While I am sympathetic to the "slow down and enjoy the scenery"
notion, life is short and art is long. I have considered buying a bus
or Vanagon and parking it long term in Flagstaff, Bishop, or St.
George, then driving (or, in the case of Flagstaff, taking the train,
which I actually did every weekend two summers ago) my GTI to get
where I'm going, and swapping vehicles.

Yes, it's lovely between San Diego and these places, and I have seen a
lot of what lies in between -- many times.

However: I don't consider slowing down to 20 or 25 miles an hour on a
long grade to be fun. It's mostly about staying alive, with folks
texting and whatnot and not paying attention to the slow moving
vehicle ahead.

Mark