On-Line Scenic Drives Great for Trip Planning

No matter what state you visit in the US, there's a scenic drive nearby. The trick is finding them, and knowing whether there's something on the drive you want to go for. Enter firestonelegendarydrives.com. Herein lie the most scenic drives in the country, along with tips and information about places to drop into for a good feed.

Since the sponsor is a tire manufacturing firm, you can also figure that a good focus on the site are automotive museums. Great detail is given to these. Although other attractions are listed, the coverage is not nearly as thorough but it's not a bad start.

Here's an example entry of the kind of information you can pick up on the site:

"The town of Florence, halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, is the last place to offer hometown amenities before venturing onto the desolate highway. Be sure to check your gas gauge before leaving the city limits – there won't be a gas station or convenience store for the next 45 miles. Although Florence is a quiet burg, its main thoroughfare exposes some of life's reality more harsh than its desert surroundings.

"At the intersection of Rte. 79 and Butte Avenue is the Arizona State Prison Complex, a sprawling mass of buildings that house five correctional facilities. Hardened types from as far away as Alaska are brought here. Across from the prison, on Butte Avenue, is the Prisoner Outlet Store – a retail shop for those travelers seeking that "one of a kind" gift. Traveling down Rte. 79, you pass the Arizona National Guard Training Range and the River Bottom Saloon, a local watering hole at the edge of the now dry Gila River. With the glitzy sparkle of the prison's sunlit barbed wire still visible in your rearview mirror, head south out of town into the Sonoran where the arms of the saguaro cactus embrace you for 45 miles on your driving journey toward Tucson.

"Plenty of wayside areas are along the road, including one dedicated to the early cowboy film star Tom Mix. These sites make for an adventuresome picnic stop, but like the desert itself, lack water and the usual creature comforts. Picnic tables and cabanas are provided; tree shade is not. Driving the old two-lane to where it splits at Oracle for Tucson takes you into the desert, not past it. The beauty of Rte. 79 is its slow pace, where one can absorb the grandeur of Sonoran Desert."

Photo: firestonelegendarydrives.com