The road trip is a classic American tradition. Whether it’s a family packing the family car and hitting the road, a group of friends out for adventure before the real world starts, or a loner looking for the answer to something, the open road has always beckoned those with a set of keys and a full tank of gas.
Coming up are some ideas for road trips you’ll never forget, and by road trips, we mean multi-day journeys, not a scenic afternoon drive. And while how you get there is your decision, remember that the journey there and back can be just as much fun!
New England Fall Colors Tour– ME/NH/VT
This is a beautiful area all year, but fall is the winner for all the colorful leaves. The exact route you choose is up to you, but some don’t-miss places include the Mt. Mansfield area in Vermont, the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire, and Baxter State Park in Maine.
Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway– VA/NC
In Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive follows the crest of the Blue Ridge for 105 miles before joining the Blue Ridge Parkway, which winds an additional 470 miles to the Great Smoky Mountains in Cherokee, NC. There are enough campgrounds and lodges along the way that you pretty much never have to leave this nearly 600-mile drive with no stoplights except to get gas.
Carolina Coasts– NC/SC
Really, you should start (or end) this in Savannah, GA, driving from there to historic Charleston, SC. Next, stay close to the coast until you get to Swan Quarter, NC, where you can take a (long) ferry ride across a sound to Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks. Then take a shorter ferry to Hatteras Island and keep driving north along Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
Memphis and New Orleans via U.S. 61– TN/MS/LA
U.S. Highway 61 is sometimes called the Blues Highway because of the connections cities and towns it passes through have to blues music. Bob Dylan also immortalized the road in some of his music.
From Memphis, home of the blues, drive south and make a stop in Clarksdale (MS) to visit the Delta Blues Museum. Then end the trip in New Orleans and stay as long as you want to enjoy all the music and culture there.
Natchez Trace Parkway– TN/AL/MS
The Natchez Trace was a travel route used by Native Americans to connect present-day Nashville and Natchez. Today, a limited-access paved road maintained by the National Park Service follows the path of the original Trace for about 440 miles.
Along the way, there are many opportunities for hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, and more.
Texas Hill Country– TX
The Texas Hill Country lies roughly between Austin and San Antonio west of Interstate 35. Spring is the best time to go because of all the blooming bluebonnets and other wildflowers. Stops on your road trip can include winery tours, visits to caverns, and hiking in state and county parks.
Lake Superior– MN/WI/MI
By area, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. A beautiful tour on the U.S. side would include spectacular areas such as Minnesota’s North Shore, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
There are also many other state parks to enjoy, including Tahquamenon Falls, one of the prettiest waterfalls in the country.
Black Hills– SD
As with the New England tour, you get to decide where to go in this beautiful, historic region. Highly recommended are Wind Cave National Park, Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, and Custer State Park, where you shouldn’t miss Sylvan Lake, the Needles Highway, and the Wildlife Loop, where you’ll see free-roaming bison.
Jackson-Lander Loop– WY
This tour takes you through some of the most famous and beautiful scenery in Wyoming. Follow the highways that make a loop through Jackson, Dubois, Lander, South Pass, and Pinedale.
Along the way, you’ll pass through Grand Teton National Park and see Gannett Peak, Wyoming’s high point.
Grand Circle– AZ/UT
One of the most visually stunning tours you can ever take, this trip links the 5 national parks of southern Utah’s “Color Country” and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. To see the Grand Canyon, you’ll have to do this one in summer since snow keeps the access road closed from fall through spring, but the rest of the parks are accessible all year.
The spectacular scenery isn’t limited to the parks, by the way; it’s just about everywhere.
San Juan Skyway– CO
This trip through Colorado’s most colorful and rugged mountain range follows a triangular route with Ridgway, Cortez, and Durango as its vertices. You’ll cross high mountain passes and see beautiful waterfalls and wildflowers, and you’ll have ample opportunities to get out and hike into that beautiful scenery.
Historic Route 66– Chicago to Santa Monica
One of the original roads in the U.S. numbered highways system and perhaps the most famous American road ever, U.S. 66 connected Chicago, Illinois, with Santa Monica, California. In many places, interstates have replaced stretches of 66, but original sections still exist, and some historic structures have been restored.
People still do road trips following the historic path, driving on original strips whenever possible.
U.S. 89– Arizona to Montana
In length and in variety of spectacular scenery, this route has no match in the country. Originally, this road ran from the Canadian border near Glacier National Park in Montana all the way to the Mexican border in Arizona, but as of 1992, the southern end was in Flagstaff, AZ.
Regardless, this route passes through or close to numerous national parks and scenic areas, including snowy, majestic mountains, rugged canyons, and more.
Death Valley to Yosemite– CA
Start at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, approaching from the Nevada side. Then go through Stovepipe Wells (make side trips!) until you reach Lone Pine, a town at the base of the Sierra Nevada and one of the best places to see Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the Lower 48.
Then drive north along scenic U.S. 395, again making side trips for hikes, picnics, and more, until you reach Lee Vining, where you head west on CA 120 to the Tioga Pass, the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park. The only downside to this trip is that since Tioga Pass is only open during the summer, you’ll get to deal with the worst heat of Death Valley, so be prepared.
Pacific Coast Highway– CA/OR/WA
From the northwestern corner of Washington down to the Mexican border, just about every stretch of the U.S. Pacific Coast is breathtaking. If you can’t fit it all into one road trip, try the Oregon coast or California’s Big Sur region; most people’s choices are the best of the best.
15 Must-Dos on Your Next Trip to Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border makes a lot of lists of the most beautiful places in America. There’s also a lot to do there, with a wide range of outdoor recreation, great dining, resorts, nightlife, and more. If it’s your first time going or if you’re going back, consider adding some of the following places to your itinerary.
15 Must-Dos on Your Next Trip to Lake Tahoe
The World’s 5 Friendliest and 5 Unfriendliest Cities
Some cities welcome visitors and want them to be there. Other cities are rude to visitors and would just as soon see you leave. It can be jarring to be in an unfriendly city, though some of the world’s most enticing cities rank high on the rudeness scale.
When you visit a friendly city, it’s much easier to soak in the culture and meet the locals. Rough Guides readers voted on the cities for their level of friendliness. According to Rough Guides, these are the world’s friendliest and unfriendliest cities.
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