Summer is coming, along with our favorite summer activities. At the top of the list are road trips in the RV to get away and either relax and unwind or fill your days with fun and new adventures. Some of the best American road trip routes can be found close to home or span across the country. This blog post will explore 10 American road trips to take this summer.
East-West Road Trips
Old Highway 80
Not to be confused with the modern Interstate 80, Old United States Highway 80 starts in Tybee Island in Georgia and ends in San Diego, California. This southern route through the United States takes you through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Whether you go east or west, this route is an incredible way to explore the diverse terrain and lifestyles spanning the desert southwest, the Gulf Coast region, and the old south.
Route 66
Route 66 is the iconic Mother Road that connects Chicago, Illinois to San Bernardino, California. As the song says, it winds through St. Louis, Joplin, Missouri, and Oklahoma City before continuing on to Amarillo, Texas, Barstow, and Kingman Arizona, before ending in San Bernardino. There are kitschy old-time sights to see along the way, including the Blue Whale in Oklahoma and the Cadillac Ranch in New Mexico. You can eat a giant steak at the Big Texan in Amarillo, or visit a number of interesting locations like Delgadillo’s Snow Cap or the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona.
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail follows US-20 from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Portland, Oregon. Along the way, you will go through Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. This iconic route is full of history and is an incredible way to experience the New England States, the upper Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest.
Great Northern
Following US Highway 2 will take you from Acadia National Park in Maine all the way to Seattle, Washington. Along the way, you will travel through Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Canada, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Some experts say to travel this route in the warmer summer months, as portions can become hazardous in cold weather, if not completely impassable.
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North-South Road Trips
Atlantic Coast
Interstate 95 travels along the entire East Coast. You can do the entire route, from the Canadian border in Maine, all the way along the Eastern Seaboard to Miami, Florida. If you want to keep going south, you can hop on Florida A1A through the Florida Keys. If you love the beaches of the east coast or are a history buff, you will find plenty of attractions along the way. If you are looking for an urban experience, you will travel through most of the major cities of the east coast including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC.
Great River Road
The Great River Road runs from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. It follows the Mississippi River, touching Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. You can learn more at Experience Mississippi River. This is a great way to see the heartland of the United States.
Canada to Mexico, US-93
Starting at Jasper National Park of Canada and ending in Nogales Mexico, US 93 is, “a tri-lingual adventure of unquantifiable value” according to Reader’s Digest. You will travel through Whitefish, Montana, Twin Falls, Idaho, Ely, Nevada, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Arizona before reaching our southern border. This road takes you through a magnificent array of natural wonders, along with some man-made glitz and nightlife should you choose to stop in Las Vegas.
Pacific Coast
The Pacific Coast Highway runs from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California. This spectacular journey takes you along the Pacific Ocean, crossing through Washington, Oregon, and California. You can experience sand dunes in Oregon, Redwood National Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, among other attractions.
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Financial and Time Commitment of Driving Across America
According to Forbes magazine, a drive across the United States is approximately 2,500 to 3,500 one-way depending on which route you take. From New York City to Los Angeles is between 2700-2900 miles. Drive time in a car is about 45 hours. If you break that down into an 8 hour day, just the drive will take you 6 days.
Using an average of 10 miles per gallon for a typical Class C motorhome, that is 280 gallons of gas. At $4.50 a gallon at the time of this post, an American road trip across the USA will cost you at least $1260.
If the great American road trip is on your bucket list, you will need plenty of time to meander through each state, stopping along the way to enjoy the scenery and local attractions. If time is limited, some of the best American road trips are ones that explore just a small portion of the routes in this post.
Go for Waggle!
One cannot deny the Summer heatwaves. There would be unbelievable temperature rises. Take the necessary measures to escape from heat exhaustion. Adequate water, food, cooling essentials, and a temperature monitor.
Do you know 30,000+ RVers trust Waggle Pet Monitor for its excellent aid?
Just mount Waggle Pet Monitor in your RV to monitor the temperature and humidity changes. You’ll get real-time alerts on temperature/humidity changes via Email/SMS. It has a built-in 4G Verizon that’s excellent on the roads, where you need not worry about having Wi-Fi. Also, get alerts on RV Power loss/back, Geofence zone, and more.
Enjoy your Summer vacays without a hitch with Waggle.
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-Lynn Smith
