The USA offers unrivalled opportunities to get out on the road and experience not one, but dozens of superb USA scenic drives. Whether you are a visitor to the States or a local, one of the best ways to get an in-depth look at the country is to undertake one of the amazing Great American road trips that are out there waiting for you. On this type of holiday the journey should be more important to you than the final destination, and when you start making your plans try to incorporate enough time to be able to disregard tight schedules and just follow your heart.
If you are doing the trip in a RV, Motorhome or Campervan rental, you are already at an advantage, and will have a lot more flexibility to just stop and enjoy that dramatic sunset or perfect little village. The length of the adventure will depend on the amount of time you have – try not to fit too much into one trip; it’s no fun spending hours and hours on a highway and having no time to enjoy yourself along the way. Remember, it’s all about the journey!
Classic Route 66, which runs all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles, is almost an institution in America, a tour of discovery along a historic and vaguely kitschy part of the country where time has stood still. This is a great place to get off the highway, amble along at your own pace and enjoy the eclectic towns and attractions along the way, ending up in Flagstaff. From there you can continue along the Oak Creek Canyon Route to Sedona, where there are amazing outdoor activities to enjoy before continuing on your way to the Grand Canyon and then on to Las Vegas, for a major change of pace!
The West Coast offers the Pacific Highway, one of the most iconic Great American road trips for you to include in your itinerary. If you can, start in the far north, on the Pacific North West coast in Seattle, and make your way down the coast to Los Angeles at your own pace. Along this route you get to drive along the Oregon coast, visit Crater Lake, Redwood National Park, the wonderful Napa Valley – be sure to spend a few days here enjoying the vineyards and tranquillity – before reaching San Francisco.
Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and visit Alcatraz, before continuing on the most popular section of the trip, past Monterey, Santa Barbara and finally ending up in Los Angeles. This is a wonderful trip for the whole family, with a great number of excursions and activities available all along the way, and excellent RV campsites.
For a great coastal vacation drive the scenically magnificent Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West. This 150 mile journey on US1, takes you over the ocean via Key Largo and the spectacular Seven Mile Bridge that links Marathon and the Lower Keys. The scenery is amazing, there are plenty of good RV Parks and the bathing and snorkelling are wonderful in the clear warm water.