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Americans have had a long love affair with the open road. So much so that the road trip has become a favorite form of travel. But how we attack the asphalt varies; some of us burn up the pavement, while others prefer to meander. Here are journeys for five distinct road trip styles — road warrior, nature explorer, foodie, backroads wanderer and history buff. Which one best fits you?
The road warrior
This traveler finds joy in fifth gear on long stretches of highway, then pulls into town at sunset for a well-earned quaff and meal.
The journey: Ultimate Texas (1,215 miles)
The route: Dallas, Caddo Lake, Beaumont, Houston, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Marfa
Top stops: Caddo Lake, east of Dallas, features thick cypress forests draped in Spanish moss. Beaumont is the home of Spindle-top, an oil field celebrated as the site of the state’s first big discovery of “liquid gold,” in 1901. Today, visitors can wander the re-created site from those boomtown days. Thanks to its proximity to Louisiana, the area is rich in Cajun food.
Corpus Christi is renowned for its many beaches, as well as the Texas State Aquarium, one of the largest in the U.S., and a naval aviation museum aboard WWII aircraft carrier the USS Lexington. While in town, grab a bite at the only two-story A-frame Whataburger restaurant.
In San Antonio, an Alamo restoration project is underway; it will include a new museum and the re-creation of the original Alamo footprint.
Marfa, in the Big Bend region, is an art outpost surrounded by desert and rugged mountains. Before you hit the road, grab a cheese burrito from Marfa Burrito and some freshly made juice from the Aster Cafe and Bakery.
Soak in the scenery: More than 79,000 miles of roads crisscross Texas. You can enjoy twisty mountain routes, jaw-dropping grasslands and pinyon-juniper-oak woodlands.
Visitor view: “Texas is enormous, and it’s impossible to see all of it in a lifetime, much less one trip,” says Cheryl White, a lifelong Texan. “West Texas, especially, has a lot of space in between towns.”
The nature explorer
Soul rejuvenation is often the goal for this road tripper. Leave the daily grind behind and seek out pristine air, beautiful vistas and other joys of nature.
The journey: The National Parks of Utah (388 miles)
The route: Kanab, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands
Top stops: Kanab, known as “Little Hollywood,” was the setting for many Westerns and other movies, including Stagecoach, starring John Wayne, and The Greatest Story Ever Told, with Charlton Heston. Look for the white horse on Highway 89 to explore the Little Hollywood Movie Museum, which features actual film sets.
A Zion highlight is the canyon carved by the Virgin River. You can’t drive through much of Zion, so park in a lot and take a free shuttle. Explore the Narrows, a famous gorge where the canyon walls rise up a thousand feet and the river is only about 30 feet wide.
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