Sunday, my wife & I took the Z up to the Sierras. The 75 mile drive along HWY 49 from Neveda City to Sierraville is about as good as it gets in a sports car.

Combination of switchbacks, looping curves, & long straits provide a great variety of driving. Generally very little traffic & you can drive as hard as you want (remembering to stay on your side of the yellow line!!).

About a 6 1/2 hour trip from Roseville including lunch stop & coffee at Starbucks in Truckee on way home down ! 80. 225 miles or so round trip.

You may have one more weekend to make the run before winter takes over. Since 49 gets up to about 7000 ft, you don't want to be on it in winter. Check weather before you go.

If too late for this year, mark it as a must for next spring.

 

Love hwy 49. There are lots of roads over in that neck of the woods I need to explore this spring, when I have time. I will head over there around christmas and hit the lower elevations parts.

 

49 south of I 80 would be fine in winter. North of 80, you probably would not want to go further than Downieville.

 

Those are some nice roads. During the winter you could take your bride through Napa and Sonoma counties. Great places to stop and eat as well. We have some very nice twisty's down here and you don't have to chain up. lol

 

i love 49 i do it once a month there is a road up in forest hill that is great but once the snow comes down you cant get to it

 

Fowl,

I'm familar with 128 out of Davis to 121 to Napa or St.Helena and the roads along the coast. Any other specific recommendations?

 

Have you taken 128 all the way out to the coast?

 

Hey Brick have you ever driven out skaggs springs road at Lake Sonoma?

 

Just about any county roads in Sonoma/Napa/Mendocino are interesting.

 

Downieville!!! Whenever I head up there to go mountain biking, I always say "I wish I had my Z, its like its home on these roads"

 

zwindsor, I have taken 128 from Cloverdale to the coast several times. Fantatic road...just wish it was longer! LOL!

chad, no on Skaggs Springs. just looked it up on map. Is it all switchbacks?

 

There are quite a few

A loop I've taken is 29 from Calistoga to Clear Lake, then 53 up to 20 East over to 16 South to I-505 South. Then 128 West from Winters back around.
The stream that runs along 16 is quite nice especially after it's been raining for awhile. The mineral deposits give it some nice colors.

 

zwindsor, good suggestions. I've never been on 16 or 53. How heavy is traffic on weekends?

I can see a loop of 128 to 29 to 53 to 20. Then back 16 or 20 to Sacto area.

I've taken 20 from I 5 to 101 (and return) several times when heading to/from Crescent City.

 

It's a rollar coaster with excellent pavement for the frist 12 miles or so, then as you go further west from the lake, the road goes down hill (bumpy, narrower) a bit but since you're stock the second half would be ok for you too. During the week you'd be lucky to see half a dozen cars.

 

Once you get past Clear Lake on 53 it can be pretty quite. I'm a very early morning driver so much of the time I beat any traffic. I also have a tendency to take a day off during the week so I get less looky-loos.