Good Drives

[Rhode Island Red]

Ok Y'all,

We live all over the country and all over the world and you know of hidden jewls of a road to cruise that no one else knows about. What are some of your most favorite drives. So please post up your favorites drives, roads, or cruises, and give us some ideas for the rest of us that cannot travel all the time, but are looking for ideas

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Ok Y'all,

We live all over the country and all over the world and you know of hidden jewls of a road to cruise that no one else knows about. What are some of your most favorite drives. So please post up your favorites drives, roads, or cruises, and give us some ideas for the rest of us that cannot travel all the time, but are looking for ideas

Oh that's easy. The Blue Ridge Parkway.
http://www.nps.gov/blri/
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

[Steel2686]

Take Route 7 through Connecticut this time of year. New England in Autumn...

[Rhode Island Red]

I'll go

Newport, RI - get to see some of the largest summer-home mansions in the world, Fort Adams, historical Thames street, panoramic view of Newport harbor, the Newport (Pell) bridge, Ocean drive along the New England Coast, Purgatory Chasm overlooking Second Beach, and finally looking from the reverse side of Second Beach at Sakonnet wildlife refuge looking at Second Beach and Pitureque St. Georges Cathedral (a private high school)

I start out by driving on washington Square, and start driving on the cobblestone -yes cobblestone - portion of upper Thames Street. There are many shoppes, typical of New Engand, and the usual shoppes for the drivein and cruise-ship tourists. This street was used in the film, Amistad. Getting to the end I follow traffic and at a light I get into the right lane of America's Cup avenue -south (The place to be in all of the USA if your a sailing fan). I get on to "Lower Thames" , recovering from the cobblestones on upper Thames This portion is more narrow (Town was founded in 1639 and the roads havent widend since then ) and there are a bazillion people. So while you, Idledown the road at 5mph, look at the shoppes and Femme Fataals aka college student from Salve Regina University (liberal arts for kids born with a silver spoon in their mouth) are always a nice shapely view . At the end of the nicer portion of lower Thames, take a right at the road across from the Shell station. Along here is a 2.5 mile long park, giving an unobstructed view along the waterfront. at the end I romp on the gas in preparation for the sharp left turn the road makes, then slwo down, then shortly the road makes another sharp left turn. At the stop sign, I make a right, and go down the road till I turn into fort adams entrance (Free admision to the park except between memorial and labor days).

I idle down the road, and a huge expanse of the harbor comes to my view. at the very end of the road/parking lot, I park and walk out to see the 2.5 mile long Newport brige (on the back of the RI quarter).

Get back to the car, and take a right at the entrance. I pass a 5 star restaruant/hotel (Ocean Cliff?) . and the road takes a sharp right , then immediately a shap left turn. Blammo I'm on ocean drive. Soon the Beavertail lighthouse (jamestown light - 2nd oldest in the country) comes into view across the bay on jamestown Island. I Go into Breton Point, and since it is a Saturday, I see nearly a 100 kites in the air, amazing.

A little secret and optional thing is to park, and walk behind the crumbling carriage house (There used to be a huge mansion owned by one of the people whom opend king tut's tomb and is said as a result of the curse the mansion caught fire, leaving only the carriage house) and notice a tower. I climb the tower and remeber it was told to me by the locals it was used for star gazing way back when

I continue along Ocean drive seening the coasline and I start to see huge pituresque houses. I ignore those and have a blast with the twisty road (when possible) . Near the end I pass several private beach clubs and veer a sharp right and immediatly take a sharp left following the road. Shortly I take another sharp left and I am on Bellvue, the road with the super-mansions. I pass the Marble house and go slow along the entire stretch passing the summer homes of America's Aristocracy of long days past.

I make a right on to Memorial blvd. and cruise down a long hill overlooking First beach (aka Easton's beach) go slow as the narc's always patrol for speeders along this popular revenue-generating stretch. as the road veers left, I conting going straight at the Atlantic Beach club, I go up a long road passing St. Georges and when I start going downhill again I take right on to the road at the sharp tun.

I park in the little parking lot for purgatory Chasm and walk up the path to a bridge and behold the view of Purgatory Chasm and the waves crashing into it. Walking out to the lege I see 2nd beach, all 2.0 miles of it, all the surfers, Sakonnet wildlife sanctuary at theend of the beach. on the other side I see sakonnet river mouth and Sakonnet point on the mainland. I go back to the car, go back to that sharp turn in the road and take a right throwng a few rev's to the beachgoers. I drive to the end a loop around the sakonnet wildlife sanctuary parking lot and see the Cliff with purgatory chasm, second beach, and the picturesqe St. Georges.

This is the path I usually give visitors, and they see just about everything that newport has to offer . Gots a couple more drives to share still I add pictures later

[Joe 1320]

Oh that's easy. The Blue Ridge Parkway.
http://www.nps.gov/blri/
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

Brother, you took the words right out of my mouth. The best drive I've been on.

[Trash man]

Take Route 7 through Connecticut this time of year. New England in Autumn...

is the one covered bridge the one in kent? also have u done the 202 and 109 routes?

[braindeadracefan]

Since you don't have any from Cali, I'll give you a couple. Highway 299 between Redding and Arcata is a blast as long as you don't get stuck behind too many logging trucks. So is Highway 199 in Northern Cali and Oregon.

[Steel2686]

is the one covered bridge the one in kent? also have u done the 202 and 109 routes?

Just past Kent in Cornwall Village... Right on the Housatonic. It's a real nice ride through there. I'm going to cruise up through there in a few weeks when the leaves turn. I'll let you know.

[bru333]

The ride up (and down) Haleakala on Maui.



Whew! That's an old photo...1979...

[Trash man]

yea deff let me kno when u wanna do that cruise and we can get our bird together(if mine isnt sold by then)

[95TransAm]

Man you guys are lucky...you have some nice stretches to cruise on.

Illinois = ummm flat lands complete with growing corn for hours...and hours...and hours

Next week wednesday I leave for Wyoming where I'll be living for the next 12-15 months...until I get further west that is...I'm sure that will quite the sightseeing cruise

[wolfdogs]

Shanendoah National Forest: Skyline Drive......................

[Trash man]

add RT 67 to that list, just came down it(have a 4 hr break be4 my next class) and wow the leaves are just starting to turn colors

[ryan34]

Oh that's easy. The Blue Ridge Parkway.

]

How come we drive on a Parkway and Park on a Driveway?

[Fawkes6]

Skyline drive and the Blue Ridge parkway are both incredibly scenic routes...just remember to bringa picnic lunch cuz there arent many places to stop that have "facilities"...not to mention the Parkway stretches over a huge portion of the state and into North Carolina so you can stay on for quite a while if you wish. One of my personal faves is state route 5 east out of Richmond all the way down to Williamsburg...then you have the option of taking the Jamestown Ferry over the river or continue on down to the James river bridge and cross over to route 10 and head back west...all nice two lane, scenic, wooded and shady...beautiful in the fall...great top open cruising Of course route 10 brings you back to the tri-city area (Petersburg/Hopewell/Colonial Heights)...if you need to get back to the Richmond area, go alittle north of Rte5 at Williamsburg and pick up Rte60 west...which is a 4 lane, but still a nice ride...with plenty of places to stop so your "main squeeze" can have fun too.