August 9th, 2010
The blog has been a bit quiet lately for no other reason than we have been on the road, enjoying national parks such as Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Big Horn Canyon, Devils Tower, and the Badlands.
It has been an amazing trip, and we have a lot of new drives to bring to you!
Some of the most fascinating parts of our travels have been the National Parks. Beginning with Yellowstone National Park established in 1872, the National Parks System now comprises more than a 100 parks, each providing unique, natural beauty.
On August 14th and 15th, all of the National Parks will have free general admission, making it an ideal time to explore a new park or visit one of your favorites.
Can’t decide which park to visit? Don’t worry, the next free days are on September 25th and November 11th.
Or, consider purchasing the America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Adventure Pass that provides free, unlimited entrance to the National Parks, National Forests, and more all year round!
We hope that you are enjoying this wonderful summer by exploring the world’s natural beauty.
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June 23rd, 2010
We are very excited to announce the launch of myscenicdrives.com in Idaho!
Many fans have suggested and inquired about drives in Idaho. You ask, we listen. While we still have many more drives to add, our initial launch offers a sample of what is to come. There is much to explore in the state with the most undeveloped wilderness in the continental United States.
- The Sawtooth Drive heads through the magnificent Sawtooth Mountains.
- The Northwest Passage follows the path of Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition to the Pacific.
- The Lake Coeur d’Alene Scenic Drive travels along the lake’s shores and into St. Joe National Forest, where 400-year old white pine trees stand tall.
- The Pend Oreille Scenic Byway heads to the United States’ fifth deepest lake and is an ideal scenic route heading to Montana’s Glacier National Park.
- The International Selkirk Loop a scenic loop around the Selkirk Mountains. The drive begins in Sandpoint, Idaho, heads north into beautiful British Columbia, and then loops back through Metaline and Tiger in Washington, finishing in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, Priest Lake.
Summer’s arrival brings on our favorite pastime — exploring the open road! All in the name of research and development, myscenicdrives.com will be traveling to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota, launching new drives as we go. We’re always looking for trip suggestions so feel free to send them in.
Thanks for using myscenicdrives.com. We hope the routes inspire you to discover what is just around that next bend.
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May 29th, 2010
Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced that Chinook Pass re-opened on May 28, 2010 after being closed for winter.
The Chinook Scenic Byway travels on WA-410 and heads east from Mount Rainier.
While the road is clear, keep in mind that Chinook Pass may still have some rocks on the road and may require some winter driving skills, especially as you approach the 5,430 feet of elevation. If that worries you, fear not, as you can find other scenic drives to enjoy on this long weekend.
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May 25th, 2010
We are happy to announce that we have added California to our site!
California’s rocky coast, mountain ranges, National Forests, and dry deserts – no other State offers such diverse terrain and we are excited to get onto the open road and explore. We hope this inspires you as well.
Our newest drives are:
Of course there’s more to come. If you have a personal favorite, we’d love to hear from you!
We’re getting revved up for the summer season and are continuously adding more scenic drives to California, Oregon and Washington. And keep checking back as we expand in other states!
Tags: california, scenic drives
Posted in Development, Scenic Drives | 1 Comment »
May 14th, 2010
The Washington Department of Transportation announced earlier this week that the WA-504 will reopen on May 15, 2010 after being closed for winter, just in time for the 30th anniversary of the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens. On May 18, 2010, in honor of the anniversary, admission to the Johnston Ridge Observatory will be free.
Mount Saint Helens National Park has mostly been left to develop untouched, allowing you even today to experience the power of nature. From stands of bare trees, skeletal remnants from the blast now making way for new forest, to an enriched Spirit Lake teeming with life, Mt St. Helens is fascinating, offering much to learn as it is majestic.
Our Spirit Lake Memorial Highway drive leads you through the scenic byway. If you are planning a trip, keep in mind that rain at levels above 3500 feet of elevation tends to be snow this time of year.
Tags: mount st helens, scenic byway, scenic drives
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May 12th, 2010
The Seattle sun was shining all weekend long for Mother’s Day and my kids and I thought that a Seattle scenic drive with the perfect hike was a great way to spend the day as a family.
