Are you looking to hit the open road more often in 2021? Do you enjoy hopping in the car with your friends/family and cruising to different destinations? If so, then you need to look up the best road trips to take for the upcoming year.
Doing so can help you find the most fulfillment in your love of the road. Not only will the trips be more enjoyable, but they’ll also be more rewarding at the end of the line.
See below for an in-depth guide highlighting the best places to road trip for you and your friends. Be sure to put them all on your list!
1. Grand Canyon
What better excuse to plan a road trip than one that ends with one of the seven wonders of the world? Ask anyone that’s been to the Grand Canyon, and they’ll tell you it is a must-have destination on both your road trip and bucket list.
No matter where you’re from, the route to the Grand Canyon is one of the most unique in the entire world.
Your jaw will drop as soon as you enter the state of Arizona, a state unlike any other in the USA. However, you will want to make one last rest stop before entering to fill up on gas, Arizona’s rest stops and exits are few and far between.
If you’re coming from the east, you’ll see vastly different terrains during your road trip such as the plains of Texas, the other-worldly vibe of New Mexico, and the desolate lands of Arizona.
Take Route 66 for a road trip experience you’ve never experienced. One of the oldest and longest routes in the USA awaits you!
2. Outer Banks
Many road trippers want their excursions to end at a beach. Somewhere that they can hop out of the car, grab some grub, and reminisce about the long journey that they just took.
If that’s your idea of a dream road trip, then you have to check out the Outer Banks in North Carolina. This long strand of land is home to some of the most incredible beaches in all of America.
Better yet, the beaches are dog-friendly, so you can travel with your furry friend and not have to make other plans for him once you get to the beach. Simply keep them on their collar and you’ll be good to go!
There’s plenty of stops for you to enjoy once you get there such as the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Jennette’s Pier, and all the touristy surf shops that you can ask for!
If you’re hungry, grab a bite to eat at the Lost Colony Brewery and Cafe located in the amazing and historic downtown Manteo.
3. Colorado Springs
Who doesn’t love mountains? If you take the road to Colorado Springs, your trip will conclude with some of the most jaw-dropping goliath mountains all around you.
You’ll find it difficult to breathe due to both the high altitude and the inexplicable sights and colors all around you. The colors of the mountains seem to change with the time of day.
You can conclude your road trip at the Garden of the Gods, hope to some of the strangest natural figures in the world.
The view is bizarre, it’s beautiful, and it will cause you to have an introspective moment or two. A perfect wake-up call on your life before making the trip back home.
The trip to get to Colorado is the classic American road trip. It’s comprised of flat surfaces, prairie fields, and farmland for hours leading up to the Rocky Mountains, the backbone of North America.
Be sure to grab all of your road trip essentials and head on over to Colorado Springs, home to a million things to do, and even more sights to see!
4. Interstate 75
Perhaps you justify your road trips by finding the routes with the most cities on them. If that’s the case, then you won’t find much a much better path to take that interstate 75, which features paths to over 30 household city names.
If you head south and take it all the way, you’ll wind up in the tropical paradise of Miami Lakes. You can hit major cities like Tampa, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Richmond, Cincinnati, and even Detroit depending on how far north you’re traveling from.
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to complete this road trip. While Atlanta is amazing to see, it’s one of the most heavily-populated American cities, meaning the traffic is horrible during the day. You’ll want to make plans to stay there for a day or so.
5. Icefields Parkway
This last road trip on the list takes you to the great Canadian province of Alberta. Home of the awe-inspiring Icefields Parkway.
The trip itself takes you through two national parks (Banff National Park and Jasper National Park) and allows you a plethora of places to go hiking. The hiking is where you’ll gain perspective on your life and the role we all play in the world.
Icefield Parkway’s sights and sounds are unlike any other that you’ll take in America unless you’ve taken a road trip to Alaska. Give yourself a few weeks to complete this trip to fully admire the beauty that this route can offer you.
Book the Best Road Trips in Your Plans Next Year
Now that you’ve seen an in-depth guide to the best road trips, it’s time to put a few on the docket for the upcoming year.
Be sure to consider both yourself and the people you’re going with. Where have they traveled before? Which one of these trips can offer something none of you have seen before?
Make sure to browse our website for several different articles on road trips, as well as many other topics that you’ll enjoy.