Rising gas prices may discourage some travelers from packing up the car in the weeks ahead. Yet, the American road trip remains an enduring tradition and in the end can provide an affordable vacation. Here are four ways to hit the open road.
1. Colo-road trips
The Colorado Tourism Office has made it easy for road-trippers to explore the state’s 24 Scenic & Historic Byways. The tourism office’s microsite includes an interactive map that lets travelers explore by region, interest or season. Travelers can also access insider tips and side-trip suggestions within more than 150 Colo-road trip itineraries, making multi-day adventures easy to plan. The flexible itineraries offer suggestions for historic attractions and active adventures, and highlight cultural opportunities.
Contact: https://www.colorado.com/colorados-scenic-historic-byways; https://www.colorado.com/colo-road-trips
2. Skyline Drive, Virginia
Meandering along the crest of the mountains through the woods and past spectacular vistas, Virginia’s Skyline Drive begins in Front Royal and twists and turns southwest through Shenandoah National Park. You’ll pass through more than 200,000 acres of protected land that’s home to deer, song birds, black bears, cascading waterfalls and fields of wildflowers. Hike in the shade of oak trees along the Appalachian Trail, discover the stories from Shenandoah’s past or explore the wilderness.
Contact: www.nps.gov/shen
3. The Beartooth Highway
Visitors who travel this byway experience the visual trifecta of Montana, Wyoming and Yellowstone Park, taking in both the Absaroka and Beartooth mountains. The windy, cliff-hugging 68-mile stretch introduces road explorers to one of the most diverse ecosystems accessible by auto. Rising to 10,947 feet above sea level, it’s also the highest elevation highway in the Northern Rockies. Stunningly beautiful, the all-American road showcases wide, high alpine plateaus, painted with patches of ice blue glacial lakes, forested valleys, waterfalls and wildlife.
