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Never Stop Driving #144: Road of the Year
One of my happiest of happy places is an asphalt ribbon on a mile-high ridge in the Blue Ridge Mountains called the Cherohala Skyway. This stunning 43-mile byway is our 2025 Road of the Year and should be on the bucket list of anyone who loves driving. You can read about it here.
We created the Hagerty Road of the Year to inspire folks to get behind the wheel. We all need a little nudge from time to time and perhaps reading about the Cherohala, or our inaugural ROTY from 2024, California’s Highway 33, will prompt you to organize a road trip. There’s no time like summertime to unplug, explore, and reconnect with friends and family while enjoying one of the machines in your garage.
With his recently published video history of the 1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee, my colleague Jason Cammisa reminded me of an especially impactful road trip from my salad days. Cammisa explained in his usual insightful way that the boxy and perennially popular SUV was far more innovative than I remembered. My own fond memories of the Jeep came during the two months I spent in one during the summer of 1992.
I had just graduated from college and was starting to realize I was at the end of adolescence and the beginning of… something else. That something else included plans to start my first engineering job that autumn. I was grateful for the gig, but looking back, I felt like I was passively slipping into life rather than forging my own path. Maybe that’s why I convinced three friends to join me on a cross-country tour that summer, or maybe I wanted one last blowout before real life started.
Either way, we piled into a high-mileage 1985 Jeep Cherokee, borrowed from my friend’s dad. Cammisa pointed out that the optional 4.0-liter engine made the Cherokee surprisingly punchy— unless, I would like to clarify, it was fully loaded. Burdened with 600 pounds of humans and a roof-mounted storage box, our manual-transmission Cherokee struggled up mountain passes. Being kids on a budget, we never considered fixing the broken A/C before we left, nor going for a test drive. The four of us were crammed into that thing.
There were hiccups. As we rolled toward Vegas and a much-anticipated shower late one night, the Jeep started sputtering and then simply quit. The deserted two-lane didn’t even have streetlights and of course this was before cellphones. We plopped our tents into the desert scrub and promptly passed out, awakening the next morning to movements under the floors of our tents. Mice we guessed, or perhaps some other rodent. Wrong. It was a squad of snakes. We made a lot of memories that summer.
The Jeep chugged along for some 3000 miles and was, for nearly 60 days, our home. I was too dumb to see this at the time, but that road trip planted a seed. Something about seeing the Rockies for the first time, or the miles I spent gazing out the window, or the casual spontaneous conversations with my buddies broadened my perspectives. I got home in time to start that job and real life, knowing that I wasn’t yet on my path. But that summer journey gave me the knowledge that I would at some point find it.
Is there a road trip in your past that had a similar impact on your life? I’d love to hear about it, or any road trip tales you wish to share, in the comments section at the end of my Cherohala Skyway article. Otherwise, please rock your weekend with a great drive and the latest from Hagerty Media.
- The greatest engine that never won the Indy 500.
- The zombie cars that drive among us.
Have a great weekend!
Larry
P.S.: Your feedback and comments are welcome.
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Said it before and will say it again: I learn SO much on these pages!
– flock of geese
– herd of cattle
– school of fish
– murder of crows
– squad of snakes (newly added to my ‘list o’ groupings’ – thanks, Larry!)
Ha ha. Sure thing. Thanks for reading!
Two years ago, when I was 20, I took a road trip that completely transformed how I see my car, my passion for driving, and even my future. At the time, I had just transitioned from the field sales team to the marketing and product development department. My mind was in chaos, and I needed clarity. So, naturally, I thought: “Why not take a 14-day road trip through the mountains of Minas Gerais, deep in the Brazilian countryside?”
My destination was Ouro Preto, but the real mission was to follow the historic “Estrada Real”—the Royal Road. This ancient route was once used by the Portuguese crown to transport gold extracted from Brazil back to Europe during the 18th century. The path winds through breathtaking landscapes, small colonial towns, and a mix of gravel, dirt, rock, and the occasional stretch of tarmac. It’s a route that begs for a rugged SUV or an off-road truck.
But I took my 2010 Nissan Tiida SL 1.8 manual.
