got to Top of the World, very far up the Dalton, or (as hard to believe as it may be with me being a 40+ year scooterist..) Tail of the Dragon.

I've also made the retirement drive and I'm not dead just yet, so those other 3 are on MY bucket list.

It is great finding out about all the great drives people have posted. I will use it to plan future trips. thanks to all.

cali up from san diego.

PCH is really nice out in Malibu.

My wife & I just did the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper, and it is a very spectacular scenery. Thanks Felix Krull for the idea.

There's a couple here in my area, that i'm having a hard time choosing among.

Laguna Canyon Road. - http://bit.ly/Jaflb
The canyon is just amazing, and it dumps you out at a small lagoon of sparkling crystal blue water..

Superior Ave, Costa Mesa - http://bit.ly/k2iuW
Not that nice of an area really, but as you go over the top of the hill - you get an amazing view of the pacific...

Malibu Canyon - http://bit.ly/Nu0oW
similar to Laguna Canyon - no lagoon though

My favorite is from Paris to Nice. The scenery, small towns, historical places and not much traffic make this a great trip. Of course being able to stop and sample the local food, cheese and wine along the way doesn't hurt.

Or from San Francisco down to San Luis Obispo!

From work to anywhere

I have now done the Icefields Parkway and Going to the Sun and they are great, but still think the Million Dollar Highway is the best.

Doing Hana road in May. Excited to see what it is like. All reviews on it are great.

I have not driven any of these west of Colorado and most recently have only done the Tail of the Dragon and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Very different drives. The Dragon is a few minutes (after you get there) and the BRP is several days. 11 miles versus over 400 miles. The harleys will really slow you down on the dragon on the weekend. If you drive it, look for your picture on the websites selling them. There are photographers in the woods snapping pictures hoping you will buy some. The BRP has lots of scenic stops along the way and lots of side trip opportunities. Info available on the web.

But my main comment is I think we should have a POI for scenic drives. Short ones could have the start and end point, long ones would need more points along the way. I have some coordinates somewhere for the dragon and BRP I could contribute. Comments?

Jim

Goes right throught the beautiful green mt. state of Vermont.

A sunny day in April from Carcross YT to the US border (on the way to Skagway). Bring dark sunglasses!

--or--

A fall color day driving from Whitehorse YT to Dawson or Inuvik NWT on the Klondike or Dempster.

--or--

A fall color day in northern Wisconsin or the UP.

Here's a GPS tidbit. Starting at Mile O of the Alaska Hwy in Dawson Creek and with a destination of Whitehorse YT, a Garmin nuvi will start you out by saying something like "Continue 870 miles...then keep right to Robert Service Way." Has anyone ever heard a longer "Continue xxx miles to yyy"? Well, I suppose a destination of Tok or Fairbanks from Mile 0 might be longer....yup, Fairbanks as a destination starts out "Continue 968 miles on...."

I liked Hwy 1 on the Ca coast.

Being a NC native, however, I admit to a bias.

I drove the BRP south to north end-to-end in mid-October. It was rainy which wasn't great but it was still fun. The southern end has steeper grade, more tunnels, and better views in my opinion. It flattens out as you go north up into Virginia. The change is gradual but I would say Cherokee to Asheville is the best too.

The Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway is gorgeous, as is the entire region.

Mt. Rushmore was extremely impressive.

The James Bay Highway is another. Very desolate, but remarkably well serviced with rest areas. Very nice scenery.

The approach to Yellowstone via Cody WY also the ALCAN Hwy.

That's a good one! And from Jackson, WY, back over the continental divide to Riverton, WY.

Pueblo CO over Monarch Pass to Grand Junction.

Green River, UT, through Price to Provo/Salt Lake City, UT.

Palm Springs, CA, through Twenty-Nine Palms, Amboy, and Cima, to Las Vegas, NV.

Larry

When my dad drove me home from the airport after coming home from Vietnam.

Beartooth Scenic Byway out the NE exit of Yellowstone is a beautiful drive. I have done some of the BRP and it is also a beautiful drive.

Lots of beautiful drives. Thanks to everyone for posting.

Hwy 6 from Cromwell to Haast, South Island, New Zealand.

I enjoyed the view on that road as well.

I'd also suggest HWY 138 from Quebec to Baie Comeau as one of the most scenic drives.

The Cabot Trail around Cape Breton Highlands National Park is very nice. We did it recently and the scenery beautiful.

Also, just about any road around Prince Edward Island near the shore is a sight to see. PEI is very pretty.

My son and I geocached pretty much the entire island. It was a great way to see everything.

I'm hoping to visit both Newfoundland and Labrador in April/May, I'm sure it is quite scenic up there as well. Have to check the ferry schedules to see if they are up and running.

From Lajitas to Presidio between the mountains and the Rio Grand. A beautiful 51 miles paved road just west of the Big Bent National Park in west Texas.

The Badlands of South Dakota are surreal.

And the vastness of the strange landscape just makes it all the more memorable.

All sorts of wildlife all over the place.

We wanted to the Beartooth Pass but were turned around at Red Lodge due to early snow. Went back up through Absarokee which itself was a nice ride. I wish I could have done the Beartooth drive

We were on our way to Yellowstone and the Tetons. The ride all around those areas is incredible.

The drive through Acadia National Park on Park Loop Road is very nice. From riding along the shore to going up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, and scenery in between, it's a ride I've done plenty of times and will continue to do so.

- Maine Coast, near Acadia National Park - think it's Route 1 - lots of small, old fishing towns/lighthouses etc.

Can someone elaborate a little on this drive? I've always wanted to see Maine this way (not touristy). When is the best time to drive that & also hit the lobster season?

Redwood Highway between Klamath and Crescent City, CA. Majestic trees and ever-present mist. Loved watching the sun set over the marine-layer clouds hundreds of feet below the cliffs.