Took the long way home today

"Maxima Speed" (maximaspeed) 05/11/2020 at 22:00 • Filed to: None

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I hadn’t driven that road in a long time because I now work in the complete opposite direction as this road. I decided to stop today and finally take a photo of what has long been my favorite corner/corners maybe anywhere ive ever driven. Ive never seen it not be utterly gorgeous and picturesque, spring, summer, autumn, winter, it doesn't matter, it always looks great . I love the sweep of these corners up hill or down. Just out of sight in the foreground the road sweeps tightly back to the right of frame and crosses over the small burbling creek. Out of sight up the hill is a straight that end in a blind crest with an old farm house to the right at the top of the crest.

It give me genuine joy to drive those few curves. They are easy, banked corners, they would be a blast to take at speed but I never do as every time I drive this section I want to savor it and drink it in. Hard to describe the atmosphere and how it makes me feel. I have corners I prefer for the technical nature of it, the speed, the way the car moves, etc. But this one is my favorite, for how it makes me feel.

The photo as I took it didn’t show what it really looked like to the naked eye so ive tried to edit it just enough to make it look right. Didn’t really succeed but it will give you an idea. So, what is your favorite corner? Your favorite stretch of road but not your favorite road. Do you have a specific corner or set of corners that you are in love with? Please share them.

Just Jeepin' > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:09

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What? F avorite roads? Me?

Maybe not quite the same reasons .

Maxima Speed > Just Jeepin' 05/11/2020 at 22:13

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Beautiful, I love all of those photos.

Just Jeepin' > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:16

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I keep a photo album dedicated to them. I want to do a book soon (just a one-off  for my own collection).

RacinBob > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:18

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So did I, took the river road between C linton and Du buque while headed to home . A narrow 2 lane road following the rail tracks at the bottom of the bluffs along the Mississippi .

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:19

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I can't say I live near all that many picturesque roads like that, though there are a few fun bends through the national park. I have never driven this one road that I might enjoy in the same way. Though I have ridden as a passenger. It is a steep winding road going down into a gulley for a one lane covered bridge over a creek that is well known for being fun to drive. I ought to go there soon just to kill some time.

MM54 > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:21

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The roads around here all suck

Nick Has an Exocet > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:21

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Highway 29 in California has this stretch up an unbelievable grade. I was on a rally that did it. It’s actually kind of trafficky, but the uphill section has TONS of 2 lane passing zones and traffic was unbelievably kind to us. I was flat out the entire way up the grade in the Miata but still kept up with a 911 GTS, 911 Turbo, and E92 M3. It was wild. It the perfect amount of turns to slow down the fast cars but not so much that you had to lift in the Miata. The passing sections are completely banked. It’s unfreaking believable .

Just Jeepin' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/11/2020 at 22:21

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That sounds positively delightful!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:23

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Deer Creek Rd:

I take this turn every day which makes it a solid contender now. But its a bit sketchy with the elevation change and how many dumb people take it way wrong. So its probably not my favorite (just the easiest to find a picture of).

Decker Rd:

Some of my favorite turns for sure are on Decker Rd just up the PCH from home.

Piuma Rd:

Another one in Malibu. This corner in particular I stop at all the time with group drives which is why I like that one. But that road is one of my top favorites for sure.

I can go on and on about good roads here. I’d love to write about some roads back in NJ, NC, and AR that really are special to me as well. But I am hungry. 

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:24

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Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Just Jeepin' 05/11/2020 at 22:32

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Indeed. Looked it up and it is the Concord Covered Bridge in Smyrna Ga.

Unfortunately people are always crashing big trucks into it and residents don’t like having to wait their turn to cross. In general people are just being fools about this 150 year old monument. They had to erect a big metal bar to protect the structure.

