Absolutely.  From SoCal to the Grand Canyon or Flagstaff:   Definitely 89
to Prescott, then Jerome, Sedona, and up Oak Creek Canyon.   Way better
than any interstate, and fewer miles as well.  Prescott is a very cool
overlooked destination.

From Wikipedia:  "Jerome became a notorious "wild west" town, a hotbed of
prostitution, gambling, and vice. On 5 February 1903, the New York Sun
proclaimed Jerome to be "the wickedest town in the West"."

"Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona "

Roland

On Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 2:35 PM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com> wrote:

> Jeff and all,
>
> If you're on 89A anyway, take it all the way into Prescott; don't neglect
> stopping in Jerome, a near ghost town turned Hippie commune, turned
> respectable artist's community.
>
> Karl Wolz
> Sent from my electronic umbilicus
>
> On Aug 27, 2012, at 8:51 AM, J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET> wrote:
>
> > Don't know the route number, but I've said it before here, what ever
> road it is that goes north out of Sedona AZ through Oak Creek
> Canyon...amazing. Jeff Stewart ----- Original Message -----
> >> M-22 (Michigan). North of Manistee, through Frankfort, along Crystal
> >> Lake, through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Leland, Leelanau
> >> peninsula and down to Traverse City. All along the most scenic part of
> >> Lake Michigan. Anytime of the year, but Fall is spectacular.
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> Sent: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:16:33 -0000 (UTC)
> >> Subject: Re: Interstates are boring
> >> We almost always avoid interstate highways. On our recent near 6k mile
> >> trip from Oklahoma to Washington and around about in the NW and Rocky
> >> Mountain area, we spent most of the driving time on U.S. highways and
> >> state highways. We did take the interstates to get from Oklahoma to
> >> Spokane, but left them almost altogether after that.
> >> My neighbor recently remarked to me that his driving style depended on
> >> whether he was traveling or going somewhere. Traveling, he avoids
> >> interstates and drives at 55 mph or slower. Going somewhere, he drives
> >> 75 mph on interstates.
> >> I noticed your mention of U.S. 50 across Colorado. While scenic,
> >> because of the extreme traffic load, it is also slow and dangerous. If
> >> my goal is to enjoy getting across Colorado, I go north and take
> >> several different state and U.S. highways, including U.S. 40 through
> >> the mountains. Again, slow but not because of a high traffic load,
> >> just curvy and scenic. The stretch west of the divide is just sublime.
> >> mcneely
> >> ---- Kim Brennan wrote:
> >>> In my travels across North America, I've often found that US routes
> >>> (and equivalent routes in Canada) are more scenic, and interesting
> >>> than the Interstates (and equivalent high speed limited access
> >>> highways in Canada). Sometimes the destination is the goal.
> >>> Sometimes its the drive to the destination that is the
> >>> entertainment.
> >>>
> >>> In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:
> >>>
> >>> US Route 302 (New Hampshire. Crawford Notch. Near to Mt Washington,
> >>> a beautiful scenic drive.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 163 (southern Utah). Monument valley. Scene of many an
> >>> early western.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 50 (Colorado) Monarch Pass, and separately in eastern
> >>> Colorado, along side the Arkansas River (if you have to cross the
> >>> Great Plains this is a fairly pleasant way to do it.)
> >>>
> >>> (not US 209) Millersburg Ferry, (Pennsylvania). This ferry connects
> >>> US 15/11 with the town of Millersburg (where US 209 begins/ends).
> >>> The ferry is a stern paddleboat free navigating ferry across the
> >>> Susquehanna River (which is maybe 4 feet deep here). The US 15/11
> >>> side of the ferry is in the Ferryboat Campground, which is otherwise
> >>> unexceptional (noise from US 15/11 is unfortunately rather obtrusive
> >>> in the campground.)
> >>>
> >>> US Route 30 (Pennsylvania) Breezewood to Gettysburg. A reminder of
> >>> what highways used to be like in the US.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 33 (Virginia) George Washington National Forest (Dry River
> >>> District). A narrow shady valley with simply magnificently tall
> >>> trees (beware deer at dusk). A place that I always have to roll down
> >>> my windows and just breath in the beneficial aromas.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 250 (Virginia) Across Shenandoah Mountain in George
> >>> Washington National Forest. A series of twisty roads not all alike.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 2 (Montana) The southern edge of Glacier National Park.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 101 (California) The northern section from Eureka to the
> >>> Oregon line. Magnificent coastal views, and big trees on the inland
> >>> side.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 666 (old name, now it is US 491) Shiprock NM.
> >>>
> >>> US Route 70 (Arkansas) Hot Springs. A reminder of old time resorts.
> >> --
> >> David McNeely
>