fritz@phri.UUCP (Dave Fritzinger) (10/23/85)
It seems that net.auto is getting somewhat boring recently, so I thought
that I would start a new discussion. So, taking a page out of Car and
Driver's January issues, let's have nominations for the best and worst
roads that you people on the net have *driven*. When you nominate a road,
give a short explanation of why you think it is good (or bad).
OK, I'll start things off by nominating Vermont Rt 100 for best, because
of scenery(sp?), lack of traffic in the summer(though I expect that would
be different in the fall and winter), and because it is a road with lots
of *fast* curves to make driving interesting.
Worst road that I've driven? Living in the New York area, there are lots
of choices. I'll say Rt. 22 in Eastern NJ, where heavy traffic, a terrible
roadway and stores all along both sides and the middle make driving dangerous,
not to mention not a lot of fun.
Well, I've gotten the ball rolling. Let's hear from the rest of you, so I'll
know what roads to drive on, and what roads to avoid, wherever I go traveling.
--
Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY
{allegra!phri!fritz}
"I think. I think I am. Therefore, I am,...I think."
Moody Bluesstern@tilt.FUN (10/24/85)
[]
Best Road I've Driven:
Route 17 in between San Jose and Santa Cruz, CA. The scenery is nice
(especially for an east-coast boy) but the driving is outrageously fun.
I would love to make the drive sometime in a real sports car, rather than
the Escort I had when I was on it last.
Worst Road I've Driven:
Interstate 84 ONLY in Connecticut, between Hartford and Brewster, NY.
"But sterno, it's an interstate, it's two lanes, what's wrong with it?"
you ask....well, how about one of the highest auto-truck accident fatality
rates in the country? I have driven the route many, many times in the past
four years, and I have always hit traffic in Hartford. Why does an interstate
function as a "main drag" through the city?
Also, anyone who is up on their min-cut,max-flow theory will realize that if
traffic is moving along fine at 55 MPH when I-84 is three lanes, it might
have to slow down when it goes from three to two lanes. I-84 does this,
with about 500 feet warning, every five or six miles. It's both annoying
and dangerous, when you realize you are about to drive off the road or
hit that tandem trailer next to you. To top it off, CT has such a poor way
of dealing with speeding tickets that people are petrified to drive more than
55 MPH (residents, not out of staters). Consequently, the traffic tends to
bunch up, creep to a halt, and then open up again. Many times I've seen
cars come to a complete halt, and when you get to the end of the jam, there's
nothing there -- not even accident debris to make it look like there was a
justification for the slowdown. One of the major contributors to the truck-
car accident rate is the "wave" motion of traffic -- sometimes you have an
18-wheeler cruising at 60 MPH and just a little ways ahead, the traffic is
bottled up...and smack! instant accordions made from your imported cars.
'nuf flaming.
--Hal Stern
{ihnp4, seismo, allegra}!princeton!flakey!sternreview@drutx.UUCP (MillhamBD) (10/24/85)
> It seems that net.auto is getting somewhat boring recently, so I thought > that I would start a new discussion. So, taking a page out of Car and > Driver's January issues, let's have nominations for the best and worst > roads that you people on the net have *driven*. When you nominate a road, > give a short explanation of why you think it is good (or bad). > > OK, I'll start things off by nominating Vermont Rt 100 for best, because > of scenery(sp?), lack of traffic in the summer(though I expect that would > be different in the fall and winter), and because it is a road with lots > of *fast* curves to make driving interesting. Try Vermont Rt 108 from Stowe to Smugglers Notch. Very interesting road. Great scenery. The road is only 1 car wide, in spots, and the pavement is right against the rocks. Don't take a trailer up there! My worst road nominee: I-80 through Nebraska. It's like riding on a bucking bronco. (Especially if you drive it in a Jeep) -------------------------------------------- Brian Millham AT & T Information Systems Denver, Co. ...!ihnp4!drutx!review
tjiang@Shasta.ARPA (10/24/85)
Best Roads: California Rt. 1, US Rt. 89 (thru Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wymoming,...) The scenery is great. Worst Roads: Most numbered roads in New Jersey near the NYC area. The Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Any road in downtown Manhattan.