Yes, a compact hatchback with no off-road pretensions. Here in Brazil, the Tiida is considered pretty well-equipped, quick (mine does 0–60 in about 9.2 seconds), and nimble. But it’s definitely not what you’d call trail-rated. Still, I went for it.
I crossed rivers, mud, gravel roads, and rocky mountain passes. I slept in my car in some of Brazil’s most beautiful national parks. I even climbed a 3,000-meter peak on loose gravel in my front-wheel-drive Nissan, while lifted 4x4s looked at me like I was out of my mind. And to be fair—they laughed. They doubted me. But the little Tiida kept going.
That trip pushed me to my limits. I hiked for hours, got my hands and clothes filthy, and connected deeply with my country’s history. And I connected with my car like never before. Nothing beats waking up to a sunrise at high altitude through the muddy windshield of a car you’ve slept in for days. Or realizing that your front-wheel-drive hatchback just kept pace with full-blown off-roaders.
That trip created core memories—about my car, my country, and myself. Since then, I’ve made it a tradition to take two long road trips every year and sleep in my car. It’s now part of who I am.
I’m new to Hagerty, and as a Brazilian, it’s not easy to find content that truly celebrates car culture the way you do. Reading your stories and watching your videos, I can tell you all understand what really matters. It’s not about horsepower or lap times—it’s about how a car makes you feel, the stories you build with it, and the memories that stay with you long after the engine’s turned off.
Wonderful post, Luis. Obrigado!
Thank you DUB6!!
Muito obrigado kkkk
Thanks for sharing. Where is that tough little car???
Hi!
Me and my little Nissan live in Southeast Brazil, right in the heart of São Paulo, the biggest city in the country!
This Tiida is actually my very first car. I’ve done everything on it myself, from basic maintenance like fuel filters to replacing the entire head gasket. It’s got over 215,000 km on the clock, but honestly? It feels brand new today. I take care of it like it’s a treasure, and I plan to keep it running for a looooong time.
I’ve always loved cars for what they are, ever since I was a little kid. I became obsessed with the Tiida (or Versa, as it’s known elsewhere) when it launched here in Brazil in 2008. I was 5 years old, and the car was seen as a premium hatchback, right up there with the VW Golf, Fiat Stilo/Bravo, Vectra GTX (our version of the Vauxhall Astra 2.0), and the Focus Titanium. Around here anything with 120+ HP or 2.0 liter or more of displacement is considered Powerful. So, getting to call the Nissan Tiida my first car was a dream come true.
I actually bought it when I was 17 even though you can only legally drive after 18 here in Brazil. From that day on, I’ve treated it better than anyone ever has in its whole life, haha. I drive it a lot, because cars are meant to be enjoyed, but I always make sure it runs just as smooth and efficient as the day it left the factory.
As always great article with lots of interesting things to know and remember
I am in the mountains of N.C. this weekend with a Roush 427R Track Pak reunion. We are driving the Tail of the Dragon (twice) and the Cherohala Skyway. Doesn’t get much better than this behind the wheel🤗
No, it doesn’t. Enjoy your time there.
Larry – if the Jeep you took on the trip was an ‘85, it would’ve really struggled like you mentioned because it had the Chevy 2.8L V6 in it. The 4.0 didn’t come along until the 1987 model year. The 2.8 leaving you stranded sounds about right too!
I was wondering about that when I read the article, but I didn’t put the pieces together like you did, Todd. Just couldn’t make sense that his XJ didn’t have power going up a mountain. I had an ’89 (I think, but might have been a ’90) 2-door Cherokee Laredo (not a Sport) with the 4.0 and 5-speed and it would haul 5 people, all kinds of hunting/camping kit, full-size spare, and even a couple of mulies tied to the roof rack over any grade I ever tried with it.
Wish you hadn’t named the Cherohala ROTY. There are already too many people that know about this road. I can only enjoy the road during the middle of the week because of the super SLOW traffic that doesn’t know what a pull-off is.
Are you really complaining about having the public on a public road? If you want to play race track, go to a race track.
Great articles and comments!
