Norway

Driving the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway

This is the Atlanterhavsveien, or the Atlantic Ocean Road, a stretch of Road 64 in Norway between the towns of Molde and Kristiansund on Norway's west coast. It was built in the 1980s and opened to the public in 1989. During its first 10 years it was a toll road – but today it's part of the National Tourist Route and free to drive. Over and over and over.the tunes were blasting from my iPhone (because no radio station would come in). The windows were wound down (though I was bundled up against the chilly wind). And I was ready to drive one of the coolest roads in the world.Usually when you think “road trip,” you think of vast distances and open highways. Something like driving across the US, perhaps.

But one of the coolest road trips I've ever done only lasted for 8.3 kilometers.Driving the Atlantic Ocean Road (or Atlantic Highway, depending on who you ask) was the part of my Norway trip that I had been looking forward to the most. Because, sure, it's just over 5 miles long – but it's EPIC. I've seen photos of this road in all types of weather (including with waves crashing over even the highest bridges), but luckily the weather gods decided to gift me with patches of sun and some dramatic clouds for my adventure.(Sure, the adventurous part of me was kind of hoping for those crazy waves, but the rational part of me was thankful for good weather!)