ROAD TRIPS OF AMERICA Introduction The American Road—written about in books and poems, sung about in songs, and immortalized on film. It’s a symbol of freedom—a way to somewhere else… anywhere else. It’s no wonder, then, that each year all over the U.S., families, friends, and even solo travelers pack up their cars and hit the road. There’s probably no better way to see the country than on a road trip—traveling down the highways at speed, with vast landscapes painting a moving picture across your windshield. In this book you’ll find guides to 15 must-do road trips in the United States. From the changing colors of tree-lined New England turnpikes to panoramic views of the Pacific Coast Highway, we’ve got you covered. Additionally, we’ll guide you through each state you’ll visit—pointing out the sights, scenes, and attractions along the way. So grab your keys and your favorite road trip junk food (yeah, it’s a thing), and get ready for the ride. NOTE: Things happen, and some of the places mentioned in this guidebook might not be available to you when you need them to be. It’s never a bad idea to call ahead or check online to make sure. Featured Road Trips Route 61: America’s Most Musical Road .................. 04 Lake Superior Coast .................................................................. 76 The Dinosaur Diamond .............................................. 14 America’s Most Picturesque Cold Weather Routes .................86 Florida’s Presidential Campaign Trail ....................... 22 Best Drives in the U.S. National Parks .....................................95 Beartooth Highway .................................................... 32 Florida Keys’ Overseas Highway ............................................103 California’s Lost Coast ............................................... 41 U.S. Route 1 .............................................................................110 New England’s Best Fall Foliage Drive ...................... 49 U.S. Route 50 the “Loneliest Road” ........................................119 America’s Top 5 Most Haunted Roads ..................... 57 Journey Through Time Along Utah’s State Route 12 ............127 Los Angeles to Houston on Interstate 10 ................. 67 Road Trips by State Alabama .................135 Illinois ......................248 Missouri ................... 323 Oregon ...................... 412 West Virginia ..........496 Alaska .....................144 Indiana ....................255 Montana .................. 334 Pennsylvania ............ 417 Wisconsin ...............500 Arizona ....................156 Iowa ........................260 Nebraska ................. 340 Rhode Island ............. 423 Wyoming .................510 Arkansas .................163 Kansas ....................265 Nevada ..................... 348 South Carolina .......... 428 California ................171 Kentucky .................274 New Hampshire ....... 359 South Dakota ............ 434 Colorado .................183 Louisiana ................278 New Jersey .............. 363 Tennessee ................ 440 Connecticut ............194 Maine ......................284 New Mexico ............. 371 Texas......................... 450 Delaware .................203 Maryland .................289 New York ................. 379 Utah ........................... 461 Florida .....................208 Massachusetts .......294 North Carolina ......... 385 Vermont .................... 471 Georgia ...................215 Michigan .................300 North Dakota ........... 391 Virgina ....................... 477 Hawaii .....................221 Minnesota ...............306 Ohio .......................... 395 Washington .............. 481 Idaho .......................241 Mississippi .............311 Oklahoma ................ 401 Washington D.C. ....... 491 Introduction Route 61: America’s Most Musical 1Road Route 61: With the tomb of a king, a deal with the devil, and the America’s start of World War III in its rear view mirror, it’s no Most Musical wonder U.S. Route 61 is called the Road Blues Highway. Of course, there’s a more literal translation for the nickname: The road marks the path many blues musicians took when traveling from the Mississippi Delta up to northern strongholds like Chicago and Saint Paul, spreading the sounds of the first truly American musical art form. Sticking close to the Mississippi River, the road snakes down the country’s center, highlighting an area typically overshadowed by its coastal cousins. But its lesser-traveled status means that much more of the highway’s history has been preserved—not to mention its hotels, restaurants, and attractions are typically easier on the wallet. And aside from housing Elvis’ final resting Page 5 Route 61: place, the mythological crossroads where Robert Johnson signed a hellish pact for his