The Open Road: 50 Best Road Trips in the USA

by Jessica Dunham

Overview

"Picture yourself behind the wheel, elbow, hooked over the open window, favorite song blaring, the endless horizon unfurling ahead of you. Get ready for an unforgettable journey"--

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640499836
Publisher:	Avalon Publishing
Publication date:	10/03/2023
Series:	Travel Guide
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	736
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Jessica Dunham lives in Phoenix with her husband and two spunky dogs, but inherited a family summer home on Lake Champlain in Vermont. This seemed heavenly to her, until she tried to imagine getting there from halfway across the country. Then it required some effort and a little imagination. The only way to transport the herd from one place to another was to pile into a Jeep and drive.


On these drives, she came to appreciate the spontaneity a road trip provides, pulling over for a fruit stand or stopping to take pictures at a scenic overlook, as well as the sense of discovery. This is how she first encountered Route 66. It's also how she explored the Finger Lakes of upstate New York, followed the prairielands of Nebraska, dipped into the cornfields of Indiana, carved through Kentucky (with a stop at a distillery or two), and drove the Ozarks of Arkansas.


Formerly a travel guide editor at Madden Media, Jessica is now a freelance travel writer. She is also the author of Moon Route 66 Road Trip. Her writing has been featured in PHOENIX magazine, Valley Guide, Phoenix Travel Guide, Arizona Visitor's Guide, Midwest Living, Phoenix New Times, Modern Luxury, Annapolis Visitors Guide, Connecticut Visitors Guide, Runner's World, Jane, Discover South Carolina, and more.

Table of Contents

Hit the Road 7

Top 10 Experiences 8

Best Views 16

Best Coastal Drives 18

Best Foodie Adventures 20

Best Glimpses of Americana 22

Best for Kids 24

Best for Outdoor Explorers 26

Best on Two Wheels 28

Cross-Country Routes 31

The Loneliest Road (US-50) 36

Route 66 60

Oregon Trail 78

California 103

Best of the Golden State 108

Pacific Coast Highway: California 124

Pacific Crest Trail: California 140

Northern California Loop 156

Southern California and Route 66 Loop 178

California Deserts 194

Gold Country Ramble 202

Pacific Northwest 211

Best of the Pacific Northwest 216

Pacific Coast Highway: Washington and Oregon 236

Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon and Washington 250

Columbia River Gorge and Wine Country 264

High Adventure in Bend 274

The Southwest and Texas 283

Best of the Southwest 288

Santa Fe, Taos, and the Enchanted Circle 304

The Apache Trail 312

Reno to the Rubies 318

Salt Lake City, Park City, and the Wasatch Range 328

Austin, San Antonio, and the Hill Country 336

West Texas and Big Bend National Park 346

Rocky Mountains 355

Yellowstone to Glacier National Park 360

Wild Wyoming: Cowboys, Hot Springs, and Wide-Open Spaces 378

Denver, Boulder, and Rocky Mountain National Park 388

Idaho's Rivers and Mountains: Boise to Coeur d'Alene 396

Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills 404

Great Lakes 415

Minneapolis to Voyageurs National Park 420

Michigan's Upper Peninsula: The Charming East 430

Michigan's Upper Peninsula: The Wild West 440

Michigan's Gold Coast 450

Wisconsin's Door County 460

New England, New York, and Pennsylvania 471

Best of New England 476

The Appalachian Trail 494

Lake Champlain Scenic Byway 510

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Pennsylvania Dutch Country 518

Adirondacks and Catskills 530

Hudson River Valley 540

The Jersey Share 548

The South and Florida 557

Blue Ridge Parkway 562

The Natchez Trace: Nashville to New Orleans 582

Charleston to Savannah 600

Chesapeake Bay 612

North Carolina's Outer Banks 620

Kentucky's Bourban Trail 628

South Florida and the Keys 638

Alaska and Hawai'i 659

Alaska's Parks Highway 664

The Kenai Peninsula 674

O'ahu Coastal Loop 688

Road to Hana 698

Essentials 706

Resources 720

Index 722

List of Maps 729

Photo Credits 731

Text Credits 732

Acknowledgments 734

Editorial Reviews

"Moon handbooks are always a pleasure to read. The writing is crisp, the research impressive, and the recommendations practical and down to earth."—Chicago Tribune

“The books are more easily readable than other guides. The main attractions are also marked with a special icon and sidebars and boxes highlight special information, making the Moon handbooks one of the most user-friendly guides in terms of visual appeal and organization…the quality is uniformly excellent."—Transitions Abroad

"Far from narrow minded, each Moon travel guide gives itinerary options for a variety of travelers’ budgets—from frugal to lavish. They make books catering to those who love the outdoors, those who have limited time, those staying exclusively in cities and those who’ve fully committed to living abroad. In all, they have hundreds of titles, ranging Bermuda to Budapest, that’ll teach you to embrace a new culture."—Gear Patrol, “The Best Travel Guidebooks for Every Journey”

"Moon handbooks have become known as well-written and exceptionally informative guides."—The New York Times

"Moon guides are perfect for the relaxed road tripper or outdoor explorer."—No Small Plan

"Moon handbooks are known for cannily combining logistical information with cultural background of a country or state."—Los Angeles Times

From the Publisher