stadlin@hou2h.UUCP (Art Stadlin) (10/25/85)
> It seems that net.auto is getting somewhat boring recently, so I thought > ... let's have nominations for the best and worst > roads that you people on the net have *driven*. > -- > Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY > {allegra!phri!fritz} My favorite road is definitely U.S. 9 between Cape May, NJ and Lewes, DE. The scenery and fresh air is wonderful and I can make the trip with the car in "park", which gives me great gas mileage! Of course I'm talking about the Cape May -- Lewes Ferry. :-) Seriously though, I enjoy the northern section of the NJ Turnpike because it is so industrial. I am always in awe when I pass by all those huge and complex structures. How can anyone keep track of all those pipes and machines? Only in America. Another road I enjoy is the Pulaski Skyway near Newark at about mid-afternoon when there is little traffic. The view is pleasant and the ride is smooth. If the Skyway had to be built today, I bet the DOT could not justify the cost. The road I have come to be disappointed with is the Garden State Parkway. Since Atlantic City gambling started, the GSP has simply become a conduit for smoke-emitting casino busses and speeding limousines. No matter which lane I'm in, there is always someone who wants to cut me off or flash their lights so I'll speed up faster than I'm going. Everyone's got to get to that slot machine in a hurry. Some make it, and some take an unwanted side trip to the hospital. -- \\\ \\\\ Art Stadlin \\\\\\________!{akgua,ihnp4,houxm}!hou2h!stadlin
chin@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU (David Chin) (10/25/85)
In my opinion, the most fun road to drive on in the entire world is Highway 1, the coastal road, in California. This wonderful stretch of highway extends the length of the West Coast from Baja to Washington state. Most of the way, the road hugs the cliffsides with a fantastic view of waves breaking against rocks below. The road is very winding, abounding with posted 10-15 mph hairpin turns. The road is only two lanes wide, but that just adds to the challenge of passing. The sea breeze keeps things fairly comfortable and the sunset over the Pacific ocean is gorgeous. The surface is fairly well upkept with ocassional turn-outs and parking spots for people to stop and admire the view. Also the road has very few cops. For variey, every once in a while, the road goes by beaches, coves, small towns, coastal forests, etc. for variety. Where else in the world can one drive continually at the limits of adhesion (tires squealing all the way) for an entire day without repeating the same section of road? The worst road in the world is much more difficult to state since there are so many junk roads around. My vote would have to go to the road to Sun-Moon Lake in Taiwan. This road (when I was there many years ago) hugged the mountainsides, but was almost completely unpaved. The crushed rock surface was so bad that it could cause seasickness. Also, the road was so narrow that two small cars would have considerable trouble passing one another on parts of the road. Moreover, the people who regularly travel on the road drove rickety cars which looked like they would fall apart any second at speeds that were suicidal. None of the cars had any shocks left and it often looked as if they would just bounce off the road. More than once, I saw tires go off the road and there were signs that at least a few people hadn't made it (burned out hulks down the mountainsides). The key points are that this road in combination with its drivers was not only highly uncomfortable, but also extremely unsafe. Dave Chin chin@BERKELEY.EDU ucbvax!chin
hsu@eneevax.UUCP (David T. Hsu) (10/25/85)
Gosh, River Road/Falls Road/Glen Road/somehowbacktoRiver seems to be rather
amusing, particularly at night (straining to see around curves banked
strangely, discovering those strange dips in the road as you realize the
importance of gravity). Naturally, having a very narrow view of Maryland
roads, someone'll probably remember a better one in no time.
As for the worst, well, I guess the Whitehurst Freeway doesn't count. But
a few (? maybe 1?) miles long, all potholes, chaos, and unintentional
merging. But cities notwithstanding, gee, that's a tough one. Maybe
parts of the same route above?
-dave
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Hsu Across the net...
