The best roads!

[Thomas Praetzel]

54 bridges to Hana Town, nothing can beat it, unless Ivan is in front of you in his pos rental Mustang.

Aloha,
Thomas Praetzel

[Irishfan04]

Just got back from the honeymoon, catching up on the last 2 weeks of ET (yikes), did a drive through something called the Furka Mountain Pass in central Switzerland...I was planning on making this a new post, but holy crap, this must be the European equivalent of the Dragon.

Tons of motorcycles, tricked out cars running really thin, curvy roads up and down about 20 kilometers of road. Most notably, I saw only one Lotus (solar yellow) and a guy running one of these:



I got out while traffic was stopped for construction.

Some more pics:










Some pretty precarious roads, I don't see how they could be open at night or in the Winter. Our rental VW Golf (with the Euro 1.6 L engine) made a valiant effort, but the brakes were fading badly halfway through, so I had to stop and give it a rest.

[bruceski3]

Route 421 near Bristol TN from South Holston Lake to Mountain City TN. The road has 3 Mountains, 1 Valley and 469 curves in a 12 mile radius from the Shady Valley General Store. http://www.motorcycleplayground.com/.../roads421.html

Also Cherohala Skyway from Robbinsville NC to Tellico Plains TN. This particular road is curvy but a lot longer, 43 miles I think. It reaches 1 mile into the sky above sea level and some say you can see 6 states from one of the highest lookout points in the mountains. http://www.cherohalaskyway.com/. I suggest if you want a nice relaxing place for dinner stop at "Bistro By The River" Restaurant in Tellico Plains or maybe for a cheaper meal just stop in at the Tellico Drive Inn for a Hot dog and some fries. Don't forget to take the scenic Forest road 210 to Bald River Falls that is about 7 miles from Tellico Plains to the 100' Waterfall which is right near the road, you can't miss it.

[NCZ06]

Originally Posted by bruceski3

Route 421 near Bristol TN from South Holston Lake to Mountain City TN. The road has 3 Mountains, 1 Valley and 469 curves in a 12 mile radius from the Shady Valley General Store. http://www.motorcycleplayground.com/.../roads421.html

I may just have to try that one out sometime. The description makes it sound great.

[LARRY]

In Los Angeles - Angeles Crest Highway (2) From La Canada Flintridge (North Glendale) to San Bernadino

[Beanie]

Saddle Road on Hawaii (Big Island)
http://www.hawaiihighways.com/photos-Saddle-Road.htm

-and-

Route 19 North from Hilo to Waimea (Big Island)


I just drove those two roads Friday in a Jeep Wrangler and took a lot of video. An experience like that is worth the airfare over to the Big Island and a car rental fee if you are ever visiting the islands. I did Route 19, but not the Saddle Road, 22 years ago and the memories were still fairly accurate upon revisiting.

[andykeck]

FR 25 and FR 99...

[Beanie]

I made a DVD of my Hawaii (Big Island) trip. Here is a sample Windows Media Audio/Video file. Right-click and save as. Hawaii3.wmv

This is 33.7MB and lasts 6:17. Quality is medim. The DVD that I made, on the other hand, is an hour and a half and is a maximum quality (CD quality stereo sound) Windows Media file. There is a lot of other stuff on the DVD, like Waipio Valley and a black sand beach and of course, more driving video. This sample contains 3 scenes with different background music than are in those particular scenes on the DVD, but the songs are on the DVD somewhere. (There are about 20 songs on the DVD.) This sample is all driving. The first two scenes, lasting about a minute each, are two of the three big gulches on Route 19 North of Hilo. The third scene is part of the smooth downhill section of Saddle Road going towards Hilo and is about 4 of the 6 or so minutes of video I have of that, not counting some more of the rough part of Saddle Road. Saddle Road goes across the middle of the island of Hawaii (sort of), going past the Moana Kea observatory (not shown in this sample).

I was not driving much over the speed limit. You don't really have to. I could see really going fast on Saddle Road, though. I was just trying to drive safely and hold the video camera.

Here's a 3x speeded up version of part of that one... much quicker download and gives you an idea of what it would be like to take these roads at speed: http://home.comcast.net/~kevinbeane/Hawaii4.wmv

[lotus54]

Hurricane Ridge, Washington State (when the rangers are asleep).

[BZRD69]

[quote=Irishfan04]Just got back from the honeymoon, catching up on the last 2 weeks of ET (yikes), did a drive through something called the Furka Mountain Pass in central Switzerland...QUOTE]

Yes, the Furka Pass is one of the best in Europe. Along w/ the Grimsil Pass, Col D'izoard & the Gothard Pass.

[Go4it]

Any road near Mt. Washington in NH. Went there a couple weeks back, hit 133 south through to Fryeburg. Let me just say in Evan's Notch.

[TRMiller]

Marin Headlands west to Point Bonita Lighthouse.

