John Cletheroe's
Some Google StreetView Suggestions

Introduction

Google StreetView is a free online service which displays an incredibly large number of photographs taken along numerous roads and streets in various countries. This page is an attempt to list a few interesting and scenic routes that you might like to visit on StreetView. There are of course a vast number of other possibilities.

Operation

To access Google StreetView, go to Google Maps at http://maps.google.com. Then either search for a place name, or zoom and scroll to a place. Finally, either zoom right in until the map is replaced by StreetView, or drag the yellow man icon from the top of the zoom bar to a road.

If the man icon is white instead of yellow, then there are no roads with StreetView images in the section of the map currently on show. While the man icon is being dragged, roads with StreetView images are shown in blue.

Once in StreetView, the main image can be panned by dragging it. Movements can be made by clicking on arrows or ellipses, or by pressing the cursor up key, or by dragging the man icon on the mini-map.

Clicking on an ellipse can sometimes cause a jump to the opposite carriageway on dual carriageways (divided highways), motorways, freeways, etc. It can also lead to jumping to another road when one crosses another at a bridge. Using the cursor up key seems to help to reduce the risk of this happening.

Dragging the man icon on the mini-map is very convenient for making larger movements and in many cases you may wish to sample longer roads at various places along their route by using this facility.

Many of the scenic roads in the USA and Canada mentioned on this page are described in more detail in the USA And Canada Holiday Hints section of this web site.

Australia - New South Wales

Lawrence Hargrave Drive

South of Sydney, mostly very near the coast. A scenic road which passes through several small pleasant-looking seaside towns.

Australia - Northern Territory And South Australia

Stuart Highway

From Port Augusta, South Australia to Darwin, Northern Territory. An awesome road, stretching for huge distances across vast uninhabited flat desert country. Definitely one to sample very selectively.

Canada - Alberta

Icefields Parkway

Highway 93 between Lake Louise and Jasper. Throughout its entire length this is a highly scenic trip through the Canadian Rockies.

Denmark

Great Belt Fixed Link

East from the town of Nyborg to the island on which Copenhagen is situated.

Denmark/Sweden

Oresund Fixed Link

Between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden. The western section is an undersea tunnel.

France

Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Alpe d'Huez

A famous climb often used in the Tour De France. Excellent views of Alpine scenery, and a means of gaining even more appreciation of the amazing achievements of the cyclists.

Italy

Messina To Palermo Autostrada, Sicily

From Messina to the west coast of the island this road has an amazing set of bridges, viaducts and tunnels, with barely a straightforward section.

Japan - Hokkaido

Ororon Line

Despite the name, this is a road. It runs along the west side of the island, mostly very close to the coast, from Ishikari north to Rumoi and then Teshio River. Only the section between Ishikari and Rumoi currently (Jun-10) has StreetView images. It passes through a number of small communities, where presumably the main income is from farming and perhaps fishing, but which for reasons I do not understand often have quite large office block buildings.

Mexico

Tijuana And The Scenic Coast Road (Mexico 1D)

Starting at the southern end of US Interstate 5, cross into Mexico and follow the signs to the "Scenic Road" and Rosarito. At first the road is decidedly far from scenic, at places running adjacent to the US border wall. However, it improves enormously once you reach the coast.

Readers are reminded that for insurance reasons it is not permitted to drive a real rental car from the USA into Mexico.

Netherlands

Afsluitdijk (A7, E22)

The enclosing dike separates the Waddenzee from IJsselmeer. Its completion enabled the creation of the polders including Flevoland where once the Zuiderzee existed.

Norway

Andalsnes To Geiranger (Road 63)

Stunning views of rugged mountains and fjords. From Andalsnes head south on Road 63 to Valldal, then continue on the same road a short distance west to the ferry dock just beyond Linge. Road 63 continues on the south shore at Eidsdal. The steep descent into Geiranger is via a series of hairpin bends. If desired you can continue on Road 63 beyond Geiranger until it joins Road 15, and then east on that road through the Lom Valley.

The photographs were taken at various times of the year, often with sudden jumps from winter to summer or vice-versa, but this makes for an even more interesting trip.

South Africa

Port Elizabeth

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, adjacent to North End Lake in Port Elizabeth, was one of the venues for the 2010 Football World Cup. A nice route is to start at the western end of Marine Drive on the coast southwest of the city and head east, passing various holiday chalets, a university and a golf course, then a more built-up seaside area before reaching the less appealing industrial port area.

