Road Tripping

• July
• 30

4:45 am Uncategorized

As tourism has expanded around the world, the classic American road trip has lost none of its appeal. There are a number of reasons why this classic travelling experience has endured – for those less intrepid travellers, it is perhaps the biggest adventure possible where the comforts of the Western world are always within reach. It also allows licence to roam around incredible scenery – The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Rockies, to name but a few examples – and still experience some of the world’s most famous cities en route. If you’re thinking of taking the trip yourself, stop by cheap car rental usa, get some wheels, and pick one of these five routes that each show a different side of the U.S.A.

1. Pacific Coast Highway

A tried and tested classic, this drive follows a single winding two-lane road down the entire West Coast. Starting in the breathtaking forests of the Pacific North-West, you’ll pass past world-famous beaches like Big Sur, and the vineyards of Northern California, before hitting the Sunshine State’s big cities: the sophisticated San Francisco, and all that the enormous sprawl of L.A. has to offer. Finish the trip in San Diego, a classy town that’s the world capital of conventions. Or head to Las Vegas, just a short desert drive away.

2. Coast to Coast

There are plenty of people (myself included) who think it really ain’t a road trip if you don’t go coast to coast. There are hundreds of ways this can be done, from the Great Northern Route along the Canadian border, or a rattle through the Deep South and the Southwestern desert country. For the true American experience, start in New York City, head through the American heartlands towards Chicago and the Midwest. Heading south-west, you’ll soon be passing through the incredible national parks of Utah, with scenery you won’t see anywhere else on Earth. Finally it’s on to 3. Route 66

Following the highways that make up the old Route 66, winding from California to the Midwest, is still a timeless trip, and now feels like a step back in time. The route winds through endless picturebook small towns and is lined with fantastic diners in the great American tradition. Start in Chicago and finish in L.A., enjoying the wide open spaces in between, with chain stores and big city life a million miles away.

4. The Road to Nowhere

A different kind of challenge here – the US-83 runs straight down the middle of the U.S., from North Dakota to Texas. Going North-South, miles from the coast, this truly is the road less travelled. Steering well clear of big towns and even famous landmarks, The Road to Nowhere, as it’s known, is almost entirely surrounded by plains, grasslands and prairies. It may lack the glamour of other corners of the country, but US-83 is a unique journey through the heart of America, right along the dividing line where East meets West.

5. The 50 State Challenge

For those who want more of a challenge than the traditional road trip, they can try and match an achievement very few Americans can match: visiting all fifty states in one trip. This site details one man’s journey, completed in just one week. For a less gruelling, more sensible trip, I’d allow a few months. A circular route staying a few hundred miles from the coasts and borders will make this task less arduous than it may first appear. The Mainland 48 challenge requires a huge amount of preparation on it’s own – of course, to complete all 50, trips to Hawaii are required – and the tickets don’t come cheap. Either challenge will feel worth the effort if you are able to join the elite club to have set foot in every corner of this enormous, illustrious nation.