What is your Great American Winter Road Trip?

[Ted Hoppe]

Without the need of 4 wheel drive...

Las Vegas to Phoenix would be outstanding.

bigstock-Snow-Storm-In-Grand-Canyon-AZ-10225733.jpg

As would a tour around Arches.

[Todd D]

Well you lost me with the no 4WD. Most of the Winter I need 4WD to get out of the driveway particularly if we have had a warm spell and it is 100% ice. Once I drive out and back my wife can get her Subaru out.

Notwithstanding the 4WD aspect, I will be making a drive from Mount Desert Island to Bangor, ME in early March. It could be an easy drive or it could be a bit snowy.

[Ted Hoppe]

The drive from Burlington, Vermont to Jackson, New Hampshire traveling through the White Mountains would be epic, although it may break 4 wheel drive stipulation.

Jackson-New-Hampshire-Covered-Bridge-in-Winter.jpg

[Jim Bow]

Just watched a Youtube wherein a woman drove along the North Scotland road from John O’Groats westward. Absolutely breathtaking.

[Ted Hoppe]

Well you lost me with the no 4WD. Most of the Winter I need 4WD to get out of the driveway particularly if we have had a warm spell and it is 100% ice. Once I drive out and back my wife can get her Subaru out.

Notwithstanding the 4WD aspect, I will be making a drive from Mount Desert Island to Bangor, ME in early March. It could be an easy drive or it could be a bit snowy.

If you aren't too tired of snow by then - it would be beautiful. Even if you are it will be beautiful.

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[Canoeyawl]

[Ted Hoppe]

Well, I guess that this leaves me out. First, I'm not American. Second, if it's winter and I'm out for an enjoyable drive, not having 4WD takes all the fun roads out of contention.

North America is a very inclusive place and as heard since global warming NS might be the place to remake a better Florida.

[John Smith]

A few years back we had some snow and lots of accidents on our turnpike; all 4 wheel drives. They don't stop better; all cars have four wheel brakes.

Truth be told, in my area, if it snows on Monday, once we get out of our driveway on Tuesday, we can go anywhere.

My son-ln-law's dad and I used to debate front wheel vs rear wheel drive. ALL the rear wheel drive cars I've had that were built after '65 or so had some form of limited slip differential. None of the front wheel drive cars I've had or my family has had did.

[birlinn]

Kawahae to Hilo. No need for 4 wd.

[Canoeyawl]

Canoeyawl: Gorgeous, but where is the road? I don't think that 4WD will help in that geography... <grin>

Ted: Yup, NS is a lovely place, but elbow-to-elbow waterfront condos? HELL NO!!

Sorry! The road is a glimpse centered in the image, it winds in and out away from the beach.
Hwy 1, Big Sur
It's where I go for a drive in the winter...
During the summer it can be cold and foggy, but "winter" is lovely and a misnomer. Coming from Maine, it never really gets cold here.
Now with covid and restaurants sketchy, I have to pack a picnic lunch

[Figment]

[COLOR=#363636][FONT=Roboto]The drive from Burlington, Vermont to Jackson, New Hampshire traveling through the White Mountains would be epic, although it may break 4 wheel drive stipulation.

I did that one fine February day. FWD with snow tires, all good.

I have a hankering to drive up to Montreal and spend some time on the skating trails, probably stopover at Lake Placid on the way up and maybe meander home by way of Niagara Falls.

[Too Little Time]

I drove from the Midwest down RT 66 to California, up to Washington and then East over the mountains on I-90. In January.

Snow on the pass in Southern California. A lot of screaming by both the passengers and driver coming down the mountains on snow covered roads into Bozeman at night. A couple unexpected days at a hotel while the roads were cleared. A couple days of driving home on slick roads. 2 wheel drive.

The only Great American Winter Road Trips are in Summer.

[oznabrag]

It's a bone-chilling 43ºF and drizzly here.

I'm thinking Tamiami Trail.

[Jim Bow]

Some people say that 4WD is for wimps. Driving to Spokane from Seattle in winter in a VW Golf you pass a lot of abandoned jeeps.

[Bobcat]

My winter drive is to start in Seattle, take the ferry to the Olympic Peninsula and wide around the coast and then head south. How far depends on how much time I have.

[Ted Hoppe]

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Would be quite an adventure in a fun, slow, economical car. 8 day round trip. 1000 dollar winter photo expedition.

[Yeadon]

My winter drive is to start in Seattle, take the ferry to the Olympic Peninsula and wide around the coast and then head south. How far depends on how much time I have.