USnail: Communications & Signal Processing Laboratory hsu @ eneevax.umd.edu
Dept of Electr Engr, Univ Md hsu @ mit-prep.arpa
College Park, MD 20742 hsu @ umd2.arpa
UUCP: {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu BITnet: CF522 @ UMDD
"...YOU can enjoy an EXCITING career as a diesel mechanic..."hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE) (10/25/85)
Well, folks, I hate to say, the worst road in Amerika is, well, history. Last week, they say, they removed the toll booths from the Connecticut Turnpike. Many will never know the wonderful feeling of waiting five minutes to pay every ten miles. In addition, the road is in poor condition and, because the road is separated by only a steel guard rail, unsafe. And the cops are obnoxious, and (contrary to federal law), radar dectectors are verboten. Bridges have been known to collapse on the Connecticut Turnpike. It almost makes it worth swimming at the Jersey Shore instead of Cape Cd. ;-) Truthfully yours (from New Jersey) -- Howard G. Page AT&T HO 3D-534, (201)949-0366, ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp
hsu@eneevax.UUCP (David T. Hsu) (10/25/85)
In article <10792@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> chin@ucbvax.UUCP (David Chin) writes: > >The worst road in the world is much more difficult to state since there are >so many junk roads around. My vote would have to go to the road to >Sun-Moon Lake in Taiwan. This road (when I was there many years ago) >hugged the mountainsides, but was almost completely unpaved. The crushed >rock surface was so bad that it could cause seasickness. Also, the road >was so narrow that two small cars would have considerable trouble passing >one another on parts of the road. Moreover, the people who regularly >travel on the road drove rickety cars which looked like they would fall >apart any second at speeds that were suicidal. None of the cars had any >shocks left and it often looked as if they would just bounce off the road. >More than once, I saw tires go off the road and there were signs that at >least a few people hadn't made it (burned out hulks down the mountainsides). >The key points are that this road in combination with its drivers was not >only highly uncomfortable, but also extremely unsafe. Thanks for reminding me of the WORST road I rode on (replace context US with context EverywhereYou'veBeen). Must be the East-West Cross Island Highway in Taiwan. Paved (thus..a road) this highway is cut INTO a very steep granite face for much of its length, and sports literally dozens of tunnels each mile. Barely two lanes, I ended up traveling this thing in a bus, and when two buses want to pass in opposite directions, everybody holds their breath. Also, being cut into a face, parts of the roadway constantly fall into the gorge below, knocking out the entire lane sometimes. Vertical clearance in the tunnels is not amusing, either. My great-uncle was the chief engineer on the project, and I'm surprised that he is still into transportation. Of course, having been constructed over 20 years ago, I can see why it wasn't made as a superhighway. Despite this, one of my friends remarked "Damn, I wish I had my Spitfire on this road." -dave -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Hsu Across the net... USnail: Communications & Signal Processing Laboratory hsu @ eneevax.umd.edu Dept of Electr Engr, Univ Md hsu @ mit-prep.arpa College Park, MD 20742 hsu @ umd2.arpa UUCP: {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!eneevax!hsu BITnet: CF522 @ UMDD "...YOU can enjoy an EXCITING career as a diesel mechanic..."
mchas@drutx.UUCP (CharlesMW) (10/25/85)
The most impressive effort in road building and by far the most scenic I've ever been on is 'Going-To-The-Sun' road located in Glacier National Park, Montana. The worst around here is Interstate 25 from the Northerly city limits of Denver to the Southerly city limits of same. Poor surface, very narrow in spots, always congested and always too fast for conditions.
npl@spuxll.UUCP (Nick Landsberg) (10/25/85)
I do not have a candidate for best road, but, being originally from the NY Metro area, I nominate ANY so-called highway/expressway therein for WORST. The worst of the worst has to be the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. Reasons: Narrow lanes, potholes, steel plates covering the larger potholes (sometimes with sharp edges, a real treat for your new tires.), and a maintenance program which is a joke. Instead of re-paving, NYC re-surfaces the roads. The underlying concrete has long ago crumbled but they keep adding more asphalt on top. Said treatment makes the ride marginally smoother for about 3-6 months, but in the end it is just as bad, if not worse. Those who drive the route daily can expect to change their shocks ~ every 6 months.
