The open road. Yes, the American dream of the open road. Running down the highway with the top down, the wind in your hair, the sun at your back, blue skies and the radio turned up loud. All there is in the distance is the horizon. No traffic, no traffic lights, no cops and cares. The myth of the open road has long been woven into the American psyche.

But I live in New Jersey. The only open road around here is my driveway, and that’s only when my son isn’t home. 8 miles in 30 minutes is breakneck speed, and on a hot summer weekend the Garden State Parkway is really an extended parking lot. New Jersey is the most congested state in the nation. There are more people here per square mile than anywhere else in the nation. And every day they’re in their cars clogging up the roads.

So, if you happen to own the best little sports car ever made what do you do? Well, for one thing the car spends an awful lot of time in the garage. Sunday afternoons are reserved for washing and waxing. Sometimes you even change the oil. But every now and again you get a chance to sneak out on a quiet holiday or late at night when nobody else is out.

And when that happens you remember why you own the car and how very much fun going through the gears really is. For that short time you own the road, the sun is at your back, the sky is blue, the wind is in your hair, you and the car are one, and you’re in all of your glory. But then the light turns red, you stop and before you know it you’re in traffic again moving at 15 miles per hour.

Laugh if you like, but America is getting more crowded. The way things are going pretty soon there won’t be any open road anywhere. What then?

 

It's not a problem out here in the old West. Plenty of open spaces to run the car and mountain roads to enjoy.

 

yeah, the race track .......

 

^I'll vouch for that! I loved my short time in Idaho on my way back from S2KDays. I was pleasantly surprised by your state, Jonathan.

 

Ahhh, out west!

Lassen:







Lost Coast:


Pt Arena:



Pt Reyes:








Olympic Peninsula:



Monterey:





Sutter's Mill:



Sonora Pass:



Death Valley:



Bristlecone Pine:



Yosemite:





Marin:



Sequoia:



Donner Pass:



Big Trees:



Hwy 1:



Fall in the Sierras:

 

As they say "A picture is worth a thousand words!" So what do 20 pictures add up to? Thank goodness I only need to drive out of my sub and point north and just worry about hitting deer.

 

Very nice!

 

 

Yep, Rob and I live in congested areas. There are some nice driving roads out toward the mountains in VA, but it takes awhile to get there.

 

If you look at the back of any of our cars you will see the following "The Last Open Road" displayed. It is the name of a novel written about the very early days of road racing in North America. A sort of endorsement of a earlier time when those roads were around. It is about a 30 minute drive North to find any of those roads around Toronto !!