As road life (and plane tickets) continue to rise, so does the idea of road trips. Just think: you and your closest friends on the open road, listening to music, pulling over at some slightly dilapidated diner with the best food you’ve ever tasted. You can stay in motels, sleep under the stars, or hunker down in a Walmart parking lot if you so choose. The point is that you’re getting to see some things you’ve never seen before, and deciding what to do with the time you have.
That said, it can’t hurt to have some semblance of a plan, right? A general idea of where you’re going and what you’d like to do. This is where we come in. Here, we’ll provide you with some ideal routes you can hit during a week-long road trip.
West Coast
For West Coasters, we’d definitely recommend taking a Pacific Coast Highway trip to take in the California coast. Alternatively, you could take a canyon route, hitting Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce, and Zion.
California Coast Trip: Seattle, Newport, Crescent City, Fort Bragg, San Francisco, Big Sur, Los Angeles.
National Park Trip: Las Vegas, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Page, Bryce Canyon, Zion.
East Coat
East coasters have the luxury of hitting more states in less time. For a historical road trip, you can scoot across the original 13 colonies, working your way through Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York— just to name a few.
East Coast Trip: Washington, Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, with the option to head down into South Carolina or Georgia if you have time.
North
The northern section of the United States is often overlooked in road trip planning, but that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten about. Let's not forget that Yellowstone National Park is located in Montana and Wyoming, and Mount Rushmore is just a state over, in South Dakota. Alternatively, you could work your way around Lake Michigan, visiting Places like Grand Rapids, Chicago, Milwaukee, and into the Hiawatha National Forest.
Northern Trip: Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City.
South
If you’re in Florida or Louisiana, you can take a week to explore your own state! Floridians can hit Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and the Everglades in a week or less. Alternatively, Louisiana residents can hit popular areas such as New Orleans, Houma, Lafayette, and Natchez.
States like Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas come with their own rich history, and you could definitely spend a week visiting places like Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, or even scooting over to Atlanta if you feel so inclined.
Southern Trip: Dallas, Lafayette, New Orleans, Jackson, Memphis, Little Rock.
Florida-Focused Trip: Miami, Key West, Naples, Sarasota, Orlando, St. Augustine.
While more time allows for more stops and a more relaxed pace, it is possible to pack quite the punch in 7 days or less. Ultimately, we leave your next road trip in your very capable hands.