knf@druxo.UUCP (FricklasK) (10/26/85)
> It seems that net.auto is getting somewhat boring recently, so I thought > ... let's have nominations for the best and worst > roads that you people on the net have *driven*. > -- > Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY > {allegra!phri!fritz} Highway 1 from Carmel, CA. south to Big Sur, nice curves, the greatest scenery in the world, waves over the rocks, forests, wow.... '`'` Ken `'`'
bcbell@inmet.UUCP (10/26/85)
** double yellow line ** I think I'll keep quite about my favorite roads for now, lest my weekend drives be hampered by scores of net.auto readers, but I can tell you about some bad ones- ANY Intersate in the state of Connecticut! With few exceptions these roads are uninspired limited access safety violations, with lefthand exits, lane dropouts, and constant construction. The exceptions are uninspired limited access safety violations with lefthand exits, lane dropouts, constant construction, and a toll booth every 10 miles. Also note that the law here takes speeding very seriously- particularly around the N.Y. and Mass. borders, and particularly for people with plates from those states. I realize that this is a cheap pot shot at an entire state, but what the heck, it might make for an interesting start. R.M. Mottola Cyborg Corp. Newton, MA.
pataky@gymble.UUCP (Bill Pataky) (10/26/85)
> OK, I'll start things off by nominating Vermont Rt 100 for best, because > of scenery(sp?), lack of traffic in the summer(though I expect that would > be different in the fall and winter), and because it is a road with lots > of *fast* curves to make driving interesting. > ... > -- > Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY > {allegra!phri!fritz} Great choice. Some that rival that are rts 600 and 670 in Virginia. For that matter any of the seemingly unknown roads on either side of the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway. A couple of weeks ago was the peak of the foliage season out there. At certain places you can go down rt 600 and not be able to see the pavement because of all the fallen leaves. It's really impressive, but don't try to fly down it. If the leaves on the pavement don't get you, the deer will. At night, you can't really go much above 20-30 mph because there are so many deer on or near the road (avg 5-6 per mi). David Hsu mentioned that the East-West Cross Island Highway in Taiwan would be a great road for a Spitfire. I own one and (I've never been to Taiwan) this is the best I've found. Bill Pataky University of Maryland Department of Computer Science Parallel Processing Lab pataky@gymble.umd.edu
pataky@gymble.UUCP (Bill Pataky) (10/26/85)
>> ... let's have nominations for the best and worst >> roads that you people on the net have *driven*. >> -- >> Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY >> {allegra!phri!fritz} > Seriously though, I enjoy the northern section of the NJ Turnpike > because it is so industrial. ... > > \\\\ Art Stadlin > \\\\\\________!{akgua,ihnp4,houxm}!hou2h!stadlin Let me guess... you don't drive a convertible. Bill Pataky University of Maryland Department of Computer Science Parallel Processing Lab pataky@gymble.umd.edu
leiby@masscomp.UUCP (Mike Leibensperger) (10/26/85)
My vote: US 22 between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. I made the
trip a week ago at the height of the fall foliage on a brilliantly
sunny day. Awesome!
--
Rt. Rev. Mike Leibensperger, Archbishop of Chelmsford
Church of St. Clint the Righteous ("Feel lucky, Pink Boy?")
