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Travel: What Spring Road Trip Most Excites You?

What Spring Road Trip Most Excites You?

By Petrolicious Productions
February 13, 2015
20 comments

Photography by David Marvier and Yoav Gilad

Although we’re still trapped in winter’s icy throes, spring and its blossoms are just around the corner for most of us. And while Petrolicious is based in Southern California, we’re limited from embarking on long, epic drives by the fact that most of the US lays dormant under a blanket of snow. Heck, even our local mountains, get icy above five-thousand feet and are snow-capped currently. But I’m already planning a few of my own drives…

My first order of business will be hitting the road to visit friends in the southwest, Arizona and New Mexico for starters. And once I’m already in NM, well I might as well head north back to Colorado and Utah. I’ve never been to Wyoming, perhaps a detour is in order? I’m sure I’ll also be making a cross-country haul at some point, but I’m getting ahead of myself. So for my first trip, I’m planning to hit Phoenix without using any freeways. I’m sure that taking surface streets will add significant time, but I’ll also get to see much more and best of all discover amazing new roads.

What Spring Road Trip Most Excites You?

Tags Classic Cars/ Questions/ Road Trip/ Travel
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CJ David
CJ David
8 years ago

Southern Worthersee in May. It’s the South’s largest gathering of VW/euro enthusiasts. I’ve been every year since 2009, which wasn’t much of a road trip for those past events as I lived in Atlanta and then Nashville. However, I’m now on the West Coast. The plan is to take two weeks off of work and drive out to there. My friend Dylan decided this would be a worthwhile adventure, so he’s driving his car out along with mine. If we get them done in time. Our vehicles of choice?

A 1987 BMW L6 and a 1979 euro 628.

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Randy B
Randy B
8 years ago

I’m looking forward to driving my special route through South East Ohio. The elevation changes and blind sweepers that make you feel like you’re in a proper rally race. Hopefully in spring 2016 I’ll have my 2002 in order so I can experience the drive in that, for now it will be my trusty BMW 330Ci.

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Jesse OBrien
Jesse OBrien
8 years ago

I think it would be pretty epic to be able to go to work without shoveling. My Miata may end up with a snow plow on it by the end of winter.

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Nils Wenzler
Nils Wenzler
8 years ago

After finishing my Master at the end of May I’ll head off on a 3 month road trip with my girlfriend. We’ll drive from Switzerland down the Balkans along the sea, go to Greece and then through Turkey into Iran, her home country, and, provided the car is still alive by then, back home. For that we bought a white 1993 Volvo 240 Classic estate car, big enough to use the back to sleep in. I plan to keep as much as possible off of Highways and explore all the different countries we will pass. I can’t wait to start!

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Randy B
Randy B
8 years ago
Reply to  Nils Wenzler

Nils, this sounds like a great trip! Perfect car to take took. Super reliable and can take all the miles you throw at it. I have a 240 estate also with almost 300k miles on it. It still starts every time and doesn’t require a lot to keep it running. Have fun and take lots of pictures.

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Nick
Nick
8 years ago

I envy most of you living in Europe or US. The roads over there are just amazing. Not just driving your classic but it’s all about stumbling across some hidden little gen of an eatery savouring the local wine etc. and the glorious scenery!!!
Sorry, but been there and done it. My favourites: Napoleone Route from France to Italy. Southern England B roads, those beautiful French tree-lined roads. Stelvio Pass, Italy. Too many to list in US and Canada!
I live in Australia. Roads are dreadful, dangerously negleted and drivers have that “F**k you attitude, especially truckers etc. Places to eat? McDonalds, KFC, Subways. No decent road stops and be warned…Petrol stations are far and few. Speed cameras EVERYWHERE (OO)

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Kuroneko
Kuroneko
8 years ago
Reply to  Nick

Get yourself an EK ute, a ‘roo bar, and take your own lunch – a slab of VB – and you’re set Mate! Pity, as there [i]are [/i]some interesting roads, you just have to share them with those that want to egg you (as they did my Alpine), key you (Karmann Ghia), pour milk into your engine compartment (356), or spit on you (911). There’s an Alfa driver here though who might have a different opinion… as I am sure its not that bad all the time?

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Evan Bedford
Evan Bedford
8 years ago

Depends on how you define “spring”. I think for the Logan Pass, it would be June or July before the snow finally allows vehicular traffic. But that’s the road that comes to mind for me.