For the future, consider FM170 in Texas running along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area of Texas. Beautiful drive and scenery, and you’ll find miles of mostly empty driving. Takes a bit to get there, but that’s a large part of the charm.
Who doesn’t Love a Car, just the simple pleasure of cruising through that great little town, or that crazy mountain pass road that gets the blood flowing. America is such a fantastic place, we are Blessed.
The strangest thing is that my formative years where mostly trips from home to specific destinations, then back home to meet my obligations for college, work and military service, but the most memorable trip I ever did just for the fun of sight seeing and the joy of driving was done by my wife and myself in my much love 1275 Austin Cooper S.
Now those of you, probably most who read this, will be unaware of the area I will talk about – Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), so get ready to follow on Google Maps.
We were in our mid 30’s visiting South Africa, and my wife Jenny had never seen Rhodesia, a place of spectacular beauty, and wonderful open roads with limited traffic.
We drove from Johannesburg crossing the Limpopo river on the Beit Bridge and immediately headed NE to Fort Victoria where the great Zimbabwe Ruins are, then continued our journey NE to Birchenough Bridge turning north up the East border mountains towards Mutare (formally Umtali) where I spent some of my early youth.
We then drove up to Vumba and Nyanga where we had often holidayed in my youthful years. It is a spectacularly beautiful part of the Eastern Highlands.
We then travelled back down to Mutare, through Harare (formal Salisbury) where I had gone to college, and headed North to Kariba, the worlds largest man made lake.
As a side note, I served in the Rhodesian Police and during my boot camp was lucky enough to be selected to do the advanced drivers course (high speed chase cars) – you had to cover the Salisbury to Kariba road, with endless dropping terrain through hundreds of spectacular switchbacks in less than a set time in a BMW 2800S high speed chase car – I was almost disqualified for being an out and out cowboy after completing a few minutes off the record time !
There is an overnight ferry from Kariba to Dett on the far West end of the lake – some of the most spectacular game viewing, good food and the ability to sleep on deck at night, Wonderful experience.
We then visited Victoria Falls (the longest single falls in the world) and quite stunning, then on to Hwangi game reserve for a few days, and travelled south to Bulawayo where most of my. later youth, teen years, and early 20s had been spent, visiting friends and spending a few days in the Matopas area – another stunning area of rolling granite hills with a huge significant history.
We travelled back to Johannesburg after clocking a total of 3000 miles without a single problem from my Cooper S despite thrashing it in hot weather.
I still own that Cooper S and keep in perfect running order, it has covered over 200000 miles and been rebuilt twice, driven as daily transport, raced, rallied, and needless to say had the mechanicals rebuilt at least twice in its lifetime – you don’t stop riding an old horse like that ! Stunningly and probably because of the loving care lashed on it, it still has all of its original mechanicals …… its a friend and a much loved family member.
Peter Pentz, Saint Charles, Illinois
Some 20 odd years ago the Mini Club had a get together in the area of the Dragons Tail road.
At the time I lived in nearby Knoxville and was visiting the Club get together.
A friend and I went up to the Dragon to give it a go in my 66 Cooper S.
About half way down we came across a fellow in a 911 trying really hard, but not hard enough, and quickly blew past him, and then got spotted by a TN State trooper who took up the chase.
When we got to the bottom we drove straight into the park area, parked and walked away.
Eventually the State Trooper arrived and drove up and down trying to figure out which of the 20 to 30 green and white Coopers he had seen rocketing down the dragon as we stood around giggling at him until he gave up!
Its one hell of a road but unfortunately way too popular today.
There are multiple types of “Road Trip”, aren’t there? To get to somewhere specific. To drive a certain road. To just explore. I’m a fan of the last one, and so is David Freiburger. I just ran across his latest video, and I recommend it. And to cement the ties to cars and trucks, I saw at least a half-dozen desirable “next project” candidates in this particular one. The point of all of these “best roads” and “great road trip” stories is – just get out there and see what you can see: great drives, great scenery, great food, great learning, great opportunities!
Here’s the D.F. video link if you’re interested https://youtu.be/oORLKZszA5o?list=TLPQMTcwNTIwMjVm252wgXSPwQ