Masscomp; 1 Technology Park; Westford, MA 01886
{decvax,ihnp4,tektronix}!masscomp!leibyben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder) (10/28/85)
>Seriously though, I enjoy the northern section of the NJ Turnpike >because it is so industrial. I am always in awe when I pass by >all those huge and complex structures. How can anyone keep track >of all those pipes and machines? Only in America. > >The road I have come to be disappointed with is the Garden State >Parkway. Since Atlantic City gambling started, the GSP has simply >become a conduit for smoke-emitting casino busses and speeding >limousines. No matter which lane I'm in, there is always >someone who wants to cut me off or flash their lights so I'll >speed up faster than I'm going. Everyone's got to get to >that slot machine in a hurry. Some make it, and some >take an unwanted side trip to the hospital. > \\\ > \\\\ Art Stadlin > \\\\\\________!{akgua,ihnp4,houxm}!hou2h!stadlin Come on, you can't be serious? I know that every pot has its cover, but taking a pleasure ride on the northern section of the NJ turnpike is tantamount to taking a cool vacation swim in the city cesspool. The stench from the refineries is unbearable, the roar of Newark airport is deafening and there isn't an unpaved surface in sight. This is the road that gives our state its undeserved reputation as an overpopulated industrial nightmare. It gets my vote as worst road I've ever driven. (Route 22 comes close, it is much more dangerous than the turnpike, but it smells alot better) The Parkway, though not a road I would go out of my way to drive on, is much nicer. It has decent landscaping, even in the most industrial segments. It is not straight but winds constantly to add interest to the drive. Commercial trucks are banned from the road. And despite what Mr Stadlin has said, I have seen fewer accidents on the Parkway than on the NJ turnpike. (And I drive the parkway daily, the turnpike only about once a month) But for a road I can *really* enjoy, you have to leave the country. You haven't driven until you have driven the Amalfi drive in southern Italy. It is a twisty mountain road, the kind you see satirized in Saturday morning cartoons. The view is incredible, but better save the sightseeing 'till you are a passenger, because this road deserves total concentration. Next time I want to do it in a BMW, not an old rented Fiat. Ben Broder ..ihnp4!princeton!moncol!ben ..vax135!petsd!moncol!ben
sukenick@ccnysci.UUCP (10/28/85)
{{[[<<()>>]]}}
Worst road:
FDR drive, along the east side of manhattan
Curvy, a pothole every other foot; waves in the road (throws your car up in
the air and you bounce a few times); 40 mph limit with timid folk doing 20 and
daredevils going 60; 5 foot entrance ramps (south); nails,screws and rivets
along the side of the road; mufflers,tailpipes and front end parts
in the middle;
and of course around every blind curve,
a work-truck laying new potholes with the warning cones exactly 3.89 feet
away from the man with the shovel. Of course he never gets hit 'cause
you are warned by the screetching tires of the car in front of you.
'Driving in NY on the FDR drive - "A thrill a minute!" '
(But what ever happened to those guys who would get a flat at night and
make just around the nearest curve and change their tire, with the lights
off (to conserve the battery)?)
-GDS-ralphd@teklds.UUCP (Ralph Durtschi) (10/28/85)
> > Well, I've gotten the ball rolling. Let's hear from the rest of you, so I'll > know what roads to drive on, and what roads to avoid, wherever I go traveling. **BEST ROAD** My vote is for bear-tooth pass between the north-east entrance of Yellowstone Park and Red Lodge Montana. The road starts out at about 6,000 feet and goes up and up, through the timberline, through high alpine meadows, up to almost bare rock at about 11,000 feet. It is a good road all of the way and really gives you a rush up your spine as you go up the switch backs. If you are going to be traveling around western Wyoming, I highly recommend this 40 mile stretch of road. Bye, Ralph
mikec@petsd.UUCP (Mike Condict) (10/29/85)
Contrary to the negative report on the Garden State Parkway (also known, affectionately, as the "Garbage State Parkway"), it is by one measure the best road I have ever driven on. No other road that I know of is easier and safer for FAST driving. I am speaking primarily of the portion just south of NYC, that has five lanes each way, split into two express lanes and three local lanes by a wide grass median. First, the curves appear to have been designed to allow drunken business men in Cadillacs to get around them safely at 75 mph. Second, the lanes are almost wide enough for two Hondas side by side. Third, three lanes are MUCH better than two (readers are invited to calculate the difference in expected duration of an accdental travelling roadblock given three lanes vs. two -- answers in next month's column). Fourth, potholes and cracks in the road surface are practically nonexistent and the most severe dip or hill in the road is barely enough to budge your suspension. Fifth, and most important of all, the police, in an unfathomable display of common sense and decency (at least for N.J.) seem to have acknowledged that this road is indeed safe at higher speeds and do not seem interested in any cars going less than 75 mph. In fact, uh... er... a friend of mine drove his Honda for six months every day on this road at speeds consistently between 75 and 85 without any near collisions with vehicles or micro-wave echo analyzers (the eventual collision of his car's pistons with its valves is another matter entirely, though quite possibly related). Anyhow, this is why the average speed on this highway is about 70 to 75 mph., with middle-of-the-night speed runs in excess of 133 mph not unheard of -- limited not by the road but by the presence of innocent bystanders (bydrivers?). Although this writer certainly does not endorse or approve of any violations of state or local traffic ordinances, isn't it comforting to know that the police and other emergency vehicles could, if necessary, get to the scene of an accident so quickly? To put it in a nutshell, the G.S.P. seems to be the closest thing that America has to an Autobahn, and its presence is the major justification for owning or operating an expensive German car in N.J. If it didn't exist, the pressure of the Yuppie lobby would create it overnight. :-) Michael Condict ...!vax135!petsd!mikec free-lance consulting at Exit 109
mr@hou2h.UUCP (M.RINDSBERG) (10/29/85)
> Contrary to the negative report on the Garden State Parkway (also known, > affectionately, as the "Garbage State Parkway"), it is by one measure the > best road I have ever driven on. No other road that I know of is easier > and safer for FAST driving. I am speaking primarily of the portion just > south of NYC, True. > that has five lanes each way, split into two express lanes and three local > lanes by a wide grass median. First, the curves appear to have been > designed to allow drunken business men in Cadillacs to get around them > safely at 75 mph. Second, the lanes are almost wide enough for two Hondas > side by side. Third, three lanes are MUCH better than two (readers are > invited to calculate the difference in expected duration of an accdental > travelling roadblock given three lanes vs. two -- answers in next month's > column). Fourth, potholes and cracks in the road surface are practically In fact they repaved pert of it recently and I found no reason why it had to be repaved. > nonexistent and the most severe dip or hill in the road is barely enough > to budge your suspension. Fifth, and most important of all, the police, > in an unfathomable display of common sense and decency (at least for N.J.) > seem to have acknowledged that this road is indeed safe at higher speeds > and do not seem interested in any cars going less than 75 mph. This is the only road where I have driven side by side with a police car at 70 mph and being ignored as he sped by me (presumably to catch speeders going over 70 mph) > > In fact, uh... er... a friend of mine drove his Honda for six months every > day on this road at speeds consistently between 75 and 85 without any near > collisions with vehicles or micro-wave echo analyzers (the eventual collision > of his car's pistons with its valves is another matter entirely, though quite > possibly related). > > Anyhow, this is why the average speed on this highway is about 70 to 75 mph., > with middle-of-the-night speed runs in excess of 133 mph not unheard of -- During the summer I used to come to work at the crack of dawn and once in a while I would drive at otherwise unheard of speeds of 120-125 mph especially at the hill right by the state police barracks (spite I guess). > limited not by the road but by the presence of innocent bystanders > (bydrivers?). Although this writer certainly does not endorse or approve of > any violations of state or local traffic ordinances, isn't it comforting to > know that the police and other emergency vehicles could, if necessary, get to > the scene of an accident so quickly? > > To put it in a nutshell, the G.S.P. seems to be the closest thing that America > has to an Autobahn, and its presence is the major justification for > owning or operating an expensive German car in N.J. If it didn't exist, > the pressure of the Yuppie lobby would create it overnight. :-) > > Michael Condict ...!vax135!petsd!mikec > free-lance consulting at > Exit 109 Don't flame me. I am actually a very careful driver. Mark ..!hou2h!mr Exit 114
khiem@homxb.UUCP (K.HO) (10/30/85)
Lately I've read so many praises for NJ Garden State Parkway about its good road condition. I've heard that it is maintained by a private company. Is it why GSP is well taken care of?
