Road trips continue to gain in popularity since the likes of the Beat generation and Jack Kerouac left their legacy on modern travel. The USA is one of the best countries in the world for road trips, with giant landscapes and never-ending roads that pass straight through the scattered landmarks. If you want to experience life on the road for yourself, here are the best road trips you can take in the USA.
1. Route 66
Route 66 is famed across the world, and countless books and films have been based on traversing this iconic road trip. The greatest of all road trips, Route 66 passes from Chicago, Illinois and ends in Santa Monica, near Los Angeles in California. In fact, although some of Route 66 has been submerged by larger highways, the original ‘End of Trail’ sign still exists on Santa Monica Pier. The highway used to pass through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona on its way to California. Although now decommissioned, you can still drive down some of the original roads, now called the ‘Historic Route 66’. Click here to find out more about USA car rentals so that you can experience this historic road trip for yourself.
2. The Pacific Coast Highway
This popular tourist route passes from San Francisco to Los Angeles, visiting charming coastal towns such as Monterey and Carmel on the way. This route will give you the traditional coastal experience. Stopping at Big Sur will give you the best views of the California oceans that are available, and why not fit in some stops at the seaside towns to take part in activities such as whale and dolphin watching, or even playing at the arcades at Santa Cruz? With opportunities to see the best of both of California’s most famous cities and even the chance to see blue whales, there is no reason not to sit back and enjoy this delightful road trip.
3. Blue Ridge Parkway
If you want to drive along an elevated road overlooking deep forest, then this route might be for you. Full of national parks and the best of America’s wildlife, with plenty of places of interest along the way, the Blue Ridge Parkway goes through the states of Virginia and North Carolina and ends at the edge of the infamous Great Smoky Mountains.
4. Alaska Highway
Although not technically wholly in the USA, this road trip ends in the wilderness of Alaska, making it one of the most remote, and most adventurous routes ending in the USA. You can see the best of both Canada and the USA by traveling along this route, which starts in British Columbia and passes through the Yukon territory to get to Fairbanks, Alaska. There is plenty of natural sightseeing to be done on the way, and from here, you can easily visit the Great Bear Rainforest or go on to enjoy the striking mountains of Denali National Park.
Road trips give you the opportunity to see many of the very best sights of a country at once. Follow the great pioneers and road trippers of the beat generation by taking once-in-a-lifetime trips around the very best of the USA.