We chose to head towards Stevens Pass Greenway and do the 3-mile hike to the top of Wallace Falls.
Instead of reaching US-2 from I-5, we left from Seattle, took the WA-520 Bridge, joined onto the I-405 and took exit 23 for WA-522 East towards Woodinville. As the WA-522 continues past Woodinville, this scenic route becomes lush with trees and is simply wonderful.
At the end of WA-522 in Monroe, the road will merge onto US-2. Turn left to head west onto US-2. This road will delight – with the impressive Mount Index and the crags of Mount Baring dominating the view.
In Gold Bar, we turned onto 1st street and followed the signs to Wallace Falls State Park. The trail began through a curtain of trees leading to an opening with a spectacular view of the Cascades, with the exception of the less than scenic power lines.
Not to be discouraged, the trail quickly shifted back into a beautiful, old-growth forest with plenty of moss covered trees, ferns, and the green smell of spring in the air. The trail follows the Wallace River with areas to access the water and have a picnic.
With the sound of the falls urging us on, we arrived at the first of four major overlooks, this one offering a refreshing view of the Lower Falls and river. The Middle Falls can be congested and it’s worth being patient here for both the photo and the view. There is also a covered picnic area. Many people stop here and turn back but our kids were raring to go. Though there are some steep parts, we were rewarded with an unexpected clearing and a fantastic view of the surrounding Cascades and valley. We did make it to the Upper Falls where the trail ends. Next time we’ll try the trail to Wallace Lake.
Once back in the car, we headed west towards Stevens Pass. After enjoying a few vistas and driving through the very small, picturesque town of Index, we headed home. We hope that you enjoyed your Mother’s Day as much as we did!
Newest Drives
- Oregon: The Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway: A scenic drive through the fiery volcanic past of the Western Cascades.
- Oregon: Wallowa Lake Highway: One of our first user-recommended drives, this scenic drive heads to Wallowa Lake and Mount Wallowa and into the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
Tags: mothers day, scenic drives, stevens pass, wallace falls
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May 1st, 2010
It seems that all we blog about lately is the North Cascade Loop, but we’re not the only ones who find this one breathtaking stretch of road – it just won KING5’s Best Scenic Drive in the 2010 Best of the Northwest Escapes category!
myscenicdrives.com features these drives for the Cascade Loop:
- North Cascades Highway: Travels from Sedro Woolley, through Washington Pass and Rainy Pass to Twisp.
- Winthrop to Wenatchee: Drive along the Pateros and Entiat Lakes to Chelan and Wenatchee.
- Stevens Pass Greenway: From Wenatchee, travel to Leavenworth, through the Tumwater Canyon and Stevens Pass to Monroe.
- Whidbey Island: From Monroe, take the ferry to Whidbey Island and drive through the countryside to Deception Pass.
myscenicdrives.com features these drives for KING5’s Best Scenic Drive runner-ups:
- Chuckanut Drive: Hugging the cliffs over Chuckanut and Samish Bay, this original Pacific Highway drive travels from Burlington to Bellingham.
- San Juan Island Scenic Byway: Our drive focuses on Orcas Island. Drive to the top of Mount Constitution for spectacular views of the San Juan Islands.
- The Whidbey Island Scenic Byway: Take the ferry to Whidbey Island and drive through the countryside to Deception Pass.
- Hurricane Ridge Road is part of our Olympic Peninsula Loop. Drive in the splendor of the Olympic Mountains.
And this news jives well with our latest feature: rating the drives and places of interests. In the overview of each scenic drive and in most places of interests, we now have a 5 star rating system which gives you a quick and easy opportunity to share your point of view.
Wondering what the places of interests are? While reading our scenic driving guides, you may have noticed the “(H1)” links (each code featuring hikes, water access, food, services, etc.). By clicking these links, the place of interest will be highlighted on the map. After reading, you can reference the map and remember all the stops that had interested you. A few additional places of interests may be found here that are not in the text.
The places of interest are also useful in another way. Say that you want to visit the Cashmere Pioneer Village and Museum. Come to myscenicdrives.com and we’ll show you some scenic routes to get there and other interesting stops nearby.