Rustenburg

Another World Cup 2010 venue, although the Royal Bafokeng Stadium is actually in the nearby town of Phokeng. I found Rustenburg a fascinating place to explore with its juxtaposition of African and Western cultures. There are various retail parks and two main shopping streets, plus various modern-looking residential areas. In addition road R24 south from Rustenburg over the mountains and past the Olifantsnek dam is very scenic.

USA - Arizona

Interstate 15 From Littlefield To The Utah Line

Interstate 15 briefly crosses northwestern Arizona. Northbound from Littlefield, it appears to be a routine Interstate in the western USA. Continue on though and it seems that the road is heading straight into a cliff wall. Then follows the ascent of the Virgin River Gorge, a most impressive piece of highway engineering. You may wish to carry on the short distance required for a look around the town of St George in southwestern Utah.

USA - California

Merced to Yosemite National Park (California State Highway 140)

Starting in California's flat agricultural Central Valley, the road climbs up through several small towns to eventually reach the spectacular Yosemite Valley. The variation in landscape and vegetation is enormous. Be sure to enter the park and run in at least as far as Curry Village - and then look up all around you.

Oakland Bay Bridge

Interstate 80 betweeen Oakland and San Francisco. On the eastern steel girder bridge section, be sure to opt for the upper westbound deck for far more interesting images including sight of the new bridge which was being constructed when the StreetView pictures were taken. Unfortunately on the western section there are only images for the lower eastbound deck, making it difficult to see that it consists of two suspension bridges in series.

USA - Montana

Glacier National Park - The Going-To-The-Sun Road Over Logan Pass

Between West Glacier and St Mary. One of the world's most fantastic drives. As well as the incredible pass, Lake McDonald on the western side and Lake St Mary on the eastern side are also highly scenic.

USA - Nevada

Las Vegas Strip

Officially called Las Vegas Boulevard, the Strip runs north and then northeast from its junction with Tropicana Avenue near McCarran International Airport. The images on the southern section were taken in daylight. Further north they were taken in darkness, presumably with the aim of showing the amazing neon signs, but due to technical limitations this idea doesn't really work very well.

USA - New York State

New York City

There are obviously many possibilities. Here are three:

USA - North Carolina And Virginia

Blue Ridge Parkway

From the southern entrance of the Shenandoah National Park near Waynesboro, Virginia to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, this marvellous toll-free road runs for 469 miles along the ridge of the mountains with numerous viewpoint and historic exhibit stopping points.

USA - Utah

Colorado Riverway

Colorado State Highway 128 northeast from Moab runs alongside the Colorado River with views of the spectular red sandstone cliffs, buttes and mesas towering above you on both sides.

USA - Virginia

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

US Highway 13 between Norfolk and the tip of the Delmarva peninsula (DELaware, MARyland, VirginiA). Unfortunately the StreetView pictures were taken in dark and foggy conditions, and are incomplete, but even so the nature of this amazing structure can be seen. Be sure to explore the articial islands and undersea tunnels near the southern end.

US340 between Waynesboro and Front Royal passes through some beautiful farming country.

USA - Wisconsin

Great River Road

Although the Great River Road runs close to the Mississippi and St Croix rivers throughout most or all of their lengths, Wisconsin State Highway 35 between Prairie Du Chien and La Crosse has some of the best views.

USA - Wyoming

Jackson And The Grand Teton National Park

Jackson town square is interesting, but be sure to also drive north on US26/89/191 at least until you pass over the top of a rise and get a first view of the jagged peaks of the Grand Teton Mountains to the west. Unfortunately the technical quality of the StreetView images don't do this fantastic sight full justice but it is still definitely worth seeing.

Wishlist

While StreetView is a wonderful facility, it is understandably not complete. Here are some places I would greatly appreciated being included, while appreciating that in most cases this is very unlikely to occur in the foreseeable future.
USA And Canada Holiday Hints - Bridges

USA And Canada Holiday Hints - National Monuments

USA And Canada Holiday Hints - National Parks

USA And Canada Holiday Hints - Scenic Roads

All the information on this web site is solely the opinion of the author, who unless otherwise stated has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.
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Most recently modified 5-Apr-11