Old Lewiston Highway
Where: Off Highway 195 above Lewiston, Idaho
When: Nice weather
Why: 'Cause any road that's also known as the "Spiral Highway" sounds like a good time. "This grade used to be the primary descent down into Lewiston," says reader Andy Hess. "But now, a straighter and more gradual road serves as the main entry into Lewiston from 195. The state still maintains the old grade, and it is a fun series of corkscrews. The motorcycle guys are well aware of it, and I hear the local peace officers also know of its popularity. It's fun even at the speed limit in my '79 Trans Am."
Rattlesnake Grade
Where: South of Anatone, Washington
When: Your brakes are fresh
Why: "The descent is 9 miles of nonstop
switchbacks and hairpin turns," says Andy Hess, who knows a thing or two about cruising along the Washington/Idaho border. "It is so fun. For most of the way down, your line of site is nothing but airspace." It's a "rugged area in the middle of nowhere," Andy reports, but "at the bottom of the grade, just across the Grande Ronde River, is Boggan's Resort, with good burgers and great ice cream shakes."
Cruisin' the Coast
Where: Mississippi
When: First week of October
Info: cruisinthecoast.com
Why: Cruisin' the Coast started in 1996 to draw people to the casinos and other points of interest at Mississippi's southern edge. It has since grown into a week-long event that draws thousands of people and a like number of cars. CC reader Jimmy Corrigan says: "Hurricane Katrina kicked Cruisin' the Coast's ass back in 2005. Somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 musclecars were ready for the week-long cruise. We are going to try it again on the first weekend of October '06. We will cruise 27 miles of Highway 90 along the Gulf Coast. It's like going back in time. Musclecars everywhere! FEMA could not find the Gulf Coast, let's see if Car Craft can."
Racin' Tracks
Island Dragway
Where: Great Meadows, New Jersey
When: Weekends March through November
Info: islanddragway.com
Why: "It's got a real cool backwoods vibe, and it's not all that pricey either," says CC reader Bill Huysers. There's street-legal racing on Friday nights, racing on Saturdays, and test and tune on Sundays. "You know it's a good backwoods dragstrip when the directions say, 'Entrance to the track will be on the righthand side, just past Cannonball's Go-Go,'" Bill says
Mo-Kan Dragway
Where: The border of Missouri and Kansas, that's why it's called Mo-Kan
When: Weekends March through November
Info: mokandragway.com
Why: "This is a great track, where just about anything goes," says CC reader Brady S. Turley. "They don't check under your hood to make sure you're compliant most of the time, kind of a 'run what ya brung' setup. They just ask that you fix your leaks." Fun drags, brackets, special events like "Mopars Invade Mo-Kan!" make up the schedule.
Springfest
Where: Ocean City, Maryland
When: Early May
Info: ococean.com/recreation/springfe.htmlWhy: The Web site has no mention of cars at all, but to the locals, Springfest is all about street machines-thousands of them-cruising a strip of highway sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sinepuxent Bay. CC reader Eddy Reynolds tells us: "The sounds are heaven for a horsepower junkie, with the sweet smell of fuel wafting to your nose once in a while. The police attend in full force but are reasonable, and there are plenty of impromptu burnout sessions and street-light 'lineups.' The races usually only involve First- and Second-gear shows of force but [are] still fun as hell. I change my oil before I go and my tires when I get back.
"Drag Week(tm)
Where: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan
When: September 11-16
Info: hotrod.com
Why: HOT ROD's latest on-the-road gag is this five-day trip in which cars drive 1,500 miles-with no support vehicles-and make passes down a different quarter-mile strip each day. The one with the lowest average e.t. over the five tracks becomes HRM's Fastest Street Car in America.