4500mi NSX Roadtrip through the Western States - Suggestions for roads/must see's!

[QPDO]

So my retarded idea is actually coming into fruition, and on October 4th I'll be taking the NSX for a road trip. Now the girlfriend and I have a few places we want to hit and have been recommended a few good roads for some spirited driving... but I figured I'd post up to see if there are other good roads and cool shit we could hit along the way.

***Map of planned route***

Places we want to hit:
-Yellowstone National Park
-Zion National Park
-Grand Canyon
-Hoover Dam
-Death Valley (Is it worth the drive??)
-Hollywood Sign
-Pacific Coast Highway
-Laguna Seca
-Golden Gate Bridge
-Redwood Forrest

Do you boys/girls know of any solid 'drivers' roads that are along that route, or close too? Are there any other points of interest along that path that are worth stopping at? Any and all ideas welcomed!

 

[GO KRT]

Make sure you do the Cascade Loop around Seattle. I just did the same western USA trip and that was definitely a highlight. Also, if you are going to be around Mt Rushmore area do the Needles Hwy and make sure you do it counter-clockwise so you go through the tunnels in the correct direction to see Mt Rushmore in each tunnel. Hwy 1 from Seattle to N California is absolutely awesome. You should add Yosemite to your list....probably one of the prettiest places in the world and the roads are great! Put Death Valley last on your list. See Lake Tahoe also-----relatively close to Yosemite so do them together. Rte 49 thru California is a great driving road. If you make it to San Diego, get in touch with me and I will take you sailing in the bay (have a 36' sailboat)

 

[jbentley]

There are some great roads in the malibu canyon area, just gotta make sure you go before 3pm as it can get a bit congested when people are commuting home.

I suggest that instead of hopping on the 101 all the way down to Los Angeles, take PCH starting from Oxnard. It is a really beautiful scenic drive during the day. From PCH after you pass the Point Mugu Naval base, you will see Mulholland Hwy on the left. This Hwy goes all the way through the mountains and will eventually land near the 101. There are also dozens of roads that branch off of Mulholland such as Decker canyon. Pretty amazing roads, just like I said try to go during a weekday before rush hour starts.

 

[sippy2]

Also, if you are going to be around Mt Rushmore area do the Needles Hwy and make sure you do it counter-clockwise so you go through the tunnels in the correct direction to see Mt Rushmore in each tunnel.

Do this at night....really cool to see Rushmore lit up and framed in each tunnel.

 

[4cruizn]

I'm so jealous. You're going to have a great time and see some amazing sights on this adventure. I've traveled many of the roads you've laid out in your tentative plan. As for great driving roads, you're really going to love the stretch from the Grand Canyon on into southern Utah via Hwy 89A through the red rock canyons of northern Arizona. You'll cross the Navajo Bridge at Lee's Ferry - I definitely recommend stopping for a picture of this.

Then about 20 miles later, the two-lane highway starts to climb to about 8,000 feet in elevation via some of the most technical, fun curves I've ever driven. Great place to experience the NSX handling. My hometown is St. George, Utah just about 45 minutes from Zion National Park. If you've got time swing by and have lunch at the Pizza Factory on St. George Boulevard. It's a hometown favorite.

More pics here:

http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/maiden-voyage-in-the-2013-ilx/

 

[sahtt]

So my retarded idea is actually coming into fruition, and on October 4th I'll be taking the NSX for a road trip. Now the girlfriend and I have a few places we want to hit and have been recommended a few good roads for some spirited driving... but I figured I'd post up to see if there are other good roads and cool shit we could hit along the way.

***Map of planned route***

Places we want to hit:
-Yellowstone National Park
-Zion National Park
-Grand Canyon
-Hoover Dam
-Death Valley (Is it worth the drive??)
-Hollywood Sign
-Pacific Coast Highway
-Laguna Seca
-Golden Gate Bridge
-Redwood Forrest

Do you boys/girls know of any solid 'drivers' roads that are along that route, or close too? Are there any other points of interest along that path that are worth stopping at? Any and all ideas welcomed!

All decent spots. Hoover Dam is kind of in the middle of no where and you can always check that out whenever you go to Vegas in the future. The canyon roads heading east out of yellowstone are more fun than yellowstone national park and EMPTY. Awesome sweepers following a deep canyon.

