Like many of you, I grew up in a car seat lashed to the front seat of my father’s Datsun 280Z while being flung hither and tither in the canyons between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley. Strike that “like many of you” part. Still, that’s how I came into this world. Dad was an avid Sunday driver, in the sense that his favorite thing to do was to get in the car and just drive around for the day. We ran many miles on many of the nation’s (if not the world’s) best driving roads. One sticks out in particular, however — Decker Canyon. It’s an 11-mile stretch of tortuous asphalt that connects Westlake Village to the Pacific Coast Highway. Also known as California State Route 23, Decker has always been the first place I’ve taken whatever car I just purchased first. And why not? “This portion provides numerous beautiful vistas of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean during daytime, but extreme caution is advisable, especially as the road nears PCH. It is a notoriously dangerous road, and the rusted chassis of cars that have gone over the side can still be seen. Bassist Philip Taylor Kramer of the rock band Iron Butterfly allegedly committed suicide by driving his van over the side along this route.” For pistonheads, Decker is the Garden of Eden, baby. However, since the 1970s more and more houses have sprouted up along the once pristine driving road. Meaning that more often than not you are stuck behind a PT Cruiser. Why not pass? Because a Buick Enclave is without question coming the other way. These days I have a new favorite — Little Tujunga Canyon Road — “Li’l T” to those in the know. It’s hard to argue with a sign saying, “Curves Next 18 Miles.” Plus, when you’re passing BMWs on blind corners you’ve only got oncoming Ducatis to worry about, not Buicks. And now, you?
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Nissan takes their Z press photos on Decker. I take my Z to Decker on occasion, too.
I’m fond of Hwy 74 (Palms to Pines) coming in or out of Palm Desert and Mulholland Drive, even though it’s less of a mountain road and more of a residential area (I enjoy the scenery). My other favorite is a cute little twisty road out in the foothills near Azusa. Lots of boy racers at night, but lots of fun. I was riding with a friend in his Yaris when he flipped it onto its roof on that road. It was quite a night!
A friend of mine has some funny stories on Decker–like about the time he was riding with his dad in a Town Car and the brake fluid boiled, the pads gassed out and they had to slide to a stop using the emergency brake before the next turn. Or the time they slid an Audi 5000 halfway down one of the cliffs…
I know a superb stretch of nearly 100 miles of excellent driver’s road that is about as scenic as a place can be and very underpopulated. Selfishly, I’d like to keep it that way and I am not going to reveal it here.
Blue Ridge Parkway. I live near it, but that doesn’t make it the only choice. It’s not a fast drive (45mph speed limit) but it’s beautiful, relaxing, and curvy. Also it takes you through some Americana you won’t see normally.
All of my driving life has been spent living in either Toronto or Boston. I have yet to see a decent ‘driving road’ in either. So I guess I could say I’ve never driven on a good ‘driving road’ in my entire life =(. I absolutely cannot relate when car writers talk about flogging cars through the ‘twisties’, I have been on this earth for two and a half decades and have yet to see the elusive ‘twisty’
If somebody knows any decent roads near Boston, please let me know, but this seems like one of the worst places on earth for driving.
The back roads of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. Some are smooth, some are bumpy, all are curvy, some are extremely steep, the scenery is gorgeous, and the farms and vineyards look like paintings from Constable. The Bay of Fundy glistens in the background, lit by a beneficent
sun.
Didn’t see a cop today on those roads, and put well over 100 miles behind me in that area, along with picking a bushel or two of the world’s best apples.
Heaven on earth for me and my Legacy GT. Redlined multiple times and the engine just purred after the thrash. Think I’ll do it all over again on different roads in the same area later this week.
I’m up in those canyons almost every weekend winding out my Can-Am Spyder. Decker’s fun, but I like Latigo, Piuma, Cold Canyon, and Stunt better. My absolute favorite lately is Tuna Canyon, which is special because it’s one-way downhill. It cuts through what seems like the absolute middle of nowhere, and the only thing there to spoil the ride and the view is the couple of unenforceable stop-signs for the portions of the road which wash out in the winter. 4-wheeled vehicles beware, please use turnouts when you’re up in those canyons (more talking to the SUV crowd than the best and brightest, who I’m sure know how to drive). We don’t like crossing the double-yellows any more than you like us crossing them to get around you, but let us by and everyone will have a better time.
