Put simply, Washington's North Cascades Scenic Highway is one of the nation's premier mountain drives. Join Kerouac's "rucksack revolution" on a pilgrimage to Desolation Peak, paddle the sparkling turquoise waters of Diablo Lake or simply take in the outstanding roadside views on this Alpine itinerary through the heart of the wild Cascades.

The drive starts unpromisingly, passing the logging town of Sedro-Woolley and the cement silos marking the town of Concrete (whose tourist slogan should read "not as interesting as it sounds"). Marblemount is the last place for 70 miles where you can fill up on gas and a good meal. The popular Buffalo Run Restaurant offers a gamey selection of elk and venison alongside that perennial tourist favorite, "Cascade Mountain oysters" (deep-fried buffalo testicles).

By the time you get to Newhalem Campground, the mountains have closed in -- the names alone of such surrounding peaks as Mount Terror, Mount Despair and "The Chopping Board" are enough to give a city slicker the willies. The road is blocked by snow from mid-November to mid-April. The North Cascades National Park Visitor Center is the route's first mandatory stop. The visitor displays are well worth some time, if only to horrify your kids with the 18 times life-size model of a crab spider.

From Newhalem, the highway passes the dramatic Gorge Falls pullout and soon reveals the first views of turquoise Diablo Lake. Diablo is the most popular part of the park, offering beaches, gorgeous lake views and a boat launch at Colonial Creek Campground. The drive's classic (and unmissable) photo op comes courtesy of the breathtaking Diablo Lake overlook.

Ross Lake Resort, open from mid-June to October, is a collection of 12 floating lakeshore cabins. There are no phones, no TVs, no restaurants. Access is only possible via ferry and resort truck from Diablo Lake or by a 1-mile walk and short boat ride from Highway 20.

Zen-influenced Beat poet (and inspiration for the character Japhy Rider in Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums), Gary Snyder spent two summers manning the park's fire lookouts, including a season atop Sourdough Mountain in 1953. A well-maintained trail still climbs to the lookout (11.4-mile return).

A turnout at milepost 135 offers the drive's only roadside views of Desolation Peak. The peak's lookout tower was home to Kerouac for 63 days in 1953, while he penned drafts of Desolation Angels . To reach the lookout, hike the long 16 miles up the east side of Ross Lake to Lightning Creek, or assemble some friends to share the $80 one-way boat charter from Ross Lake Resort. From here it's a hot and a steep 6.8 miles to the summit.

By the time the highway reaches Rainy Pass, you're well into the high country. The 6.2-mile Maple Pass loop trail climbs 2,150 feet to aerial views over jewellike Lake Ann. At Washington Pass overlook (5,477 feet) there are fine views of the towering Liberty Bell and its Early Winter Spires.

When the Cascades Highway reached Winthrop in 1972, the former mining community tarted itself up like a set from "High Noon," except with mountain bikes tied to the hitching posts instead of horses. A collection of homesteader cabins make up the Shafer Museum, which reveals frontier life through fascinating relics like a 19th-century tooth extractor and an antique bear trap.

For something sweet, lift yourself into one of the horse-saddle seats at Sheri's and dive into one of its excellent homemade ice creams or fresh cinnamon rolls.

If you're going to treat yourself anywhere on this trip, Sun Mountain Lodge, 6 miles southeast of Winthrop, with its fine dining, spa treatments and relaxed vibe, is the place to do it. Nonguests are equally welcome to bike the lodge's extensive trail network, before retiring to the bar balcony to contemplate the fine views back toward the Cascades range.