Fun, fresh vacation ideas right here! Discover some of the best road trip ideas for this year.
It’s time to pack up the car, roll down the windows and feel that sense of adventure again. These road trip ideas are easy to do over a long weekend or stretched out over the course of a week. Either way, you’ll be counting down the days until vacation once you’ve got one of these fun routes scheduled on your calendar.
Wild West Road Trip Idea
Where: Cochise County, Arizona
Why go: This southeastern corner of the state is definitely wild-west territory – it’s packed with ghost towns and kitschy roadside stops that’ll give you plenty to talk about when you get back home.
Itinerary: Start your journey in Tucson and drive one hour to Benson, where you can go underground at Kartchner Caverns State Park. Then continue to Tombstone to check out OK Corral – it’s where the famous cowboy shootout with Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp went down. Next go to Sierra Vista, the hummingbird capital of the United States. You can help scientists capture, tag, and release those tiny beauties. From there visit Bisbee, a mining camp turned artist community with the world’s smallest bar (4 seats!) and an entire street frozen in the 1950s. End the trip in Willcox, one of two wine-growing regions in Arizona where sipping syrah all day is a perfectly fine plan.
When to go: Anytime but summer – it’s the desert after all.
Learn more: Get more details about taking a Cochise County road trip.
Sweet-and-Salty Southern Road Trip Idea
Where: Eastern Georgia
Why go: Atlanta and Savannah get all the press. But the Peach state has so much more to offer, from mountain getaways to lake resorts to serene sea islands. Can’t narrow it down? Don’t! Sample it all with a road trip down Georgia’s eastern border.
Itinerary: First stop is Dahlonega, an adorable town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the heart of Georgia’s wine country. After a day of hiking and panning for gold in the river, sip a glass of vino at one of the 12 tasting rooms before heading back to your inn. Travel further south to Lake Oconee, where you can rent a jet ski or standup paddleboard for a little lake recreation. Then reward yourself with a slice of buttermilk pie at a café in nearby Greensboro. End your trip on Jekyll Island, where the air is salty, the bike riding is easy and the beaches are dotted with driftwood.
When to go: Visit in late spring to early summer.
Learn more: Want to visit in autumn? Here are three Georgia road trip ideas to do in the fall.
Horse Country Road Trip Idea
Where: Louisville to Lexington, Kentucky
Why go: There’s no better way to soak up the peaceful scenery in Kentucky than on a road trip. The driving is easy and the rolling green hills and horse farms are beautiful. And, there’s always a place to stop for fried chicken or bourbon (it’s especially yummy in a shake!).
Itinerary: Launch from Louisville, where you can visit two of the city’s hands-on museums. At the Kentucky Derby Museum, straddle a mechanical horse and feel what it’s like to be a jockey. You can also act as the fast-talking race announcer and see over-the-top hats worn by celebs. At the Louisville Slugger Museum, swing bats that are exact replicas of the ones baseball legends like Babe Ruth used. Continue on toward Lexington, hiking at Mammoth Cave National Park, sipping bourbon at Maker’s Mark Distillery, and stopping to feed and pet kangaroos along the way.
When to go: Spring, summer or fall would be a fun time to do this trip. If you can though, schedule it for April and May when there’s live horse racing at the tracks in Louisville and Lexington.
Learn more: Discover all the fun things to do in Kentucky. Already sounds great? Then buy the 100%-done-for-you itinerary and go!
Offbeat Artsy Road Trip Idea
Where: Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada
Why go: Who says you need to be inside a stuffy museum to see great art? Spy all kinds of self-expression from weird to deeply moving on the Free-Range Art Highway, a 475-mile drive from Las Vegas to Reno on U.S. 95.
Itinerary: Your first stop is in Beatty, where you can see seven massive sculptures at an open-air museum. One of them is a haunting version of “The Last Supper.” You’ll also spot wild burros, especially if you’re roaming around the ghost town of nearby Rhyolite. Continue on to Goldfield to make your mark on the stacked, abandoned and spray-painted vehicles at the International Car Forest – it’s BYOP (bring your own paint). Overnight at a freaky clown motel (or not!) before continuing on to Reno, home to more than 120 murals.
When to go: Spring, fall or winter is best – summertime will be deadly hot!
Learn more: Get more details about going on a road trip down the Free-Range Art Highway.
Foodie Road Trip Idea
Where: Anthony Bourdain Food Trail, New Jersey
Why go: A lot of people are passionate about food, but celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain took it to a whole other level. He roamed near and far to find and tout the best eats ever.
Itinerary: To pay homage to its native son, New Jersey recently created a food trail that highlights 10 spots in the state featured on Bourdain’s TV show. Savor fresh-from-the ocean oysters, crave-worthy cheesesteaks and old-school Italian dishes. The route goes from the seashore to gritty Camden on a journey that includes lighthouses, battleships and casinos.
When to go: Is there a bad time to eat? Nah, but summer by the East Coast shore is lovely.
Learn more: Get the food trail map and details.
Outdoor Adventure Road Trip Idea
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada to Zion National Park, Utah
Why go: There are 63 national parks in the United States and Zion is at the top of everyone’s bucket list. It’s just as gorgeous as you’d expect: red-rock cliffs, waterfalls, juniper-scented air, and blue skies 255 days of the year.
Itinerary: The best way to experience the park and Utah’s stunning red-rock country is on a road trip that hits up the surrounding state parks too. They’re just as incredible as Zion but far less crowded. Plus, you can do a bunch of fun activities at state parks that you can’t at Zion: sand sledding at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, off-roading at Sand Hollow, and climbing into lava tubes, squeezing into slot canyons, and seeing ancient petroglyphs at Snow Canyon.
When to go: Zion is super crowded in the summer. The next most popular time is spring break. So if you want to avoid crowds (and energy-zapping heat), go in late spring and early fall.
Learn more: Get all the deets on the best things to do on a road trip from Las Vegas to Zion. Already onboard? Then buy the 100%-done-for-you itinerary and go!
Happy travels,
P.S. I’ve got even more road trip ideas and vacation itineraries for you.
