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- YSSMAN
In honor of Top Gear's listings of the "World's Greatest Driving Roads," I would hope to create something of the same nature here at GTP. Of course all of us would love to jet-set off to Switzerland to tear-up the Alps in our brand-new Porsches and Aston Martins, but unfortunately many of us are regulated to daily-drives in Mazda 3s and Audi A4s...
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Mine is fairly simple, carved out of three years of bike racing and 20 years of living in Ada, Michigan. To those of us who are semi-country, the three roads known as Grand River Drive, Pettis, and Honey Creek are some of the best in the area in terms of a quick blast at night, just to enjoy the ride.
See the FULL "race" route HERE
Being that I did live on Grand River with my Father for years (he still lives there), I know that road like the back of my hand. Rolling hills and sweeping turns allow for a good feeling of speed, and being that the police rarely check for speeding, you can haul ass if needed... Although, too many housing developments and an increasing number of school buses have turned an isolated country road into a major route for the Forest Hills School District.
Pettis is one of those roads that more or less is for the speed-demons. There are a few gentle curves which are fun in themselves, but its more of a river-view blast thats just a nice drive. The few corners that are there will test the g-limiter a bit, particularly if you're carrying a fair bit of speed, never mind the police vehicles that do patrol the road frequently... Quite a few people blast their vehicles down this road at 100+ MPH on a daily basis.
Finally there is Honey Creek, which is connected to Pettis at it's base. Starting with a steep hill-climb, you get three good coaster-like hills rolling into a fairly "open" straight, and then the fun begins. As you near Knapp (a road that connects with Grand River and Pettis), the road begins to curve in and out as it cuts around ponds, farm property, and a State Park. Heading North towards Cannonsburg and out to Grattan gives an entertaining mix of country-style corners and straights allowing for full-speed blasts, a quick tap of the brake, and then further acceleration to the next corner.
Michigan generally isn't known for its "wonderful" roads, but even Car and Driver has been known to test their vehicles on these streets while in the neighborhood (testing at Grattan Raceway). They are by no means any comparison to roads through the Alps, but I'll be damned if they aren't my own slice of heaven...
What is Your "Great Drive?"
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Mine is fairly simple, carved out of three years of bike racing and 20 years of living in Ada, Michigan. To those of us who are semi-country, the three roads known as Grand River Drive, Pettis, and Honey Creek are some of the best in the area in terms of a quick blast at night, just to enjoy the ride.
See the FULL "race" route HERE
Being that I did live on Grand River with my Father for years (he still lives there), I know that road like the back of my hand. Rolling hills and sweeping turns allow for a good feeling of speed, and being that the police rarely check for speeding, you can haul ass if needed... Although, too many housing developments and an increasing number of school buses have turned an isolated country road into a major route for the Forest Hills School District.
Of note is the side-road known simply as "Michigan." This too is one of those hidden treasures that you're only likely to know about if you live here, and it being off to the side does limit traffic severely. However, the road is often far too narrow at times to be "safe" for speedy driving (particularly in a Jetta), but it nevertheless is a blast to go up and down. Starting at the base of the river (where it dumps into Grand River drive) or at the top (in a housing development), you're going to have plenty of pleasure either way. I prefer to make the hill-climb, taking full advantage of the power of the given vehicle, tossing it into turns, and hoping for the best.
Pettis is one of those roads that more or less is for the speed-demons. There are a few gentle curves which are fun in themselves, but its more of a river-view blast thats just a nice drive. The few corners that are there will test the g-limiter a bit, particularly if you're carrying a fair bit of speed, never mind the police vehicles that do patrol the road frequently... Quite a few people blast their vehicles down this road at 100+ MPH on a daily basis.
Finally there is Honey Creek, which is connected to Pettis at it's base. Starting with a steep hill-climb, you get three good coaster-like hills rolling into a fairly "open" straight, and then the fun begins. As you near Knapp (a road that connects with Grand River and Pettis), the road begins to curve in and out as it cuts around ponds, farm property, and a State Park. Heading North towards Cannonsburg and out to Grattan gives an entertaining mix of country-style corners and straights allowing for full-speed blasts, a quick tap of the brake, and then further acceleration to the next corner.
Michigan generally isn't known for its "wonderful" roads, but even Car and Driver has been known to test their vehicles on these streets while in the neighborhood (testing at Grattan Raceway). They are by no means any comparison to roads through the Alps, but I'll be damned if they aren't my own slice of heaven...
The green one I'm gonna try this year, I just threw it in because it was in the picture.
