The back way, AKA The long way home.

[sygazelle]

This thread is to share our favorite back way or long way around route or routes to get from Point A to Point B.

Please share maps or photos of your favorite routes along with a story about why they are your favorite.

I'll start:

When I got my first BMW back in 1988, I was living in Walnut Creek, CA and working in Berkeley, CA. The traffic on the freeway was sometimes bad so I'd get off in Orinda and go to Wildcat Canyon and drive through Tilden Park and over the top of the ridge and down into Berkeley. With my then new '88 528e with all of 125 HP and a 5-speed manual, I put on Mozart (not German but close) and enjoyed the beautiful two-lane road up and over the hill. I found myself taking this route even when the freeway was wide open. It added 10 minutes to the trip but I didn't care.

[Alfisti]

Does not exist here. Roads are in a grid and RELENTLESSLY straight. Anything resembling a bend is met with heavy braking from useless drivers.

Absolutely dire, the roads here are worse than the weather in terms of eating into one's lifestyle.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Does not exist here. Roads are in a grid and RELENTLESSLY straight. Anything resembling a bend is met with heavy braking from useless drivers.

Absolutely dire, the roads here are worse than the weather in terms of eating into one's lifestyle.

Oh crap. Now I'm depressed! Sorry for your situation.


There must be a long way or a back way that you like to take when you are a road trip. Please share that. Certainly, Canada has some worthy back roads.

[2000cs]

So many good ones, although my present location (FL) and occupation (retired) don’t really fit the OP.

Ortega Hwy in SoCal was a favorite in the 1970s. In the 1980s I learned lots of “back ways” to get around traffic commuting from Orange to LA (downtown), but they were expedient, not fun.

In Oregon I liked 6 from Portland (Beaverton) to the coast, and several roads around Mt Hood. I was back in So Oregon a couple of years ago and drove across the state from Boise to Bend then Springfield and on to the coast at Brookings. Some fun roads there, too. Wife got seriously sick and we needed a hospital/clinic between Bend and Springfield. Nothing open, driving the 650 so damn the rain I opened it up. Hit the assist button and BMW guided us to a meet point for an ambulance. But that drive was awesome in heavy rain, twisties up and down, passing etc. Would not repeat the circumstances (she was fine).

A lot of the roads around national parks are fun, too, and scenic.

Anything without the interstate shield can be fun, too. Even if just for scenery and openness.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Does not exist here. Roads are in a grid and RELENTLESSLY straight. Anything resembling a bend is met with heavy braking from useless drivers.

Absolutely dire, the roads here are worse than the weather in terms of eating into one's lifestyle.

There is always pub crawling! I learned that skill when I took business trips to Waterloo.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

So many good ones, although my present location (FL) and occupation (retired) don’t really fit the OP.

Ortega Hwy in SoCal was a favorite in the 1970s. In the 1980s I learned lots of “back ways” to get around traffic commuting from Orange to LA (downtown), but they were expedient, not fun.

In Oregon I liked 6 from Portland (Beaverton) to the coast, and several roads around Mt Hood. I was back in So Oregon a couple of years ago and drove across the state from Boise to Bend then Springfield and on to the coast at Brookings. Some fun roads there, too. Wife got seriously sick and we needed a hospital/clinic between Bend and Springfield. Nothing open, driving the 650 so damn the rain I opened it up. Hit the assist button and BMW guided us to a meet point for an ambulance. But that drive was awesome in heavy rain, twisties up and down, passing etc. Would not repeat the circumstances (she was fine).

A lot of the roads around national parks are fun, too, and scenic.

Anything without the interstate shield can be fun, too. Even if just for scenery and openness.

I love Ortega Hwy too. Last time I was on that road was driving from Orange County to Lake Elsinore to see the Golden Poppy super bloom a couple of years ago.

[JasonDot]

Having the option of taking i5 or PCH is lovely.

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Oh crap. Now I'm depressed! Sorry for your situation.


There must be a long way or a back way that you like to take when you are a road trip. Please share that. Certainly, Canada has some worthy back roads.

Canada has many fantastic reads, just none within 300kms of me and this is a rather large country.

Put it this way, I literally don't know where i would go within a day's drive to find say a 5km stretch of twisties and switch backs. It is DIRE.

[fiveohwblow]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

So many good ones, although my present location (FL) and occupation (retired) don’t really fit the OP.

Ortega Hwy in SoCal was a favorite in the 1970s. In the 1980s I learned lots of “back ways” to get around traffic commuting from Orange to LA (downtown), but they were expedient, not fun.

In Oregon I liked 6 from Portland (Beaverton) to the coast, and several roads around Mt Hood. I was back in So Oregon a couple of years ago and drove across the state from Boise to Bend then Springfield and on to the coast at Brookings. Some fun roads there, too. Wife got seriously sick and we needed a hospital/clinic between Bend and Springfield. Nothing open, driving the 650 so damn the rain I opened it up. Hit the assist button and BMW guided us to a meet point for an ambulance. But that drive was awesome in heavy rain, twisties up and down, passing etc. Would not repeat the circumstances (she was fine).

A lot of the roads around national parks are fun, too, and scenic.

Anything without the interstate shield can be fun, too. Even if just for scenery and openness.

Not meaning to be pedantic, but do you mean the 26 from Beaverton to Cannon/seaside?

Also, are there not very many good places in your neck in FL to buzz around? I considered FL but chose AZ instead…. May be even more glad I did lol!

