I did it a lot when I lived in Denver. On Sunday mornings, I'd cruise out to breakfast, then drive to a new area of the metroplex, or head out onto the plains, or best of all, up into the mountains to Idaho Springs or Evergreen or Breckenridge. Delightful.
Now, living in The Swamp, I don't do it much. Driving here is like being nibbled to death by ducks; the nasty, scarred, chipped road surfaces make the car jitter and make me curse too much. There aren't enough smooth roads to make it worth while unless the weather is extremely good -- and that's rarer than the smooth roads. Plus, having lived here nearly all my life and having worked as a delivery courier, I've already seen nearly every area of this town that's still safe to go into.
If a miracle happens and I get to move somewhere new, unless gas hits $4/gallon again, I'll be out there, cruising to see what there is to see.