Recommend us some roads, please!

A European reader will be in the western United States in June and asks if anyone can recommend some great driving roads along the routes that he’ll be traveling. The first leg of the trip calls for going from the Grand Canyon in Arizona to Sun Valley, Idaho; the second leg of the trip then continues from Sun Valley to Seattle.

What say you, readers? Any recommendations appreciated.

~ by velofinds on April 8, 2013.

Posted in Announcements, Roads

9 Responses to “Recommend us some roads, please!”

  1. Not exactly close to where he will be, but still worthy a look for everybody: http://twistedsifter.com/2013/03/roads-to-drive-before-you-die/

    Jorge Azcoitia said this on April 8, 2013 at 6:34 pm

  2. Came across this discussion for roads around Seattle – sounds like some great info: http://www.rallyanarchy.com/phorum/read.php?1,81649

    Rabin Rutten-James said this on April 8, 2013 at 7:56 pm

  3. I-84 and 1-82 between SLC and Yakima is a mighty dull drive. I’d recommend detouring via I-15 up through Montana to Glacier Park. Then head back toward Seattle via Route 2 or similar state roads.

    If there’s time for a longer detour, maybe head over to Denver via some of the Vanishing Point routes: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/08/27/challenger-road-trip-revisits-vanishing-point-locations/

    Unfortunately, I don’t know the best routes over the Rockies. I-70 is a pretty route that I’ve taken a few times, but it can get busy with traffic. I-80 useful only if you need to cover a lot of ground fast – it’s just not much to look at IMHO. I have to imagine there are better routes using smaller, seasonal roads. Hopefully some locals can chime in with suggestions.

    Seattle itself is a hopeless place for driving, but it has a vibrant car culture and once you get out of town there are many interesting roads to explore, and June’s a good time to do it. You might even see some sun.

    Whichever route you take, bring “protection”… by which I mean a radar detector, of course. Particularly in WA and OR.

    Terrence Dorsey (@tpdorsey) said this on April 8, 2013 at 9:23 pm

    • Agree; tons of great driving roads out here near Denver (though it’s not on the way by any means.) Peak to Peak Highway is one of the best roads I’ve ever seen.

      Austin Brown said this on April 9, 2013 at 11:17 am

  4. If they don’t mind a bit of a detour, and it would be worth the trip they should head up to hiway 12 (the Lolo pass). Amazing scenery and crazy fun road!

    Chris said this on April 8, 2013 at 11:09 pm

  5. If you don’t mind a bit of a detour for the sake of some awesome roads, when you leave Sun Valley go north on 75 up through Stanley, and continue to the connection with 21. Great twisty roads and amazing scenery for nearly the entire route. 21 will take you to Boise, which I would assume is on your way towards Seattle. If you stop by Boise and are looking for some lunch or a snack, check out the Boise Fry Company.

    After Boise you can take i84, and then to i82, but now you have two options. You can either continue on i82 towards Seattle, or take 14 towards Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA the drive is astoundingly beautiful, especially around that time of year. You would be following the Gorge the whole way while carving into the side of the mountain. The second option would tack on at least an additional 4-5 hours of commute as you would need to take i5 north up to Seattle, which isn’t a terrible drive, if there is minimal traffic. But if you have the time you can always stay in either city for the night.

    Hope that helps

    William said this on April 9, 2013 at 1:40 am

  6. Marsac Avenue to Guardsman Pass to Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, starting in Park City and finishing in Salt Lake City. Awesome drive accessible via I-80 westbound through Utah.

    Rob said this on April 10, 2013 at 12:03 am

  7. Highway two on your way to seattle

    Eddie said this on April 10, 2013 at 9:17 pm

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