Road trips don’t need to be stretched over a fortnight to be epic and holidays needn’t last forever (much as we’d like them to). You can pack plenty of fun into a long weekend, making the most of national holidays or just making your annual leave work extra hard. There are endless possibilities for mini-breaks and twin-centre holidays across the US, but we’ve picked out a few favourites to get you started. Remember to check state travel advisories before you head out.
This probably isn’t one for the height of summer (no amount of air con will quell that burning southern Arizona heat). But the drive between these two cities, both of which ooze their own version of Wild West charm, is perfect in spring and autumn, and still balmy in winter. Scottsdale’s downtown streets, lined with olive trees, are home to steak restaurants and art galleries (check the opening status of individual outlets before visiting). There's also Taliesin West, former home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, due to reopen from 15 October.
Phoenix and the cacti-filled Desert Botanical Garden (advance reservations required) are on the way to Yuma, one of the sunniest places on Earth. There’s more to this Sonoran Desert city than the weather though. It's packed with railroad history and is home to the fascinating Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, a 19th-century prison that’s now a museum – visitors are asked to wear masks.
College town Wilmington blends old-fashioned Southern charm with dramatic coastal beauty – it's laced with beaches, marshes and barrier islands. Visitors can catch the sunrise over Wrightsville Beach, where lilac, orange and pink swirls cast dramatic light on the pale sand, before heading inland on a trip that routes through some of the state’s most beguiling destinations.
Potential stops include Raleigh (known for its restaurants and craft breweries), garden-filled Chapel Hill and historic Winston-Salem. But the main event is the wine. There's JOLO, whose award-winning reds include vintages made with native grapes, or Divine Llama Vineyards, which really is home to llamas – both spots are open with COVID-19 protocols currently in place. In fact, there are three dozen or so wineries in the Yadkin Valley, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.
There isn’t too much driving on this trip, though it packs in more urban and natural attractions than many longer journeys. It begins in Tampa, whose downtown is a refreshing blend of local-centric bars, diverse dining, art galleries and cool souvenir shops – check the tourist board website for attraction updates. The Riverwalk, a raised walkway along the Hillsborough River, is a nice spot for sunset, then there's a free streetcar to Ybor City, founded by cigar magnates in 1885 and still steeped in Cuban culture.
The drive up to Crystal River takes around two hours on the coast-hugging scenic route, passing mangroves, swamps and wildlife preserves like Chassahowitzka. It’s all leading up to the best natural attraction of all: swimming with manatees. Crystal River is the only place in the US where visitors can swim with the mammals in the wild and snorkelling in the presence of these gentle, seagrass-munching giants is a humbling, surprisingly peaceful experience – check with local operators for current availability.
It's possible to hop on a ferry to reach P-Town (as locals, and anyone cool enough to pull it off, call Provincetown) – but a road trip is much more rewarding. The longer route combines the history and modern charms of Boston with coast-skimming roads and broad, burnished beaches.
Cape Cod curls around the bay like a flexed arm, and pretty much anywhere is a good place to stop. Favoured spots include the LeCount Hollow Beach (at its best come sunset) and the cranberry bogs and pine trees of the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Funky, dune-backed P-Town has plenty of delicious food to sample too, from lobster mac ‘n’ cheese at The Canteen to charcuterie and cocktails at Strangers & Saints. COVID-19 measures are currently in place – check the respective restaurant websites for details.
This is the ultimate escape for music lovers – or anyone who likes their road trips to come with equal doses of culture and fun. Memphis is home to Beale Street – with its fizzing neon signs, blues bars, BBQ joints and record stores – and Graceland, former house of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Elvis’ mansion lives up to the hype thanks to a stylish tour that takes visitors past the Jungle Room and to the singer’s grave. Guests are asked to check Graceland's safety protocols before visiting.
The music pilgrimage continues on the road – on Route 61, or the "Blues Highway", to be specific. The road wiggles down through Mississippi to Clarksdale, where Morgan Freeman co-owns Ground Zero Blues Club (temporarily closed) next door to the small yet sweeping Delta Blues Museum (open with reduced capacity). It then continues on to Jackson, home to blues clubs and juke joints like Blue Front Cafe, just outside the city – check the Facebook page for events.
There's truly gorgeous scenery striking out in all directions from Salt Lake City. This is Utah, after all. Visitors can breathe in the hip, high-perched city’s crisp air and take in the mountain views – so perfect they look like stage backdrops – before motoring south.
