7 Scenic Road Trips in America

Road trips are exciting, anywhere, anytime. Every country, every city or town does offer something for those who have the knack of observing something out of nothing. A solitary tree on an otherwise deserted road on either side, a distant rainbow that was fully visible from point to point on the horizon that offered uninterrupted view, a sudden movement on a dry bush revealed a mongoose, a herd of goats that showed a couple of cute billys (baby goats) are spotted in a fraction of a second from a speeding car.

Some road trips are famous for scenic rides. The car ride need not be a 100 km trip; even a 15 km ride would attract lot of people just to see and appreciate a beautiful lake, a view of the Atlantic from a cliff, a thundering waterfall.

In this blog post, I will write about some of the beautiful road trips in America that would force travelers to forget about traveling by plane and go by car.

Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

If there is one thing that the Chicagoans are proud of, it is the Lake Shore Drive along the Lake Michigan on one side and the skyscrapers of Chicago on the other side. The skyscrapers of Chicago on the scenic Lake Shore house offices and luxury apartment that include Willis Tower one of the tallest buildings in America.

The 25 km scenic drive on the Lake Shore amidst a dynamic urban setting can happen only in the United States.

Keys Road trips, Florida

It’s the road trip that takes you from Key Largo to Key West, Florida. I am sure you know the world famous Key West Island in Florida as one of the expensive island resorts in the world.

The main island in Florida’s Keys archipelago is the Key West located at the southern-most tip of Florida, only about 150 km from north of Cuba.

The scenic road trips on this island is more popular than the usual water sports of an island. While driving, enjoy the superb sea breeze, get down to see coral reefs, stunning view of the Florida Strait while going on a 11 km length bridge. The long chain of Keys Islands is a sight to watch on this road trip in the U.S.

Hāna Highway Road Trips, Maui, Hawaii

Ah, the Hawaii, where every stretch of land and sea is worthy of mentioning in travelogues.

The Hāna Highway connects the Hawaiian towns of Kahului and Hāna in Maui island. The length of the drive is about 105 km.

The drive is through scenic mountains covered with dense forest. While passing by, you can watch waterfalls suddenly looming into your sight, forest streams and plenty of avian species.

No words can describe the beauty of this drive that passes through several bridges, curves, and cliffs; making you stop frequently to enjoy and appreciate the scene. Seeing the red sand beach below from the cliffs is memorable.

Road Trips on Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Parkway is America’s pride that gives hours of pleasure to road trip lovers in the U.S. The 800 km stretch is though some of the world’s breathtaking sceneries.

The 6 hours drive will take you through the Great Smoky Mountains and the beautiful Shenandoah National Park.

The panoramic road trip will make your children scream with delight as they point out at the autumn leaves of brilliant hues and colorful birds that they see for the first time in their life.

Road Trips on Bluebonnet Trail, Texas

Bluebonnet is a blue colored flower that can be seen in abundance through Texas. In fact, it is the state flower of Texas.

So, imagine a road on either side of which is found the Bluebonnet, rows and rows of it. Can you take your eyes off even for a minute? I am afraid not.

The scenic road trips between Austin and Houston is called the Bluebonnet trail. What an apt name! However, to see the blue meadows, you need to plan your road trips between March and May which is the season for the bluebonnet to bloom.

En route, you would see the following lovely tourist destinations:

• Highland Lakes (a chain of six fresh-water lakes)
• Horseshoe Bay
• Inks Lake (fed by Colorado river)
• Buchanan Dam

Trail Ridge Road Trips, Colorado

Any road that runs on high mountains offers scintillating views of the gorges and forests. The Trail Ridge Road trip in Colorado is located at an altitude of over 12,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains.

Road trips buffs in American are crazy about driving through the scenic region of Colorado Rockies. Though the long drive looks deserted and dry at many places, you can spot several wildlife such as elk, deer, and bighorn sheep.

The Trail Ridge Road trips starts from the Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado and ends at Grand Lake, Colorado. It’s a East-West road trip that gets buried under snow during the winter.

Road Trips: Sun Road, Montana

Knowing the region of Montana as the best destination for road travelers, I should have posted about it on top but at times, we all reserve the best for the last-right? Sadly, Montana is not on the bucket list of many American travelers.

The Sun Road passes through Glacier National Park’s snow-covered peaks. Riders of the road trips can see the spectacular sub-alpine meadows and several lakes.

And when it snows, there is nothing but snow, 100 feet of it!