To contribute to the thread, I love me a couple runs here, but one that is most often done is from Wickenberg to Prescott. Screen grab for context, yellow road in the center is a small section.

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by fiveohwblow

Not meaning to be pedantic, but do you mean the 26 from Beaverton to Cannon/seaside?

Also, are there not very many good places in your neck in FL to buzz around? I considered FL but chose AZ instead…. May be even more glad I did lol!

To contribute to the thread, I love me a couple runs here, but one that is most often done is from Wickenberg to Prescott. Screen grab for context, yellow road in the center is a small section.

Good questions. Take 26 west and then turn southwest on 6 to Tillamook. A pretty fun older logging road, as I recall. Narrower than 26, less traffic 20 years ago but that might have all changed.

I haven’t explored for back roads much in FL, just don’t need to since I don’t commute. There are some nice drives, and always the beach (A1A) view too.

[Littlebear]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Canada has many fantastic reads, just none within 300kms of me and this is a rather large country.

Put it this way, I literally don't know where i would go within a day's drive to find say a 5km stretch of twisties and switch backs. It is DIRE.

I think the Adirondack Mountains NY are within a days drive.

[M_Six]

When I was commuting from U of I in Champaign to our home in Chucktown, I loved Friday afternoon commutes. I'd drop the top on the Z4, crank up Bob Marley, and stick to the deserted farm roads. Radar detector up, wide open fields of view, and miles of flat roads. Good times.

[Tommy-G]

Florida has no hills or twisties. My commute is 10 miles and 3 turns. I beg for traffic or a detour sometimes but…..
Now, the best thing we have going is a cruise down the Gulf. The only problem is it’s not like the PCH, we have no elevation but high foliage on the sides so you can barely see the water

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by JasonDot

Having the option of taking i5 or PCH is lovely.

I absolutely agree with this. When I lived in Orange County I commuted to work up in Torrance. Traffic was of course a nightmare on the 405 but the greatest thing was the ability to take PCH instead. It wasn't exactly fast but it sure beats the boring freeway. I miss it quite a bit.

Rather than being stuck bumper-to-bumper on the freeway going home, being able to drive along the ocean and pass through Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and finally Newport Beach before cutting back inland to where I used to live (Irvine). It was fantastic. It was also my so-called alone time and I would crank my stereo and listen to tunes while observing eye candy along the way.

[M_Six]

I used to love the backroad commute in the late fall, a week or two before the clocks changed. I'd always see awesome sunsets and would stop to grab pics. I called them Remains of the Day, after the movie of the same name.

http://randomography.com/index.php?s=rotd&submit=Search

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I used to love the backroad commute in the late fall, a week or two before the clocks changed. I'd always see awesome sunsets and would stop to grab pics. I called them Remains of the Day, after the movie of the same name.

http://randomography.com/index.php?s=rotd&submit=Search

Your photos are amazing.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

I absolutely agree with this. When I lived in Orange County I commuted to work up in Torrance. Traffic was of course a nightmare on the 405 but the greatest thing was the ability to take PCH instead. It wasn't exactly fast but it sure beats the boring freeway. I miss it quite a bit.

Rather than being stuck bumper-to-bumper on the freeway going home, being able to drive along the ocean and pass through Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and finally Newport Beach before cutting back inland to where I used to live (Irvine). It was fantastic. It was also my so-called alone time and I would crank my stereo and listen to tunes while observing eye candy along the way.

That's a helluva long commute.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Your photos are amazing.

Thank you.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

That's a helluva long commute.

Haha, yes it was. I used to spend so much more $$ on gas in those days. THAT I do not miss. I do really miss taking drives down PCH on the weekends though. Beautiful.

Many familiar with the area will recognize this place (Crystal Cove).

[erickonphoenix]

I don't typically stop to take pictures but there's a fabulous section of county roads in SW Texas called the Twisted Sisters. We'll usually drive to Kerrville or Bandera to spend the night then head out the next day on 16 until we hook up to 337. Then just make the loop up 335 to 41 then down to 336. It's a fairly well publicized circuit so it's not unusual to a number of exotic cars and bikes on the road.

Look for them about two hours west of Austin and about an hour NW of San Antonio. Definitely worth a visit if you and your car are in Texas.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Haha, yes it was. I used to spend so much more $$ on gas in those days. THAT I do not miss. I do really miss taking drives down PCH on the weekends though. Beautiful.

Many familiar with the area will recognize this place (Crystal Cove).

Crystal Cove is were one of my favorite burger and shake places is located. The Shake Shack. Do you know it?

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

I absolutely agree with this. When I lived in Orange County I commuted to work up in Torrance. Traffic was of course a nightmare on the 405 but the greatest thing was the ability to take PCH instead. It wasn't exactly fast but it sure beats the boring freeway. I miss it quite a bit.

Rather than being stuck bumper-to-bumper on the freeway going home, being able to drive along the ocean and pass through Long Beach, Huntington Beach, and finally Newport Beach before cutting back inland to where I used to live (Irvine). It was fantastic. It was also my so-called alone time and I would crank my stereo and listen to tunes while observing eye candy along the way.

Damn, I lived in Manhattan Beach and commuted to Torrance and I thought that was bad.

I do agree about PCH as a great alternative to the freeway. I used it all the time to beat freeway traffic or simply just to enjoy the drive along the ocean.