Roads that weren't what you expected

[sparker]

The first time I was on I-40 and AZ-89A in Flagstaff I was blown away.  Before I visited there I had no idea there was a heavily forested area in Arizona (and logging industry too).

Had the same feeling when I cut down I-17 from Flagstaff when I was moving to Phoenix.  I had been to Sedona with my brother before but we didn't go as far as the pine forest on 89A.  The true extent only became apparent when we took AZ 260 a couple weeks later to a campground near Show Low.

Agreed about AZ 260; a couple of decades ago I came down 377/277 from Holbrook en route from Albuquerque to Phoenix; expected something of a cliffside route on 260 but found something more like CA 20 from I-80 to Grass Valley.  Payson was nice, but with what's been happening climate/fire-wise recently, in retrospect seems like something of a firetrap. 

Notably I found I-70 between Green River and Grand Junction to be scenic as well.  The Book Cliffs in particular are interesting to look at.

See I disagree with that. I suppose there is some terrain in Colorado west of Grand Jct, but I've always viewed the part of 70 between Green River and the Colorado line to be the most boring interstate in Utah.

Glenwood Canyon and Virgin River Gorge are probably tied for me in terms of most scenic interstate I've ever been on. The San Rafael Swell on 70 isn't far behind.

That whole area is amazing in the winter if there has been a big snow (rare occurrence on a large scale).  There is a vista point somewhere near Green River that I stopped at in 2013 that made the whole area feel like it was some sort Hoth-like landscape. 

I agree that those are the big three scenic Interstate segments.  One that I don't think gets talked about enough is I-5 over Tejon Pass.  Grapevine Canyon in particular is pretty neat to see, especially when it's green from rain or snow.

IMO, something that would warrant inclusion in any "Big 3" would be I-84 from Troutdale east to The Dalles along the Columbia River.  Maybe not making the final cut but an honorable mention in any case would be I-5 from Redding through Ashland, OR -- pretty much one memorable landscape after another (even if the old CA concrete pavement sucks!). 

[empirestate]

I don't find I-80 in PA to have varied terrain or having particularly nice views (at least with enough frequency to engage my interest).  The terrain is actually quite unvaired to me: Rolling forested hills that are neverending.

There are duller stretches of interstate out there, but the drive across PA I-80 -- especially I-81 west to Ohio, which I've done a whole lot of times -- is still pretty darn boring.

That said, there are a ton of beautiful drives in PA -- almost too many to list.  That also affects my view of I-80.

Another way to look at it is that I-80 is surprisingly boring for as pretty as it is.

[Max Rockatansky]

The first time I was on I-40 and AZ-89A in Flagstaff I was blown away.  Before I visited there I had no idea there was a heavily forested area in Arizona (and logging industry too).

Had the same feeling when I cut down I-17 from Flagstaff when I was moving to Phoenix.  I had been to Sedona with my brother before but we didn't go as far as the pine forest on 89A.  The true extent only became apparent when we took AZ 260 a couple weeks later to a campground near Show Low.

Agreed about AZ 260; a couple of decades ago I came down 377/277 from Holbrook en route from Albuquerque to Phoenix; expected something of a cliffside route on 260 but found something more like CA 20 from I-80 to Grass Valley.  Payson was nice, but with what's been happening climate/fire-wise recently, in retrospect seems like something of a firetrap. 

Notably I found I-70 between Green River and Grand Junction to be scenic as well.  The Book Cliffs in particular are interesting to look at.

See I disagree with that. I suppose there is some terrain in Colorado west of Grand Jct, but I've always viewed the part of 70 between Green River and the Colorado line to be the most boring interstate in Utah.

Glenwood Canyon and Virgin River Gorge are probably tied for me in terms of most scenic interstate I've ever been on. The San Rafael Swell on 70 isn't far behind.

That whole area is amazing in the winter if there has been a big snow (rare occurrence on a large scale).  There is a vista point somewhere near Green River that I stopped at in 2013 that made the whole area feel like it was some sort Hoth-like landscape. 

I agree that those are the big three scenic Interstate segments.  One that I don't think gets talked about enough is I-5 over Tejon Pass.  Grapevine Canyon in particular is pretty neat to see, especially when it's green from rain or snow.

IMO, something that would warrant inclusion in any "Big 3" would be I-84 from Troutdale east to The Dalles along the Columbia River.  Maybe not making the final cut but an honorable mention in any case would be I-5 from Redding through Ashland, OR -- pretty much one memorable landscape after another (even if the old CA concrete pavement sucks!).