thetopdog:
There are good roads in Boston. I love Storrow Drive when it’s empty. The Jamicaway is fun. Route 1 North out of Boston to Saugus is good.
konaforever :
The limit on Storrow Drive is 35 I believe (which is about 50% of the speed I would need to drive to make it entertaining) and I see cops on there frequently. Jamaicaway has lanes that are about 2 feet too narrow and nobody except me seems to care about staying in one lane. Route 1 North to Saugus also has a speed limit that’s way too low (I think it’s 55mph), and it costs $3 to get back to Boston over that bridge
In addition to all of that, the one unifying thing about all 3 of those roads are that the actual road surface is maintained terribly. Nearly every road in and around this city has an absolutely unacceptable number of potholes and broken surfaces. Storrow Drive in particular has depressed manhole covers right in the middle of the lanes that make my suspension crash very harshly. I remember having some fun with an Infiniti G35 on Route 1 once and I had to slow down because the road surface was so unpredictable it was actually getting dangerous.
It sounds like you are a Boston native, and have never experienced an actual decent road. I haven’t either, but at least in Toronto the actual road surfaces aren’t torn to pieces.
I second Blue Ridge pkwy, absolutely gorgeous scenery. Also I must say parts of I-64 and I-77 through Virginia and W. Virginia are dazzling, curvy and, when uninterrupted by construction, absolute thrills to go through.
Topdog: Go up to Vermont. Tons of little routes there that are quite fun.
Some roads to check out around NYC, but it is best to wait until about 3am when the traffic dies down:
Jackie Robinson Parkway(formerly the Interboro): The little highway runs between Queens and Brooklyn and appears to have been contsturcted for model-T speeds. It is full of sweeping curves and some sharp turns. The stretch though the cemetery is one of the best S-curves I have ever experienced.
Henry Hudson Parkway(Bronx): Just north of H.H. Bridge this road is similar to the Jackie Robinson in design. It appears as if they intentional decided to NOT have any straight sections of roadway.
Bronx River Parkway (Westchester): With the exception of a few stop lights thrown in this is a very nice road that connects White Plains to the Bronx. It is scenic as it runs alongside of and cris-crosses a stream (Bronx River) for most of it length. It also has some “fun” parts and the narrowness of the road does make it a bit tricky.
FDR (the entire length): If ever you are in NYC at 3am to 5am on a Sunday morning do try out the FDR with little to no traffic on it. South to North is the better direction. Driving the FDR at that time and you will feel just like your playing “Need for Speed” for real.
A little further north: Rte 9,just south of the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Mountian and river views with nice scenic pull-off areas along this challanging mountain road. Going north you twist your up the mountain on a curvy road though a forest and than come out driving along a cliff overlooking the Hudson. The best time of year for this drive is RIGHT NOW!
I live in the Pacific Northwest, and we have a few states and a Canadian province full of some amazing driving roads. I’ve driven just about every one of them. Several favorites come to mind, but like N85523, I’m going to be selfish and keep them to myself.
If you are in the area on a sunny weekend, just follow the unmistakable exhaust note of a big-bore, long-stroke, 3-carbed, straight-six, and you’ll find me.
–chuck
@ thetopdog:
+1. Boston roads and drivers suck!! A manhole cover sticking 4+inches out of the ground on Beacon St. in Kenmore Sq. tore my splitter in half a few days ago :(.
I think NHIS is the best bet, although I find CT-15 a nice way through Connecticut especially when there is little traffic and some cop catchers sport bike riders allow me to kick up the speed a little.
I also used to enjoy driving Rt 80 through the Poconos when there weren’t too many drivers on the road
I too am a big fan of the fdr. I highly recommend going southbound around the southern tip of manhattan, up the westside highway and just keep going up the henry hudson to the saw mill parkway. The saw mill is amazing especially in the fall as all the trees are turning. The come back again. I did that on more than a couple sundays when I was living in harlem on the east side. Just be careful on the westside highway from 50th street down through downtown. I think they have speed cameras installed. The fdr on the other hand is pretty much go as fast as you feel comfortable with. I was only pulled over once on it and let off with a warning although the cop yelled at me “you must’ve been going over 100 mph, you were passin cars like they was standing still.” that was around 11am and I wasn’t even trying to speed, just driving at what felt fairly normal to me. Damn integra always had me speeding by accident.
