Hyner View Road uses several switchbacks to take you to a scenic vista which overlooks the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and is a favorite spot for hang gliding. At 1,940' altitude above sea level it is perhaps the most spectacular viewpoint in all of Pennsylvania.

Located northwest of Lock Haven and I-80, X178, it is not far from PA 120 and is worth the short side trip involved.

This past weekend, there were 3 motorcycle accidents in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In one case "police said a motorcyclist going more than 100 miles an hour crashed into another motorcyclist on westbound Interstate 40." The riders were part of an organized group ride and the motorcyclist going over 100 miles an hour blew out a tire trying to catch up to the other riders.

This brings up one of my pet peeves. Group rides in which the leader has no clue what is going on behind him and the consequences of his actions.

Recently, I was on an organized ride involving 50-60 bikes. The leader was cruising at 65mph in a 55mph speed zone. Those in the rear, including myself, frequently had to speed up to 75mph to catch up to the group. At one point the bike in front of me almost ran into the rear of the bike to his front such as the accident noted. Needless to say, during the ride I was constantly looking for escape lanes if I needed them.

This group leader on this ride did not observe several rules.

1) The leader should not exceed the posted speed limit or even stay 5mph below the limit. Safety is the number one priority of the leader, PERIOD!

2) The leader should watch the formation in his rear view mirror and adjust his speed to keep the formation tight.

3) After turning a corner and going through curves, as well as other situations, the leader should accelerate SLOWLY to keep the group formation tight. I was on a 9/11 ride into New York City in which the group leader quickly accelerated after going through a toll booth. Needless to say the group got split up and the bikes ahead were out of sight. Fortunately, I had been on the ride in previous years and knew the route into NYC, so we were able to eventually rejoin the rest of the group. Otherwise we would have lost our way and a good portion of the group would have ended up falling out of the ride.

These rules outline, in my opinion, two of the most important responsibilities of a group leader: safety and keeping the group formation tight.

As its name implies, Springdale-Hunters Road runs between Springdale and Hunters in Eastern Washington. The road takes you through a remote area and features sweeping turns. Just northwest of Spokane, Hunters is close to the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area which provides visitors the opportunity to enjoy camping, hunting, boating, and other outdoor activities.

NE 23 is located in South-Central Nebraska. Contibuted by Daren Fleischman, he relates that it is "Up and down sweeping turns through the lower sandhills." He also recommends the Curtis Cattle Company restaurant in Curtis for it's chicken fried steak. I suspect you need to be a local to know what chicken fried steak is, but it sounds delicious.

Located in the Oakland area, Redwood Road goes through Redwood and Chabot Regional Parks. A rider from Castro Valley says that it "Starts off kinda easy but then gets heavy with lots of turns.". He also recommends that you turn off Redwood Road and take Pinehurst Road towards Valle Vista for more twisty curves.

Recently, on my travels, I picked up a brochure from the Middle East Tennessee Tourism Council titled 'The Long & Winding Road'. It includes information on the heritage, culture, and history of East Tennessee, but more important it highlights 5 loops which provide an opportunity for a great day ride.

East Tennessee, along with its neighbor, western North Carolina, offers some of the best roads in the US. I think even experienced California riders would be impressed.

You can find some limited information and maps of the 5 loops at http://www.easttnvacations.com/east-tn-trails/ . The brochure provides a lot of information on points of interest along the routes. I did not see any opportunities on the website to download or request the brochure, so I guess you'll have to pick one up at a travel or tourist centers in the area.

Many Interstates follow along or replaced US highways. One of those is US 31 in Indiana which travels close to I-65. John describes it as a "Relaxing well maintained roadway. This is a great Sunday ride. Small towns along the way provide plenty of opportunities to grab a bite to eat; from mom and pop to national chain restaurants."

You may find that roads like US 31 have light traffic without the presence of the 18-wheelers. 

State Route 74 in Colorado is also known as Bear Creek Road. Besides being twisty, a rider from Littleton explained that it "Takes you past Red Rocks and some wonderful scenery." As it's name implies, SR 74 follows along the Bear Creek.

This 11 mile stretch of SR 74 runs between Morrison and Evergreen and is just west of the Denver metropolitan area.

Old Hill City Road is unique in that it follows and crosses the railroad tracks 14 times of the 1880 Train, a vintage steam engine. Contributed by Jeff Marchitto, he describes Old Hill City Road as "a twisty, scenic ride which serves as a very handy and fun crossover between Hill City and Keystone."

You could use Old Hill City Road as an alternative to US 16 or combine the two for a nice loop. At the Keystone end it is only a few miles to Mount Rushmore.

Hopkins Hill Road is located just west of Warwick, but the contributor say that it has an "Unusually rural feeling for RI (like some back roads of NH or Maine)." He also noted that Hopkins Hill Road "will test your curve negotiation skills."

It is only 8 miles in length but it is a road you might want to turn around and do it again. Looks like a good road to seek out if you are in the area.