At 02:14 PM 3/24/98 +1100, Mike Gigante wrote:
>I hate to differ, but while the road is pretty good, it is well
>short of the greatest drives in an LBC.
>
>The scenery is good, but there is too much traffic (esp. RVs),
>too many police, and the road doesn't quite have the variation
>that the greatest roads have.
>
>My vote? Well, somewhat parochially I vote for "The Great Ocean Road"
>here in my homestate of Victoria, Australia. Similar in the sense that it is
>cut out of hills dropping down into the ocean. It has wonderful rises,
>falls,
>tight and fast sections, little traffic most of the time and the highway
>patrol
>is rarely seen. Even better there are sections that you can go absolutely
>flat out and still be going at legal speeds!!!
>
>Some other more memorable drives include the Black Spur (Maroondah Hwy
>on the way to Marysville (Vic, Australia), the road west to Oban (Scotland)
>on a beautiful sunny day in a Mini 1100S, the drive over the alps from
>France
>into Italy (and vica versa), the road to Grenoble, Skyline Drive (Bay Area),
>the road to Mt Tamborine (sp?) north of SF, The Blue Ridge Parkway (and its
>extension) [although the speed limits are too low and too many police].
>
>I could go on......
>
>Mike
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: George (Pete) Tolleson <gtoll@worldnet.att.net>
>To: John J. Peloquin <peloquin@mamba.bio.uci.edu>
>Cc: Dan Ray <danray@bluegrass.net>; mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
>Date: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 12:59 PM
>Subject: Re: OFF TOPIC was Re: Paint Fumes or What? Now a flame El Nino
>
>
>>John J. Peloquin wrote:
>>
>>> ...the PCH is possibly the BEST drive there is in an LBC. The stretch
>>> from BIG SUR to just past Pacifica is absolutely AWESOME and is
>>> something everyone should experience in their LBC at least once in >
>their life. <
>>
>>I agree! Even though the LBC I drove it in was a ' 58 or '59 Ford
>>Prefect, it was still awesome! (Too bad that trip was before the
>>Morgan!)
>>
>>Pete
>>'68 BGT
>>
>
>
Does the Amalfi drive in Italy still exist? Drove it in the 60's, and
found it a thrill a second. Of course the N.J. Turnpike near Newark Airport
in my home state is the most thrilling ride of all.(outside of Manhattan)
Ask any Brit who came over in the MMM Raid in 1991 . Those prewar cars in
that traffic maze was unforgettable. I kind of agree Scotland and Blue
Ridge are tops. The Blue Ridge should be driven off season as we did (late
April) on the NEMGTR trip.
Actually drove the Pacific Highway in 1986 on the Ocean to Ocean trip of
the NEMGTR and found the traffic light, a surprise. Everything over time
gets worse as more cars hit the road. I traveled with my parents as a child
to California and Arizona in the 50's lots of time, and it was wonderful.
Route 66 and all. The interstates ruined that kind of trip. You used to be
able to see America, now you see trucks, and fast food oasis. What a shame.
I guess I just have to take Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx too. No
place like it folks.
Mike Leckstein
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