There is an interesting thread on the RV.Net forum discussing a Forbes magazine article on America’s Scariest Highways. Since we are considering taking US Highway 50 across Nevada in a few weeks, I found it interesting that this route, known as “The Loneliest Road in America,” was among those listed.

The article says US 50 gets its “scary” designation because it crosses miles of open desert, where you may not see another vehicle for 30 minutes or more. Okay, so how does that make it scary? I love lightly traveled roads, don’t you?

We’ve driven many of the highways listed, and while some were not much fun (Interstate 70 through Colorado), others left me wondering why the authors of the article find them problematic.

For example, US 1 though the Florida Keys was listed. Except for the Seven Mile Bridge, which I drove over several times and didn’t find to be a problem, most of the drive is delightful. Slow, if there is a lot of traffic maybe, but far from scary.

I’ve been on some scary stretches of road in my time, though I think one man’s terror ride may well be a piece of cake for someone else. Many years ago we took the advice of some locals (never a good idea) and took a “short cut” on our way to an Escapade rally in Lancaster, California that took us across State Route 138 from Cajon Junction to Palmdale. The road was a narrow two lane route that climbed and wound around a mountain side, with a steep drop off on one side and solid rock cliff on the other. Now throw in crazed Friday night drivers headed out to party, coming the another way, crossing over the  centerline as they sped around the curves. By the time we got to the Elks lodge in Palmdale, I was a bundle of screaming, frayed nerves.

US Highway 60 through Arizona’s Salt River Canyon used to intimidate me with its hairpin turns and steep drop offs, but I have driven it so many times over the years that I don’t even notice it any more.

Some of my least favorite roads include the above mentioned State Route 138 in California, and Interstate 70 in Colorado as it heads downhill into Denver, along with Interstate 75 through Atlanta, and any highway anywhere around Los Angeles or Houston. 

My fear of bridges has gotten a lot better, but it’s still a very real issue for me. A lifetime ago, I lived on the Washington coast and owned newspapers in Long Beach, Washington and Astoria, Oregon. I have crossed the Astoria Bridge over the Columbia River in everything from cars and pickup trucks to motorcycles and vans, but the first time I approached that bridge in a motorhome, I took one look and drove 75 miles upriver to cross on a lower bridge, and then drove 75 miles back to the coast!

I have driven Interstate 75 across the Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan, and it scares the hell out of me every time. The last few times, Miss Terry drove over the bridge, but I was still just as scared.

One (actually two) bridge crossings that I’ll never do again are the two narrow, high bridges on US Highway 60 that cross the Mississippi, and then the Ohio River, within just a 1/2 mile or so near Cairo, Illinois. Miss Terry did that driving, but I was still a basket case by the time we got to the other side.

Don’t even mention me traveling over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Virginia. It’s just not going to happen!

What about you? What are some of the highways you find scary, and why? Come on, fess up. I can’t be the only neurotic wimp out there!

Thought For The Day – Don’t simply seek interesting surroundings, but be continually interested in whatever surrounds you.

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We’re getting hitch itch and are looking forward to getting back on the road in a week or two. Since we’re sitting still right now, I’ve been looking over past issues of the Gypsy Journal and thinking about some of our favorite routes from past travels. Here are my ten favorite RV routes.

Natchez Trace Parkway – They called it the Devil’s Backbone back in the days when Indians, outlaws, and renegades prowled this historic route, preying on unwary travelers But today, the Natchez Trace Parkway is pure heaven for RVers! Picture 450 miles of good two lane road that meanders through  hardwood forests and past charming small towns, with a speed limit of 50 miles per hour, and no commercial traffic allowed, with frequent pullouts large enough for any size RV, and you can see why we love this historic highway that winds from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. If you haven’t put this trip on your travel itinerary, do it now. You’ll be glad you did!

US Highway 101 – Further south in California, this scenic route loses much of its charm, but from Eureka, California to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, US 101 will take you through some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll find anywhere in the country. Take your time, because you’ll be treated to dramatic ocean views, charming small towns, lighthouses, fishing villages, and if you’re really lucky, even whales passing by just offshore!

LoLo Pass Trail – If I had to choose my very favorite route in America, in terms of scenery, it would be US Highway 12 between Missoula, Montana and Lewiston, Idaho, which locals call the Lolo Pass Trail. The excellent two lane highway follows the route explorers Lewis and Clark took on their epic trek west, with towering mountains on one side and the beautiful Clearwater River on the other.  Keep your camera handy for an opportunity to photograph deer, elk, moose, and whitewater rafters. 

