What you describe with Mr. Electra, Gordon is almost always my experience on "the blue roads" everybody always waxes so lyrical about.
As I said elsewhere, I took US 276 over the SC/NC ridge this Sunday past. It was a great road, marred by idiots driving less than 20 mph (legitimately), then refusing to pull into turnoffs. I love secondary roads, most state highways, and US highways during the week. The blue roads on the weekend are impassible.