When thinking about epic road trips, one of the first destinations that springs to mind is the USA where you can drive up, down, across, around or straight through every state in the country.
From revelling in yesteryear along the iconic Route 66, marvelling at spectacular sunsets on the Pacific Coast Highway, cruising around the stunning national parks of Utah and Arizona, absorbing the vivid beauty of New England in the fall or for connoisseurs of music then the Deep South is an enticing proposition.
The list of American US road trips is comprehensive but here are three of my most highly recommended ones that many of my clients have driven and unanimously loved...
Route 66
Pack your smartphone/ camera, sunscreen and shades and hit the open highways, exploring small charming towns, historic sites, kitschy attractions and popular diners in a journey of a lifetime.
Route 66 or the Mother Road, as it’s also known, is part of US folklore. This is the highway on which millions travelled to migrate west during the Great Depression and continues to occupy an important place in American culture.
You need a minimum of 14 nights and will travel 3940km through the heart of America, crossing eight states and three different time zones, starting in Chicago, Illinois and ending at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California.
The best time is between April and October, and travelling west you can negotiate the flat landscapes of Texas, the high deserts of New Mexico and the legendary beaches of southern California.
Albuquerque offers a unique atmosphere, with its retro and adobe architecture, while pretty Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in the US.
If time permits I would suggest taking a detour to the Grand Canyon National Park and maybe take in the bright lights of Las Vegas for a night or two, just like my client Sue recently did.
The longest driveable stretch of Route 66, more than 400 miles, cuts through Oklahoma, making its way through charming towns, roadside diners and quirky attractions. It's the only place you'll find a giant blue concrete whale, the world's largest pop bottle and Lucille's Gas Station.
Built in 1929, Lucille Hamon operated this little gem from 1941 to 2000 and was known as the 'Mother of the Mother Road' due to the hospitality she offered to Route 66 travellers. It's now been restored with a replica station and restaurant and tells the endearing story of a bygone era.
There's no better way to get a taste for U.S. tradition and road trip lore than along this much-loved byway with the freedom and choice to decide what you want to do and when.
Pacific Coast Highway
The legendary Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), also known as Route 1, is one of the most astoundingly scenic roads in the world, a marvel of human effort that hugs over 900km (600 miles) of California’s stunning coastline from San Francisco to San Diego.
Without stopping, it takes approximately 10 hours to drive its entire length but this is a route meant to be taken slowly, with time to explore the route’s bustling cities, like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz, relax in the charm of quaint towns like Morro Bay, Cambria and San Simeon and in between gasp at the mountains, towering trees, expansive beaches and endless sky.
It also affords its travellers an opportunity to dip into all the character of California’s pioneer outposts, surfing villages, farm-fresh foods, local wine, roadside kitsch, Hollywood glitz and bohemia.
I recommend staying at least three nights in San Francisco as there is so much to see. You can hire bikes and cycle across the Golden Gate bridge, like my client Marty and his family love to do, take a boat trip across to Alcatraz Island for a self guided audio tour narrated by former inmates and guards or ride the cable car taking in Nob Hill, Fisherman's Wharf, Russian Hill and the Bay.
San Francisco is renowned for its restaurants and food trends with some delightfully unique and regionally typical fare to be sampled including abalone, Dungeness crab, sand dabs, bay shrimp and crusty sourdough French bread.
Cambria, on the central coast, is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, studded with antique shops, restaurants and a micro-brewery. It's midway along Route 1, between San Francisco and Los Angeles and where you'll find Moonstone Beach, so called because of the shiny gemstones that glitter all kinds of colours in the sun.
Visit Hearst Castle, built in 1919 by William Randolph Hearst, the original American media mogul, with its 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, a movie theatre, airport and herds of zebra that roam the nearby plains, sadly all that remain from the exotic zoo that was once part of the grounds.
There are no rules about having to stick to the coast and the highway - if time permits, why not combine your Pacific Coast Highway journey with a trip further inland to discover the glamour of Palm Springs or explore the spectacular natural wonders of Yosemite National Park?
Yosemite National Park is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and almost 95 percent of its 747,956 acres is classed as wilderness.
It’s famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees (some are over 3,000 years old), Tunnel View, the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.
If hiking, stunning scenery, waterfalls, rafting, fishing, climbing or biking are enjoyable outdoor pursuits, then it is well worth a minimum two or three night stop here.
Due to California’s mild weather, the Pacific Coast Highway is driveable at any time of year, the best weather however is generally from late spring to autumn, with July and August the busiest season.
Grand Circle Road Trip
Sheer sandstone cliffs, canyon floor hoodoos (thin spires of rock), soaring arches, and unrivalled sunsets are amongst the treats of this quintessential road trip mainly through the state of Utah and crossing into Arizona.
I recommend a minimum of 12 days for this journey, although would try to allow as much time as possible to explore these spectacular parks.
Just a couple of hours apart, Zion and Bryce Canyon couldn't be more different. Towering rock spires rise from Bryce, whilst the Virgin River cuts between the towering sandstone walls of Zion Canyon.
Zion Canyon is 15 miles long and up to 2,640 feet deep and the best way to see it is to take the scenic drive that cuts through its main section, with nine stops along the way that take you to incredible viewpoints and trailheads along the Virgin River.
Bryce Canyon, Utah’s smallest national park, is one of earth’s most extraordinary places. Here, amidst the multicoloured limestone, you will find the world’s largest concentration of hoodoos – vertically shaped spires of rock that acquire their form through a type of erosion involving rainwater’s ability to dissolve, combined with something known as frost wedging.
Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges that covers around 378 square miles. Its defining feature is the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long buckle in the earth's surface, illustrating millions of years of geological history.
Among its other major sights are the Chimney Rock pillar, the Hickman Bridge arch and Capitol Reef itself, known for its white sandstone domes, plus the towering monoliths of Cathedral Valley towards the north.
Arches National Park lies north of Moab and is bordered by the Colorado River. It has the highest concentration of natural sandstone arches in the world with more than 2,000 scattered across the 76,518 acres of red desert landscape.
The soaring pinnacles, massive balanced rocks and towering spires can be seen from major viewpoints along a paved scenic drive within the park.
Grand Canyon is unquestionably the most famous of the United States’ natural landscapes. It's a staggering 277 miles long and it's estimated that the Colorado River has been carving out the canyon for between 5 and 6 million years.
You can hike into the canyon, go horse riding, rafting, take a jeep tour and for the most spectacular views consider taking a helicopter tour.
If feeling brave enough, then walk across the Skywalk, a horseshoe shaped walkway with a 4 inch thick, clear glass bottom that extends almost 70 feet out over the canyon where you can peer over the railings or down through the walkway to see the canyon and all of its 4,000 feet of vertical abyss!
That’s a flavour of just some of the magical road experiences that the US has to offer. I totally love putting these adventures together and once I have a rough idea of your preferences and available time, I will tailor make and plan your journey, taking into account driving distances and ensuring that you make the most of your adventure without spending the entire time on the road.