I just drove from nyc to orange county ca, and while there were quite a few amazing stretches of road, my favorite was the 199 in oregon which connects the 5 to the 101 (pch). That is one crazy road especially at night. It is just hairpin after hairpin with multiple skid marks on every turn of all the cars that have lost control. It goes through the north part of the redwood forest and is truly amazing. The pch in northern ca is also a pleasure though not quite as challenging, it’s perhaps more enjoyable.
It’s not long, but Live Oak Canyon Road from Santiago Canyon in Lake Forrest CA to Rancho Santa Margarita was always a fav when I lived in the area. The road is lined with oak trees that form a canopy over a good portion of it. Usually not too much other traffic and some nice twists and turns. Looking for good roads in the Inland Empire if anyone has any suggestions, I just finished rebuilding the suspension on my E30 Bilsteins…mmm.
Jonny – the second I read the heading, the first thing that hit my mind was CA-23 also! Creepy…
If I wanted to vote on an amazing urban drive, the Ben Franklin Parkway in Center City Philly is one amazing sight to behold. There’s something powerful about going down the BF with the flags of the world on display and the Art Museum (complete with the Rocky statue) waiting for you at the end. You’ll probably sit in traffic and it is a short route, but when in Philly, it’s worth it. Do yourself a favor – it reeks of tourist, but you MUST run up the Art Museum steps and do the Rocky-pose!
In the east, Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Pkwy is my favorite.
In the south, the pre-Charley drive from Fort Myers to Sanibel and Captiva is/was my favorite. When the trees were standing, it was like driving through a scented cave and with the top down, you won’t want the drive to end. Charley did a number on the islands and it doesn’t look good.
In the Midwest, the Car and Driver haunts around Marietta, OH and the Hocking Hills region will test a good driver. I can see why they go there.
…and in the west, take your pick of the mountain roads leading to Mount Saint Helens will take your breath away. I haven’t experienced it yet, but I was told by some friends that the Going to the Sun Road at Glacier NP is one of the best drives in the US. Maybe next year…
Good question – great answers. Time to gas up the chariot and check some of them out!
Very close to the 23…27 but the “old one,” only like at 3am.
Or my old favorite – Deer Creek Road.
Up here in the Bay Area, the 9…but a lot of cops lately.
Hey this is deja vu all over again. There was a “favorite roads” bit here just a few weeks ago!
Soon there will be another one about getting pulled over stories, no doubt.
:)
Sepulveda Pass, Los Angeles. This nice little 4 mile wind of Sepulveda blvd runs along the 405 freeway and connects LA and the valley. It has four spacey lanes of elevation-changing, compound-curvy awesomeness. Roads like Mulholland, Topanga and Angeles Crest Highway are too hazardous. Cliff drops, two-lane blind turns, falling rocks and dust, etc on these roads make them suicidal if you really want to push hard. And if you can’t push hard, why bother?
If you want to run hard on the street, Sepulveda pass is about as safe as you’re going to get. Go late at night and it’s almost completely empty. There have been many evenings I’ve taken a detour to run it up and back.
That said, take $50, get a NASA membership and drive 10/10s each month on the racetrack. All you need to run your street car is a helmet.
I haven’t driven a nice car on the west coast in decades. But on the east coast, I love skyline in the Shenandoahs between Charlottesville VA and Rt.66 (haven’t been south of tghe Charlottesville area on it) . it’s great in early spring, when there are very few other cars, and passing is easy, very twisty, and wonderful vistas.
Also, though much, much shorter, Old County Rd. on Cape Cod between Wellfleet Center and Truro Center. Extremely twisty, wonderful country but watch out for bicyclists.
Favorite Road> Road America @ Elkhart Lake :)
Also: My favorite drive in recent memory is from Sao Paulo to Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.
I went with my uncle-in-law on a 400cc dual sport and actually went to the “top” of SJC up a beautiful, traffic fre..e mountain road to 5000+ feet elevation. Only scary part was that fog rolled in after we got to the top shortly after we got there. I put a video up on Youtube somewhere….have to find the link…will edit my post later after I find it…
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1986415233903823013
thetopdog :
The limit on Storrow Drive is 35 I believe (which is about 50% of the speed I would need to drive to make it entertaining) and I see cops on there frequently.
thetopdog,
If I remember correctly, you drive a ‘Vette. In my Accord I go 50-60 on Storrow without a problem, and with most of the rest of the traffic, and never have seen a cop on there.
