[ataricollector]

Where will be the best places to spy a grinning Elise owner? My guesses:

78 between Escondido and Julian
El Camino Real through Rancho Santa Fe
Del Dios Highway
Cruising 101 (duh)

I love living in San Diego. If I'm not encountering some awesome car on my commute, I'm thinking about how cool it would be to drive the road I'm on in some awesome car...

 

[Ground Loop]

Heck, Highland Valley Road is right up the street from you. You couldn't ask for a more tricky piece of pavement.

78 is too crowded with casino traffic now. If you don't get run off the road by a half-drunk grama who just pissed awa her social sec. check, it's the three caravan RVs who won't let you by.

I like smaller, less busy roads -- Wynola Rd near Julian, Mesa Grande off Santa Ysabel (what an awesome stretch of beauty and turns..)

Or go further south and run the full side of 94, old Hwy 80, and up S2. Banner grade up the back side of Julian is nice if you can find a time with less traffic.

The back road up Palomar is less twisty than the front -- leave that side for the bikes.

I expect to be circulating through all of the above from "sometime in August/September" through 2007.

 

[Modern Wedgie]

There's that super cool road we went on in Temecula. Still SD county I believe. Definetly want to go there sometime with the elise.

 

[Shark4God]

check out this website.

http://www.weekenddriver.com/

 

[mikester]

There's that super cool road we went on in Temecula. Still SD county I believe. Definetly want to go there sometime with the elise.

Next year, on Shinoo's annual Temecula drive and winery tour ! :wave:

 

[Modern Wedgie]

Can we do it semi-annualy? Perhaps even quarterly?

 

[ChrisH]

Here is my 15.3 cents worth:
1) Start in Rancho Bernardo at Pomerado Road and Highland Valley.
2) Take Highland valley to Ramona.
3) Cross Highway 67 - Highland Valley changes names to Dye Road.
4) Turn left at San Vincente Road (T intersection)
5) Turn right at Hansen Lane (at High School)
6) Turn left at Keyes Road
7) Turn right onto West Old Julian Highway (T intersection)
8) Turn left onto East Old Julian Highway
9) Merge with highway 78 (eventually)
10) Proceed on to Julian
11) Stay on Highway 78 past Julian and go down the grade. Not much traffic at around 8pm on Monday - Thursday - definitely need those driving lights if driving on this road in the dark.
12) Turn left on Yaqui Pass and go to Borrego Springs
13) Turn left on Palm Canyon Drive (S22)
14) Follow signs to Ranchita and Highway 79
15) When you reach 79, pick your route home:
a) 79 to Temecula, come home on I15
b) 79 south to 76, then to I15
c) 79 south to Mesa Grande Road, turn right, go a long way, then turn left on Black Canyon Road, eventually ending up at Highway 78 on the East side of Ramona. Choose your poison home (78, 67, Highland Valley, or Wildcat Canyon through the Barona Indian Reservation - see a map for specifics). (I haven't tried the Mesa Grande to Black Canyon route yet, but it looks really good on the map.)

Caution: I guy I work with got sideswiped by a hit and run RV on Yaqui Pass (The RV was on the inside lane of the turn, but went wide into the outside lane.) Shoved him into the guardrail and spun him around. He managed to get a partial plate, and the police arrested the RV driver the next day.

 

[atyclb]

I hear

The road to Ensenada
Is plenty wide and fast
If you head South from San Diego
Then I'll see you at last
I'll see you at last

 

[Patricko]

I hear

The road to Ensenada
Is plenty wide and fast
If you head South from San Diego
Then I'll see you at last
I'll see you at last

Is that about Montezuma’s revenge

 

[Ground Loop]

Speaking of Montezuma, THERE's another beautiful stretch of pavement, carving between rocks on the glorious ride down into Borrego Springs.

Expect frequent Saffron Yellow sightings there, in both directions, especially around sunset.

 

[Randy Chase]

I have a very nice topo map of a route I did a while ago and I intend on retracing with the Elise.

PALMS TO PINES

Start, central San Diego.

East on I-94, continue on it past Jamul, Dulzura, Tecate, Campo until it joins up with I-8 at Mountain Springs. Up to Ocotillo Wells and road S2 (imperial HIghway) through the Anza Borrego Desert.

Right on 78 towards Borrego, left on S3, left on Palm Canyon then major twistie roads. Through Ranchita. Back to S2.

South on S2 to 78, the west on 78. Through Banner, Kentwood, Whispering Pines and into Juilan for a lunch stop and apple pie. Mmm.... pie.

Leave Julian west on 78 to Santa Ysabel. North on 79.

Left on 76 at the lake. At the lake, right on E Grade Road, turns into S Grade Road and connects back to 76.


76 through Rincon, Pauma Valley, and Palomar Mountain and back to I-15. Alternate road would be south to Valley Center from Rincon and then out Woodsvalley Road to Valley Center and back south to Escondido.

Total trip is 243 miles. Total elevation changes are over 49,000 feet.

 

[Ground Loop]

Awesome plan.

Right on 78 towards Borrego, left on S3, left on Palm Canyon then major twistie roads.

That would be the Montezuma-Borrego Highway, heaven's own gift to motorcyclists and roadsters alike.

Leave Julian west on 78 to Santa Ysabel. North on 79.

For the love of all that is curvy, I beg you, consider a left turn off 79 onto Mesa Grande. It will take you right to the lake and dump you off at the Hideout.

Rincon and Pauma, once pillars of beaconing highway, are now infested with casino snails.

 

[Ground Loop]

Not like it was. The Cedar fire changed that scenery quite a bit. I wanted to cry when I was there in April. T'was my favorite drive.

True, it's a dark shadow of the growth that was there, but it's all part of the cycle. If we can keep from building over the ashes, nature will grow it back again. This year brought a bumper crop of wildflowers, mice, and bugs. Our timeframe just moves too fast to see the repair as insignificant.

And then I have friends who shrug and say "asphalt doesn't burn, it's just a change of scenery."

 

[420HP]

Here is a good site for some California drives

http://www.pashnit.com/motoroads.htm




Not San Diego, but here is a map of the Latigo Canyon area near Malibu. I've been on pretty much every road in that area.

Take one down to PCH, take another back up. Repeat.

http://www.mulhollandraceway.org/roads/latigo.html

The base page of that link isn't bad either.....

 

[jdl8r]

www.pashnit.com is probably the best site for finding great roads...

On my motorcycle - Mesa Grande - Palomar - Borrego Springs... All are fantastic! They may not be as fun in a car?

 

[ataricollector]

Heck, Highland Valley Road is right up the street from you. You couldn't ask for a more tricky piece of pavement.

I'm not really in Escondido yet, so I haven't had time to explore the local roads. My wife demanded a house before I get my car and we're moving there next week if everything goes as planned.

The only other place I'd like to drive is the stretch of road from Julian to Ocotillo (I think it's the S2). There's a long, straight section that's great for top-ending. In my book, any trip that ends up in Julian is worth the drive. Mmmm, pie!