The TEN most beautiful drives in America

I saw those headlines and I had to see how many we had driven.  We were on over half of them. 
(I am posting this early because we are on the road Saturday!)

The drives I remember were US1 in the Keys, another US1 Mass to Maine.  The road to the sky in Glacier Nat’l Park. WE have driven parts of Route 66. Natchez Trace  was listed. Then there was CA1 along the West Coast.  That one made me smile.

It is absolutely a beautiful drive.  I do not pay attention to folks of society or the wealthy, so I do not remember ever hearing the name Hearst until Patti Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army and (in my opinion) was brainwashed,  and became sympathetic to their cause. She was photographed robbing banks with the SLA.

Once captured she was put on trial and given a long sentence. Most of us in the mid 70’s thought Randolph Hearst’s money would get her off, but it did not. Her sentence was commuted by Jimmy Carter and she was pardoned by Pres. Bill Clinton.

I sympathized with Patty, having known a little about ‘brain washing’ personally. I was happy that the two presidents had intervened.

Okay you ask, what has this to do with beautiful drives? Well folks, Once in Southern California Sherry and I along with our traveling partners Sonny & Colette were on CA1 headed North. Big signs stated, Road closed by mud slide NO OUTLET!

 (WE were in our Chevy Caprice towing a pop-up camper.)

I was encouraged North on a dead end drive because the Hearst Castle is located on the drive.  It is a tourist attraction and the girls (Sherry & Colette) wanted to see it (Later they saw the price. So we skipped it.) My girl and expert map reader said, “I see a road across the mountains if the slide doesn’t stop us.”

The drive was absolutely beautiful. We saw a couple girls steal one of the warning signs. They had a rough time getting it into their car, it was big.

“There is the road,” Sherry yelled, “Take a right. This is it.”

Was it ever? Practically straight up, no guard rails and it got so narrow it was one lane. Colette was known for her short prayers, “JESUS, JESUS, Jesus”, She must have called that name fifty times looking straight down 200-400’, remember no guard rails.

We made it over the mountain found ourselves in the back side of an Army Post. Right in the Tank Training area. WE drove thru with tanks stopping to watch this sight, I could hear the SGTs “Stupid Tourists!”

Leaving the post the Sentry wanted to know how we got aboard.  He shook his head in disbelief.  (Well, I wanted to tell him the US Army needed our map reader, but didn’t !)

That was our experience on California's beautiful Highway #1.

Nite Shipslog

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1934 SS Voison