muth@amdahl.UUCP (John A. Muth) (10/30/85)
> [] > > Best Road I've Driven: > > Route 17 in between San Jose and Santa Cruz, CA. The scenery is nice > (especially for an east-coast boy) but the driving is outrageously fun. > I would love to make the drive sometime in a real sports car, rather than > the Escort I had when I was on it last. > Well, what do you know. It just so happens that this is my daily commute. It is outrageously fun, but intense (And they wonder how we mellow Santa Cruz types manage to get ourselves pumped up for the high pressure environment of Silicon Valley :-) ). A word of warning though. Don't get too wild on highway 17 unless you know it well. If I had a dime for every brand new Porsche or BMW wrecked on that road by drivers that didn't know it well enough, I would quit my job and hang out at the beach everyday. -- John A. Muth ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun,nsc}!amdahl!muth
paul@pilchuck.UUCP (Paul Brownlow @ Data I/O -- Redmond, WA) (10/30/85)
I agree with those votes for Califonia 1 for one of the best roads, although I have found one that I think is better: The Cassiar Highway (British Columbia 37) which runs from Kitwanga, BC (150 mi. east of Prince Rupert) to the Alaska Highway at the BC/Yukon border. After driving this, you will truely agree that there is no shortage of trees and wilderness on this planet. The best time to drive this road is the middle of the winter, since this is when the gravel surface is frozen and plowed smooth. You can easily travel at 70 mph in places. My vote for the most boring road is Interstate 5 through the San Joaquin Valley of California. That's only because I drove it FOUR times this week. It is 350 miles of the flatest, straightest road this side of Nebraska. Paul Brownlow -- ...."You're never alone with a schizophrenic."
tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler) (10/30/85)
My candidate for the best road is the stretch of US highway 101 between Forks, Washington and Port Angeles, Washington. The highway winds through the nothern section of the Olympic mountains and along the edges of Pleasant Lake and the Awesome Crescent Lake. The road, a narrow two lanes most of the way, passes through gigantic cathedral like evergreens and skirts the lakes barely above the waterline. A great trip with plenty of scenery and testing of one's driving ability. T. C. Wheeler
james@alberta.UUCP (James Borynec) (10/30/85)
<>
Best Road: The Banff - Jasper road in Alberta.
The scenery is beautiful, the road itself is ok, and the wildlife
wonderful.
Worst Road: The Demster highway to Inuvik, Northwest Territories.
This is So bad, even the 18 wheelers form convoys before daring
this road.
Most Boring Road: The highway from Adelaide to Norseman, in Australia.
You can travel 2000 miles and see absolutely no trees, and only one or two
gentle hills. The only break comes when the road bends around
a meteorite crater (no kidding)
j.borynec randy@ssc-vax.UUCP (Randy Chun) (10/31/85)
So far, one road has been very conspicuous by its absence in this discussion - The North Cascades Highway in Washington State. It's really U.S. 20, but between Twisp in North Central Washington and (I think) Burlington in Western Washington it is known as the North Cascades Highway. It made the list of top ten roads in one of the car magazines. It is some of the most breath-taking scenery on this planet. Ken Finney @ Boeing Aerospace
sth@rayssd.UUCP (Stephen T. Hirsch) (11/01/85)
My vote for WORST road is the interchange between I-91 and I-84 in Hartford, CT,
particularly eastbound on 84 to northbound 91. I can't imagine what the moron
who designed that was thinking.
Steve Hirsch, {allegra, decvax!brunix, linus, ccieng5}!rayssd!sth
Raytheon Co, Submarine Signal Div., Portsmouth, RIvsh@pixel.UUCP (Steve Harris) (11/04/85)
I am told the road along the Cape Breton peninsula (or is it an island?) in
Canada is worth checking out.
--
Steve Harris | {allegra|ihnp4|cbosgd|ima|genrad|amd|harvard}\
Pixel Systems Inc. | !wjh12!pixel!vsh
300 Wildwood Street |
Woburn, MA 01801 | 617-933-7735 x2314bsc@wuphys.UUCP (Bryan Coughlan) (11/06/85)
> My favorite road is definitely U.S. 9 between Cape May, NJ > and Lewes, DE. The scenery and fresh air is wonderful and > I can make the trip with the car in "park", which gives me > great gas mileage! > > Of course I'm talking about the Cape May -- Lewes Ferry. :-) > \\\\ Art Stadlin I feel sorry for anyone who takes this trip. After all, they are *borne to Lewes* ! :-) (I couldn't resist! Well... I could but I didn't want to ... ) -- Bryan S. Coughlan ( Yes, that's right. My first ihnp4!wuphys!bsc two initials are B.S. ! )