Scenic drive suggestions?

[johnssi]

Hi All,
My wife and I will driving our spider on our first long (ish) distance drive from St. Simons and are going to be staying in Cashiers, NC around the third weekend in October, perfect, right? So I'm wondering if anyone out there in Fiatland can suggest great driving roads or day trips in that area. Have picnic basket and will travel! If you've been to the area how 'bout sharing the knowledge! John

[MIGHTY 8]

Not to sound like a shameless Apple plug in, BUT I do have an IPhone with an app. called "greatest drive."

It's purpose is for users to share their experiences on their "greatest drive."

Also, (and again not trying to sell you on anything!) BUT....A.A.A. does, i've come to find out, provide some nice articles in their magazine relating to scenic towns and roads that might give you some direction in your road trip planning.

Have fun!

[wikkid]

Does anyone remember good, old-fashioned things called "maps?" They have neat, squiggly lines, often with a green stripe along them to indicate a scenic route. Pick a few destination spots, connect the dots with those green squiggles, and you have yourself a great adventure! I love trip planning!

[FiatMac]

I don't know what type of road you are looking for but here are some suggestions. Some of them are from motorcycle sites, but they are also good sportscar roads. Read the comments from people who have driven them.


Twisty Turnies
A lot of people at FFO last year took this drive
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon.html

I drove this at FF0 last year. Comparable to The Dragon
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/nc209.html

I was on sections of this road around Murphy, NC this year
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/nc_us64.html

Nice views around Chimney Rock and Lake Lure
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/nc_us74a.html

Combination
This loop contains cruising on the Blue Ridge Parkway(45 mph speed limit) with twisty turnie roads
http://www.diamondbacknc.com/db_loop_route.html

[wikkid]

Also, near the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway - less tight twisty, more sweeping turns. You can also see the Dragon near the top of this map of the Skyway:
http://www.cherohala.org/images/imagesp ... lamap2.jpg

[ventura ace]

A couple weeks ago when we left FFO in Chattanooga to head to SC, we drove highway 64 from Murphy, NC , then took 69 and 17 through Hiawasee, GA, and on to 76 through Northern Georgia and accross the SC state line into Westminster. Fantastic drive!! Beautiful scenery and great winding roads that could be taken at good speed.

Alvon

[Spiddy]

Gosh! You guys are brave taking a spider over such distances

[124JOE]

i grabed mine out of a yard in reno three days later i drove it to wi

when shes running good she goes and goes

[ventura ace]

Gosh! You guys are brave taking a spider over such distances

Well, not really. We weren't driving the spider this time. It was a rental car that we had for 10 days while vacationing and visiting family (we flew out from CA this time). However, in 2008 we did drive the spider cross country on a southern route to Atlanta, and then northbound to the Poconos in Pennsylvania for the Fiat FreakOut that year, then drove the spider back across the country on a northern route to Oregon for the Western USA fiat annual gathering at Howard Prairie Lake in Oregon, before taking the final leg back down to southern CA. I wish we could have had more time to travel the scenic roads -- a lot of the driving was freeways.

Alvon

[rlux4]

Hey Ace, your story needs the total miles that trip was!
Ron

[Tango]

My most memorable scenic drive is still the Apache trail from Apache junction, just east of Phoenix AZ. However, I would not recommend it for a Fiat, or any car that old. It's through very hot, unpopulated, desert terrain, and we had to ford water over the road in Tortilla Flat at one point, and you will want a car with stake-your-life-on-it good brakes.

T

[ga.spyder]

John,as you know I live in that area.Contact me before you arrive and we can meet up.US 28 thru Highlands to Franklin is a great curvy drive with many waterfalls.Wayah Road from Franklin to Robbinsville is awesome!I can map you out a run that will be guaranteed to make your arm tired!That is also around the same time of Italian Car Day and the Fall Color Run that we do each year.Let me know
Craig

[ventura ace]

My most memorable scenic drive is still the Apache trail from Apache junction, just east of Phoenix AZ. However, I would not recommend it for a Fiat, or any car that old. It's through very hot, unpopulated, desert terrain, and we had to ford water over the road in Tortilla Flat at one point, and you will want a car with stake-your-life-on-it good brakes.

T

I'll second the vote for this road, but I don't know that I'd take any car that I own over this road. When we traveled the road back in the mid-1990's, it was a dirt gravel road with miles of washboard, that worked the hell out of the suspension. We were glad to be in a rental car!

Alvon

[Tango]

[/quote]

I'll second the vote for this road, but I don't know that I'd take any car that I own over this road. When we traveled the road back in the mid-1990's, it was a dirt gravel road with miles of washboard, that worked the hell out of the suspension. We were glad to be in a rental car!

Alvon[/quote]

Same here, we had a rental that we trusted. Second favourite would be the Cabot Trail around NW part of Cape Breton Island. Incredible sea vistas, windy roads. Wildlife including moose can be a hazard, though.

[FiatMac]

Just drove Geer Highway (276) from Highway 11 near Table Top Mountain to the top of Ceasar's Head Mountain. Great twisty turney road that starts out with sweeping turns at the bottom of the mountain but becomes switch backs as you ascend the mountain to the peak at about 3200 feet elevation. There is a state park up there with a beautiful panoramic view from a granite outcrop that is a shear drop off! The road ends up in Brevard, NC.