We hope that you enjoy our new features. If there is anything that would make your scenic adventures simpler, please let us know!
Our newest scenic drive: The Hood Canal Loop: The perfect day trip from Seattle. Head over to the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry, stop in Port Gamble and Port Townsend, and follow the shorelines of the Hood Canal on your way back to Bremerton.
Tags: news, places of interests, rating
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April 16th, 2010
Despite the recent snowfall, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced yesterday that the scenic North Cascades Highway will reopen Friday, April 16th at noon! The highway had been closed for the winter season.
The open highway, sunshine, and the Skagit County Tulip Festival, can mean only one thing: Spring has officially arrived! It’s time to hit the road. Are you ready for some North Cascades Highway scenic driving?
Tags: north cascades, scenic drives
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April 13th, 2010
After the long, gray winter, Washington’s Skagit County is abloom with color. The 2010 Tulip Festival is in full swing until the end of April.
Taking the scenic route to the festivities is our specialty! From Seattle, we have two recommendations to bring you to La Conner, Mount Vernon, and Sedro Woolley.
Our first option is to take a short ferry ride to Whidbey Island. The winding roads travel alongside forest, farmland, quaint towns, and stunning water views. After Deception Pass and Anacortes, you will arrive at the Tulip Festival.
Our second recommendation is our newest drive on myscenicdrives.com, The Rockport Loop. The Rockport Loop starts in Arlington, follows Washington Highway 530 along the Sauk River through the dense forest, and at Rockport, joins onto Washington Highway 20 heading west towards Sedro Woolley and the Festival’s festivities.
Before heading back home or if you are coming from north of Bellingham, check out Chuckanut Drive, often referred to as Washington’s Big Sur. This cliffhanger provides spectacular views of the San Juan Islands and the bays below, and has both some hiking opportunities and beach access.
The tulips bloomed early this year, so for the best experience, plan to make your trip this weekend. For more information about the Tulip Festival, visit tulipfestival.org. Enjoy!
Newest Drives
- The Oregon Coast: Cruise the scenic, Oregon coastal US-101 from Astoria to Brookings.
- The Rockport Loop: A loop around the Northern Cascades from Arlington to Sedro Woolley via Rockport
Tags: skagit county, tulip festival
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April 5th, 2010
Have you had a chance to try myscenicdrives.com on your phone or other mobile device? We’ve taken a little extra time to make your mobile experience as special as our desktop experience no matter which phone you use.
Getting started
Start up your browser and go to www.myscenicdrives.com. Our servers will automatically provide you with our mobile experience.
Using our mobile version is just like using our desktop version. You start by telling us where you are. If you are on an Android or IPhone, there’s one more feature that will make your experience even better…
Use your GPS
On Android and IPhone devices, there’s no need to type in your location. We can use your phone’s GPS. From our home page, click the Use GPS button and once you approve that you’re okay with sharing your location with us, we’ll present you with the scenic drives near you. This is a great feature for those times when you are exploring a new area and want to find a scenic route home.
Selecting a drive
Scroll through the list and pick a scenic drive. Each of our drives features a table of contents at the top, allowing you to easily zoom to the features you are most interested in and formatted to minimize scrolling.
Note: Some devices may not display our maps. We are aware of this and are working on a solution.
Heading on the road with your GPS
Whether you are on your desktop or on the road, all of our drives feature GPS directions in the Tools section. While our desktop version supports many formats, our mobile version currently only provides Google Maps Directions (KML) as it is widely available on most phones.
To use these directions, head down to the Tools section of the drive and copy the Google Maps KML link.
Next open Google Maps (or Maps on the IPhone). In the Search field, paste in the link and click Search. Your phone will then provide you the map and directions you need to get going!
Got a suggestion or a problem?
If you have a suggestion or a problem using our mobile site or regular site, please let us know! We’re always trying to make improvements that will help you focus on scenic driving.
Our newest scenic drive: Drive to Oregon’s Mount Hood from Gresham to Hood River and enjoy the 1 million acres of the Mount Hood National Forest.
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