Enjoy road trips. Motor along coastlines and through jagged peaks
Roads trips are a great way to discover a region.
Enjoy road trips. It takes no effort once you make plans. Some drivers plan a route along one of the highest roads in the world. Others steer through a much lower setting which hugs an ocean coastline at sea level. Then there are journeys that take people through some of Mother Nature’s most magnificent handiwork
Some of these road trips can't be taken today, others can. In the USA most roads provide wonderful adventures. Vacationers seeking to explore a region, or an entire country, by driving, enjoy a staggering choice of options. Descriptions of just a few road trips offer an idea of the variety.
Enjoy road trips here in the US -- Hawaii and Alaska offer very different experiences.
It’s no surprise that Hawaii is known for scenery-rich roads. One of the most popular is the “Hawaii Belt,” comprised of three connected state routes around the perimeter of Hawaii Island. Along the way, travelers have opportunities to view both active and hardened lava flows, lush jungles, soaring mountains, and deep valleys.
A very different setting greets those who follow the Alaska Highway, which is almost 1,400 miles from end to end. Beginning in Canada, the route passes through the Rocky Mountains, descends to follow a river. This road offers glimpses of “ghost towns,” which are reminders of prospectors who came to the area seeking gold in the late 19th century. Another attraction is the opportunity to spot black bear, moose, bison, and Dall sheep from the road.
Drive on hair-raising mountain passes in India and curling coastal roads in Australia
Begin with the hair-raising drive in northern India that goes literally to the top of the world. The road through the Khardung Pass reaches an altitude of 18,379 feet, where the air is thin and the views are breathtaking.
This twisting, turning route once was traversed by people riding on horses or camels. Today it’s so popular that at times only vehicles heading in one direction are allowed to proceed, while those going the other way wait their turn.
Equally as beautiful in a very different way is the Great Ocean Road in Australia. It lives up, or rather down, to its name as it skirts that country’s southeastern coastline. Travelers pass lush rainforests, steep cliffs, and inviting beaches. Driving on the two-lane road is named a “Top Tourism Experience” Down Under.
Great drives do more than only connect destinations. It's the journey you will enjoy.
Any discussion of outstanding driving trips must include some known for the scenery through which they lead. Highways with that claim to fame are in New Zealand and Iceland.
As it runs from Queenstown to Dunedin, the Southern Scenic Route in New Zealand’s South Island passes through a myriad of landscapes. They range from glacier-carved lakes and rushing waterfalls to dramatic limestone outcrops and a fossilized forest. The road also passes sea-level settings that are home to penguins, seals, sea lions, and other wildlife.
A shorter ring road, which makes up in rugged beauty what it lacks in length. is Route 1 that encircles Iceland. It passes through mountainous terrain and skirts tiny fishing villages, stunning fjords, and a glacial lagoon. One highlight is a magnificent 197-foot waterfall with the tongue-twisting name of Seijalandsfoss.
Argentina provides a long highway and Italy a much shorter road that snake along the rugged coast.
People who enjoy road trips might consider Argentina’s Ruta 40 (Route 40). This road claims the longest stretches of highway anywhere. It spans more than 3,000 miles and rises from sea level to a height of 16,000 feet. The route leads past pristine lakes and through 27 passes below the snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountain range.
Those in search of shorter scenic drives also are in luck. The world-famous route that hugs the steep hills of the Amalfi Coast in Italy is only 30 miles long. However, it passes through, and above, some of the most magnificent scenery anywhere
The drive twists along steep cliffs that rise out of the Mediterranean Sea. The narrow thoroughfare provides views of pastel-painted villages clinging to the hillsides and others nestled in deep valleys. The beauty of the scene has inspired artists and writers over the ages.
In Norway drive on roller-coaster bridges. Head to the Alps for soaring peaks.
A shorter drive is the 5-mile stretch of County Road 64 in Norway, known as the Atlantic Road. It crosses several small islands which are connected by causeways and roller-coaster bridges that twist, turn, rise and dip. Along with views of the open sea punctuated by tiny islands, the road presents a challenge when storm-driven waves crash over the bridges.
People seeking the beauty of soaring mountains rather than seascapes often head for the European Alps. The Route des Grandes Alpes (Road of the Big Alps) runs from Lake Geneva, Switzerland, to a seaside town near Nice, France. It traverses 17 of the highest mountain passes in Europe. Because of its altitude, the road is open only between June and October, when the snow which blankets it has melted.
Enjoy the journey past history in Spain and castle to castle in Scotland.
There also are trips that are memorable for attractions along the route rather than the drive itself. History buffs enjoy the Via de la Plata (Silver Route) in Spain. It follows an ancient Roman road and along the way, travelers may stop to explore villas, walls, and other artifacts remaining from the second century BC.
A sense of history also resides in castles that date back to medieval times. The Balmoral Castle leads visitors to 19 of more than 300 of those historic structures located in one region of Scotland.
Balmoral Castle was built in 1390 and has been a residence of members of Britain’s royal family since 1852. Castle Fraser, constructed over 60 years beginning in 1575, is one of the grandest fortresses in Scotland. Enjoy road trips either way along one of the castle trails in the world.
Enjoy road trips through beauty, history, and regional passions
Whatever your interest – history, magnificent scenery, or many other passions – it’s likely there is a driving trip. Map out your route drive away to satisfy your curiosity and spirit of adventure through America or another continent.
