Flower Mound's best drives

Like my totally-subjective list of Flower Mound's best restaurants, this next list will highlight the best roads in town. Ranks are be based on the total quality of the on-road and off-road experience. Paving, safety, speed, view, destination -- all key factors. It's totally trivial, but what the heck. Off we go:

5. FM2499/International Parkway (south of Lakeside Pkwy) -- It took me a while to come up with this entry, probably because I take it for granted. I drive it twice a day on workdays. As long as this is a 6-lane road with no businesses alongside, it will be a great drive. But if we bring in some great Lakeside businesses, it could be even greater. Unless you look at a map you don't realize that you make two full 90-degree turns on this road, because the big bends between Gerault and Silveron are so gentle, but you do. In the evening, driving northbound, you often get a great sunset staring right at you.

4. FM1171 the view -- Drive west on FM1171 past Tour 18. You'll come around a curve and then see this enormous panarama open up in front of you. You can see 20 miles, I figure. The Speedway is off in the distance, as is Alliance. In 10 years, this area will be full of office towers and homes and retail, so enjoy the open space for now.

3. Flower Mound Road thru Wellington -- This is the most (sub)urban road on the list. The rest are more rural. I like the way this road winds through the neighborhood, and I like the sidewalks too. Just a nice drive.

2. Wichita Trail -- Like FM1171, this road bridges Flower Mound suburbia to the open land to the west. Recently improved, but still a 2-lane country road, which passes some of the fanciest neighborhoods in town. We love that home at the western edge of Wichita, where it turns into Cardinal.

1. FM3040 -- I don't know how many millions we spent on this road, but it's worth every penny in my book. The old 3040 was a parking lot, particularly at the Morriss light, but also in Lewisville. The new 3040 seems like it hardly has any cars at all. I know the new 3040 will fill up too, over time. But for now, it's totally tops.