Besides skyscrapers and skylines, what else comes to mind if you think about the American Dream? Legendary road trips, of course, the kind of trip during which you drive for hours with blaring music, listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA, the desert on either side of your car, and perhaps some good company on the seat next to you. Buckle up and open the top of your convertible: it’s time to start the engine, and go discover the 5 best US road trips.
Highway 1 (a.k.a. Pacific Coast Highway)
If you choose this itinerary, get ready for amazing landscapes, like you have never seen before. To give you an idea, keep in mind that you will be driving along some of the most beautiful coastlines of America. A thousand miles (over 1500km), from the Oregon-California border, all the way down to the Mexican border. You will drive through beautiful places like Santa Monica, Laguna Beach and San Diego, and once you are back, you will wonder why you didn’t do that earlier.
(Flickr Eric Demarcq)
Route 66 (a.k.a. the Mother Road)
This is possibly the most historically significant route in the US, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that. Route 66 cuts through the country from East to West, originating in Chicago and running all the way to L.A. It is not an easy drive, not the kind of thing you can do with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the car window, as some parts of the route can be pretty rocky, but it will also be the most satisfying route you can choose. You can take breaks in really nice towns like Springfield, Oklahoma City and Santa Fe: not bad, right?
(Flickr Thomas Hawk)
Best National Parks
Would you believe us if we told you this is a celebrity tour? Maybe if we back up our claim by telling you that this is Brad Pitt’s favorite itinerary, you will! GQ exclusively released information this month about the tour that the actor took through America’s most beautiful national parks. Brad traveled on a motorbike, but since the route is almost 4000km (about 2400 miles) long, we recommend a large car, perhaps even a Jeep. The areas you will cross if you follow this route will include the Death Valley, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and many other locations. Some say this itinerary takes 3 weeks, some say 2 weeks are enough, so try it out and let us know how long it took you!
(Flickr David Kingham)
Florida Road Trip
After these long, challenging trips, it’s time to consider something shorter, about 8 days exploring one of the US’s merriest, fascinating states: Florida. The route is about 1500km (less than 1000 miles) long, all within Florida, and it will allow you to discover Miami, Key West and Fort Lauderdale, a favorite of American students on Spring Break. This road trip will give you the chance to see new places, enjoy the ocean, and get a nice tan, too!
Key West (Flickr Lonni Besancon)
New England Road Trip
This one is probably the lesser known of the 5 itineraries we are suggesting, but it has been getting very good feedback in recent times. You will see amazing landscapes on this trip: rugged coasts, immense fields, traditional American villas, abandoned lighthouses and still inhabited ones, as well as cities, like Boston, Portland, and Newport. This route will take you about 2000km (about 1200 miles) through 5 states, discovering America’s more authentic and historical heart. Nostalgia lovers of the world unite!
Boston (Flickr Brian Talbot)