My favorite route is amazing - I would like to share it with you all. I travel between
Atlanta and Highlands, North Carolina once a week and take the long way now that I have the Cayman. I tried to take a few pics this last week that might share just some of that experience. Pictures will not do the feeling of the drive justice but it adds a lot to the words.
The roads are like glass and the air is like perfume or an ocean breeze and the scenery is a kind of Norman Rockwell Painting. The actual path of the drive changes depending on my mood or the timing but it is basicly a 300 mile course, start to finish.
Starting in Highlands I head south down NC28 to Warwoman Road heading southeast to Clayton GA continuing west on HWY 76 "The Lookout Mountain Scenic Hwy" through Persimmon towards Hiawasee.
Sometimes I head south (before getting to 180 the further but faster route) at Lake Rabun on 197 with a touch and go view of the beautiful Lake that provides some of that refreshing cool air in the summer. Continuing south through Moccasin Creek State Park, on this route, I will then turn right onto Route 356 aka "Lovell-Wikle Scenic Hwy" through Sautee Nacoochee onwards to Unicoi State Park and then dumping out onto Route 75 and briefly visiting Helen, GA for fuel and a view of a rare and unique miniature "Alpine Villiage" in the middle of Georgia. (see pics to follow) There alwys seems to be some odd event there - this time it was a gathering of Corvair Owners of America - and boy is that odd. (see Pics to follow - the owner of silver one said he blew away a Cayman once (A red non S it sounds like - anyone here?), and when I skeptically said really what kinda motr you got in ther - he said a 427ci mid engined V8 with fully independent rear suspension...I was blown away...REALLY...SEE PICS)
After a short rest (sometimes I skip the strange Helen -aka "hell-in Georgia" altogether) - I head on southeast to Route 348 "Richard B Russell Scenic Hwy" - an amazing road that goes for 25 miles with no side streets, from the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere...and rises and falls approximatly 2000ft. The views at the top are excellent. (see pics) This road is so pure it makes me wonder why it was ever built - but I am glad it was...it was made for mid-engined Porsches. This road leads to Hwy 180 at Choestoe, GA called the "Rusell-Brasstown Scenic Hwy" (the other route if I head on past the Lake Rabun cut-south on Hwy 75). Here, I usually turn left, and then after about a mile, 180 joins Hwys 19/129 and I blaze on south towards the famous "Neals Gap"...WOW...now the turns there are as good as any track in the world - three lanes wide and six turns viewed at a time and NO side streets! Take this south on to "Turners Corner" and turn right continuing onto Hwy 19 south into Dahlonega, GA. an from there it is simple - south down 400 to home....happy as a clam in the sea!
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