2020: The Year of American Road Trips

“I can resist anything except temptation.” – Oscar Wilde

If resisting the temptation to travel has you stopped in your tracks during our COVID-19 crisis, we’re here to help. Emerging travel trends provide meaningful options despite the current restrictions. Among the trends, good old-fashioned American road trips have stepped into the spotlight. Fortunately, the USA’s broad expanse of diverse landscapes provides scenic routes for anyone willing to get behind the wheel and buckle-up. From coast to coast, here are six scenic American road trips for inspiration.

Coastal Maine: From Cape Neddick to Acadia National Park

Kick off your coastal drive with an overnight stay at the Cliff House in Cape Neddick. Perched atop Bald Head Cliff overlooking the ocean and stretching across 70 acres, the Cliff House has welcomed travelers since 1872. Newly re-designed guest rooms, suites and a classic New England Cottage entice escape-seeking travelers.

Meander up the coast along U.S.1 taking in the views of iconic lighthouses, fishing villages, bays dotted with sailboats, offshore islands and rock-strewn beaches. Along the way feast on lobster (what else?), meaty oysters, yummy New England Clam Chowder and sweet blueberries.

In Portland’s historic Old Port district boutiques filled with distinctive gifts, clothing and souvenirs dot the cobbled streets. Be sure to drive out to the Portland Head Light. Built in 1791, the country’s oldest lighthouse is also the most photographed.

Home to the famed Farnsworth Art Museum, housing 15,000 works of art including many by the Wyeth family, Rockland makes an ideal mid-coast stop. Nearby, Camden attracts numerous windjammers often anchored in the harbor providing postcard-perfect photo ops.

At the northern end of the coast, the glacier-scoured granite peaks, woodlands and rocky beaches of Acadia National Park offer ample opportunities for adventure. Keep an eye out for the locals: moose, bear, whales and seabirds.

Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip: North Carolina to Virginia

Winding 469 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway stands out among American road trips.  The history of the land is revealed in its split rail fences, weathered structures and old farmsteads. Overlooks offer magical views of majestic mountains and deep ravines.

Located at Milepost 316, Linville Falls is a lovely spot for a hike and a picnic. The Linville River cascades from its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain nearly 2,000 feet into a spectacular rugged gorge and the mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge offers an exhilarating—if somewhat terrifying—walk across the sky. Plan to end your driving day close to sunset and you will be treated to a multichromatic sky hovering above the peaks.

Bed down in luxury at Primland—an eco-conscious resort in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Southern comfort meets refinement with 51 rustically elegant suites, cottages and storybook tree houses. Be sure to work in some stargazing before bedtime at the resort’s Observatory Dome where a powerful telescope will unveil millions of stars easily viewed from the prime mountaintop setting.

Florida’s Coast: St. Augustine to Palm Beach

The 250 mile stretch between St. Augustine and Palm Beach delivers an eclectic combination of old-world charm, nature, aerospace, surf and sunshine. Hugging the eastern seaboard from top to bottom, the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway serves up a visual smorgasbord of fish shacks, colorful beach houses, cinnamon-sugar sands and the ever-moving waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

In St. Augustine, explore the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the continental US. Revel in the Spanish-inspired architecture as you stroll cobblestone streets lined with boutiques, eateries and art galleries.

In New Smyrna Beach, hike the sand dunes along a two-mile elevated boardwalk in the 73-acre Smyrna Dunes Park. Surround yourself with rockets at the Kennedy Space Center. Test your surfing skills at Cocoa Beach—the east coast surfing capital. Take a break from the sunshine at The J. M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art in Vero Beach featuring 19^th– and 20^th-century works. In Jupiter, work on your golf game on courses frequented by the game’s legends. Or, take to the water by kayak, paddleboard or boat.

In Palm Beach, stroll Worth Avenue to discover luxury boutiques, world-class galleries and acclaimed dining intertwined with glitzy estates. Cocoon in luxury at The Breakers—a Palm Beach classic with stellar oceanfront vistas.