US Highway 2 – If you love unspoiled forests, friendly small towns, scenic views of deep water, and a slower travel pace, you should take some time to travel US Highway 2 across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. For most of the 140 miles between Escanaba on the west, and St. Ignace on the east, you’ll be passing within spitting distance of beautiful Lake Michigan. It’s a good highway, and you can make good time if you want to, but with scenery like this, why would you hurry?

Great River Road – The Great River Road is one of America’s national treasures, and a route every RVer should take at least once. From the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota,  this series of local, state, and federal roads follows the course of the river south through ten states, to where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico, introducing you to beautiful views, wonderful small towns, river barges, and history every mile of the way.

Route 66 – Much of this historic route has been swallowed up or paved over by interstate highways, but there are still many sections of the Mother Road to be explored between its origin in Chicago, Illinois and its terminus in Santa Monica, California. You could spend an entire season tracing the many alignments of this nostalgic highway by RV and with your dinghy, and still not see it all.

Overseas Highway – The Overseas Highway, the southernmost leg of US Highway 1, carries you from Miami, Florida to Key West, affording views of the sparkling blue water of the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Along the way, you’ll pass funky tourist towns, a dolphin sanctuary, beautiful beaches, cross over the impressive Seven Mile Bridge, and back into history. One note here, while this is a great trip, you’ll have to park your RV somewhere else at the end of your journey, because the streets in Key West, at the southern end of your route, are not suited for large vehicles.

Old Spanish Trail – Incorporating US Highway 90 in the east and US Highway 80 in the west, the route known to old time travelers as the Old Spanish Trail, is an interesting and memorable journey that will carry you from Jacksonville Beach, Florida all the way west to San Diego, California, as you trace America’s history from coast to coast.

Lincoln Highway – The Lincoln Highway was America’s first transcontinental highway, stretching from New York to San Francisco, and though the old route has been replaced by Interstate 80, you can still drive much of the original route, especially in the east and Midwest. It’s a slow paced trip to remember.  

US Highway 60 – Beginning at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Quartzsite, Arizona, and stretching all the way to Virginia Beach, Virginia, we love to take this slow, scenic highway when we travel east from our old hometown in Show Low, Arizona. Sure, we could go north a few miles and jump on Interstate 40, but what fun would that be? We prefer to take our time, stop for lunch in small town cafes, and experience the real America that the superslab bypasses.

So there you have it, my ten favorite great RV routes. Tell us about some of yours.

Bad Nick doesn’t have hitch itch, but he is pretty ticked off at the latest rip off coming out of Washington. Check out his new Bad Nick Blog post titled Adding Insult to Injury and leave a comment.

Thought For The Day -A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.

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We pulled out of Pacific Manor in Apache Junction just before 10 a.m. yesterday, got on the 202 Loop and followed it west to Interstate 10. Even though it was a Sunday morning, traffic was fairly heavy and we were grateful that we had decided not to wait until today to leave for Kingman.

We left the interstate at the 303 Loop, a nice two lane road with light traffic, and followed it north a few miles to U.S. Highway 60, which took us into Wickenburg.

Whenever we set out on a trip, even a relatively short 225 mile journey like this, I always try to have two or three alternative stopping points in case we need them. You never know when weather or mechanical problems can put you off your intended schedule.

The weather forecast had predicted strong winds later in the day, and we figured if the wind became a problem we’d stop at the Escapees North Ranch RV Park, a few miles from Wickenburg, for the night. But there was just a slight breeze, and it was coming from behind us, so we hooked up with U.S. Highway 93 in Wickenburg and kept on rolling. It’s not often we get a tailwind, even a slight one, and I didn’t want to waste it.       

We were a little concerned about how our bus would perform on the trip, because we’d be doing some climbing, and the temperature was in the mid-80s. On a couple of hills we slowed down quite a bit, and I had to downshift into second gear and run the radiator misters, but we managed okay.

About 110 miles north of Wickenburg, we hooked up with Interstate 40, and just as we got onto the highway and turned west, the wind really started blowing hard, slamming us broadside. It was another 18 miles into Kingman, and I fought the wind every inch of the way. If we would have been much further from our destination, I’d have found a place to pull over and wait until the wind died down.

But we made it fine, and arrived at our friend Mike’s house just after 2 p.m. We got parked and hooked up in his driveway, and about the time I completed those chores the wind really got serious. All afternoon and evening it rocked the bus viciously, and we said a silent thank you prayer that it held off until we were safely off the road.

