Five highways you want to drive in your lifetime

[SkyPesos]

Does the I-44 route go through more big cities?

I-44 in Missouri is awful. Much of it was built over the old US 66 expressways, and it is just a terrible road from about Springfield to St Louis. It is curvy and slow, and if you try to pass slower traffic, big trucks will almost swerve into the lane in front of you so they can micropass the truck in the right hand lane. It isn't one of those freeways where you can put the cruise control on, kick back and relax. I would drive 200 miles out of the way just to avoid that stretch of highway. One night I was driving westbound out of St Louis (I was in town for the roadmeet, which I believe was in 2014) and it started raining, then sleeting and eventually snowing the further west I got. When I passed a truck, I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of the hood. If anybody had been stopped or going slowly in that lane, I wouldn't have had a chance. It was late and Chloe and I just wanted to get home. That was a hellride.

I-70 in MO isn't that great either. I'm going be driving from StL to KC later this month, and I'm debating whether to take US 50 at least one way to avoid I-70 or to stick to the interstate both ways.

[JayhawkCO]

I'll stick with just North American countries for this exercise.

1. Dempster Highway
2. Apache Trail
3. Hana Highway
4. Cabot Trail
5. Viking Trail

Chris

Just booked a trip in October to the Maritimes.  Looks like I'll get to knock out Cabot Trail at peak color (or close to). 

Chris

[skluth]

Does the I-44 route go through more big cities?

I-44 in Missouri is awful. Much of it was built over the old US 66 expressways, and it is just a terrible road from about Springfield to St Louis. It is curvy and slow, and if you try to pass slower traffic, big trucks will almost swerve into the lane in front of you so they can micropass the truck in the right hand lane. It isn't one of those freeways where you can put the cruise control on, kick back and relax. I would drive 200 miles out of the way just to avoid that stretch of highway. One night I was driving westbound out of St Louis (I was in town for the roadmeet, which I believe was in 2014) and it started raining, then sleeting and eventually snowing the further west I got. When I passed a truck, I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of the hood. If anybody had been stopped or going slowly in that lane, I wouldn't have had a chance. It was late and Chloe and I just wanted to get home. That was a hellride.

I-70 in MO isn't that great either. I'm going be driving from StL to KC later this month, and I'm debating whether to take US 50 at least one way to avoid I-70 or to stick to the interstate both ways.

As a former St Louis resident, I'll say I-70 is better than I-44. Both have issues, but the hills and curves on I-44 between Lebanon and US 50 can be a nightmare. I-70 is mostly straight; it's just overcrowded and usually not in great shape. I have taken US 50 across the state a few times. It's a lot more relaxing and I recommend taking MO 94 between Jeff City and I-64 if you have the time since US 50 is mostly two lanes east of the Osage River bridge.

Making US 50 four lanes across the state even as an expressway would be almost as useful as making I-70 six lanes across the state. Though I might be biased in that because I always lived in South City or South County.

[hbelkins]

Does the I-44 route go through more big cities?

I-44 in Missouri is awful. Much of it was built over the old US 66 expressways, and it is just a terrible road from about Springfield to St Louis. It is curvy and slow, and if you try to pass slower traffic, big trucks will almost swerve into the lane in front of you so they can micropass the truck in the right hand lane. It isn't one of those freeways where you can put the cruise control on, kick back and relax. I would drive 200 miles out of the way just to avoid that stretch of highway. One night I was driving westbound out of St Louis (I was in town for the roadmeet, which I believe was in 2014) and it started raining, then sleeting and eventually snowing the further west I got. When I passed a truck, I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of the hood. If anybody had been stopped or going slowly in that lane, I wouldn't have had a chance. It was late and Chloe and I just wanted to get home. That was a hellride.

I've driven it once, on my way back from the OKC meet eons ago. What really struck me about the route was the amount of speed enforcement for a Sunday morning. There were at least three cops parked on various overpasses running laser (my V1 alerted me). It struck me as a long route, and probably one that would get old after you'd driven it several times. (Like I-79 in West Virginia has become for me).

[epzik8]

I-76 east clinch (I-71 to I-680 in Ohio)
I-84 east clinch (I-81 to I-380 split in Pennsylvania; Port Jervis to Brewster, New York)
I-10
I-22
Any non-multiplexed segment of I-77

[bugo]

La Bajada Hill
MacArthur Bridge
Abandoned Will Rogers Turnpike
Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike
Chain of Rocks bridge

None of these are open to traffic. I would have to have a time machine to be able to drive on these legendary roads. But they must have been interesting to drive on when they were still in service.

[hbelkins]

Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

Didn't drive it, but was a passenger in a vehicle that drove it a few years ago as part of a meet.

[milbfan]

Simple enough question: What five highways do you want to drive in your lifetime? For me:

-Blue Ridge Parkway in its entirety

Make sure you start on the north end and go south from there.  I did that a while back.  Other advice I can give you is take your time.  I gave myself four days, with stops in Roanoke (Day 1), Boone (Day 2), Asheville (Day 3), finish on Day 4.  If you have the opportunity, do it in the fall, with the foliage color change...it is awesome.

[Concrete Bob]

Anthony Henday Drive - Edmonton, AB
Stoney Trail/TsuuT'ina Trail - Calgary, AB
Loop 202 and 303 - Maricopa County, AZ
Grand Parkway - Houston, TX (When completed)
Overseas Highway, FL Keys

[XamotCGC]

Bluegrass Parkway in it's entirely as a driver. 

[Rothman]

Bluegrass Parkway in it's entirely as a driver.

Why?

[hbelkins]

Bluegrass Parkway in it's entirely as a driver.

Why?

That is, in my opinion, one long boring stretch of route, passing through what I call "scrub country" -- rolling terrain that isn't even really that hilly, with lots of little cedar trees dotting the slopes. At least it has some traffic now. When it was tolled, there didn't seem to be much traffic on it at all. There also isn't really much at all along the route between Bardstown and Versailles. Even the US 127 exit doesn't have a lot of services, you have to drive a few miles north to Lawrenceburg to find restaurants.

[XamotCGC]

Bluegrass Parkway in it's entirely as a driver.

Why?

Nostalgia.  My father used to use drive on the BG a lot when I was a child.   

[XamotCGC]

I would also like to drive the entire length of 
US 68
US 31 (That includes 31W and 31E)
US150
US 60

[hbelkins]

I would also like to drive the entire length of 
US 68

Done it.

US 31 (That includes 31W and 31E)

I have both splits, and mainline 31 from where the two splits come together all the way north to I-75.

US150

I've done this route.

US 60

I'd love to clinch this route. I have it from just west of the OK/MO border all the way to Virginia Beach. I have no great desire to drive the stretch between Lexington, Va., and the eastern terminus again, however.

[Skye]

I-75 from Cincinnati to Canada (shortest distance needed to fully clinch a major interstate)
NV 375 aka the Extraterrestrial Hwy (goes past Area 51)

[Flint1979]

I-75 from Cincinnati to Canada (shortest distance needed to fully clinch a major interstate)
NV 375 aka the Extraterrestrial Hwy (goes past Area 51)

Michigan gets real scenic the further north you go, at exit 202 is where the true Up North Michigan feeling starts to kick in. The scenery between the bridge and the Soo is kind of dull though. The Lower Peninsula is better, a lot of people get off and head west on US-2, that's a nice ride.