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Some of our Favorite American Road Trips

June 8, 2020

Tick-off one of your most desired American road trips from your checklist. With travel restrictions now eased in the United States, there's no better time to take any one of the classic American road trips (maybe in a Vintage car?). We have listed some of our favorites. No sure where to start, where to stay, what to do, or even what to drive? As always, we are standing by to assist you in designing the perfect US getaway.

The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art On Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage

California Coast Highway - San Francisco to Los Angeles

The Pacific Coast Highway, or PCH, is a cliff-hugging, exhilarating 123-mile drive along the central California coast—one of the country’s most scenic roads. Cruise in your rental classic car and be the master of your helm, Start in San Francisco and drive past charming coastal towns like Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Stop in Big Sur, take photos of the Bixby Bridge, one of the tallest concrete bridges in the world. About a mile and a half south of the bridge, pull over at Pfeiffer Beach in Point Sur State Park to sunbathe on its silky white sands. Stay at one of our favorite Big Sur luxury accommodation, Post-Ranch Inn, an award-winning luxury hotel. Continuing with the journey towards the south, pass by or visit the Hearst Castle and make a stop in Santa Barbara and grab a Tacos dish at La Super-Rica. Feeling inspired? Check out our curated journey departing in 2021 by clicking here.

The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage

Los Angeles to Santa Fe

On En route from LA to Santa Fe, discover the magical pit stops found along the way. On this route, you need to pull over to admire Shiprock (a 1,583-foot rock formation jutting out from an otherwise-flat landscape), stop for a photo-op at the Four Corners Monument (where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet), and explore the Grand Canyon by foot and on a jaw-dropping helicopter ride. Next will be the Monument Valley, a dramatic mix of red buttes, deep canyons, and towering rock formations set against a vast sky, followed by Death Valley, which despite its punishing name, is nothing short of stunning: undulating sand dunes, peculiar-shaped trees, and mountains rising up from the desert floor. Stay at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Sante Fe, and be pampered with their wellness spar. This luxury hotel is tucked in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and it is an oasis of serenity, privacy, and luxury. A classic on the list of American Road Trips!

The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage

San Diego to Los Angeles

Driving up the California coast is something that everyone should try to do at some point in their lifetime. Unfortunately, sometimes embarking upon a complete San Diego to San Francisco road trip or even up north towards Portland & Seattle isn’t a viable choice for everyone — whether you’re pressed for time or only have a limited California travel budget. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some of the highlights of a longer trip along the Pacific Coast Highway by treating the short LA to San Diego drive as a fun road trip in and of itself.

The first stop outside the city of Angels along the Pacific California Highway will be the beautiful Huntington beach, which is about as far north as you can get in Orange Country, notorious as “Surf City USA”. Huntington is a California surf town and possesses as one of the biggest and most beautiful beaches in the greater Los Angeles area. And one of the best stops to include and make a stay on this drive would be the neighborhood of La Jolla (Pronounced Luh Hoy-uh). Stay a few nights at La Jolla Shores Hotel, a hotel built for coastal living. Not only is the town dotted with fantastic restaurants, craft beer pubs, wine bars, and high-end shops, but heading to La Jolla Coves promises views of frolicking sea lions and other marine life.

The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage

Phoenix to Vegas

The last thing that needs to be addressed before we get into all of these amazing Phoenix to Las Vegas stops is how long it will take to do this drive. While the distance from Phoenix to Las Vegas along the 93 is only about 300 miles or about 5 hours driving, this scenic road trip is going to be a bit longer. That is why we recommend a long stay to completely get done with this trip. The drive from Phoenix to Vegas is very diverse with landscapes and it’s not only filled with picturesque or natural sites. Explore and discover some incredible historical sites as well, such as Montezuma Castle National Monument. On such an amazing road trip from Phoenix to Vegas, there’s no way you can miss one of the absolute best stops, the town of Sedona. Notorious for its iconic colorful red rocks and incredible natural scenery.
No list of stops on the drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas would be complete without including the most defining landmark of Arizona — the Grand Canyon. As one of the most popular side-trips from Las Vegas, one of the most visited national parks in the US, and honestly one of the most breathtaking natural sites in the entire world, visiting the Grand Canyon is one of the things that you have to do at least once in your lifetime. Amangiri resort is our favorite stay in the Grand Canyon, surrounded by towers of the desert rock, the Tented Pavilions of Camp Sarika enable intimate encounters with the wonder of the wilderness and no compromise on comfort.

The Best American Road Trip ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage

New York City to Portland, Maine

There are so many doable American road trips from New York, including plenty of destinations in the coastal New England to be explored. The drive from New York to Portland, Maine takes about 300 miles and the best route we recommend begins around the Portsmouth, New Hampshire through many beach towns that you can make a stop on the way to Portland. Discover and learn more about Maine, the crowning gem of New England, with its notorious lobster shacks, waves crashing against rocky outcroppings, pine trees, and rugged bluffs. Drive on the winding roads overlooking the Atlantic, secluded lighthouses, and charming cities up and down the coast, this is the best gem explored by car.
Take a slight detour to see the historic lighthouse on Cape Elizabeth, about 20 minutes south of downtown Portland. Abutting flowering fields above a rocky coastline, this classic landmark is Maine’s oldest lighthouse. Experience a bit of an adventure on the road trip by visiting the Acadia National park, which consists of about 35,000 acres of trails, pine-studded mountains with scenic overlooks, and beaches on Mount Desert Island. For a stay, Spend the night at the quirky new Press Hotel, an autograph collection hotel, which opened in May in the old Port.

The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage
Art in Voyage
Art in Voyage
The Best American Road Trip Ideas, By Art In Voyage

High Road to Taos

Santa Fe and Taos are certainly two of the biggest tourist attractions in New Mexico and for good reason. Both locales offer Northern New Mexican architecture, cuisine, galleries, museums, and rather stunning surroundings. However, the drive between these two attractions on the National Scenic Byway known as the High Road to Taos deserves special mention. To experience the best of both worlds, this route will take you on the “High Road” to Taos and on the way back the Lower road to Santa Fe is best. This New Mexico scenic byway stretches just over 100 miles and allows drivers to visit the gorgeous remote mountain villages that dot the land between Santa Fe and Taos. Small villages of old Spanish-style architecture is something that will blow your mind away to see stateside.
The High Road to Taos from Santa Fe slinks toward the village of Truchas. Break this trip here and visit several of the small art galleries. From Truchas, you’ll certainly enjoy fine views of the Pecos Mountains just to the southeast. Immerse yourself in a world of serenity, wellness, and life enrichment in El Monte Sagrado’s award-winning Taos spa. Splurge ad Indulge in our favorite eco-friendly, healing retreat: The Living Spa at El Monte Sagrado. It features artistically designed treatment rooms and boasts beautifully landscaped grounds for meditation and relaxation. A must on our list of American Road Trips!