America's Most Scenic Drives

Proving that you can get your kicks on more than just Route 66, America's Most Scenic Drives, a beautifully filmed three-disc DVD set (plus a bonus disc) produced by Reader's Digest, takes viewers on a sight-filled journey from sea to shining sea. Beginning on the west side, "From Arizona to Alaska" actually starts on Hawaii's Big Island, where locals dance for the goddess Pele, before moving to the other end of the archipelago--the island of Kauai--and stopping at Kilauea Point, Hawaii's northernmost tip. Heading 3,000 miles east, the next scenic drive starts in Flagstaff, Arizona, and takes travelers to the Grand Canyon, where tourists enjoy mule riding along the Bright Angel Trail, before moving up to the Colorado River for some whitewater rafting, and closing with a look at the Hoover Dam. Next, the ride starts at California's Big Sur on coastal Route 1, and continues on to Yosemite National Park and the Redwoods National & State Parks, before winding up at Oregon's Crater Lake (the deepest in the U.S.). Finally, a pair of drives take the viewer from Washington's Mt. Rainier to Olympic National Park (more or less past my house), and from the old mining town of Winthrop up to the North Cascades. And that's only one disc! The others are "From Maine to Key West" and "From Texas to Yellowstone," with all three featuring bonus segments (approximately 15 minutes worth on each disc), maps, and music videos--and the set also includes the bonus disc America the Beautiful (reviewed in VL-5/02). Sure to appeal to both armchair travelers and those actually planning driving trips in the U.S., this gorgeously filmed, very affordably priced, value-added set is definitely recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)