Amusingly I was going to mention I-5 in the Sacramento River Canyon and Lake Shasta.  I don't know if it would make a top five scenic Interstate segment but it certainly would the top ten.  I wouldn't disagree with I-84 along the Columbia River being a top five scenic Interstate segment.  The only that corridor has is the Historic Columbia River Highway is a strong contender for the most scenic highway in Oregon.

Interestingly a lot of AZ 260 at the top of the Mogollon Rim has burned in this past decade.  The Forest Service let of the larger fires spread purposely to uninhabited areas as kind of a take advantage-semi controlled burn.  West of the Mogollon Rim near Payson I don't recall when the last big fire occurred but it is probably due.  At least that area gets hit several times every summer but a decent size monsoon rain storm.

[ethanhopkin14]

A-4 from Metz to Paris was flat farm and oil land.  Kinda remined me of many Texas triangle drives I have taken.  I don't know if I had any preconceived notions going into that drive, but I didn't expect it to be a dead ringer for Texas.

[Dirt Roads]

NC-105 from Boone, North Carolina to Linville is surprisingly straight with relatively easy grades.  It crosses the Eastern Continental Divide up on the ridge at the west edge of Boone (Hodeges Gap, elevation 3294 at the junction with Truck US-321/Truck US-421), drops down to the Watauga River (about 2750 elevation) then runs back up to cross the Eastern Continental Divide again at Linville Gap (elevation 4012). 

Even being much longer and steeper, I prefer this route over the mountains to the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee.  Except for late night travel, there's no way to make the 1 hr 45 min trip time from Wilkesboro to Elizabethton via US-421//US-321 (77 miles), but I can always beat the 2 hr 02 min trip time over US-421//NC-105//NC-181//US-19E (84 miles).  None of the map engines even dare suggest travelling this far south to cross the mountains, even though the mileage and time is shorter than the other alternatives through Banner Elk. 

[roadman65]

I-55 between I-40 and I-555, I never expected to be straight as an arrow.

[JayhawkCO]

I can also add I-10 in Florida.  I didn't realize that it would be one of the most boring stretches of highway in the country.

Chris

[empirestate]

I can also add I-10 in Florida.  I didn't realize that it would be one of the most boring stretches of highway in the country.

At least they provide you with a nice little ditty to hum (and get stuck in your head)!

[Max Rockatansky]

I can also add I-10 in Florida.  I didn't realize that it would be one of the most boring stretches of highway in the country.

At least they provide you with a nice little ditty to hum (and get stuck in your head)!

I used to cutoff most of I-10 via US 27 and US 19.  I-10 can be sadistically bland in the Panhandle.  It really is pretty bland all the way west to San Antonio. 

[kphoger]

I didn't expect US-60 across southeastern Missouri to be so flat.

[JayhawkCO]

I can also add I-10 in Florida.  I didn't realize that it would be one of the most boring stretches of highway in the country.

At least they provide you with a nice little ditty to hum (and get stuck in your head)!

I used to cutoff most of I-10 via US 27 and US 19.  I-10 can be sadistically bland in the Panhandle.  It really is pretty bland all the way west to San Antonio.

I've just driven it very late at night too many times and with the Southern pines in the median so you can't even see oncoming traffic, you are stuck staring at the same taillights with nothing else to look at for 15 miles at a time until you come up on the next rural exit.  It's brutal. 

Chris

[roadman65]

I never expected US 63 to be so hilly south of Jefferson City and well into Arkansas.

[webny99]

The main one that comes to mind is actually a place, not a road, though I suppose the sentiment could also be applied to the roads in the area, and that's Mount Rushmore. I was shocked to find that it had a parking garage, and equally shocked by how legitimate the "hills"  in the area are; I guess I set the bar pretty low considering what qualifies as "hills"  elsewhere in the Midwest!

Another one would be I-64 between Hampton Roads and Richmond. I figured it was probably a low-lying, swampy area because of the river basins, so I was expecting it to be flat (as it is), but also very open, somewhat similar to I-90 in the Montezuma refuge. Instead, much of it had a densely treed median, and that made it feel much more like the Deep South than adjacent areas of Maryland/Delaware that I was familiar with.

I'll go first: Skyline Drive (in Shenandoah NP).

I don't know why, but my expectation was that the road ran literally along the ridgeline of relatively treeless hills, with long views in every direction from the road itself. ...

I agree with you here, although there are some sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway (south of Shenandoah) that are a bit more like what you describe - maybe this or this would have been a bit more in line with your expectations.

[webny99]

Glenwood Canyon and Virgin River Gorge are probably tied for me in terms of most scenic interstate I've ever been on. The San Rafael Swell on 70 isn't far behind.

