The Top 5 Ultimate American Road Trips
You might have disliked road trips when you were a kid, but no doubt they’ve become some of your most closely guarded memories as time has moved on. Now that we’re all getting ready to do some much-needed traveling again, I thought I’d share 5 American road trips that you can do right now with your family.
As with all travel guides at this time, we have to encourage you to check out the advice given to American travelers planning on traveling during the pandemic.
Here’s a look at 5 road trips I’d love to do with my family and I hope you will love to do them with your family too.
#1 SAN DIEGO TO LOS ANGELES
For many of us, this is the quintessential American road trip, and what’s not to love? You get to drive the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway and the trip is only around 3 hours, local traffic conditions pending. Of course, we usually hit lots of traffic when in LA, so be sure to check your maps before you hit to road to have a good indication of the actual time.
This shorter distance makes it a great “tester” to see how your family would handle longer trips but you have the added benefit of taking in the many attractions and stops along the way. Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Table Rock Beach are just some of the iconic beaches you’ll take in and you’ll also get to see Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Los Rios District. With its proximity to Mexico, expect great food, fabulous color, and exciting music along the way too.
#2 NEW YORK CITY TO CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTES
There is no doubt about it, this has got to be one of the most diverse drives in all the United States. Kick-off after a weekend in the “Big Apple” to really set the tone and then drive the 252 miles towards Cape Cod, and this should take you about 4.5 hours depending on how many times you want to stop. Note: you’re going to want to stop. So it’s probably a good idea to research the drive first and decide on what you want to do so you get to see all that you want to see. Eat at the Elm Street Diner in Connecticut and visit Newport Rhode Island and visit the iconic Martha’s Vineyard. Kids will love the beauty and coastline, whale watching, and picnicking along the way. To really ramp up the excitement vibes, start in Cape Cod and end in New York City.
#3 ROUTE 66
If you can find a more classic adventure that just screams Americana!, then wId love to hear all about it, because visitors from the world over plan for years just to be able to come to America and do this trip. The two-week journey will take you from Chicago to Los Angeles, or vice versa and there are tons of activities that you can work in that are kid-friendly along the way. There are far too many to mention here, but here is a free sample itinerary and planner. In Chicago alone, you have museums, galleries, and the field museum. Then in Illinois, Hop to Henry's Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, the caves at Meramec Caverns, Missouri, dozens of stops along the way that all finally lead to the “City of Angels” - and that’s the endpoint of this epic journey.
If you have Cars Movie fans in your group, be sure to check out our podcast episode all about the iconic spots from the Cars Movies along Route 66.
#4 TUSCON TO THE GRAND CANYON
Yet another of the great American classics, this journey of somewhat 5 and a half hours will take in some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenes from the American landscape. Start in Tuscon, this vibrant city enveloped by desert, is host to amazing vistas and exciting scenes, and tons of great places to eat, sleep and have fun. There is the Pima Air and Space Museum as well as the Saguaro National Park for starters and the trip ends at the Grand Canyon. Here you can take in amazing views (clearly), become a “junior ranger”, rent bikes, go hiking, and try your hand at geology. This is a trip that is begging to be done and if you have the time, combine it with a trip to Vegas, just 30 minutes away.
We lived in Tucson and think it’s a fun place to spend some time! If you have extra time, drive about 45 minutes south of Tuscon to the Titan Missle Museum to visit an underground Cold Wars era bunker. It was one of our favorite places to take visitors!
#5 DENVER TO COLORADO SPRINGS
As with all of our trips here (save for Route 66), you could do the trip in one shot lasting only a few hours, or you could combine it with a couple of overnight stays to solidly get the benefit of the quirky, interesting, and off the beat places you’re going to see and this trip is no exception. I think that taking 7 days to do this journey is just enough time to enjoy the spectacular views, mountains, and snow-capped peaks, at the right time of year. You’ll love Denver and may want to spend a day or two exploring the city, but don’t get “stuck” there as you have the amazing Glenwood Springs, Montrose and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park to look forward to as well.
No matter which one of these road trips you pick or a combination of them or some we have not even mentioned here, you’ll get to experience our nation in ways you might not have thought possible. If you’re staying in national parks or going camping along the way, remember to be safe and check out EcoGear FX for absolutely everything you could need on a camping or outdoors trip.
I’m ready to hit the road after thinking about all of these great road trips! When last did you take a trip across America? Right now is probably the best time that it’s been for years and with international travel taking longer than expected to fully open up. I suggest getting the gang together and rediscovering just why we call her America, the beautiful.