Drives I'll Definitely Make Time For
This article was compiled by the editorial staff at ShermansTravel, including editorial director Arabella Bowen.
Stretching some 469 miles along the
Southern Appalachian Mountains and linking two eastern national parks—Shenandoah
National Park in Virginia and North Carolina's Great
Smoky Mountains—the Blue Ridge Parkway has often been referred to as
"America's Favorite Drive." It's certainly the country's first rural
parkway—parts of it date back to 1930s (when construction began as a make-work
project during the Depression)—and the longest, with breathtaking scenery and
dozens of recreational opportunities to distract you when you need to stretch
your legs. Though some may argue that autumn is the best season to drive this
stretch, as the brilliant fall foliage is in full effect, May is also a superb
time to head this way, to witness the profusion of wildflowers in bloom along
the elevated mountainsides. Also included in this scenic route is the impressive
Skyline Drive, a 105-mile swath of road that cuts through Shenandoah National
Park. Of course, no nature drive of this sort would be quite complete without
wildlife sightings: Keep an eye out for resident whitetail deer and black bears.
California's State Route 1 (aka Highway 1) skirts the Golden State's glorious Pacific coastline from "So Cal" near San Luis Obispo northwest to the forests of Monterey. While the twists and curves, and occasional precariously-perched cliff-top road, may prove challenging at times (one section has been ominously dubbed Devil's Slide thanks to landslides and erosion that have occasionally made the road impassable), the magnificent vistas of ocean waves breaking on rocky sea-sculpted shores, windswept beaches dotted by frolicking otters or sea lions, and magnificent forests presiding above it all can rouse even the wariest of drivers behind the wheel. Forays into charming little coastal towns, like Carmel-by-the-Sea and Laguna Beach, as well as into the trilogy of Californian cultural centers at Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, are met by attractions ranging from historic missions to magnificent mansions (don't miss San Simeon's mountaintop Hearst Castle). There are also endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, particularly around the Big Sur area, where you can hike through redwood forests, comb the beaches for shells and jade, and camp under the stars.
Windswept red-rock canyons,
towering sandstone formations, pristine lakes, and pine-studded mountain ranges
combine for an altogether over-the-top sensory experience in Southern Utah.
The setting for several stunning national parks, this remarkable road connects
those at Bryce
Canyon and Capitol
Reef, and offers unique beauty and seemingly limitless recreational
opportunities on a stretch of land between the two parks' boundaries. Utah
Highway 12, also known as Highway 12 Scenic Byway, is one of only 27 nationally
designated All-American Roads—the highest honor a road can get for attractive
scenery. This spectacular route travels away from Bryce
Canyon, through the Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and over the forested Boulder
Mountain and the Dixie National Forest, before winding down near the entrance to
Capitol Reef. The scenery is unforgettable along the entire length of the
road—especially during the brilliant red-rock sunsets that provide a glorious
grand finale to a day's driving adventure here.
This spectacular 52-mile drive is
the best way to see the dramatic remnants and rugged path left by gargantuan
glaciers in Montana's
striking Glacier
National Park. Only open from early-June to mid-October (or until first
snowfall), the Going-to-the-Sun Road, aptly named for its ever-escalating
sky-high stretch with switchbacks up and over the magnificent Continental
Divide, traverses Glacier National Park from West Glacier to St. Mary and covers
untapped wilderness, rugged mountains, glistening lakes, deep river gorges,
glacial canyons, and the long Garden Wall. This sharp ridge forms the
Continental Divide, the only place in the country where water flows to the
Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and Hudson Bay. The road offers multiple lookout points,
among them the 6646-foot-high Logan Pass, which ranks as one of the Divide's
most impressive vantage points, and Jackson Glacier Overlook, 2 miles beyond
Siyeh Bend, where remnants of the mammoth ice formations that carved the park's
harsh terrain and contoured its valleys can still be seen. Indeed, the many
jaw-dropping views and hiking opportunities along the way will have you making
frequent stops to get out and explore; a few backcountry
lodges, chalets and campgrounds are available too, should you decide to prolong
your trip by spending the night.
Traversing some of the oldest roads in the country, U.S. Route 1 takes you on a historic journey through New England, covering five states (namely, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine) and encompassing a bevy of sights, coastal villages, state parks, and notable cities. We recommend starting in Connecticut and driving all the way up to the coast of Maine, following the highway up to Providence, where the city's colonial history is displayed in numerous museums and historical sites (particularly so Roger Williams Park, where Williams landed and founded his colony). Route 1 then goes straight through the heart of Boston, winding through charming Cape Anne, past seaside towns, historic Salem, and along the beaches of New Hampshire. In Portsmouth, check out the stately homes and mansions, some of which date from the late 1600s, and take a Portsmouth cemetery tour for a review of New England history. Along the highway in Maine, you can stop at the outlets in Kittery, the beach towns of York, Ogunquit, and Old Orchard Beach, and the historic maritime city of Portland, settled shortly after the Pilgrims first landed. Further up the Maine coast you'll find spectacular water views; Roosevelt Campobello International Park (the onetime summer home of FDR); and Reversing Falls Park, home to a narrow channel where the tide is so fast, it creates a sort of whirlpool effect. Of course, this jaunt is best in fall when a carpet of russet and gold foliage blankets the rolling hillsides.
This article was compiled by the editorial staff at ShermansTravel, including editorial director Arabella Bowen.