M-119 from Petoskey to Harbor Springs and up to Cross Village in Emmet County Michigan. Much of it does not even have centerlines as it is designated a scenic hwy with tree canopies and views of Lake Michigan.
Then of course there is the Tail of The Dragon, but that is a different kind of road.
Pick any section of the Blue Ridge Parkway and not to forget the Foothills Pkwy in TN.
The Laconic Parkway, which goes from near NYC to near Albany is (by northeast standards) a wonderful road. Unusually twisty and hilly, especially for a major divided highway.
Deal’s Gap. Period. Jonny, how quickly you forget.
It says it all that fisher72 says it’s a different kind of road. You know, so much better that it just isn’t fair to compare the others to it. It’s not just a road, but a destination itself.
The road from Susa to Moncenis in the French/Italian Alps. I’m sure there are nicer roads, but this was the one I took in with my father when we made a sort of pilgrimage to his hometown, some fifty-plus years since he left it.
It’s a big drop from the Col to Susa itself, and it takes a long, winding road down. If I had the guts (and was driving something other than a Opel Meriva at the time) I would have pushed it. Or maybe not, the scenery–especially the lake at the reservoir at the top. Amazing.
I’m told they used to run rallies until too many people died trying.
-> U.S. 160 between Forsyth, Mo., and West Plains, Mo.
–> U.S. 2 between Wenatchee, Wash., and Everett, Wash.
–> Pacific Coast Highway (have only been on the LA-to-Ventura stretch)
–> Missouri 13 northbound between Springfield and Bolivar, Mo. When the road was improved to four lanes in the mid-1970s, the original two-lane was maintained as the northbound side. It still has all the curves and hills, but no oncoming traffic.
–> Florida A1A between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine.
–> State Road 32 in New South Wales, west of Sydney, heading into the Blue Mountains.
Any road outside of this cop ridden hell hole*.
*Ohio.
When driving through Montana on Interstate 90, between Butte and Missoula, an interesting diversion is to take Highway 10-A. There are all sorts of campgrounds and touristy things to see, but if you just drive by and never stop it still has some lovely scenery. It’s all 2-lane highway with some interesting twisty bits just north of Georgetown Lake. I think it was called Flint Creek Pass.
From east to west you would go through the town of Anaconda with its smelter smokestack, no longer belching fumes of arsenic, but still rising up like a giant center digit telling the rest of the world to f-off, through the shadows of the Pintler Mountains, past Silver and Georgetown Lakes, past farms and cattle ranches through Philipsburg, then Drummond and back to Interstate 90.
Or pull off in Drummond if you’re going from west to east. It only takes about a half hour longer than going straight through on I-90.
Highway 101 from around Santa Rosa to Eureka. Parts of the sparsely populated 4-lane cut through some gorgeous mountain scenery. Then at times, it cuts down to 2 lanes whipping back and forth through redwoods. Carsick prone passengers need not apply.
Maryland State Road 77 (between Smithsburg and Thurmont)
That’s a great 2-lane road that twists and turns it’s way up the Appalachian mountains (and back down the other side).
Not to mention that it’s scenic, with a national park on one side of it… and a state park on the other.
That, and it’s almost impossible for there to be police on the side of the road, as there really isn’t any ‘side of the road’ to be on. Though, being sandwiched between two parks means that you’ll have to be on the lookout for pedestrians while steering around the mountainside.
In some parts, the speed limit is 35 mph, which in all honesty, I’ve seen speedbikes follow… with the rider’s knees scraping the asphalt. So the twisties on the road are quite sharp, which makes it fun – of course!
:-P
David Holzman :
Maybe I’ve just driven Storrow at the wrong times, but I’ve seen cops on there maybe 10% of the time, which is too much for me. I’ve already got a whole bunch of tickets on my record
And I do drive a Vette, which makes it even harder to find a road that’s exciting to drive on, because if I’m driving Storrow at 50-60mph the car is barely breaking a sweat. I do remember thinking to myself that it would be a pretty nice road to drive if it was ever completely empty with no threat of tickets (sunken manhole covers excepted)
Are there any other semi-decent roads in the Boston area? I really would love to drive a nice road at least once in my life!
thetopdog:
I usually go around 60-65 on Storrow — now in my 350z, previously in my E46 M3, and found it thrilling enough. I don’t think I have ever seen on a cop on Storrow. There’s simply no place for them to hide since there’s no break down lane. Where do you see them? I’m talking about Storrow Drive between Cambridge through Boston. I’m not counting Soldiers Field Road which does have cops.