Utah: Meandering through Five National Parks

With five national parks scattered across the state, a road trip through Utah yields unsurpassed scenic views. Located in the state’s southwest corner, Zion National Park’s road leads through tunnels carved into the mountains and around the rim of dramatic plunging canyons. Stretch your legs in Bryce Canyon National Park with a hike through its trademark orange-hued hoodoos. Continue your explorations in Utah’s south-central desert at Capitol Reef National Park. Known for its white sandstone domes, the park also surrounds a geological wrinkle in the earth.

Scenic Byway 12 uncovers more magnificent landscapes as you make your way to Arches National Park. Here you’ll find delicate archways joined by fields of spires, pinnacles, domes and gravity-defying balanced rocks await. Nearby, Canyonlands National Park boasts 527 square miles of colorful landscape carved by the Colorado River. Drive the 34-mile loop drive through Island in the Sky for a sampling of the park’s wonders.

Overnight in Moab at the Sorrel River Ranch—an exclusive 240-acre riverside oasis. Rustic-chic accommodations range from studios to a private Ranch House Estate. With farm-to-table dining, horseback riding and revitalizing spa treatments on hand, Sorrel River Ranch offers an ideal road trip break.

New Mexico Scenic Byways: Santa Fe to Taos

Centered around a historic plaza and dotted with adobe dwellings, the eclectic town of Santa Fe attracts artists, foodies and anyone seeking an enriched relaxing escape from the ordinary. The home of American artist, Georgia O’Keeffe, in her final years of life, a namesake museum houses many of her extraordinary works. Nearby, the historic 19^th-century Loretto Chapel’s legendary staircase continues to mystify the masses who visit.

An ideal place to begin and end your northern New Mexico explorations, The Inn and Spa at Loretto effortlessly blends old-world charm with luxe splendor. Situated in the spectacular Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the end of the historic Old Santa Fe Trail, the inn boasts 136 guest rooms decorated in an elegant New Mexico style that’s based on the traditional patterns, textures, and colors of the region’s Pueblo Indians.

Home to 25 scenic byways, no matter where you roam in New Mexico stunning vistas of the diverse landscapes and mysteries unfold. As you travel along the High Road to Taos Scenic Byway, Old Spain surrounds you in the ancient architecture, historic chapels and fascinating topography. On N.M. 76, the byway traverses a landscaped dotted with scrubby pinion and juniper and crinkled badlands set against the dramatic backdrop of the Jemez Mountains.

In Taos, carve out time to explore the Taos Pueblo. Inhabited for more than 1,000 years, this UNESCO World Heritage Site remains a living Native American community with an estimated 150 people still residing within its adobe walls.

California’s Pacific Coast Highway: From Santa Barbara to San Francisco

There’s a reason the automotive industry films so many commercials on California’s Pacific Coast Highway. The iconic stretch of this picture-perfect coastal road between Los Angeles and San Francisco showcases epic views at every turn. A sample platter of road trips, the PCH serves up blufftop viewpoints, laid-back coastal towns, verdant farmland, charming lighthouses and the always crashing waves along the shoreline.

Start exploring on the central California coast in Santa Barbara. Here, white stucco Mediterranean-style dwellings crowned with red-tile roofs reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage. A walk down chic State Street yields views of the Santa Ynez Mountains on one side. Turn your head the other way, and you’ll see the Pacific Ocean on the other. On a hilltop nearby, the 18th-century Old Mission Santa Barbara houses Franciscan friars and several lovely gardens.  Overnight in luxury at Santa Barbara’s ultimate hideaway, Belmond El Encanto, where 92 bungalow-style suites and guest rooms unveil sweeping views of downtown and the coast.

Continuing along the spectacular PCH, the surfers’ paradise, Big Sur, with its iconic Bixby Bridge, elevates photo ops to new heights. Detour off the highway at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park to Pfeiffer Beach. The inspiration for the steamy beach scene in From Here to Eternity. Monterey’s 17-mile drive brings you through Carmel By the Sea, Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove. For Steinbeck fans, a stop in Monterey takes you to Cannery Row. With San Francisco as your final stop, the world will be your oyster!