It’s good to be here with Mike, we always enjoy our time together. He and I go back more years than the two of us have fingers and toes to count, and there have been some adventures neither of us is willing to admit to, back when we were young and foolish. Now that we’re old and foolish, we’ve toned it down quite a bit, though. We’ve not gotten any wiser with age; we just don’t have the energy any more to pull some of the stunts we used to.

Thought For The Day - It’s terribly unfair that youth is wasted on the young.

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Yesterday we were up and out of the bus early, making a road trip to our old hometown of Show Low, Arizona. It is 175 miles from the Pinal County Fairgrounds to Show Low, and every foot of it is scenic.

U.S. Highway 60 winds its way uphill from the Valley of the Sun to the White Mountains, passing through desert, spectacular mountains, historic small towns, and dense pine forests along the way. The highway has been undergoing a major construction project between Apache Junction and Superior the last few years, and the results are great. Much of it is divided four lane highway, and the portions that are still two lane road have frequent passing lanes. They call this the Old West Highway, and it weaves through the Queen Creek Tunnel and between rough mountains that are popular with rock climbers, photographers, and artists.

As we drove through the small town of Miami, tall mine derricks looked down on us from the hillsides, and a few miles down the highway at Claypool the smokestack and main buildings of one of the many regional copper mines dominated a ridgeline. Globe, Miami, and Claypool are all separate towns, though you drive out of one and into the next without ever knowing it.

There is a lot of history in this area, so slow down and enjoy the neat old commercial buildings as you pass through. Since this stretch of the route is also aggressively patrolled for speed, be careful so you don’t make an unexpected donation to the local economy. This is a No Tolerance area, and the cops here will write you up for one mile over the limit.

35 miles north of Globe, U.S. 60 starts winding five miles down to the bottom of the Salt River Canyon, one of the most breathtaking places in the West. Here in Arizona, we call this the “Other Grand Canyon.” The highway has lots of pullouts, so be sure to stop at each one. The vistas are just unbelievable, and different at each pullout.

Be sure your camera batteries are fully charged, because I guarantee that you’ll be taking lots of pictures! Be careful driving through the canyon! In my years publishing the weekly newspaper in Show Low, I covered many fatal accidents on this highway. Most were caused by speed and carelessness. Those signs that show 15 mile per hour curves are there for a reason. The canyon’s hairpin turns are unforgiving, and if you go off the side, it’s a long way down!

At the bottom of the canyon there is a rest area large enough for RVs to pull into, and it’s a good place to take a break, enjoy the scenery, and to let your brakes cool down if you need to. A pair of bridges cross the river just past the rest area. One is closed to vehicular traffic, but pedestrians use it to get good views of the rushing river below. On summer days you’ll often see white water rafters enjoying the river. This is Apache land, so if you want to hike, fish, or explore past the highway, you’ll need a reservation permit.

Once you cross the bridge, it is 48 miles to Show Low, and you are climbing all the way. The elevation at the bridge is 3,363 feet, and Show Low is 6,450 feet. Once you climb out of the canyon, there are still curves and some short, steep climbs, but most of it is gradual. Between the Salt River Canyon and Show Low, the road passes through the huge White Mountain Apache Reservation.

The only place to buy gas between Globe and Show Low is at a small convenience store 24 miles north of the Salt River Canyon, at the junction with State Route 73. This store seems to open and close at the whim of whomever is supposed to be working on any given day, so I always top off my tank before leaving Globe or Show Low.

As the highway climbs up to the White Mountains, it passes through dense forests of tall Ponderosa pine trees. Be alert for wildlife here. Elk, deer, and black bear are commonly struck by vehicles in this area. When you arrive in Show Low, you will not believe you are still in Arizona. The pine trees, lakes, and snow (yes, there was still a lot of snow on the ground yesterday), will make you think you are in Colorado or Montana.

The long trip was worth it, because we had several hours with my daughter Tiffany, son-in-law Jim, and granddaughters Hailey and Destiny. Little Destiny is still too young to remember us from our last visit in April, but it didn’t take her long to warm up to her Grandpa. Here is a picture Jim took of me with my favorite ladies in the world (from left), Miss Terry, Hailey, Grandpa Nick, Destiny, and Tiffany. Did you ever see a fat old guy with so many pretty girls?

We spent the afternoon with the kids, looked at a house they are negotiating to buy (which has plenty of room for our bus and a dozen more RVs to park), and all too soon had to make our way back down the hill to the bus. It was a long day, but we have been away from those two grandkids too long and we had a whole bunch of kisses, snuggles, and tickles we needed to deliver.        

Thought For The Day – If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.

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