Sparks of inspiration for the summer journey of a lifetime, on a road trip in the USA.
The freedom and thrill of the road. And so many unique states to explore.
The USA Summer Road Trip
The USA was the headline destination in Edition III of our print magazine Explorer. Within a month of releasing this magazine, we had multiple requests for USA road trips.
We will help you plan the route, including local experiences and the best hotels in the USA. There are so many directions you could travel. Where do you want to do a road trip in the USA?
California
Cruise the beautiful roads of one of the world’s most diverse destinations. California has almost everything. It’s where almost anything is possible, like an Austrian bodybuilder and former Mr Universe being governor for nine years.
Sun-kissed beaches. Redwood forests. Vineyards. Hip cities. Malibu, San Francisco, Yosemite, Napa Valley, Los Angeles, a thousand other places on a single road trip.
California is big and you could take so many different types of trip without leaving the state.
Nevada
Ready for the big open road? Then how about a road trip from California into Nevada?
Las Vegas will be the city on the road signs of course, but don’t discount the wild beauty of Nevada’s nature, like Death Valley.
In Vegas anything can happen. Two things that definitely should happen are a helicopter flight out to the Grand Canyon and driving over the Hoover Dam.
Utah
Utah is the destination for the ultimate desert road trip. It’s a treasure chest of spectacular landscapes, like epic canyons, sandstone pinnacles and river rapids.
Utah is an adventure state. Drive to icons like Arches National Park, Moab, Canyonlands and Monument Valley.
We’d avoid Utah in July and August. It’s probably not the best state to explore with kids either. May, June and September are magical times in Utah if you’re a couple.
Wyoming
Imagine flying to San Francisco or Los Angeles and then driving east. Across California, to Las Vegas, then through Utah to Wyoming.
Wyoming is the real wild west and it is staggeringly beautiful. It’s cowboy country and a state that screams road trip!
Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks should be on your list. Both are a stunning contrast to starting a road trip on the beach in California.
Montana
Nature is celebrated on a massive scale in Montana. Here you can still see bison and grizzly bears.
Montana is where you come for a traditional ranch experience, where you spend long days driving beneath impossibly big blue skies.
Combine Montana with Wyoming via Yellowstone national park. You can also connect Montana with California on a one-way road trip.
Alaska
Alaska is not for the timid. It’s not for everyone. It’s not the number one choice for a USA road trip either.
Some of the best lodges, like Sheldon Chalet, are so remote they’re only accessible by helicopter.
Still, there’s something very hypnotic about exploring such a remote wilderness, beneath the midnight sun.
Hawaii
A Pacific archipelago might not sound like a good road trip destination either, but Hawaii is a genuine explorer destination.
Take a car around the hissing craters and lava fields of Hawaii island, or the remote island paradise of Maui.
A car isn’t the only way to travel. How about spending your summer holiday on a yacht cruising through Hawaii?
New York
New York is an easy starting point for a great American road trip. Forget Route 66, most of that road has crumbled to nothing. And know that if you want to go west to east it’s over 4000 kilometres to San Francisco.
From New York drive south to South Carolina. Perhaps drive two hours east to The Hamptons. Or north to Boston and upmarket beach destinations along the coast.
Of course you’ll spend some time in New York too. Even with just one week there’s a lot to explore from New York.
Florida
Florida is a classic family holiday destination. It’s best explored with your own wheels, because the Sunshine State has endless kilometres of great beaches.
Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, Florida offers you more than the famous theme parks.
When well planned, the theme parks can be fun for all ages. On a road trip you can add on Kennedy Space Centre, kayaking through mangroves and even some scuba diving.
Your USA Road Trip
This is just a very brief introduction. The USA is far too big for a single article like this. Don’t forget, the best hotels in the USA are another good source of inspiration for your USA holiday.
We have dedicated pages for each of the states in this article, so click through for more information about what to do and where to go.
So…where do you want to go on a big USA road trip?
Help Me Plan a USA Road Trip
