Colleges with Best Nearby Driving Roads?

"oldestyoungn" (oldestyoungn)
06/10/2014 at 20:41 • Filed to: ACADEMICS, COLLEGE, BEST

Good enthusiast/gearhead car scenes can count, too.

Just a tad curious. If I'm gonna spend years somewhere I may as well make it somewhere enjoyable. Anyways I recently found out the college(s) I've thought of going to probably won't have the best environment for me even if academics are fairly solid.

Japanese 5-door WRX sketch ups/shoops for your time.

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DISCUSSION (29)

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 20:43

The University of Tennessee is within an hour of the "Tail of the Dragon". Also, Tennessee Tech has some great roads between it and Monterey, as well as going down toward Gainesboro.

D > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 20:44

SJSU, UCSC. Anywhere in/around the lower bay area

edit: here's what you have to look forward to

Matt Hardigree > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 20:45

University of Texas at Austin has some decent roads in the vicinity, but is awesome.

That being said, the University of Virginia had a great car culture when I was there and the roads around C-ville are amazing.

CPT Speedbump > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 20:45

Colorado State University, good car scene, lots of clubs, and driving roads..does every single road in the Colorado Rocky Mountains count? :P

D > CPT Speedbump
06/10/2014 at 20:47

I regret not going there more and more...

oldestyoungn > CPT Speedbump
06/10/2014 at 20:54

This one suggestion *if quality of schools is disregarded* would probably win since my dad loves the mountains and wants needs an excuse to go out west.

Definitely looking into reviews of that college in general and seeing what subjects they have.

oldestyoungn > D
06/10/2014 at 20:56

You present to me a major dilemma. I have an irrational commitment not to live in California but the roads there are so tempting, and that map highlights all the good ones.

oldestyoungn > Matt Hardigree
06/10/2014 at 20:57

I'll check out the school.

Vi517, JDX Racing > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 21:20

I believe Purdue has a good car scene, and is a great school. If I get in (I probably will), I will go there. Maybe YSI or Bandit could share what they know?

uncletarr > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 21:24

Penn State. Surrounded by the Alleghenies. Man I miss zipping down those mountain roads.

vorspringing > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
06/10/2014 at 21:24

I was going to suggest UT - I grew up around there, and there are a lot of fantastic back roads with little or no traffic. (Tail of the Dragon is not one of them - it's always crowded.)

The Magic Rev Matching 4Runner > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 22:07

Well I'm going to Weber State in Northern Utah to study welding engineering next year and I'm pretty excited about the driving out there. It's about 5 minutes from the mountains and the roads there are pretty nice. Sucks though cause I'll be taking my 85 4Runner, not the Volvo. It wasn't built with corners in mind...

CPT Speedbump > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 23:06

They're usually a pretty awesome school from what I know, their veterinary program is one of the best. I'm just a local who doesn't attend, but I hang out with some of the car guys who go there, lol :)

D > oldestyoungn
06/10/2014 at 23:15

well now I have to ask, why not CA?

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > vorspringing
06/10/2014 at 23:24

Not at midnight on a Wednesday. :P

vorspringing > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
06/10/2014 at 23:47

Nice! I'll keep that in mind - I've never run it because I keep driving by the turnoff, looking at the crowds, and deciding my time is better spent somewhere else. I'm only ever back at holidays though, so that's always going to be a bad time.

johncalvinyoung > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 00:12

I loved driving the roads around my alma mater, Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Back roads, interstate, mountain highways (Highway 60 from Buena Vista to Amherst is a splendid drive), the Blue Ridge Parkway, scenic country byways in the Shenandoah, the road up to Goshen...too many to count. Mostly well-maintained paved roads, with a few good gravel roads in the mountains if you knew where to go. Downsides: pretty remote to spend several years, and the speed enforcement was pretty strict—I never got a ticket but then again my car was nothing special in the temptation-to-speed department either. Lexington supposedly has the highest per-capita police force in Virginia. But oh, to live again where ten minutes out of town could take me halfway up a mountain or out to a remote and lonely hilltop in the Shenandoah...

mschwartz > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 00:37

I just graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson. The town may seem a little dumpy at first, but it's surrounded by mountains on every side. I used to do this route all the time - you end up on the mountain where it's 20 degrees cooler and you can buy giant homemade cookies.

Oh yea, UofA is an AWESOME school to be at. You can message/email me any questions if you want. I got an engineering degree.

grahamrh808 > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 01:45

Yup, Bay Area for sure. There are many colleges to choose from, good cities with good lots to see and do, and great roads leading out in all directions.

If you're a inclined to modify you car too much though, you should be warned about California smog laws though, which can be a pain. Yearly registration costs are quite hight too, but you get a lot of roads for your money.

I went to college in San Francisco and lived in the North Bay and loved the driving. Give California a chance!

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 08:03

For being a concrete jungle, University of Cincinnati has some great roads near it. All it takes is about a 10 minute wander into Northern Kentucky, where I've found some fantastic roads. I didn't buy my Ninja until after spring semester (I moved for a coop rotation for the summer to Indiana.....), but I can't wait to get back and hit the same roads with the bike.

bluetie > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 08:43

PA Route 125. Stop by Centrailia, PA while you're at it. It's nowhere near State College, but is a blast to drive on.

yamahog > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 09:17

I hated living in LA for work, but the canyon roads are amazing, and USC/UCLA are great schools.

n1zm0 > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 10:43

UBC is about half an hour away from the Sea-to-Sky Highway, the stretch of road where all the mainlander Chinese silver spooners in their Ferraris and Lambos regularily get caught at excessive speeds, well they're not ALL mainlander kids with rich parents, but you get the idea of why people bring their sports cars and bikes up there.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/luxury-vehicle…

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Police+Vi… http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/news/sea-to-sk…

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/08/07/por…

Kinja'd!!!

supraphonic > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 14:11

Went to undergrad for engineering at RPI in Troy, NY, spent many weekends on NY 2 heading out to Vermont/the Berkshires and back. Miss those roads. Decent school these days too.

blairl > oldestyoungn
06/11/2014 at 19:57

UMass Amherst. I didn't even go there, but a buddy of mine did. Getting lost in western MA is such a treat, the roads are fantastic out there.

Chris Zimmer > DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
06/12/2014 at 04:12

back in my day, even Gainesboro Grade was fun to drive. Stupid widening and straightening project...

Chris Zimmer > oldestyoungn
06/12/2014 at 04:20

Cal State Chico, Colorado State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Boulder, University of Wyoming, Montana State, and Boise State all come to mind immediately for being in locations pretty much devoid of traffic to make getting to the fun roads a pain in the butt. If you don't care about traffic being between you and fun, add USC, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State to the list.

Zillon > oldestyoungn
06/12/2014 at 11:59

Penn State has a TON of great driving roads within reach, and very low local traffic.

Also, a lot of fireroads within easy reach, too... if gravel hooning is your thang.

brakesnow > oldestyoungn
06/13/2014 at 16:07

Williams College is near me and we have some great driving roads. Not much of a car scene to speak of though. Also its the #1 rated liberal arts college if you're into that sort of thing.