Five For the Road: Driving Trips With Gorgeous Vistas-- Part 1

From the March 10, 2013, Chicago Tribune by Katherine Rodeghter.

The United States has plenty of scenic roadways in every region and you can check manuy of them out at the National Scenic Byways Program www.byways.org .  These are five of her favorites:

1.  TRAIL RIDGE ROAD, COLORADO.  US Highway 34, the highest major roadway in North America in Rocky mountain National park.  Forty-eight miles between Estes Park and Grand Lake 

Dress warmly as part of it is above the treeline.  Part is closed from mid-October to late May.


2.  OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, FLORIDA KEYS--  US Highway 1 stringing together the islands for 106 miles between Key Largo and Key West.  Mangroves, great white herons and Key deer.  Completed in 1938, built along the right of way of the Overseas Railroad which had been destroyed by a hurricane.  In 1980s, much of it rebuilt, but you can still see parts of the old road/bridges alongside.

I didn't know that a section of the old railroad was preserved at Bahia Hionda State Park as a monument.  I'll have to check it out the next time I'm there.  Humphrey Bogart's "African Queen is at the Holiday Inn in Key Largo, and, of course, the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West.

And, then, there is that Duvall Street in Key west where we've often done the Duvall Crawl.

Personally, we like Islamorada better than key West.

Good Times Behind the Wheel.  --RoadDog