Interesting drives discovered?

[Chad]

What interesting (scenic and winding/curving) roads have members encountered in their w113s? Would be interested to hear about the unusual nominations (we all know about Coast Highway 1).

Today here visiting the desert SW and discovered AZ-89 from Wickenburg through Prescott. Very scenic, very winding, up and down, constantly curving (except for a small straight stretch through the Peeples Valley) and elevation change of about 5000 ft, up and down up and down, left and right around rocky walls and dropoffs. It was pleasurable running between second and third.

1967 230SL (Manual)

[Klaus]

Onr trip I thoroughly enjoyed in my W113 was from
Seneca, SC on Route 28 to Highlands, NC, continue on Route 28 to Franklin, Almond, Fontana Village, into Tennessee and the Foothills Parkway to Gatlinburg.
(actually, on that day I drove from Hilton Head to Gatlinburg)

Klaus
1969 280 SL

[Kenneth Gear]

This month's edition of Car and Driver has an article on a road near the border of Tennessee and NC that has something like 150 curves in 11 miles.  It's a fairly short road with amazing curves.  Evidently, auto clubs and sport bike clubs visit regularly.





Ken G
1971 280 SL
Silver/red

[gugel]

CA route 32 between Chico and Chester.  Between Forest Ranch and route 36 there are about 40 miles of enough curves of all kinds to satisfy anyone, and beautiful forest, mountain, and stream scenery.  There can be some traffic, including trucks, but many locals know the road and drive quite briskly.  There can be snow in the winter.  I've never had my 113 up there, but have enjoyed it in other cars.

Chris

[TR]

The old Columbia Gorge Highway, just west of Portland, OR is a pretty good drive.  We did this in our 280SL last fall.

Here's a link to some on-line photos showing what one might see on that drive: http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Columbia%20River%20Gorge.htm


Tom in Boise
'71 280SL 4-spd, signal red w/lt. tan interior, restored/enhanced

[J. Huber]

Well, this may be a little more well-known, especially to anyone in my area, but one of my favorites is: from Grass Valley/Nevada City --take lovely winding Highway 20 out to I-80 (*then you have about 20 mins of cars going too fast on a big old Interstate). But then in Truckee, take the 89 for about 12 gorgeous miles along the river, then you hit the 28 in Tahoe City. You can go either North or South and spend the next however many hours cruising around beautiful Lake Tahoe. Makes a very nice back-drop for the Pagoda!

James
63 230SL

[Ed Cave]

Originally posted by Kgear

This month's edition of Car and Driver has an article on a road near the border of Tennessee and NC that has something like 150 curves in 11 miles.  

Ken:

You are referring to a road known as "The Tail of the Dragon", referred to on road maps as highway 129; it straddles the rural state line between North Carolina and Tennessee. Actually it has 318 curves over that 11 mile stretch. It even has its own website http://tailofthedragon.com/. To enjoy it in a car, you pretty much have to pick a weekday, like a Tuesday or Wednesday - early mornings are best - due to its popularity with bikers, fifteen of which have died on this stretch, three in 2005 alone (they wipe out up there all the time).

The cool thing about it, when you get there at times without them over that 11 mile, full time concentration stretch, there are no houses, businesses, side roads or driveways. Just lots and lots of great driving curves, some of which will make you think your car is bending in half.

Some of the information in this posting was taken from an article by Tom Cotter that I keep in my files.


Ed Cave
Atlanta, GA


1971 280SL
1973 911S
2004 A4 3.0
2006 GS430

[Chad]

http://tailofthedragon.com/.

That's a great link to follow, Ed. Thanks. Good roads in that area of the country.
And good advice, too. Might have to make a detour to it someday.

1967 230SL (Manual)

[Dick M]

For interesting Calif. roads try this thread...
http://index.php?topic=2957

Dick M
1970 280SL

[Chad]

A few good links in that thread. Too bad the european one isnt in English. Would like to have read it.

quote:Originally posted by Dick M

For interesting Calif. roads try this thread...
http://index.php?topic=2957

Dick M
1970 280SL

1967 230SL (Manual)

[Chad]

This seemed like an interesting website, guide to highways in US:

http://www.milebymile.com/

1967 230SL (Manual)

[psmith]

As mentioned elsewhere, Robert Schilling has set up some great drives in the SF Bay area.  I also like Hwy 46 from the coast inland.  You can do some "Sideways" wine tasting in Paso Robles and then continue east to the James Dean memorial where he crashed.  On second thought, maybe it's better to start from Hwy 5 and drive west, ending up with wine tasting and the sunset over the Pacific in Morro Bay...

Pete S.