the very meal you’re enjoying. A quirk of geography means this is one of the few places on Newfoundland island that isn’t totally comprised of solid rock, mean- ing families can enjoy a spell on sandy beaches before jumping back in their car to appreciate the Kittiwake’s fast and sweeping road curves. Icefields Parkway, Alberta This is a bucket list drive which manages to include achingly beautiful scenery with one (literally) cool name – seriously, Icefields Parkway must rank up there with the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngylg- ogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch or Punkey- doodles Corners in Ontario as having one of the most tremendous place names ever applied to paper. Google Maps, of course, will use its official title of Highway 93 North. Running right through the national treasure that is Jasper National Park, the approximately 232 km of Icefields Parkway are technically open year-round. We say ‘technically’ because the area is, as its name im- plies, prone to brutal stretches of snowy weather dur- ing that time of the year – so make sure to research road conditions ahead of time and be prepared if you’re headed out hand-in-hand with Old Man Winter. After all, with a total area of about 200 square kilo- metres, parts of this area are counted as the largest mass of glacial ice in the Canadian Rockies, creating a hydrological apex which actually feeds three different oceans. Cell service can be sketchy in some areas.
It takes about three hours to drive the route non-stop but doing so would be a travesty. Instead, halt along the way to check out places like Herbert Lake and Crowfoot Glacier, all easily visible without ever having to set foot outside of your vehicle. Those looking for extra adventure can plan for a classic day hike up the Parker Ridge or Wilcox Pass. The route is bookended by Jasper and Lake Louise, beautiful towns all on their own; that are connected by one of the prettiest buck- et list drives on the planet makes this a route worth taking. Route 421 - The Snake, Tennessee Most gearheads, and even casual fans of perform- ance vehicles, know about the Tail of the Dragon, a 318-turn epic road cutting through the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Trouble is, too many people know about it, leading to what was once a relatively well-kept secret to be lined every year with slow-moving vehicles clogging the byway. It’s like when everyone else discovered your secret fishing spot and now there are no trout left. A great alternative? The Snake, officially known as US Route 421, which winds over 160 km in and around Johnson County in Tennessee all the way to Washington County in Virginia. Broadly speaking, and using well-known place names familiar to newbies, it goes from roughly Bristol on the Virginia/Tennessee border to a place called Mountain City deep in the heart of Tennessee. Drilling down into this route fur- ther with the help of a few locals, a particular 60-km stretch of The Snake is considered one of its best parts, comprised of almost 500 curves whilst plun- ging and rising through valley and dale. Those really in the know — that’s you, now you’ve read this article — will take a small 16-km detour up a road marked as TN 133 North to a place called Backbone Rock to experience a lovely waterfall located just a few steps from the road along with what might be the coolest old railroad tunnel in the country. Along the main route, be sure to find Shady Valley Country Store to pick up a few car supplies and enjoy a hearty stick-to-yer-ribs meal.
ROUTE 421 - THE SNAKE
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