Art & Inspiration Most Beautiful Drive in America, what's your favorite?

#1 Hwy 89A Flagstaff to Sedona, AZ

#2 Hwy 2 in Da U.P. (MI)

#3 Hwy 2 in North Dakota, No scenery there so they made their own!!

 

Yeah, I lived in Gardiner for a few years, working for the Nat'l Park Service from 1974-1977. I remember Chico Hot Springs, Corwin Springs, Yankee Jim Canyon... beautiful country.
I've been blessed to live in some really pretty places, as I said in a previous post, where I live now, I can drive for about 5 minutes, and be in the middle of old-growth Coast Redwoods... SHIT those trees are big !!!!!!

 

I was only kiddin'........Jersey is a very underrated place to be.......especially in the south portion.......we have Ocean Drive through all of the beach towns and I always enjoy doing that.........Jersey is a lot more beautiful than the jokesters would have you believe.......especially the Pine Barrens and all along the coast.......beautiful beaches, great lighthouses, and wonderful summer homes to see........

CB

 

Boy, I'll second this one! In the right time of the year you realize just how insignificant man really is. Mike

 

Smoky Mountains in Tenn. Beautiful drive, but rough on the brakes.

 

That's when you downshift and use the motor to slow plus you then you have the power coming out of the turn. Driven the 2 laners in the Smokies a number of times and have never had brake fade

 

The Narrow gauge RR is pretty darn awesome too.

 

I've done a lot of those drives. I've done the Utah one from Bluff north. Bluff is a really cool little oasis in Southern Utah. Seems like just about any trip through Utah is pretty awesome. Colorado & Arizona too.
The Lake Tahoe loop. West to Sacremento and SF. Hi way 1 from Big Sur to LA. Beartooth pass. An unexpeted suprise. Loveland Pass I've done. Monarch Pass is a good one too. Done The Showlow run. Salt River Canyon into Globe 44 years ago. Central Pennsy to Strassberg, PA and Amish country.
Done the Hiway 54 run in Kansas. I was born in a little farm town of Cheney that is about 2 miles south of "Old 54" and 25 miles west or Wichita or the "Cannon Ball Road" as it was called in the late 1800's.
Small world. Done some Cycle and car trips into Oklahoma and The Ozarks. Lots of great drives in that area. There's some really good ones up here in Minnesota and Wisconsin too.
We are blessed in this country.

 

The drive from Idaho Falls, Id out the old yellowstone hwy and onto potatoe country.
You head out of town towards all place called Irwin/hoback junction where they still sell homemade icecream with a square scoop. From there you can either make al eft and head into the mountains or keep going and go along Palisaids resevoir and head into Afton, Wy and then into Jacksonhole. Just to change it up a bit head north out of Jackson and it will take you up over the Teton pass and into Victor, Id, Driggs, Rexburg, and then in to Idaho Falls. If you got a whole day with nothing to do that there is the best ride in my book. If you hit the Tetons at the right time in the morning you can watch the sunrise and light up the valley.
(I can't wait to get stateside)

 

As a contrast to all the great scenic drives in America ... that are all out in rural areas ... there are some spectacular city drives. I know, it's hard to beat the Blue Ridge Parkway. It's one of my favorites. I also spend a bit of time with family living out in Montana along 191 and in Yellowstone ... Beartooth Pass, Chief Joseph, etc.

Also, by the way, nobody mentioned the Outer Banks.

But, how about in the city though? How about ... Pittsburgh?????

The most dramatic entry into any US city has to be through the Fort Pitt tunnel on the Parkway driving from the airport to downtown. I haven't found any video that captures what a great entry it really is. (Check YouTube but they're not really that hot ... must do it in person.)

Additionally, Pittsburgh has 29 bridges that cross the three rivers and a total of 446 bridges, maybe a world record.

And, Miami! Drive the Palmetto Expressway with the stereo blasting local salsa.

... maybe you're right. I'd rather be doing the Teton Pass.

http://www.michaelmccumber.com/pictures/brief_2001-pittsburgh04/

 

monitor pass in eastern sieras, 8000+ elevation- great views of the valley below

 

Man I am with you on that!! I am a flatlander and I loved that ride - it is pristine - no civilization just Gods creation. I went in early October. Thought I would see Elk - all I saw were a couple of mule deer... The elk were down in the town of Estes Park eating all the landscaping at the waterpark afterhours. Go figure

 

Sum where between Farmington NM and Pueblo Co last yeat B4 we went over Wolf Creek Pass. Goin to NSRA Pueblo
And the next 1 was Sum where between Prescott AZ an Del Mar Ca .Goin to GG Del Mar
Hell I can't remember all the beautiful places I've been in a roadster in the last 40 + years.

 

OK, here's one! Guranteed no semi trucks, no curio shops, no stoplights, very little traffic, and some of the most beautiful scenery in the WORLD.

It's called 'Black Bear Pass' in Colorado. Turn west of highway 550 between Durango and Montrose, near the top of Red Mountain. The road is one-way, all down hill into the town of Teluride.

NOT reccommended traditional for hot rods!

This one will get your attention!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av7y77ytDw0&NR=1

(with sound)

JG

 

I think that might qualify as a "Don't have to be crazy to drive but it helps" road

 

I agree about New Jersey. The south part of the state is very beautiful.

