On Wheels

Here's a handy list of my favorite drives ever. Most of these roads I've been on only once, but I wouldn't hesitate drive them again.

Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL.

Driving south from Montrose to 47th on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive, a sort of hybrid highway-type thing, is the finest city driving that I've ever experienced. Between the sight of the Hancock Building towering into the sky around North Street, the glitter of Navy Pier (an otherwise horrible tourist attraction) at night, the river, other assorted skyscrapers, and Lake Michigan, 20 minutes on this road is always a welcome journey, especially if it takes me to The University of Chicago's Doc Films.

I-40, between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC.

Most interstate highways are a drag, but not this little stretch through the Appalachian Mountains. Usually I find myself driving too fast, but the snaky curves and mountain landscapes are too exciting for my right foot. No other road gives me the thrill of danger as this one does. The scenery is distracting and the turns come quick and often.

M-25, between Mackinaw City and Port Huron, MI.

The landscape on this state road isn't nearly as awe-inspiring as other roads on my list, but there is a low, simple pleasure to this eight hour drive. Lake Huron is on one side and standard Michigan forests are on the other, with small towns dotted along the way. There are plenty of sparsely populated beaches for a quick swim if you want.

Route 550, Colorado, between Montrose and Durango, Route 160, Colorado, between Durango and Mesa Verde National Park.

From the high, treacherous Rocky Mountains into the spare desert of the Mesa Verde, this two road combo was dangerous and always beautiful. If you're driving south (as I was), you're always only a few feet away from certain death on your right side, and the views that you see on that right side are enough to distract you into a great ravine. You may also pick up a hitch-hiker along the way.

Route 190, Death Valley National Park to Route 395 to Lake Tahoe, California.

The valley expanse rolls before you as you drive north, with the Sierra Nevada Mountains looming on your left, and a few ghost towns along the way. From the harsh, parched Death Valley landscapes to the forests of Yosemite and the otherworldly rock formations on Mona Lake, this drive was one of the unexpected pleasures of my recent western trip.