There is nothing so much quintessentially American as the road trip. Having the freedom to drive long distances, not only for general transport, but also for the love of the road, the wind in your hair, brings to the surface many emotions. Autonomy, exhilaration, anticipation, escape, wonder, contentment, joy, and sometimes even fear.
I have been fortunate to be able to take a drive through some amazing places in my lifetime.
– Haleakala Highway 378 (to Haleakala Summit), Maui, Hawaii – Dodge Dart Sport, March 2015. (Climbing to nearly 10,000 feet, before sunrise, to catch a rare glance of the sun rising from above the clouds…breathtaking..and below freezing wind chill in Hawaii!)
– Mauna Loa Observatory Rd (from Saddle Rd to Mauna Loa Observatory), Big Island, Hawaii – Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, March 2018 (Very well paved, but single lane stretch of 17 miles across desolate volcanic terrain, climbing from sea level to 11,135 feet).
– “The Back Road to” Hana Highway 360/31 (From Hana [North] to Pukalani [West]), Maui, Hawaii – Chevrolet Camaro, 2019. (Partially paved, partially compacted dirt road around the south side of Mount Haleakala).
– “Road to” Hana Highway 360, twice (From Paia [West] and Makawao [West] to Hana [East]), Maui, Hawaii – Dodge Dart Sport, March 2015 — Chevrolet Camaro, March 2019. (Winding, narrow road with 59 bridges, 46 of them only 1 lane wide.)
– Kahekili Highway 340 (From Waihee-Waiehu [East] to Kapalua [West]), Maui, Hawaii – Chevrolet Camaro, March 2019. (Certainly among the sketchiest and most scenic roads!)
– “Going to the Sun” Road, Glacier National Park, from St. Mary, MT to Coram, MT – Chevrolet Silverado, July 2024. (Winding, 50 mile-long well maintained road through Glacier, with waterfalls, glacial valleys, Logan Pass, and Weeping Wall)
– US Highway 50 “The Loneliest highway in America” from Reno, NV to Milford, UT – Chevrolet Silverado, July 2024. (7 hour drive across absolute unspoiled desert landscape, remote mountain ranges. Solitude to the extreme, pull over to the side of the road to listen to your ears ringing in complete silence.)
– US Highway 163 from Monument Valley, AZ through Forrest Gump Point to Mexican Hat, UT to Valley of the Gods Rd – Chevrolet Silverado, July 2024. (A 17 mile dirt offroad experience with towering sandstone buttes, pinnacles, and mesas.)
What are some of your favorite road trips, or most memorable highways?