Best U.S. Road Trips

It’s in our blood. American love road trips. Our restlessness may have something to do with our ancestors getting booted out of their home countries, but whatever the reason, the road trip is iconic. American culture is full of road trips, from Jack Kerouac’s On the Road to Easy Rider to Thelma and Louise to Robin William’s RV.

Rand McNally’s Road Trip Guide describes 40 road trips in delicious detail, though in a kind of clunky PDF format. It doesn’t rehash just the iconic (Hwy 1 up the California Coast or Route 66 through the southwest, for example) and though it’s weighted towards the west, it covers road trips nationwide. My score 11 of 40.

 For something scenic, check out this photo collection of the world’s most spectacular roads.

Here are a few tips for the quintessential road trip:

• It’s the trip that matters, not the destination. Stop often and look around.
• Take the blue highways, not the interstates, when at all possible.
• Pull off at least every other scenic overlook or historical marker. If the view isn’t stunning chat with fellow travelers. If the history of the site doesn’t appeal to you, make something up.
• Carry food, water, a warm jacket, and a swim suit with you; you never know when you’ll need them.
• On a road trip, maps are not always your friend. This is especially true of GPS.
• • Music is essential. Movies on DVD are not, unless your kids get cranky easily and are under 10. If that’s the case, ration the DVDs, or your kids will never understand the allure of a road trip-they’ll think of it as movies and motion sickness.

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