In honor of my new favorite television show, Top Gear, (and that TopGear_Quotes is now following us on Twitter) this blog post is dedicated to the automobile. So much press and focus has been spent upon the rise in gas prices and environmental impact that the prospect of driving somewhere has become an exercise in return on investment rather than joy. There are many places in our beautiful country which are only accessible by road. What some of us in the US seem to have forgotten, that our UK counterparts have not, is that it can be a joy to drive. Let’s find that joy again.
My parents were both car people, growing up in the ‘60’s during the era of the muscle car. My mother used to get cars from auctions and drag race them at the local airport. My dad had an Audi 4000 when we were kids; the ride to school every morning was an adrenaline rush on back country roads. So it stands to reason that my sister and I would become car people as well. My mom and I both agree that the only celebrities we envy at all are James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from Top Gear, they have the best jobs on the face of the earth.
West Virginia has some of the most spectacular, and empty, roads in the country. We are primed for a state-wide, curve hugging, scenery gazing, piston growling adventure. With 549 miles of interstate highway, over 34,000 miles of state owned roads and a population of only 1.8 million people, the math is easy. This could be one of the greatest states in which to drive…I mean really drive.
The Highland Scenic Highway in Pocahontas County has long been a favorite of motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts. The Midland Trail is a beautiful route which was originally a buffalo migration trail and became a stagecoach road. It now connects historic Lewisburg with the state capitol of Charleston. The Historic National Road, built 200 years ago, it was the first federally funded interstate highway and integral to our revolution (sorry Brits). Even the main toll road ($4) from Beckley to Charleston is a curvy, white knuckled adventure best experienced with a wide wheel base and low center of gravity.
Even my morning commute, 50 miles from Lewisburg to Glade Springs along interstate 64 is tremendous fun along a mostly empty highway. Seriously, when was the last time someone told you their commute was “fun”? When I lived in Northern Virginia, it used to take me 45 minutes to drive five miles, so this is definitely preferable. I especially love getting off an exit early at Shady Springs where the road feels more like a slalom course.
So find a car which can corner, fill up your tank, grab a map (yes, you will probably still want a map in addition to satellite navigation) and hit the gas. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Pictures of my morning commute.
