WARNING: No Curves Ahead :-(

3Wheeler · 06-20-04, 11:25

So to say that I’m happy with my new car would be a huge understatement -- I think head over heels in love is much more accurate.

I am, however, mighty choked that there’s nowhere that’s fun to drive where I live now (SW Greater Vancouver). For miles and miles and miles, all the roads are DEAD STRAIGHT! You're on one of these roads, top a small rise, and a ribbon of straight road stretches out as far as the eye can see.

I don’t know how prairie folks stand it. Man, we may as well change the law, let the flatlanders drink and drive! Yep, just get ‘er pointed straight, set the “Club” (or whatever that steering wheel lock thing is called -- in the prairies I think it’s marketed as an autopilot), and away wheee go.

On Vancouver Island, where I’m from, there are curves aplenty, so I'm very happy to say that I do, in fact, know how to drive. One time back home I saw this flatlander -- Calgarian I think -- whose motor home was parked on the verge of a curve, while he lay in the grass at the side of the road squinting down his putter, as he manipulated it between the motor home and the coming curve. Apparently he’d left Calgary for Port Alberni (about 1,000 miles) about a year and a half earlier.

Anyway, I envy all you driving enthusiasts who have some decent twisties nearby… <drool> Count your blessings……

~3W

kartoon · 06-23-04, 09:09

Well I do have some nice county roads by me but whenever I take my car for a drive I always get stuck behind some old person going about 10 mph under the speed limit.

Not that I'm for excessive speeding, but for me going somewhat over the speed limit allows for that extra grin factor.

Brad B. · 06-24-04, 06:32

I have a friend who lives in South Dakota. The area went wild when they put in an overpass with a cloverleaf. The only one within 200 miles. Woohoo!

Enjoy your new car. Time for a driving vacation!

audio1der · 06-24-04, 06:35

LOL- we've got lots of fun roads right around here, being in the foothills of the rockies.
There is 1 particular cloverleaf that I'll drive to in town, that is my benchmark test-grounds for new tires.
I LOVE cloverleafs!

HotRodGuy · 07-01-04, 12:18

droooooooooollllllllllllllll curves in the road

and not another car in sight

bunmango · 07-01-04, 12:42

a few pics of our trip down PCH/Highway 1 from the Bay Area to LA:

look at all them bugs! The drive was pretty fun, we started out at Stanford, went down through Santa Cruz on Highway 1 to SLO for dinner (Firestone Grill... yum) and hopped on the 101 all the way back down to LA. Took about 10 hours total.

3Wheeler · 07-01-04, 12:59

Well HotRodGuy and bunmango, thanks (I think

) for posting those beautiful pictures of places I drool to drive. Maybe us Autopians should arrange a get together/rally. Now that would be some kind of fun, wouldn't it!

Just not here where I live, please!!!!

I burn around clover leafs and any other curves I can find. It just doesn't compare to driving on roads like HotRodGuy and bunmango posted -- a different universe altogether.

There actually is one (

) road close by that has some twisties and is OK to drive fast, but it's well travelled by tortoises (no offence, Tort

). What I do is dawdle behind them, letting them get way in front, and then crank it through the turns. Must drive people behind and in front of me crazy. Like I care.

~3W

HotRodGuy · 07-01-04, 07:30

Bunmango, i've got a drive for you if you ever head from LA to San Fran again. That road I took a picture of is hwy 58. It connects buttonwillow fromt he 5 to Santa Margarita right off the 101 a little bit before you hit San Simeon. It's an unreal road. If you start at the 5 the first 30 or so miles are just LONG LONG straights where you can just cruise at 140-150. After that it's a good 60-70 miles of those beautifull twisties I took a picture of. I've driven the road probably a dozen times, have never ever seen a cop and can probably count the other cars i've seen w/ my hands. It's something you've gotta do, the scenery is gorgous!

HotRodGuy · 07-01-04, 07:31

Quote:

Originally posted by 3Wheeler
Well HotRodGuy and bunmango, thanks (I think ) for posting those beautiful pictures of places I drool to drive. Maybe us Autopians should arrange a get together/rally. Now that would be some kind of fun, wouldn't it!

Just not here where I live, please!!!!

I burn around clover leafs and any other curves I can find. It just doesn't compare to driving on roads like HotRodGuy and bunmango posted -- a different universe altogether.

There actually is one ( ) road close by that has some twisties and is OK to drive fast, but it's well travelled by tortoises (no offence, Tort ). What I do is dawdle behind them, letting them get way in front, and then crank it through the turns. Must drive people behind and in front of me crazy. Like I care.
~3W

they get out of my way when they see this

DaGonz · 07-01-04, 07:58

I love the Oak Creek Canyon road that goes between Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona... plenty of switchbacks and hairpin turns on the mountain that make yoyu want to say "yeeee hawwww!

Posted by 3Wheeler

Quote:

On Vancouver Island, where I’m from, there are curves aplenty, so I'm very happy to say that I do, in fact, know how to drive.

I have friends that live in Malahat!

2wheelsx2 · 07-01-04, 08:12

Quote:

Originally posted by 3Wheeler
There actually is one ( ) road close by that has some twisties and is OK to drive fast, but it's well travelled by tortoises (no offence, Tort ). What I do is dawdle behind them, letting them get way in front, and then crank it through the turns. Must drive people behind and in front of me crazy. Like I care.
~3W

If you are really into twisty roads, go get yourself a copy of Destination Highways. They are on sale at most motorcycle shops like Burnaby Kawaski, Richmond Motorsports, etc. They outline and rate all motorcycle roads in BC. And of course, if they are good for bikes, they'd be great for cars too.

You are talking about the Sea to Sky? Take it further, and continue past Whistler to Pemberton, Lilloet, and then up the Duffy Lake Road, all the way up to Cache Creek, and then turn down to Princeton and come back on the no. 3 Highway.

There are plenty of great roads on the mainland, but you just have to want to drive a bit. The Stave Lake Road in Mission is quit a challenging road also.

If you want a short spin on a challenging road, go up to Cypress Bowl and Mt. Seymour. I rode side by side (I was on my sportbike) with a BMW 325i all the way up to Hollyburn on Cypress Bowl. Plenty of fun. Enough 2nd gear corners to keep most people happy - just a bit short.

3Wheeler · 07-01-04, 08:29

Hey HotRod, I wouldn't be getting out of your way, you'd be getting out of mine (at least, after my mods are finished)!!

Hey Gonzo -- 'tis a small world, as they say.

If you're ever coming up for a visit, give me a call. Maybe I could show you how to drive on that very cool road over the Malahat Mountain.

When I had my Alfa Romeo GTV in the early eighties, I used to commute to university over the "Hat". At one point, I felt like I could drive its twisties with my eyes closed. I only had one speed: FAST!!

Man, I'd race anybody going over that mountain (when you're that young, you're invulnerable), including some very surprised motorcyclists and guys in racier cars. I think often the result of those sorts of races isn't determined so much by the car, but by the driver -- his nerves (or lack thereof) being of central importance (of course it also helps if you can drive

).

Damn, just thinking about it makes me want to get on the ferry and do the Hat!

Happy driving, you lucky SOBs!