Route 1 does have those metal plates on the road which causes the car to hop on turns, which can be a pain.
Jamicaway is narrow, but that’s where the fun is, as long as you trust the other driver to stay in their lane. I’m not scared of the narrow lanes in the least. Fresh Pond Parkway is similar with the narrow lanes and turns.
Oh, and I also like 93N from just south of Boston from Quincy at night when there’s not much traffic, through the tunnel all the way through the city and past Zakim bridge. 12 am to 3 am is best! You get a mostly empty road with a nice view, some decent turns and a nice tunnel which makes everything seem faster.:-)
highway 9 from santa cruz to saratoga in the driver’s seat of a modified lotus elise (honda vtec engine). yum!
bloodnok: highway 9 from santa cruz to saratoga in the driver’s seat of a modified lotus elise (honda vtec engine). yum!
YES! A friend of mine and I took turns driving that bit in his near-DINAN E36.
17 between Santa Cruz and Los Gatos can be fun in the dead of night as well.
The only good driving road by me, here in the Detroit area is called Orion Rd. There is a section with great curves and elevation change. It doesn’t compare to some of the roads mentioned above, and it isn’t long at all. Roads like the Tail of the Dragon aren’t within reach for me. On a nice Saturday, I can get out on Orion, and do a couple of good runs. It really makes you enjoy your car.
My fave has to be Hwy 192 in my home town of Santa Barbara between Hwy’s 154 and 150, it runs through Mission Cyn, Sycamore Cyn, Montecito, and through the flower nurseries of Carp. Lots of twists and turns and ups and downs and amazing views.
Plus it is my secret way to bypass the Hwy 101 southbound bottleneck out of town.
Another good, but very rough drive, in Santa Barbara is Camino Cielo. Climb up Gibraltar Road to the spine of the Santa Ynez mountains, then drive west along the spine all the way to Rufugio Cyn (it dead ends at Reagan’s old ranch). May not be passable after heavy rains.
A fun and very close ride in the Bay Area is Hwy 35 (Skyline Blvd) from San Mateo towards Santa Cruz. It runs along the spine of the SF Peninsula. Awesome views, and not much traffic. Only 2 lanes.
Another that can’t be missed is Hwy 89A, Oak Creek Canyon, between Sedona and Flagstaff… especially in winter. Whoo Hoo!
The entire town of Mount Vernon, New Hampshire is one little tiny driving road. the town population is only about 600 I believe. Its just farmland, with views over the rolling hills. BRILLIANT!!!
Texas 170 west of Lajitas, Texas, toward Presidio. Not a fast road, but the first 20 miles is tight turns with awsome vistas of the Rio Grande.
A second choice is Dead Indian Pass, about 20 miles NW of Cody, Wyoming. I can count 7 loops of road from the top.
Widdifield Station Road, North Bay Ontario. Former stage on the Canadian Rally Championship, about 1/3 asphalt and 2/3 dirt. Basically a logging road, tons of elevation changes, couple of decent straightaways, mostly s-turns and one almost-hairpin with only a few houses dotting it along the way. Even a jump, at the train tracks, if you’re feeling ballsy enough not to slow for them. Beautiful scenery, including Otter Lake just off to the left near the beginning of the run. I always break in a new car on it.
hmm… it didn’t post my link for some reason, so here it is again:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=redbridge,+north+bay+on&daddr=46.422062,-79.393129+to:Widdifield+Station+Rd,+North+Bay,+Nipissing+District,+Ontario,+Canada&hl=en&geocode=&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=14&via=1&sll=46.431823,-79.377851&sspn=0.043894,0.076904&ie=UTF8&ll=46.4136,-79.341545&spn=0.087817,0.153809&z=13
TN-85 from Gainesboro to Wilder or Clarkrange is a favorite to show folks from out-of-town. Starts with a hill climb out of Gainesboro and lots of smooth, well-paved curves. A brief stint in town leads you to the Alpine/Jamestown highway with even better curves and a quick descent into the Alpine community (pretty much a church and a post office). When you take the fork at the grocery store and head off toward Wilder, it really does get, well, wilder. The section called Cub Mountain used to be notorious for falling in on itself (built on top of old coal mines) and for getting school buses stuck in the bends. Yes, they’re that sharp.
