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Road Trips to Fit Every Personality

Whether you love nature, history or just driving the open road, we have the perfect trek for you


spinner image Road with white car on it, surrounded by mountains; sign that says bear and mountain lion country, special regulations apply, check with ranger
Big Bend National Park in Texas offers spectacular views — even from your car.
Kav Dadfar/eStock Photo

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?

 

spinner image People riding horses on beach
Corpus Christi, Texas, is renowned for its many beaches, including Padre Island.
Nick de la Torre/Getty Images

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.”

 

spinner image Hot air balloons over Bryce Canyon's hoodoos
Take in the beauty of Bryce Canyon via hot air balloon.
Getty Images

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.

Experience Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos, thin spires that look straight from a fairy tale. Capitol Reef displays a trove of cliffs, domes and more canyons.

You’ll discover the highest concentration of natural stone arches anywhere in Arches National Park. Nearby is the expansive Canyonlands, with four distinct regions and hundreds of hiking trails.

Award-winning nature photographer Stan Ford, 70, owner of Fotos by Ford, considers Arches the top spot in the area to visit. “It is defined by the detail and texture of the rocks and the brilliance of the light reflecting on them. You also can’t beat it for brilliant night skies.”

Fuel up: Cool off with a milkshake from the old-fashioned soda fountain at Kanab Drug, which also serves up its “ultimate” series of fancy sundae concoctions. Stop by the Peekaboo Canyon Wood-Fired Grill, named after nearby Peekaboo Slot Canyon, with a spectacular trail that winds through a tall, narrow red-stone canyon. “I think we all believe the beauty of this area is its most valuable resource,” says Silva Battista, the restaurant’s co-owner. “It’s irreplaceable.”

Visitor view: “Visiting Utah is like stepping back in time,” says Barry Williams, 50, cofounder of Hiking My Feelings, a nonprofit dedicated to improving mental health through nature. “You’ll find petroglyphs, pictographs from the Indigenous people, and discover a landscape that’s taken thousands of years to create.”

 

spinner image Several plates of food and glass of red wine on table
There are more than 30 wineries in Chelan, Washington, including Siren Song Vineyard, where patrons can grab a bite to eat.
Siren Song Vineyard

The foodie

Who doesn’t want great meals on a vacation? But this traveler takes it to the next level, building trips specifically to explore a region's unique cuisine.

The journey: Farm to Table in Washington State (405 miles)

The route: Bellingham, Skagit Valley, Methow Valley, Chelan, Leavenworth

Top stops: Mallard Ice Cream in Bellingham serves artisan flavors, including rose, cardamom, turmeric and brown butter miso.

A must stop for oyster lovers is the Skagit Valley’s Taylor Shellfish Farms, a fifth-generation business. From there, follow the Bow-Edison Food Trail, which links 18 artisan farms and food and spirits outlets.

Bellingham boasts 17 craft breweries, while the Chelan area has more than 30 wineries. Find honey and orchard fruits at the Methow Valley Farmers Market.

Savor fresh fruit, cheese, cider and more at Wenatchee’s Pybus Public Market and handcrafted chocolates at Schocolat in the Bavarian village of Leavenworth.

Soak in the scenery: From the flowering fruit trees of Leavenworth, Wenatchee and Lake Chelan to acres of farmland in the Methow and Skagit valleys, road trippers uncover serene, rural beauty at every turn.

 

spinner image Overhead view of lake with boats on it and houses along it
Grand Marais, Minnesota, is an arts haven and offers gorgeous views of Lake Superior.
Getty Images

The back roads wanderer

Forget the interstate. This road tripper takes joy in meandering along country roads, visiting general stores, cafés and overflowing farm stands.

The journey: Minnesota’s North Shore (110 miles)

The route: Duluth, Two Harbors, Grand Marais

Top stops: In Duluth, explore the Aerial Lift Bridge, which is raised for ships to pass, and walk along the canal. Then pick up provisions at the historic DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace for a scenic picnic at Brighton Beach Park, which offers unobstructed views of Lake Superior.

Northeast of Duluth is Two Harbors, which was once among the country’s leading sources of iron ore. Today, one of Minnesota’s oldest continuously operating city bands plays every Thursday in the summer at the bandshell in Two Harbors’ Thomas Owens Park.

Grand Marais is an arts haven on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior, with quirky restaurants and interesting shops and galleries. The town has an events calendar packed with live music and festivals.

While there, try the Angry Trout Café, a small indoor/outdoor restaurant housed in an old commercial fishing shanty. Crafters will love the North House Folk School, which offers classes and programs in blacksmithing, woodworking, bread baking and basketmaking.

Also allow some time for skipping stones and admiring the ships in the Grand Marais harbor.

Soak in the scenery: You’ll find plenty of lighthouses, agate-lined beaches, and quaint parks and villages as you travel along the shoreline.

Visitor view: “This is an area where wilderness rules and civilization is the exception,” says polar explorer and former Minnesota resident Eric Larsen, 53. “But the towns each have their own unique personalities, with great food and excellent shops.”

 

spinner image Mural of Harriet Tubman reaching out her hand on side of building
The "Take My Hand" mural of Harriet Tubman, painted by artist Michael Rosato, covers the side of the Dorchester County Visitor Center in Cambridge, Maryland.
Jonathan Newton/Getty Images

The history buff

Discovering new parts of our country’s past is the point for this traveler, who finds experiencing history deeply satisfying.

The journey: Tracking the Underground Railroad (125 miles)

The route: Cambridge, Maryland, Church Creek, Maryland, Dover, Delaware, Philadelphia

Top stops: At the Dorchester County Visitor Center in Cambridge, a mural brings the legend of Harriet Tubman to life. Visit nearby Brodess Farm, where Tubman lived and toiled, then head to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National ​Historical Park in Church Creek.

The Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage in Dover includes nine historic buildings and more than 3 million artifacts.

In Philadelphia, take a walking tour with the 1838 Black Metropolis group.

Visitor view: “It is so incredible to see written correspondence from [Underground Railroad conductor] William Still talking about how they’re getting people to freedom,” says Justina Barrett of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. “You’re literally touching the past.”

 

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