... I agree that those are the big three scenic Interstate segments.  One that I don't think gets talked about enough is I-5 over Tejon Pass.  Grapevine Canyon in particular is pretty neat to see, especially when it's green from rain or snow.

IMO, something that would warrant inclusion in any "Big 3" would be I-84 from Troutdale east to The Dalles along the Columbia River.  Maybe not making the final cut but an honorable mention in any case would be I-5 from Redding through Ashland, OR -- pretty much one memorable landscape after another (even if the old CA concrete pavement sucks!).

This got me thinking: Would any of the top 10 be east of the Mississippi?
Would I-87 north of Albany be in the top 20?

[Max Rockatansky]

Glenwood Canyon and Virgin River Gorge are probably tied for me in terms of most scenic interstate I've ever been on. The San Rafael Swell on 70 isn't far behind.

... I agree that those are the big three scenic Interstate segments.  One that I don't think gets talked about enough is I-5 over Tejon Pass.  Grapevine Canyon in particular is pretty neat to see, especially when it's green from rain or snow.

IMO, something that would warrant inclusion in any "Big 3" would be I-84 from Troutdale east to The Dalles along the Columbia River.  Maybe not making the final cut but an honorable mention in any case would be I-5 from Redding through Ashland, OR -- pretty much one memorable landscape after another (even if the old CA concrete pavement sucks!).

This got me thinking: Would any of the top 10 be east of the Mississippi?
Would I-87 north of Albany be in the top 20?

I-93 at Franconia Notch.

[hbelkins]

I didn't expect US-60 across southeastern Missouri to be so flat.

Well, it is close to Illinois.

[hbelkins]

NC-105 from Boone, North Carolina to Linville is surprisingly straight with relatively easy grades.  It crosses the Eastern Continental Divide up on the ridge at the west edge of Boone (Hodeges Gap, elevation 3294 at the junction with Truck US-321/Truck US-421), drops down to the Watauga River (about 2750 elevation) then runs back up to cross the Eastern Continental Divide again at Linville Gap (elevation 4012). 

Even being much longer and steeper, I prefer this route over the mountains to the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee.  Except for late night travel, there's no way to make the 1 hr 45 min trip time from Wilkesboro to Elizabethton via US-421//US-321 (77 miles), but I can always beat the 2 hr 02 min trip time over US-421//NC-105//NC-181//US-19E (84 miles).  None of the map engines even dare suggest travelling this far south to cross the mountains, even though the mileage and time is shorter than the other alternatives through Banner Elk.

My preferred route west to east is US 421 to Mountain City, then TN/VA 91 to Damascus, then US 58 to Abingdon.

[JoePCool14]

I was surprised to see so much rolling hills on I-80 in Iowa, at least east of Des Moines. That was the farthest west I've driven from home without flying and I was expecting it to be Illinois. That's code word for flat.

[kphoger]

I was surprised to see so much rolling hills on I-80 in Iowa, at least east of Des Moines. That was the farthest west I've driven from home without flying and I was expecting it to be Illinois. That's code word for flat.

I was similarly surprised when I drove that part of I-80.  I don't know why, considering I-35 in southern Iowa has plenty of hills, but I guess I expected I-80 in Iowa to be more like I-80 in Nebraska.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

N-420 North of Teruel, Aragon, Spain (a town often said not to exist). I expected it to be more forested and hillier, instead it has a High Plains feel (and indeed, it is high).

[sparker]

Driving north on WI 35 from Prairie du Chien to La Crosse (over 30 years ago) I certainly wasn't expecting to be stuck between the river and very high bluffs to the east; thought it would be gently rolling hills and a wide river valley.  Looking across the river (when islands weren't in the way), it was pretty much the same thing on the west side!  At least my train enthusiast persona was satisfied with literally dozens of BN freights speeding by between the road and the river.  Really liked that drive -- quite a change from the usual Midwest idioms!

[Occidental Tourist]

I-70 between Green River and Grand Junction.  I didn't expect it to be so barren. 

[cb98]

I always envisioned the whole of Oklahoma being flat, but I was pleasantly surprised that the US 259/US 59 corridor in the (extreme) eastern part of the state was so hilly/mountainous. It made the drive from New Orleans to Fayetteville a bit more fun.

Also never expected the Solomons Bridge that carries MD 4 over the Patuxent River to be so tall. It's not the tallest bridge, sure, but when I saw the bridge in the distance I was fairly stunned. I was envisioning something flatter like the Choptank River Bridge which carries US 50 into Cambridge.