Yosemite (show stopper) and Glacier Nat Park are the best parks in the states IMO. I rode a motorbike (thoroughly) through every state in and west of the rockies except the Dakotas. I also did Canada and Alaska if you are feeling adventurous

The best roads are random roads no one has heard of. I am 100% confident in this statement. There are so many great roads in the rockies and the best part of all is NO TRAFFIC!! The farther north you can go the better; WY has the best long sweepers and CO probably has the best tight stuff.

I'd avoid highway 101 in the more populated parts of California if possible (pacific highway). It's a complete nightmare if there is a festival (almost every weekend), holiday, or if it is friday-sunday. Locate some good options before hand in case you want to bail so you aren't forced to stay on it. It does have some great views. Some of the best roads on the CONTINENT are those running through the red woods and in the wine country in mid/northern California. I considered moving to the region strictly to enjoy those roads - they are that good.

Here are some random pics to get you excited-
101/Pacific Highway. Look closely and you can see the road hugging the cliffs-

Unbelievably awesome road that connects to the top section of the 101.

Glacier if you manage to make it that far north.

Let me know if you have questions about specific national parks or states in general. I did an 11k road trip and learned a lot in the process.

 

[mskrotzki]

-Death Valley (Is it worth the drive??)

Death Valley is VERY cool (well not really, it is bloody hot) but it is one of the more unique places on the face of the earth. Couple that with the fact that Mt Whitney -- highest point in the 48 contiguous states -- is about 50 miles from Mt Whitney, the highest point, well it doesn't get any better.

FWIW, on my many jaunts I always found I do about 125% of the distance I planned. No complaints, I love driving the NSX, but you may want to keep it in mind.

Good Journeys!

 

[Cap'n Carl]

Everyone has different tastes/interests, but here's what I'd change:
Maybe you've been to Glacier, but I'd never drive past it. One of the most beautiful places on Earth.

I'd spend a night in St George, Utah (because you probably can't get lodging at the N Rim), then drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (about 30 miles off your route). Then I'd go back to St George and on to Vegas, Death Valley, etc. This cuts out your long route around the canyon. The views from the North Rim are better and it's less crowded than the South Rim.

I'd avoid LA completely. It's not worth the traffic you have to get through.

From Death Valley I'd go N then thru Yosemite on 120. Down the Sierras on some great roads (especially 190) then thru Bakersfield across on twisty 58 to PCH to SanFran.

North of SF I'd use the 101 until Cloverdale, then take twisty and pretty 128 (stop at a vinery or 2) to the coast. Stay on the 1 until it comes back to the 101. Just N of there, Avenue of the Giants parallels the 101 for about 20 miles and is much more interesting than the 101.

In Fortuna, I'd go E on the best road anywhere: 36. Then 3 N to Weaverville, then W on 299 (another great road), back to the coast and the 101.

In McMinnville OR, I'd stop at the air museum and see the Spruce Goose.

Whatever route you choose, this sounds like a fantastic trip; I know you'll enjoy it.

 

[RedWings]

I highly encourage you to include Yosemite in your travel plans.
Although late Spring would be my preferred time window since the waterfalls are flowing strong from winter's snowpack

It is simply the most epic place I have ever been in the US.

Please read up on the hiking trails, a visit there is not well done unless you do some hiking, especially back-country stuff. Some of the views will stay with you for life... many others can confirm this... I have a future week planned to just spend camping at Yosemite, its THAT amazing

The North exit out of Yosemite has some highly technical roads(dangerous too) that are very worthy of a driver with intent to enjoy himself with a fine tool like the NSX.

Pay a visit to the Sequoias if you can, it will humble your short life more than anything on this planet. Hard to explain until you have stood at the base of the oldest plant on Earth. Maybe I'm a nature boy at heart, but nothing has ever taken me aback like Yosemite. It is a must do...

btw... if you want to meet up, let me know (we have similar drive ambitions) Cheers, RedWings

 

[QPDO]

Thanks you all already for some great ideas and detours! I'm looking into all of them and seeing which ones are feasible given our short time frame!! Lets keep them coming.

Cheers!

QPDO

 

[EuroBoutique]

I’ve copied the places you wanted to hit up and will give you some thoughts. I’ve driven the whole west coast from San Diego all the way to Vancouver, Canada and an expert going from CA to OR since I make that drive about 10 times per year at least!

