Favorite Drives and Routes

[simonarn]

I have searched but I couldnt find a thread to allow members to post their favourite routes to drive their SL, so here are a couple to start with. If there is something in the past, then please merge this with the other thread.
I regularly drive Geneva to Macon on the A40 which is a breathtaking route running through the Jura mountains, however it can be less enjoyable in the SL, so a lesser known road is the old route which leaves Geneva, passes Bellegrade and then passes Nantua Lake before bordering the Dombes lake area before arriving at Bourg en Bresse. For those that wish to, you can continue all the way to Beaune. In the summer it really is a fantastic drive.
Another favourite is the Geneva to Lausanne /Montreux lake road, running parallel to the A1. A fantastic evening drive.
Finally for my honeymoon, I rented a R107 from a classic car rental agency in Cape Town, and we drove the wine route for a week. That was a truly great experience too.
So please add any routes you know and love
Thanks
Simon

[Richard Madison]

For the New York City locals, here are a few favorites:

HUDSON RIVER VALLEY:

Up the Hudson River Valley along either shore. Take the lazy roads not the highways...maybe up the Eastern side along Route 9D with lunch at Cold Spring Harbor then North a bit to cross the river over the on the bridge at Beacon and down the other side past West Point and more.

If a little longer route is in your plan, keep going up 9D to the Vanderbilt Mansion and then on to Hyde Park, home of Franklin Roosevelt.

LONG ISLAND NORTH COAST:

Start from the Big Apple over one of the bridges or the tunnel to Long Island then take Northern Parkway or other slow route going East along the North Shore exploring the various inlets and necks of Long Island Sound along the "Gold Coast" perhaps stopping at the Golden Age estates of US "Royalty"...Rockefeller, JP Morgan, Vanderbilt, and others. The home of former President Teddy Roosevelt is also here at Oyster Bay. A nice lunch stop is Cold Spring with a nice harbor, antique shops, and more. Take a look at Old Westbury Gardens and the palatial home of J Phipps.

I'll add more from time to time.

Toot as you go by...

Richard M, NYC

[knockmacool]

Malaga->Granada->Motril->Malaga
North Coast of Mallorca
but really, there are so many good and empty roads in Spain...

[zoegrlh]

Skyline Drive on the Blue Ridge Mountians of Virginia and North Carolina.  What a great ride from Front Royal, VA to Asheville, NC.
Bob

[mbz.280sl]

Richard,
Yes I agree the Hudson River valley is a great ride.
Since I lived in Hyde Park, New York for over 25 years I know that area very well.
But you mean Route 9 not 9D in Hyde Park and the Vanderbilt Mansion is in Hyde Park as is both Franklin Roosevelt National Historic site
and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic site. Eleanor's historic site is off of Route 9D.

[49er]

Hard to to top US1 along the California coast from Morro Bay north. Just don't get stuck behind a motor home :'( highway 49 isn't bad either.

John

[71Beige280SL]

In no particular order:

-Certain sections of A1A in Florida (remember Jimmy Buffett);
-Half Moon Bay to Carmel in California;
-Silverado Trail in Napa, California;
-Amalfi coast in Italy (stay alert!);
-The Ring of Kerry in Ireland (take your golf clubs);
-Independence Pass to Aspen in Colorado;
-The back roads from my house in Cincinnati, Ohio to Joe Alexander's place in Blacklick, Ohio for PUB.

The last drive, was to get to our most recent PUB. It was my first road trip in my 71 280SL...it was actually my favorite!

[Flyair]

One of my favorite routes is the Corniche in the South of France, along the coastal French Riviera line. The route is carved into the Maritime Alps chain that falls into the Mediterranean see. If you add beautiful climate, picturesque villages with French food and wine, the pleasure is nearly perfect. The full happiness will be when I'll drive on La Corniche in my Pagoda, which I hope to do shortly. Meantime, have a look at the attached text and pictures, which I hope will describe in a better way what I tried to express. Scroll down and look for a surprise in green Enjoy!

http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/motoring-heaven-touring-in-top-gear-on-the-route-a-corniche

Then look at this article

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/grande-corniche-the-liberating-road-to-romance-515326.html

[Essell]

How about the drive from Munchen to Venice via the Cortina del Preza. Has to be right up there!

Essell

[pj]

These are my 2 favourite drives. It would be so awesome to do them in the SL!

# 1 is Mt. Lemmon Highway. Start from the intersection of East Snyder Road and Mt. Lemmon Highway in the NE suburbs of Tucson, Arizona, and drive past Summerhaven, right up to the summit. Wow! Even just looking at it on Google Maps gives me goose bumps. The best thing about the drive up is you have to drive back down again on the same route.

# 2 is British Columbia Highway 99. Turn off Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek, BC, and go to Whistler. Unbelievable. I'm sure it's just as good in either direction (although I only did it westbound).

I would love to be the one chosen to go on all of the drives you have described. You know, just to give an unbiased opinion.

[simonarn]

One of my favorite routes is the Corniche in the South of France, along the coastal French Riviera line. The route is carved into the Maritime Alps chain that falls into the Mediterranean see. If you add beautiful climate, picturesque villages with French food and wine, the pleasure is nearly perfect. The full happiness will be when I'll drive on the Corniche in my Pagoda, which I hope to do shortly. Meantime, have a look at the attached text and pictures, which I hope will describe in a better way what I tried to express. Scroll down and look for a surprise in green Enjoy!

http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/motoring-heaven-touring-in-top-gear-on-the-route-a-corniche

Interestingly, to compliment the Corniche route, to get there most drive down the Autoroute from Paris via Lyon. An alternative is to take the "Napoleon Route" which basically runs from Annecy all the way down. Lovely challenging route down.

[Flyair]

Interestingly, to compliment the Corniche route, to get there most drive down the Autoroute from Paris via Lyon. An alternative is to take the "Napoleon Route" which basically runs from Annecy all the way down. Lovely challenging route down.

Simon

Totally agree. BTW, after Wilingen (Euro Pagoda event) we plan to drive down tough Napoleon Route to Monte Carlo and on La Corniche route along the French Riviera coast. If thinks go as planned, this will make a round trip of nearly 5000km.

[stickandrudderman]

My favourite drive is the last 30 mins of a regular 11 hour drive that I do to Switzerland. The section up from Aigle to Villars sur Ollon is great and I spend the previous 10 and a half hours looking forward to getting to it!
Every couple of years they have a hill climb up there with some VERY exotic machinery being entered. I haven't managed to be there for that yet but hopefully this year.