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Emanuel Costa
Emanuel Costa
8 years ago

Well, if anyone wants to come to Portugal in the Spring, I recomend the Alentejo region. Great wines, great food and a very nice scenery when the flowers blossom around the spaced cork oak trees…

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Remco van Reeuwijk
Remco van Reeuwijk
8 years ago

Driving on the narrow, small roads in Normandy, France. Not exactly knowing what will be behind the next corner, not knowing what the weather is going to be. You might just end up at the West Coast facing the world famous Mont Saint Michel. And if the weather is good enough, I might open the top of my convertable

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Kuroneko
Kuroneko
8 years ago
Reply to  Remco van Reeuwijk

Great location shot there! I wonder how many others the Petrolista can collect? Nice Copen too…

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Kuroneko
Kuroneko
8 years ago

That opening shot of the VW & Jag is just as I imagine road tripping… This week, we’ve decided to run the Ise Wan and Skyline again in Spring:

http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2013/07/05/grand-touring-the-ise-peninsula-part-02/

The pics alone should show why, but the rest of the journey is just as gorgeous – food, views, and spectacular driving roads. With the finer weather too, we hope to run the Usui Touge with a small convoy of classics, and luckily I get to enjoy the Boso Hanto regularly as part of my weekend commute:

http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2014/11/26/boso-hanto-part-02/

I just need to persuade my lovely wife to endure the noise and rough ride of the old Honda… Neko.

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Brian Driggs
Brian Driggs
8 years ago

First weekend in May: driving my 25 year old Pajero across the dessert from Phoenix to Ridgecrest, CA, to volunteer at the High Desert Trails rally.

Nothing like 8 hours in an old truck with no AC, driving to the Death Valley neighborhood, to block a road in the mountains, fit up the HT, and keep the stages safe for race cars.

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CHRIS DAGNOLO
CHRIS DAGNOLO
8 years ago

TX Bluebonnet run! Curvy roads and wild flowers. Hard to beat!
Chris

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Patrick Frawley
Patrick Frawley
8 years ago

I’m in central New York state. It has been at or around zero for the last forty-eight hours.

I would go back to Joshua Tree in an instant. Unbelievably lovely place. But the one that really calls right now is New Orleans, with a grand swing through the South. Would love to have an old GM A-body convertible for the trip, but really, at this point anything would work.

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Christopher Wilmot
Christopher Wilmot
8 years ago

What ever lame young Euro kid does, SOWO!

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Martin James
Martin James
8 years ago

Well … previous to the ongoing and extensive ‘ profiling ‘ by many western states for those of us with CO [ or WA plates ] that all but guarantees a good 2-5 hour delay [ if you’re lucky ] it would of been our spring sojourn to Port Townsend WA for a bit of ‘ classic ‘ [ as in wooden boat ] sailing with some builder friends [ as well as an associate or two ] … a blast down to Santa Fe for a week under the NM sky etc .

But errr .. with the ongoing threat of being pulled over for an extensive amount of time for something I do not participate in ? Well .. its looking like our little jaunts up to Vail , Aspen may have to suffice this year with a possible diversion to Steamboat Springs for variety … or until things finally settle down with the likes of OR KS WY NM OK NE MT ID etc !

Oh well … at least we just had the World Ski Championships to drive up to and still have the Colorado Grand and the Tour of Colorado Pro Tour bike race to look forward to come Fall

But errr …, as far as WY is concerned ? Ask first before heading there . Suffice it to say WY has very few places that are absolutely wonderful … with a whole lot of boring redneck dreck in between

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Matthew Lange
Matthew Lange
8 years ago

Thinking about a late spring trip to the Loire valley in the Daytona. Probably look to stay at the famous Hotel de France in La Chartre Sur Le Loire. The hotel is famous for being a base for many teams competing at Le Mans.

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Riccardo
Riccardo
8 years ago
Reply to  Matthew Lange

Snap! This is exactly what I have been planning, a trip from London to Loire Valley and back with my 300SL (R107 variant, alas not a W198…) to stock up on great French wine. That will be my way to celebrate the spring upon us.

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Frank Anigbo
Frank Anigbo
8 years ago

Living in snow-buried New England, to say that I cannot wait for the return of spring is an understatement. A multi-day tour of Vermont to visit friends should do well to erase my memory of a lousy winter. Then I very much look forward to my traditional drives with my two favourite car clubs on the beautiful North and South shores of Massachusetts and White Mountain region of Northern New Hampshire.

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