If you’re looking for a different type of summer vacation, consider taking a road trip. There are so many unique and amazing sights to see throughout the United States, traveling cross-country roads along these famous, open highways.
Photo: Wikipedia
1. Route 66- Connecting Chicago to Los Angeles, this was the first major road westward that wove its way through rural communities. Today, it’s a two-lane highway with much to see along the way, as it crosses eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
Pacific Coast Highway
2. Pacific Coast Highway – Also known as California’s Route 1, this highway spans the state from north to south. Stop along the way in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, and take in historic landmarks like Hearst Castle. This route incorporates the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway and Big Sur Coast Highway and offers scenic ocean views and rocky cliffs.
Photo: Wikipedia
3. Interstate 40- A 36-hour road trip along this third longest interstate in the United States takes travelers from Wilmington, North Carolina to Barstow, California. Diverse sights exist along this road, including the mystical town of Sedona in Arizona and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photo: Wikipedia
4. Interstate 70- Traveling from Baltimore, Maryland to Cove Fort, Utah, this 2150-mile-long highway passes through major cities like St. Louis and Columbus, with elevations rising in the mountains and falling in the flatter plains.
Photo: Wikipedia
5. US Route 50- This little-known 3200-mile road runs from Maryland to San Francisco and has been called “the loneliest highway.” It passes through four state capitals and 12 states, as well as barren landscapes and hundreds of small towns that offer a true snapshot of America.
Photo: National Park Service, Oregon National Historic Trail ID, KS, MO, NE, OR, WA, WY
6. The Oregon Trail- Covering six states and 2000 miles from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon, this national historic trail runs along the route that pioneers traversed with their wagons long ago to start new lives in the West.
Photo: Wikipedia
7. U.S. Route 1- Spanning 2369 miles from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida, this highway runs north-south along the eastern border of the United States. It generally runs parallel with the less scenic and newer Interstate 95, and is a great way to see the cities and towns along the East Coast that travelers miss when driving on I-95.
Photo: Wikipedia
8. Lincoln Highway – The first paved transcontinental highway in the United States, this road spans 3400 miles, beginning in New York City and ending in San Francisco. Historical sites, scenic trails, restaurants and shopping can all be found along this iconic highway.
Photo: Wikipedia
9. Highway 101- Running along the United States’ west coast from Seattle to Los Angeles, Highway 101 travels 1750 miles through mountains, beaches, forests, rocks and parks.
Photo: Wikipedia
10. The Great Northern – Also called U.S. Highway 2, this over 2000-mile-long road starts in Seattle and runs east, through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Canada, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and ends in Maine. Travelers along this route enjoy beautiful landscapes and historic sites as opposed to cities and towns.