America’s Three Most Scenic Roadways
Summer is starting, and that means the time for car journeys is here. You can stick to your typical path, which the family has driven on and committed to memory for years now, or you can find new routes. Awe-inspiring highways can offer new attractions, historical spots, entry to bold hikes, natural beauty and old towns. Here are three of the most favorite breathtaking highways in America where you and your family can create new and lasting memories.
1. Highway 12 in Utah begins close to Bryce Canyon National Park and ends close to the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. Apart from being a connecting road between two wonderful national parks, Highway 12 is an great option to see some of the greatest and grandest attractions of southern Utah. As the road curves through the desert area of southern Utah, travelers will be taken aback by the rock formations and the ever different colors of the sand and stone. Along Highway 12, you will be close by Escalante Petrified Forest State Park where you can check out petrified logs, dinosaur bones and marine fossils. When you get next to Capitol Reef National Park the desert slowly begins growing and before you know it you are driving through the abundant Dixie National Forest. At the road’s end you will be near Capitol Reef National Park with unbounded possibilities for experiencing mind-boggling rock formations, spectacular mountain views and even some lakes and streams.
2. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina/Virginia- This 469 mile parkway is a dream come true for road trip fanatics. One of the best picturesque drives in the United States, the Blue Ridge Parkway supplies drivers and passengers amazing view points of the surrounding Appalachian Mountains and their innumerable forests and wildflowers. The parkway connects two national parks, Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In between the two parks lie many excellent points of interest: campgrounds, hiking paths, national monuments, museums, wildlife, and little visitor towns. Take your time on this drive, stay the nights in neighborhood family camping spots and make use of the historical areas on the way. Whether spring, summer, fall or winter, the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway is truly worth a slow drive.
3. Pacific Coast Highway 1, California- When imagining car journeys and California it is natural to think of the well-known Pacific Coast Highway. The Pacific Coast Highway runs along nearly all the coastline of California and is a terrific road trip for families with young children. One of the things that make driving on the Pacific Coast Highway so great is that there are so many attractions, towns, and cities that allows for entertaining breaks for the children. The city of Santa Barbara for example provides plenty of wonderful parks for the children to engage in, shopping for anyone, and historical memorials to remember the blended Spanish and Mexican roots of California. If shops and parks aren’t your thing, there is always Ostrich Land where you can feed the large, impressive feathered beasts…watch their feet, they do kick. Another popular traveler attraction on the Pacific Coast Highway is the Hearst Castle. Created in the image of a high quality European castle, the Hearst Castle is a incredible family place that will awe parents and captivate children with a treasure hunt. So, in addition to purely divine coastline and huge waves, the Pacific Coast Highway is one of America’s most popular places because it features attractions that everyone in the family can take pleasure in.
Aaron Garcia is a vacation enthusiast who has visited nearly all 50 states. He loves to stay at family campgrounds thanks to the enjoyable atmosphere and clean facilities. He has vacationed in everything from camping tents to recreational vehicles, to vacation rentals.