Places we want to hit:
-Yellowstone National Park
-Zion National Park
-Grand Canyon
-Hoover Dam
-Death Valley (Is it worth the drive??)
-Hollywood Sign
-Pacific Coast Highway
-Laguna Seca
-Golden Gate Bridge
-Redwood Forrest


I’ve never been to Yellowstone or Zion so can’t comment there.

If you are going to the Grand Canyon, as another suggested do the North or South Rim (south is more crowded I heard from tourists). We made the mistake of going to the West Rim which is actually private Indian country. I forgot what tribe but actually MAJORITY of the Grand Canyon belongs to this tribe and the West Rim is private property. They own it and they charge you an arm and leg to tour it. This is the spot where they built that glass bridge that you can walk out on and take pictures but only with their cameras and you must take your shoes off. We only chose this side because we were in Vegas and drove to the Hoover dam and then to the West Rim. One word of caution, do not take this route in your NSX. There is a 20 mile stretch of road that is nothing but gravel and dirt. We had a rental so no big deal but it will just kill the NSX!

Hoover dam is worth seeing as it’s one of those things you just stand in awe and wonder how they built it. It’s not a great driving road as it’s crowded with tourists but fun to see the dam Dam…hehe

Hollywood sign can only be viewed from a distance, I asked this question to a lot of locals and basically you can’t get anywhere near it unless you plan to hike and trespass.

Personally I don’t think Death Valley is worth the drive as once you’ve seen one desert you’ve seen them all. On a road trip from Denver to CA, I’ve seen all the desert I want to see in a life time!

Laguna Seca is north of San Francisco near Napa wine country. There is a lot of winding open roads out there and traffic isn’t too bad. I would follow the other guys suggestions on roads to take but I’ve driven up there a handful of times and always pleasant experience.

Golden Gate is a must see just because of the great views and San Francisco. It’s a town that is quite unique and even after 10+ years out here I still get shocked by some of the things I see. Tons to do in SF although it’s really not friendly to the NSX. Road are bad and parking is risky especially if your car is lowered. I just think SF is a place to be enjoyed without the NSX. Japantown, Haight Ashbury, Fisherman’s Whart, Coit Tower are all pretty cool sights in the city. A good drive would be to cross over the Golden Gate bridge and head up to the Marin Headlands. This is where the picture below was taken!

Redwood Forest you have listed last and that is a MUST SEE. As another guy said it’s a place that really makes you feel small (not literally) but just in the sense how old those trees are and how short of a life span we really have. I love this forest and great place to see. The roads are not too bad.

If you do have time to meet up that would be cool – we are out here about 40 minutes south of SF and our claim to fame is primarily Silicon Valley but I think if you are driving your NSX here, a definite trip would be Santa Cruz and also Highway 9 up Skyline Blvd, go to Alice’s restaurant for breakfast and then take the highway twisties all the way to Half Moon Bay and have brunch at the Ritz Carlton (only on Sunday). Beautiful views and it’s my wife’s favorite place to dine.

Hope this helps
rick

Marin Headlands:

 

[PLZ]

Laguna Seca is north of San Francisco near Napa wine country. There is a lot of winding open roads out there and traffic isn’t too bad. I would follow the other guys suggestions on roads to take but I’ve driven up there a handful of times and always pleasant experience.

Uh, I think you meant to write that Laguna Seca is north of Carmel and just a little east of Monterey. The former Sears Point raceway is the one that's in Sonoma wine country.

 

[NZNick]

I have driven some of your route before (once, in a rented Mustang Convertible ) - the highlights for me were Yosemite, Death Valley (was buzzed by an airforce fighter at about 50ft. (slight exaggeration, but felt like it at the time!!)), San Francisco (not exactly car-friendly - Just park up and enjoy the city for a few days) - I would head on the 29 / 128 rather than the 101 north of the Golden Gate bridge, stopping off at Beringer (St Helena) and Calistoga, then back across to the coast to Mendocino (good place for accommodation), north on SH 1 to the 101 before going inland to Crater Lake (Oregon) (well worth the detour - 22ft of snow (middle of summer!) either side of a great road, before you pop out at the rim of the gorgeous blue lake in the crate of an ex-volcano, surrounded by deep snow), then north to Bend (great town). Then you continue up to Portland and Seattle (both excellent cities), where there is little choice but to use to un-scenic I5, and on to Vancouver, one of my fave places. If you get the chance, do the "mail run" from Vancouver Harbour Water Airport - it means an early start but is just fantastic, sitting alongside the pilot in a float plane while he picks up and drops passengers and a bit of courier freight.

