8 Amazing Family Road Trips in the USA

A family road trip is a fantastic alternative to getting on a plane and jetting away somewhere exotic. Especially in these times when there are more concerns about long-distance travel than ever. So, here are a few amazing family road trips in the USA your family will love.

 

 

8 Amazing Family Road Trips in the USA

 

Seward Highway

Getting on a plane to go on a road trip might seem like a bit much.  But the Seward Highway, stretching 127 miles from Anchorage to Seward is well worth the trip. Nowhere else will you find a road trip with zero, yes really, zero billboards. Just gorgeous mountains, fjords, whales, and waterfalls. You could complete the entire drive in just a few hours if you really wanted to. But many will stretch it out to be a long weekend with stops for whale watching at Beluga Point, bird watching in Potter Marsh, and the amazing little town of Hope. It might be remote but it is the most remarkable stretch of road you will find anywhere in the United States.

 

Pacific Coast Hwy

If Alaska is a bit too far to go then you might consider the Pacific Coast Highway instead. The trip can be broken up into a number of sections with a ton of options for interesting detours. The whole trip stretches from San Diego all the way up to Seattle if you want to do it all. As you drive north you’ll pass amazing highlights including Disneyland, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Redwoods National Park, the amazing Oregon Coast, and Olympic National Park just to name a few. How long you end up on this road trip is entirely up to you. Do a section in a weekend or spend months slowly making your way up the coast, the choice is yours.

 

 

Utah Scenic Byway Highway 12

The Utah Scenic Byway Highway 12 has been voted the second most beautiful highway in the world. When you think of the wild American west, you are thinking about this region of Utah. It begins in Torrey, Utah takes you through Capitol Reef National Park, Lower Calf Creek Falls, the Escalante Natural Bridge, and finishes at Bryce Canyon. It is an amazing trip, though I recommend not doing it in summer as the summer heat can get quite brutal.

 

National Park Grand Circle

Take a loop around the wild west through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Along the way, you can stop off in more than 6 different national parks and monuments.  There are also a ton of other amazing places that haven’t been nationally recognized but are still amazing. There is no formalized route for this road trip and in fact, if you go online you’ll find that just about every website that talks about it suggests a different route. My advice? Make a list of all the stops and decide which ones your family will like best! Zion Canyon is gorgeous, but after seeing Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon, will you want to see ANOTHER canyon? Maybe yes, maybe no.

 

Historic Route 66

The historic Route 66 is an iconic road trip.  It is known around the world as the quintessential American road trip and an amazing family road trip. They aren’t wrong either! Route 66 is a trip down memory lane, even for those of us who aren’t old enough to remember the 50s and 60s. The route itself stretches from Southern California all the way to Chicago. Along the way, you can spot iconic Americana, ghost towns, and gorgeous scenery.

 

 

Vermont Route 100

Unless you live near Vermont chances are you’ve not heard about Vermont Route 100, it is a fantastic trip! It takes you along Vermont’s longest state highway through the breath-taking Green Mountains with charming little New England villages to stop in along the way. The route will take about 5 days to complete and along the way, you’ll find some amazing spots to swim, some of the best old-time style diners in the country, and a stop at the home of Ben & Jerry’s. This is a great trip to take no matter the season, though if you don’t fancy driving through the snow I advise against going between late Fall and early Spring. The area does have great skiing opportunities though.

 

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of America’s finest road trips. It stretches from Rockfish Gap, Virginia, and goes all the way to Cherokee, North Carolina. If you wanted to drive straight through it would only take a day of driving to complete the entire trip, but where’s the fun in that?! Instead, take a week to travel the distance and stop to see national parks, go on hikes, and enjoy everything else that this scenic part of the country has to offer. But, if you’re hoping to get away from people on this road trip you might want to look elsewhere. The Blue Ridge Parkway is nearly always the most visited spot in the National Park system, even more, popular than Yosemite and Yellowstone!

 

Florida

The Florida Keys may be the best-known road trip in Florida, but I do have another suggestion for you, one that takes you from Cape Canaveral and the Space Coast to Sanibel Island and might just be one of the best options in the United States. This trip isn’t what you would traditionally think of when you think of great American family road trips, but it is a fantastic trip nonetheless. In fact, it doesn’t even have a name! Start at Cape Canaveral where you can visit Nasa and enjoy the wonders of the American space program. Then make a couple of stops for theme parks, namely Disneyworld and Universal Orlando. After you’ve had a couple of days playing in parks head to the white sandy beaches of Sarasota where it will feel like you’ve been transported to another country. Continue on to Myakka River State Park where you can see some amazing wildlife, including the Roseate Spoonbill who is pink! Finally, end your trip at Sanibel Island where you’ll be able to see even more unique wildlife.

 

 

Other Family Travel Related Topics

If family road trips aren’t really your thing then maybe these articles will fit your family better.

Why National Parks are Great Destinations for Kids

Plan a Family-Friendly Trip Abroad