 

I've been lucky enough to have gone on most all the routes mentioned , but my favorite will always be Hwy 1 in Ca. PS to Jarod , you can ride in my roadster ,anytime !!!

 

PCH is great! Kings Canyon is a great drive too!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaNxQd4_Z5E&feature=channel_page

 

That vision couldn't be captured on anything short of Imax... absolutely incredible at night!

 

It's a short drive but if you're ever in the Savannah, GA area take the drive out to Tybee Island (US80). It's the only road to the island and it's lined with palm trees on both sides of the road. The other end of US80 is in San Diego. Or anywhere in Coastal Georgia, ...100's of miles and smiles.

 

We drove 4500 miles in the US last summer and saw 9 states.
I think your countrys viewes and landscapes are so beautiful no
matter where you drive.
We live in Finland and our country is flatt , I mean one huge pancake!
So the Grand Canyon was something that we'll never forget and I think no one will disagree with me..
But somethings that might seem dull to you made a impact for us.
For ex. the huge cornfields in Illinois (we got lost in the middle of one),
your flatt countryside in Texas cause you can't see forest anywhere,
the river and the nature in devils elbo, the blue hole in Santa Rosa, the mountains in Santa Fe, the desert and the shoe tree in Mohave, the beach road in LA and of course the silence and the heat in Death Valley...
Those are just the few thing from the top of the list..
I hope we'll travel soon back to US and take another roadtrip!!
Enjoy your whole country and if you would like some perspective
come to Finland and see our forests and 1000 lakes.

 

Did you stop at the "Glass House",built out of mortar and bottles, mostly embalming fluid bottles! That's a beautiful drive. I lived in Creston for a few years, then the Slocan Valley. Most every area of British Columbia, has incredibly scenic drives.

 

Worked for proffessional motorsports teams, for many years. Been ALL over this wonderful country. Did 44 states, the summer of 2002. Many miles of great places to visit, but would have to agree, this one is spectacular.
JT

 

A lot of the good roads have been covered, but the road that always made me feel "At piece with the world." was a drive through Cimmaron Canyon (between Cimmaron and Eagles Nest, New Mexico). I used to camp at the Palisades with my family back in the 50's and 60's when it was still a pretty primative spot. Rode the road many times on a bike, since then. Now they've turned the river into a trout stream and put up parking lots about every 1/4 mile, just like the old Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi.
Larry T

 

Well this is subject to opinion. Some don't like mountains, some don't like desert, some don't like this and that. I have traveled in every state in the lower 48 over the years. My favorite state is CO but much can be said for almost anywhere. There are probably scenic roads in every state. My last one that I enjoyed the most would probably not be on too many peoples list. US 50 across NV, "the loneliest road in America". There was just something about it that intrigued me. I didn't like anything in Utah but in the past there have been places in Utah I thought was pretty. Heber Valley for instance. One of my favorites will always be the Blue Ridge Parkway and Sky Line highway. In the fall there is no prettier place on earth than VT & NH. A trip up Mt. Washington or the only place in the US that I've ever been on where the interstate was a 2 lane highway. I love the Ozarks, southern MO & northern AR. The Louisanna delta has it's attributes. There are interesting places to see in every state even if the route to get there isn't. I liked the crater in Winslow AZ but I didn't like anything about the route (I-40) to get there. It is all opinon and there are many sources of information to make you want to travel there, or not. Get out and go, experience the greatest country on the planet. No other county has the diversity of the USA.

 

Sedona knocked my socks off

 

Hwy 101 Olympic peninsula Washington and down the Oregon coast & 84 up the Gorge as long as you are in the neighborhood.

 

@ kdtjb, Did you go the route to Flagstaff?

@stude54ht, WA HWY 14 is a lot more "fun" than I-84. Especially up around Stonehenge while towing a canned ham...

 

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned this one: an underrated drive that I fell in love with is Historic US 12 through eastern Washington and southern Idaho. Lots of curves, streams, trees and mountains but not over-travelled like some routes.

5 years ago we took a 2-week drive of a lifetime" in our '63 T-bird from KC to Portland, OR to the Vintage Thunderbird Club Int'l. Convention - out on I-70 through CO/UT, I-15 and I-80 through UT/ID/OR to Portland, then back down the Columbia to Walla-Walla, southern Idaho on US 12 on way to Yellowstone, across WY through Black Hills/Mt. Rushmore/Deadwood and down through western Nebraska with a stop at Carhenge outside Alliance. I am always blown away by the Columbia River Gorge drive as others have mentioned. Then to top it off for Christmas we drove US 54 (ignore the feedlots) down to I-40/US 66 thru NM, then split off at Payson through the high country to get to Phoenix. A lot of driving within 6 months but probably the most spectacular road tripping I'll ever have the pleasure of doing.

 

Whoa, old thread - but I'll add a little something about a great drive.

Lots of others have mentioned parts of my yearly drive from Phoenix, Arizona to Billings, Montana. Get on Arizona 89/89A and you just keep going North, starting somewhere in AZ and ending in Yellowstone, then on to Cooke City and Red Lodge, Montana.