If you’re dreaming of warmer months and hitting the road on a four or two-wheeled adventure this article will give you some fantastic inspiration on planning a road trip this summer in America.
The first step, however, is to choose your vehicle. On the one hand, driving a fancy convertible with the wind in your hair is the summer dream, but there’s a lot more character to be derived from driving an older classic, or even hitting the road with a motorbike, or getting an RV to ensure you retain the comfort of home no matter where you are.
If you’re thinking about going on a motorbike tour, one option to consider is having your motorbike shipped in advance, and then getting a flight to the start point – as we all have limited time, and you don’t want to be driving down boring freeways just to get to the start point of your adventure.
Now that you’ve picked your vehicle of choice it’s time to start thinking about location. Here are five great options:
CALIFORNIA STATE ROUTE 1
The best time to take this drive is in summer as your trip will be soaked in the sun with optimal daylight hours. The route takes you along the Pacific coast. The route starts just not of San Diego and leads through Los Angeles (known for gridlock traffic jams) where you'll drive through Long Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara (known for its great wines) Santa Cruz, and Big Sur (known for its surfing) and San Francisco. This route is a 745-mile journey that predominantly hugs the exceptional coastline.
FLORIDA KEYS
The US 1 from Miami to Key West is an ocean-focused 150-mile drive that takes in a variety of the keys (little islands) sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. The most amazing section of this drive is the Seven Mile Bridge.
US ROUTE 20
If you want to travel coast to coast then Route 20 is known for being the longest road in America covering a distance of 3,365 miles from Newport (Oregon) to Boston (Massachusetts). Going around Yellowstone National Park makes a lovely pit stop but covering 3,365 miles is no small feat. The route is fast and easy to drive; you should be able to cover it in two to three weeks – but the best way would be to take a little longer, so you can experience the Real America along the way, rather than just sit on the tarmac.
ROUTE 66
Perhaps the most famous “road trip” in the world, Route 66 will soon celebrate its 100th birthday, as one of the first numbered roads in the US. Ending in California this trip from Chicago to Santa Monica covers 2,451 miles mostly through what could be the set of an old western movie.
MONUMENT VALLEY
Starting out of Route 17 in Phoenix you can visit Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, and cowboy landscapes on the Arizona/Utah border. Then, progress to Route 191 to enter Winslow using Route 66. The top tip for this trip is to take a Jeep Safari along Diamond Creek Road, as this way you get to drive along the bottom of the Grand Canyon.