The last couple of miles is one-way 15mph.

Dont look down!



Terry

[yeahiknowiam]

Twisties of the Mid-Southeast

[Rob T]

Glendora Ridge Mountain Road in SoCal (very tight, you will be mostly in 2nd gear):

[fingolfin]

The road that goes over Paris Mountain in Greenville, South Carolina has some major elevation change with great overlooks. Also, several spots remind me of the Gravity Cavity on the Tail of the Dragon, which is one of my favs. Unfortunately, it tends to be popular with road bikers (all inevitably wearing U.S. Postal Service spandex) and I hear they can do bad things to a front clam.

[zanardi50]

Originally Posted by Rob T

Glendora Ridge Mountain Road in SoCal (very tight, you will be mostly in 2nd gear):

+2 !

Tuna Canyon Road in the Santa Monica Transverse Ranges (AKA "Mulholland Highway") is REALLY to die for . Best driven during the wee hours on a fog-free, moonless night where wildlife tends to stay off your path and no Lance Armstrong-inspired Tour De France bikers coming up the wrong way! (Tuna is a one way road in southbound directions only). Light nimble cars with good and durable brakes, not power, reign supreme here (sounds familiar? ). There's only one stretch toward the end of the run where you'll get about short 2 seconds burst of 3rd gear use, reaching to max. speeds of 88-94 mph, only to be greeted by 2nd gear bus stop (chicane) littered by dust particles and gravel on braking zones kicked up and thrown onto the tarmac by drivers that came before you who slid off to the kitty litter on the left. Other than that, it's all 2nd gear. Please take extreme care navigating Tuna - accumulated piles of cars are found below the steep 400 ft. drop all over the entire road where evidence of tire skid marks that tragically ends at the edge of the cliffs. Tread lightly and carefully. Happy motoring.

[zanardi50]

[quote=BZRD69;436738]

Originally Posted by Irishfan04

Just got back from the honeymoon, catching up on the last 2 weeks of ET (yikes), did a drive through something called the Furka Mountain Pass in central Switzerland...QUOTE]

Yes, the Furka Pass is one of the best in Europe. Along w/ the Grimsil Pass, Col D'izoard & the Gothard Pass.

I wondered if this is the same route used for the Monte Carlo Rally on the WRC circuit?

[nvrblu]

Originally Posted by zOOmz

Lower Missouri upper Arkansas. The area around Bull Shoals and White Lake (I think that is the name), there are a hundred miles of twisty roads with pristine lakes and scenery.

... and there will be the best roads.

z

I grew up in that area and did a lot of camping/driving in one of the Mark Twain National Forests. There are many scenic & winding county roads... but there are a few hazzards. I drove through a "low-flow" one time at about 50 mph in my VW... thought there was only an inch of water spanning about 5 feet of the road. There was a hole below the water about 6 inches deep X 8 inches wide X 20 inches long. I bent two wheels. Later, on the way back home, I went partially off the road, scraped the belly of the car and ripped my exhaust off...

[zanardi50]

Originally Posted by fingolfin

The road that goes over Paris Mountain in Greenville, South Carolina has some major elevation change with great overlooks. Also, several spots remind me of the Gravity Cavity on the Tail of the Dragon, which is one of my favs. Unfortunately, it tends to be popular with road bikers (all inevitably wearing U.S. Postal Service spandex) and I hear they can do bad things to a front clam.

Fingolfin,

Not related to your post, but regarding your Hans Stuck quoted sig, “When I raced a car last it was at a time when sex was safe and racing was dangerous. Now, it’s the other way round.”
- Hans Stuck

Now did he said that before or after his huge misadventure at the Ring earlier this year? lol

[Rob T]

Originally Posted by zanardi50

+2 !

Tuna Canyon Road in the Santa Monica Transverse Ranges (AKA "Mulholland Highway") is REALLY to die for . Best driven during the wee hours on a fog-free, moonless night where wildlife tends to stay off your path and no Lance Armstrong-inspired Tour De France bikers coming up the wrong way! (Tuna is a one way road in southbound directions only). Light nimble cars with good and durable brakes, not power, reign supreme here (sounds familiar? ). There's only one stretch toward the end of the run where you'll get about short 2 seconds burst of 3rd gear use, reaching to max. speeds of 88-94 mph, only to be greeted by 2nd gear bus stop (chicane) littered by dust particles and gravel on braking zones kicked up and thrown onto the tarmac by drivers that came before you who slid off to the kitty litter on the left. Other than that, it's all 2nd gear. Please take extreme care navigating Tuna - accumulated piles of cars are found below the steep 400 ft. drop all over the entire road where evidence of tire skid marks that tragically ends at the edge of the cliffs. Tread lightly and carefully. Happy motoring.

Pretty much everything that you state here applies equally to the Glendora Ridge Road. Dust and gravel can definitely be a problem. Extreme care is definitely required.