Edit: Didn’t show my link, either. Here’s the Google map of the last leg of that route, if you’re interested.
Lessons I’ve learned…
You can enjoy the road, or enjoy the scenery.
Doing one will impede the other.
Favorite road? The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highlands Nat’l Park, Nova Scotia, Canada.
There are plenty of nice driving roads in the Northeast…just leave Boston and head towards Vermont. Oh yeah, and wake up at 5am on a Saturday to really enjoy them.
thetopdog:
Route 100 in Vermont. Find it, drive it. Get out of the city, get into the country. I grew up in Medway, MA, and there are more great driving roads around there than I can mention. You’re in one of the best places for driving. This is coming from a family that had/has Mustangs, Corvettes, a Capri, an MG, a Triumph, a Renault GTA, a GTI, and motorcycles.
JT:
You ain’t kidding man, I’ve got a vacation planned to the East Coast next year (I was born in New Brunswick) specifically to drive the Cabot Trail. It’s supposed to be among the “best driving roads in the world.”
The flatness of SE Texas cannot erase the joys of driving I knew growing up in NorCal. Of all the twisty roads there, Highway 29 from Calistoga to Middletown stands out:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Calistoga,+CA&ie=UTF8&ll=38.655756,-122.574806&spn=0.197057,0.30899&t=h&z=12
This road was the bookend to many a happy vacation at Clear Lake. First run in my 79 Scirocco (Neuspeed Suspension), then my 88 Prelude Si. Fast bends, some with decreasing radii, passing lanes for blowing by the fearful and the dawdlers, and great views of the Napa Valley.
Let’s see, what else…
Oh yeah, N. Georgia around the Chattahoochee Nat’l Forest. 180E out of Suches, 11/19/129N out of Turners Corner, and 17/75N out of Helen. Mountain views, very smooth, twisty, and deserted.
Trail Ridge Road. But only if you’ve got a turbo. Sure it’s not the most exciting of roads, but the scenery… just thinking about it makes me miss colorado. God help our kid if he ends up being prone to getting carsick…
There are many roads that I enjoy driving depending on the weather and the traffic. Starting in the north, Hwy 242 heading west out of Sisters, Oregon. Narrow, winding, light traffic, beautiful volcanic and forested scenery, what’s not to like. Briceland Road/Shelter Cove Road from Highway 101 to Shelter Cove, California. Beautiful rolling green hills, hairpin turns, light traffic, ending at a very steep downgrade through the Redwoods to Shelter Cove on the Northern California coast. Probably the best secenery of all the roads that I’m listing in this post. Hopland Grade Between Lake and Mendecino Counties. Narrow and twisty with very steep drop offs. The only reason I wouldn’t rate this higher is the very real possibility even probability of dieing if you make a mistake, or even worse if somebody coming the other way makes a mistake. The Oakville Grade between Hwy 12 and Hwy 29 in Sonoma/Napa counties. Some nice secenery plenty of twisties with some higher speed gradual turns and plenty uphill followed by downhill. It’s main problem is the occasional tourist who gets lost and makes the mistake of getting on this road. Gums up the whole works when a slightly toasted out-of-towner actually obeys the numbers posted on the yellow signs along the road. Finally, Hwy 1 north of SF. Too much traffic to really enjoy, but boy is the view of the ocean beautiful, and it has the potential for true driving pleasure when you hit stretches where there is no traffic.
Htownheff mentioned Hwy 29 between Middletown and Calistoga. The big problem with that road is how heavily travelled it is. A nice side tour in the same area is Franz Valley School Road to Mark West Springs Road between Santa Rosa and Calistoga. Very light traffic, very narrow, and very beautiful.
One final edit, the Sawtooth Hwy heading north east out of Yellowstone offers some literally awesome views. The mountains are absolutely spectacular.
I spent about 7 years in Monterey, CA, but it’s become cliche to talk about Highway 1. Plus, there’s way too much traffic to ever really have fun. That’s why I prefer Laureles grade from Highway 68 to Carmel Valley Road. This climbs steep over the range into Camel Valley, and as you descend, the long banked corners leading you down are an absolute blast. Turn left onto Carmel Valley road and hold your breath until you get past the village. Then, once you notice there are no more cars, and all that surrounds are cow pastures and more cow pastures, open the windows/throttle and enjoy corner after corner of recently paved winding canyon road.
its my secret and I’m not gonna share it with you!