guitar-playing skills, and the bleachers where a America’s Bob Dylan character plotted the next great world conflict, the road Most Musical includes a number of sights—and, especially, sounds—that any Road traveler, music lover or not, will enjoy. Saint Paul, MN Downtown Saint Paul framed by the High Bridge. “I met her accidentally in Saint Paul, Minnesota,” starts the ballad Big River, in which Johnny Cash bemoans his failed attempt to track an elusive love interest down the Mississippi. Fittingly, the city also marks the start of U.S. Route 61. As the state capital, Saint Paul has plenty to offer travelers kicking off their journey down the fabled road, including a zoo, a conservatory, an amusement park, and a number of museums. The State Capitol building itself is renowned for its architectural beauty, and for those who can’t afford a trip to Rome, the Cathedral of Saint Paul—a replica of the Italian city’s St. Peter’s Basilica—is also conveniently located in town. Page 6 Route 61: If you’re more of a literary type, the house F. Scott Fitzgerald finished his first novel in—a gorgeous New York-style row home America’s called Summit Terrace—can be found on Summit Avenue, a Most Musical walkable neighborhood filled with beautiful historic estates. Road And of course, there are a number of performance spaces, included on this list of best places to hear the blues in the Twin Cities. Afterwards, contemplate your experience at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area before getting in your car and following the body of water down south. St. Louis, MO You’ll pass some moderately-sized cities as you continue down Route 61, but keep your eyes on the prize: St. Louis is where the first known song mentioning the highway was recorded by blues group The Sparks Brothers. It’s only fitting, then, that the city is home to theNational Blues Museum—and plenty of good live music venues showcasing the genre. But that’s not nearly the only show in town. Page 7 Route 61: Famous for its baseball obsession, no trip to the Midwestern locale can be complete without seeing the home of the Cardinals, Busch America’s Stadium—or the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, which also calls the Most Musical city home. Road St. Louis also features a zoo, its own Walk of Fame, a huge number of parks and museums, and a number of architectural anomalies like the Eads Bridge, built in 1874, or the 1929-commissioned Chain of Rocks Bridge, which includes an eye-bending 30-degree turn in the middle. Other structures of note in the town include the boyhood home of ragtime piano virtuoso Scott Joplin, and one more tiny addition: the 630-foot tall St. Louis Arch, considered the Gateway to the West, which tourists can ride to the top of to look out upon the great American frontier. Memphis, TN Just four hours south of St. Louis is perhaps the mecca of Mississippi blues towns: Memphis. The city played a crucial role in blues history as the home of Sun Studio, which has seen such legends as B.B. King, Page 8 Route 61: Elvis Presley, Howlin’ Wolf, Junior Parker, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis—to name just a few—grace its microphones. It’s America’s a must-see for any music lover traveling Highway 61. Most Musical Follow that experience with trips to the Stax Museum of American Road Soul Music and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum to trace the beginnings of such artists and their sounds, or see the last resting place of one of them: the famous Graceland Mansion that Elvis called home. If you’re more of a locaphile, check out the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, which honors musicians hailing from the town. Unfortunately, Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel is now closed, so if you’re feeling lonely in the city, you’ll have to look elsewhere to cheer yourself up, like one of the area’s many parks, museums, and gardens—or its famous pyramid. New Orleans Highway 61 may terminate, but your fun doesn’t have to. If you follow the road to the end, you’ll wrap up your journey in a city known worldwide for its musical prowess. Page 9 Route 61: With a casual walk down Bourbon Street or throughout the famous French Quarter, you can hear blues, jazz, and zydeco—the famous America’s bayou mashup of musical influences—wafting out of nearly Most Musical any door. Road The city plays host each year to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, featuring a number of stages with live performances of the genres, and is home all year long to an array of celebrated blues clubs. That goes without mentioning the town’s rich and varied history, which brings to it a battery of museums, historical houses, and haunted tours. (Where else can say not just one but two local cemeteries are frequented by tourists?) And if all those