On Friday we headed to Hot Springs,NC from Knoxville,Tn after picking up the RV from windshield repairs. we headed through Newport Tn on Hwy 25E to Hot Springs, nice slightly curvy easy drive. Sunday we left Hot Springs, after the bike weekend there and still continued East towards Ashville,NC ,The road starts to get real curvy, with switchbacks,8% grades etc, My kind of fun road ! I had the Ol' Screamin Detroit a screaming up the mountain, The Coach handeling like a sports car, I was havin all kinds of fun, Woo Hoo, Wheeeeeee down the hills! Betsey on the other hand wasn't doing so good, she dosn't like roller coasters at all!! She looked at me and said, I think I'm gonna be sick, then she dissapeared toward the back, I'm thinking Uh Oh, after a bit, up and down the hills I hollared back, Are You Ok? she answered behind me, Yeah, She was laying on the couch looking toards the rear. She said this thing is looong! I laughed, she said laying on the couch and watching the sky, then trees, then sky, and looking back the bedroom looked a long long way back there. The road leveled out after a few more miles the 8% grades behind us , she finally made it back to the co pilot seat, I said to her, It's a good thing steep hills and curves don't bother me because we'd be in a pickle back there with both of us too scared to continue on!! I told her this road used to be the main throughway through here can you imagine being in a old Trailways bus screaming up and down these hills, those must have been the day's, We actually have disc brakes and retarders that those old rigs didn't have and we're riding in a 24 year old camper! She just gave me one of those ,we're not doing this again looks!! Hehehe ......... I just gave her a big Ol' Smile ;) ;)
What is it that they say? "Getting there is half the fun!"
I leave the driver's window open as much as possible to listen to the great exhaust sound. Best in tunnels. Was driving any fun before Detroits came along?
Gaylie tries to read a lot of the time but stops about five minutes into a twisty road before we need Mr. Clean.
Pierce
Driving used to be fun before interstates made it boring... It's good Betsey got her moneys worth.
All ya gotta do is stay off the interstate, the good old back roads still be there.
Roland
When not hurried, I prefer US 11W Bristol to Knoxville thru Bean Station instead of I-81 to I-40, brings back good old memories with FL700S with 318 & RTO9513 before the interstate was complete. Why I smile with the ISM500, retarder & 30,000 lb. :dance:
Drove my daughters Ford Flex From CO Springs, over CO67 from Woodland Park to Sedalia Yesterday, 9 miles of washboard dirt, had to wash car when in Denver, real fun, would not take a FT over that but it does refresh your old driving skills, No putting your feet up on the dash , and cranking up the stereo, heart rate increases when meeting another vehicle. Scenery makes up for washboards.
Gary B
I do avoid the interstate when time allows...Too much traffic and most of the drivers are aggressive. I do think if I ever go from Gypsum Colorado to Boise City Oklahoma again in a truck grossing 80,000 I will avoid Hy 24 off of I70...I THOUGHT I didn't want to go all the way back to Denver and then south on 287.. I asked an old sheet rock hauler there at the sheet rock plant about taking 24 south instead and he spit tobacco juice on the ground then looked up and asked... can you drive? I said a little.. he asked do you have a jake brake.... I said yes... old man said I don't want you blaming me if it don't work out for you but you can make it..... Just goes to show that a fella like myself with 3 1/2 million miles can still learn something.... that was 20 years ago and still learning... Turns out Mt Elbertt is 14,433 ft high and I reckon that old sheet rock hauler lived on top of it...My old 72 extended hood KW was struggling for air.. I've been on a few strips of road but that is one strip you wont catch me on again with anything over 4 wheels.. I reckon sometimes boring is better than excitement and some shortcuts are better than others.