Summer road trips are memory making experiences. These five trips make for an easy haul. Not too long, not too short.
WA: North Cascades Scenic Byway
This 140-mile byway is just one section of the famous 400-mile Cascade Loop. Stops along this road trip include Washington Pass Overlook, Rasar State Park, Diablo Lake Overlook and Liberty Bell Mountain. Rocky peaks, waterfalls and lakes are part of this glorious scenery.
CO: Denver to Grand Junction
Denver is a growing city with a vibrant city life and tons of recreational opportunities. And it’s a hop, skip and a jump onto Interstate 70 west toward the mountains. I-70 is the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Travel through the epic Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel onto ski villages like Frisco, Copper Mountain and Vail. Stop for a soak in Glenwood Springs, a resort town with a public hot springs swimming pool surrounded by the vast White River National Forest. Grand Junction is an hour and twenty minutes west of there and home to red rock scenery and the Colorado National Monument.
NC: Outer Banks National Scenic Byway
Wild and scenic views are vast along this iconic stretch of the North Carolina coastline. There are 138 driving miles and 25 ferry miles through 21 coastal villages. The whole route takes five to six hours with numerous shops and hotels along the way.
SD: Rapid City, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands
The beauty of this South Dakota road trip is proximity. There are epic sites to see within an easy driving distance over a long weekend. Rapid City is an excellent home base to start your journey to visit the Badlands National Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park.
MN: North Shore Scenic Byway
Between Duluth, MN and the Canadian border lie 145 miles of highway that run along the north shore of Lake Superior. Lighthouses, pine forests and rocky cliffs are just a few of the sights to see on this popular highway coined the “All American Road.”
