Deciding who’s number one from the comfort of our van is a good way to not only pass the time but to also officiate on the people and places we encounter. If we are judging the politeness of big-city highway drivers, we award Los Angeles the top spot. No joke. Despite bumper-to-bumper traffic, it all seems to flow quite orderly. Interstate 17 in Phoenix appears well-mannered also. And New Yorkers on a beautiful Saturday morning in Autumn were downright neighborly as we navigated the narrow streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. We can’t vouch for them during rush hour on a Friday afternoon though.

However, if we are judging what city’s highways most resemble a NASCAR event, Houston takes the checkered flag. By a mile. No other big city we have driven through even comes close to the drafting and sling-shotting around the racetrack known as Interstate 610. Admittedly, we have only driven through seven of the ten most populous cities so the tally from the judge’s dashboard is not yet final.

Just recalling all that four-wheel jostling is exhausting. So, let’s move on to something more pleasant: truly iconic scenic drives. Last year we wrote about our favorite thus far: Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

This past month, we traveled a road that challenged our judgement of who’s number one: the Zion – Mount Carmel Highway in Zion National Park. Its name doesn’t have the same panache that the Sun Road has, but the highway is a definite contender.

Zion’s road also comes with a 1.1-mile tunnel. What makes this tunnel special is that it has cut-outs along the way offering sneak peaks at the magnificent surroundings outside its sandstone enclosure. What a brilliant design feature! Unfortunately, vehicle drivers are encouraged by their fellow passengers to keep their eyes on the very narrow, unlit road within the tunnel.

Like the Sun Road, Zion – Mount Carmel was constructed early last century. We always marvel at the engineering and building feats that took place 100 or more years ago and this road is no exception. We understand most anything can be accomplished with smarts, sweat, and lots of dynamite, but the road is a marvel. And its surroundings will take your breath away.

The video below begins at the east entrance with Checkerboard Mesa rising in front of you. The moving vehicle part of the video ends as the road turns towards the southern entrance near the town of Springdale.

Check it out for yourself:

Cheers,
Bob and Julia

Ps: For the record, Going-to-the-Sun Road still wins by a nose. I guess we’re suckers for snow-capped mountains and falling water spilling out onto the highway. But Zion is a park you gotta see and it has just the road to show off its beauty.