I found the southern bits of the 101 to be a bit boring - SH1 is more interesting in California if a bit slower, so it depends if you have the time to do the interesting bits, or are in a rush just to get North. Carmel is a different type of place from others in that part of California - well worth a visit in my opinion, as is Pebble Beach. If you can stay on SH1, it will reward you, but is slow compared to the 101, which is so much more direct to get to SF.

As S4play says above, there are great views from Marin - check out Sausalito nearby too, plus there is a Marin Acura, just a few miles north should you need any tlc for your NSX - they had a red 05 NSX in when I was last there - if I had the money I would have bought it just to use on road trips such as yours !!!

The Central Oregon coast can be very foggy at certain times of the year - hence why I say to go inland to Crater Lake and Bend - you can still have some coastal action in California.

Yosemite to Death Valley is great in places - stay at the Stovepipe Wells village where there is an outdoor swimming pool where tiny bats come to have a drink around midnight - see if you can spot them.

Sorry this is so jumbled up and non-sequential - I keep thinking of great places that I have visited.

Would love to do this in an NSX one day.......

 

[NZNick]

S4play, what is the name of that hill/mountain on the North side of the Golden Gate Bridge which has a transmitter on top - just a short trek on foot up, a few miles below is an amphitheatre where they do outdoor performances - it gives great long distance views of downtown SF, the bay bridge etc. etc. ?

 

[EuroBoutique]

S4play, what is the name of that hill/mountain on the North side of the Golden Gate Bridge which has a transmitter on top - just a short trek on foot up, a few miles below is an amphitheatre where they do outdoor performances - it gives great long distance views of downtown SF, the bay bridge etc. etc. ?

I believe you are referring to Sutro tower:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Tower

Uh, I think you meant to write that Laguna Seca is north of Carmel and just a little east of Monterey. The former Sears Point raceway is the one that's in Sonoma wine country.

Yes my bad, too early in the morning when I typed that with no sleep!

 

[White92]

Everyone has different tastes/interests, but here's what I'd change:
Maybe you've been to Glacier, but I'd never drive past it. One of the most beautiful places on Earth.

I'd spend a night in St George, Utah (because you probably can't get lodging at the N Rim), then drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (about 30 miles off your route). Then I'd go back to St George and on to Vegas, Death Valley, etc. This cuts out your long route around the canyon. The views from the North Rim are better and it's less crowded than the South Rim.

I'd avoid LA completely. It's not worth the traffic you have to get through.

From Death Valley I'd go N then thru Yosemite on 120. Down the Sierras on some great roads (especially 190) then thru Bakersfield across on twisty 58 to PCH to SanFran.

North of SF I'd use the 101 until Cloverdale, then take twisty and pretty 128 (stop at a vinery or 2) to the coast. Stay on the 1 until it comes back to the 101. Just N of there, Avenue of the Giants parallels the 101 for about 20 miles and is much more interesting than the 101.

In Fortuna, I'd go E on the best road anywhere: 36. Then 3 N to Weaverville, then W on 299 (another great road), back to the coast and the 101.

In McMinnville OR, I'd stop at the air museum and see the Spruce Goose.

Whatever route you choose, this sounds like a fantastic trip; I know you'll enjoy it.

I 2nd St George, UT. Plus you can hit up Zion not far from there. I would be careful with higher elevations at Zion or any of the other places you visit. Some of the higher/scenic places are already getting snow.

If you do stay the night in St George, I'd look into a condo with a garage. Alot of people have 2nd homes there that they rent out when they aren't visiting. We do that often and it's just as much as staying in a hotel, but we have a garage, kitchen and multiple rooms.

 

[QPDO]

Road trip commences in 10hrs!! Lets hope the weather in Montana holds up for me!

 

[RedWings]

Road trip commences in 10hrs!! Lets hope the weather in Montana holds up for me!

Best of luck to you for an enjoyable trip. :smile:

Look forward to your photos and drive report

safe miles to ya

 

[EuroBoutique]

Safe travels, hopefully we get to meet up in CA!

 

[QPDO]

s4play... Pm me your number. I'll give you a shout/text if time permits!

 

[QPDO]

Well, the trip went off with great success! For a quick (ok, maybe a little long winded) writeup on the trip, refer to this thread:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1642469