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A Look at Five of America’s Best Road Trip Routes
The United States’ vast territory offers some of the world’s most breathtaking road trip routes. We review five of our favorites, which are bound to pique your interest. Be warned: those will make you want to hop on the first available flight and hit the appropriate interstate in an open-top hire.
America is best seen on a road trip, and rental cars are available for hire in every major city. Increasingly, RVs are becoming a popular way to experience travel in the United States. Sites like RVshare make it easy to connect RV owners with renters looking to travel the country with a new sense of freedom.
Florida: The Overseas Highway
When you first get on Route 1 between the mainland and Key Largo, your trust in our road trip advice may well be shaken, but once you get there and drive on through Islamorada and to your final destination, Key West, your confidence in us will shoot through the roof. Turquoise, almost fluorescent sea will sprawl on either or both sides of the road, while crossing the Seven-Mile Bridge will feel like hovering over the Atlantic. The cinema buffs will also recognize Route 1 as the location of many an action sequence, such as “True Lies”.
California – Oregon – Washington State: Pacific Coast Highway
On the West Coast, nothing could compete with taking Route 1 from Santa Barbara up to… well, as far as your heart desires, really. The Pacific Coast Highway, as its name suggests, will deliver stunning ocean views all the way up to the Canadian border. It is a tad challenging with habitual mud slides, detours, and many sharp turns, but it makes up for it in beauty and allure. The 17-Mile Drive is a definite highlight, as are the hidden gems Eureka and Mendocino off San Francisco.
Utah: Route 12
Away from the waters and into the mountains, Route 12 offers 124 miles of driving among forested and bald rocky peaks at an average altitude of 9,000 feet. You will start at Capitol Reef National Park and make your way through Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Majestic red rocks salted with frost and charming townships, like St. George, will roll before your eyes and leave you wanting for more.
New Hampshire: Kancamagus Highway
Autumn in New England lets Mother Nature play with all her colors, and New Hampshire’s Route 112 gives a magnificent display of her skill, earning its designation as American Scenic Byway. A prime leaf peeping destination, the drive is just shy of 35 miles and cuts through the White Mountain National Forest. It is bound to make your autumn visit to the U.S. memorable and that much more beautiful.
Massachusetts: Route 6
While you are on the East Coast, you should definitely pay Cape Cod a visit. Take your time with the 117 miles that form Route 6 and give you the quintessential New England coastal experience. You will see colonial villages with their typical saltbox houses, marvel at the tidal ponds where the land offers a last stand to the ocean, and eventually reach Provincetown harbor where modernity is restored. While you regard the mighty sand dunes and the beaches, be sure to tuck into a lobster roll.