We have a winner.

[WI-Tom]

Drive to Lee's Ferry. Then, for the next 29 days, do this:

Portola.jpg

And this:

Vaseys Paradise.jpg

And this:

Susie Too.jpg

But try not to do this:

Killer Fang Falls.jpg

Best. Winter. Trip. Ever.

Is it a road trip?

Roads? Who needs roads?

Tom

[Yeadon]

Baja Mexico would be appropriate during the winter.

[Ted Hoppe]

It's too early to be hating on winter.

OTOH Baja and the sea of Cortez would be nice.

[Jimmy W]

Look at all the traffic they shared the skyway with. The description says video was sped up 2X. I have camped just off the skyway in October when we got a dusting of snow.

Running up the Cherohala Skyway

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Driving to S Fla next month. Never needed 4WD in the past and don't expect to need it this trip, whatever the weather. One Fla Winter trip was a tow to launch in the Keys.

[robm]

Just watched a Youtube wherein a woman drove along the North Scotland road from John O’Groats westward. Absolutely breathtaking.

I hitch-hiked that road in 2003. It was a remarkable trip. The road is single lane, and alternates between running across moors as barren as the moon and diving down to the ocean where tiny farms are located in patches of lush green.

[Stiletto]

My son and some pals crossed over from Canada into Montana in their GMC van and drove down to Nevada, out to the coast and back.
He said he really got to understand what winter was when they woke up in the morning with a layer of ice all through the inside of the van.
He said he was reminded of those old fashioned fridges with an icebox in the corner, with them in it.

[Todd D]

I have driven from Seattle to Illinois in February in a rear wheel drive car with no issues although it was a bit snowy through the Colorado mountains. A really nice winter drive is Edmonton to Vancouver. Not an American winter roadtrip, but it is rather pretty. I have done it by three different routes: west from Edmonton on the Yellowhead highway past Jasper then south through Kamloops to the trans Canada highway, West from edmonton to Jasper then south to Banff on the Icefields Parkway then west to Van on the trans Canada. That is one pretty drive. My final route was south from Edmonton to Calgary then across the rockies and BC on the Trans Canada highway with the obligatory stop at Banff.

An epic American winter road trip I took back in the 70s was Fairbanks to Anchorage (return) in early March. Great views of Denali/McKinley and the Alaska range. Did that in a rear wheel drive Mercury Cougar.

[LeeG]

hello zombie thread. Gotta say the idea of sitting in a car for hours on end is torture. There was a time through snow in a ‘76 Honda CVCC on 13” tires that was memorable. Spmewhere on 70. Had to go south.

[Beowolf]

DTW.

After that, it’s all good.

[Ted Hoppe]

hello zombie thread. Gotta say the idea of sitting in a car for hours on end is torture. There was a time through snow in a ‘76 Honda CVCC on 13” tires that was memorable. Spmewhere on 70. Had to go south.

A few hundred miles a day, a slow car works. A modern economic car with a comfortable seat and great sound system with audible books and every song on the internet avaiable might be something nice.

I think you would be one of those folks to hang with on one of those full week adventures.

[Katherine]

I’m done with driving cross country in the snow and cold. Three times in three years is enough!

[wizbang 13]

I got a ride to the airport last November the day before the airport closed to snow and ice.
Best road trip ever .

[Beowolf]

If you aren't too tired of snow by then - it would be beautiful. Even if you are it will be beautiful.

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Hey…. I can see my house in that picture!

[LeeG]

A few hundred miles a day, a slow car works. A modern economic car with a comfortable seat and great sound system with audible books and every song on the internet avaiable might be something nice.

I think you would be one of those folks to hang with on one of those full week adventures.

I started looking up older cars after this thread. For some reason it made me think of a Datsun 810 or Lincoln Continental.

[Beowolf]

If you aren't too tired of snow by then - it would be beautiful. Even if you are it will be beautiful.

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…as seen last week:

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[LeeG]

I’m done with driving cross country in the snow and cold. Three times in three years is enough!

I bet. 25 yrs ago I drove a box truck three times across the country in a couple years. Once for my sister, my aunt and then myself. No snow but still I had my fill.

[LeeG]

Donnor Pass is not the place to be right now but in a few days it’ll be a complete chitshow with people wanting to be skiiing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBCLgoEUwKc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5OXpUFmXk

imagine all the people driving into these tight roads. 12 hrs of driving on a 4.5 hr trip. 30 yrs ago I took 14 hrs to get up there. DSE.