Google streetview

feather-throttle-not-hair > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:33

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One of my favorites:

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415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/11/2020 at 22:33

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I live near amazing views with paved roads but there are no dirt roads I am allowed on for my truck , all ranger only access unless I drive an hour north somewhere.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Just Jeepin' 05/11/2020 at 22:35

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i feel like that sign is basically the same as ‘highly flammable ’ on the side of a can. Your going to have a lot of fun until things go bad.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Just Jeepin' 05/11/2020 at 22:36

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i gutta say there is something funny about take the long way home but having a straight road (shortest path between two points is a straight line) still a cool pic tho

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 05/11/2020 at 22:37

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Actually same here with the dirt roads. There really aren’t any I can think of at all. Even dirt or gravel driveways are pretty uncommon; given how quickly they turn to mud in such a rainy climate pavement is a good investment.

Can’t say I miss dirt roads too much with my particularly low economy car. I can’t even get out of my own driveway without scraping the front air dam.

Just Jeepin' > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/11/2020 at 22:39

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Shh, I even made a poster out of  that.

In my defense, that road was not remotely on the way home.

Just Jeepin' > OPPOsaurus WRX 05/11/2020 at 22:41

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Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Just Jeepin' 05/11/2020 at 22:58

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Steep hills? Curves? Where? It's just flat.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 22:58

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Unfortunately, I’ve only driven it once, but it was incredible. It’s Little River Canyon Pkwy in Alabama. It’s short, and it’s not super technical, but the views are absolutely incredible. When it’s empty, it’s an absolute wonderful drive. My favorite half is surprisingly the relatively straight section, just because of the views of the canyon and the falls.

Just Jeepin' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/11/2020 at 23:08

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The southern third of the state has its share of rolling hills .

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Just Jeepin' 05/11/2020 at 23:10

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Not right there based on the picture though. 

Just Jeepin' > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 05/11/2020 at 23:16

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You don’t want to warn truckers away after it’s too late!

Thomas Donohue > Maxima Speed 05/11/2020 at 23:49

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Looks like a ‘ Petit’ Ea u Rouge out in the country . Nice

QCGoose > RacinBob 05/12/2020 at 00:00

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I live right down in Davenport. As you know, there are tons of great roads all around you; Balltown Road is a blast.

Have you ever taken Scenic Ridge from Savannah to Elizabeth, IL? Oh man, that’s a rollercoaster of curves. Then take Elizabeth-Scales Mound road from there, then Stagecoach Road into the back of Galena. That’s a hell of a twisty loop.

Then there’s also Blackjack from Hano ver, IL to Galena which isn’t the smoothest road to take at speed, but man is it a blast even at barely over the posted limit .

Of course, there’s also ALL of the alphabet roads in Western WI that are great driving roads as well.

Gotta say, we may not have mountains and canyons, but we sure as hell have some of our own special roads here in the MidWest, and I feel blessed to be as close as I am to them .

RacinBob > RacinBob 05/12/2020 at 00:01

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Google earth got lost I think...

RacinBob > QCGoose 05/12/2020 at 00:17

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Small world, I went to Davenport Central and live in LaCrosse. As such, my favorite shortcut is taking a left at Potosi off of 61 and running up through Beetown to Prairie Du Chien.

Here’s my Great Great Great Grandparents house and homestead just outside Dubuque. It was built about 1854.

QCGoose > RacinBob 05/12/2020 at 00:51

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Small world indeed! I went to West (graduated in ‘03) , but had some friends at Central.

I love LaCrosse. Been up there a handful of times and it’s such a gorgeous area.

Potosi is on one of my favorite riding loops when I'm on one of the bikes up north for a day. The whole Driftless Region is such a fantastic area for us MidWesterners.

Maxima Speed > Thomas Donohue 05/12/2020 at 07:08

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Ha ha Yeah it does kinda ! Never thought about that. I have one corner that i call the corkscrew because it has this weird corkscrew effect and it is reminiscent of the corkscrew on laguna seca. Its not the same directionally though but its a significant Elevation change with these two tight corners. I’ll take a photo of it some time. Its in my top ten corners for sure.