The road passes peaks and hiking trails, and those who take the slower, scenic route through Manti-La Sal National Forest can stop to explore aspen groves, sandstone canyons and mountain lakes. It’s a good way to build up for setting eyes on Bryce Canyon – this jagged sprawl of red and apricot hoodoos, towering above stretches of alpine forest, is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Now discover the best place to stay in every state with your motorhome.
Galleries, markets and Pueblo revival architecture fill New Mexico’s enchanting state capital, where centuries-old plazas and chapels sit comfortably alongside contemporary art installations and murals. Next, the aptly named High Road winds and curls through thick forest that opens up to views of the red-and-grey Jemez Mountains.
The road continues to the traditional weaving village of Chimayó and El Santuario de Chimayó, a church dating back to 1816 whose “miraculous dirt” is believed by some to have healing properties. Taos Pueblo, with its still-occupied 1,000-year-old adobe buildings, is temporarily closed, but check for updates. Finally, visitors can return to Santa Fe via a different route: the Low Road loops back from Taos and unveils entirely different landscapes, weaving down to the banks of the Rio Grande and ducking through a narrow canyon.
The excitement of New York City’s buzzing streets and the wide-open, natural beauty of the Finger Lakes are a classic combination. Visitors can gaze at Manhattan’s gleaming skyline, and pound streets lined with brownstones and boutiques, before swapping it all for a landscape of skinny, jagged lakes, wineries and wildlife. The NYC GO website has info on citywide attractions and protocols.
The traffic thins out and life slows to a leisurely pace at Cayuga Lake, one of 11 spindly stretches of water that make up the Finger Lakes. They’re all beautiful but Cayuga’s two dozen wineries – some of which can be accessed via boat or kayak – make it stand out (check with individual outposts for their opening status). An 86-mile (138km) road skims the lake’s edge and passes parks, villages with art studios and Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, home to bald eagles and waterfowl – note that the summertime hike and bike path and the visitor centre is currently closed here, but the Wildlife Drive is open.
It's easy to motor between these two Texas Hill County cities in just over an hour. And, from Austin’s hip nightlife, music scene and beloved BBQ joints to the restaurants and art that flank San Antonio’s Riverwalk, there’s plenty to keep visitors occupied. But adding in Fredericksburg really completes the triangle.
The German-settled town of Fredericksburg, surrounded by wineries, combines proud heritage with modern twists on its past, from food to art. Visitors can also take a detour to hike up the huge granite boulders of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (reservations required for weekends and holidays), before looping down to San Antonio, where disused brewery Pearl is the place to hang out. The micro-district, just off the Riverwalk, has boutiques, a food hall, restaurants and a hotel in buildings once dedicated to brewing beer.
There are only around 40 miles (64km) between these two coastal beauties, but most visitors choose to take their time, meandering down roads that skim past bays, beaches and breakwaters. Portland itself is wonderfully walkable, with a lovely stretch of bars and restaurants tucked along the cobbled streets of the Old Port by the waterfront. There's also a rich art scene, including works by Warhol and Monet at the Portland Museum of Art (open with advanced, timed tickets).
Drivers can stop at Cape Elizabeth to see the lighthouse and walk out onto the craggy rocks, stroll on the sandy beaches of Kennebunkport, and hike around the salt marshes of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge (note that the visitor centre is currently closed). In Ogunquit, the lobstermen of Perkin’s Cove pull in their catch, then deliver sweet seafood to the town’s shacks and waterside restaurants. Now discover more of America's most charming seaside towns.
Cities don’t come much more stylish than Chicago. Public art installations, including the famous Cloud Gate sculpture or "The Bean”, have become as integral to the landscape as the Art Deco skyscrapers, water views and deep-dish pizza.
This route loops around a corner of vast Lake Michigan, en route to Ann Arbor, which has been stealing some of the limelight from Detroit recently. The University of Michigan Museum of Art (currently closed) has a collection covering everything from African architecture to Picasso, while – like many university cities – Ann Arbor's food scene is drawing attention too. There's everything from trendy brunch spots to classics like Zingerman’s Deli, which typically also runs food tours. See the website for current availability.
Savannah wears its Southern charm like its majestic oak trees wear soft Spanish moss – with pure, old-fashioned elegance. Georgian mansions line the streets, brewpubs and art galleries take up old cotton warehouses by the waterfront, and cemeteries are filled with sculptures, tall mausoleums and yet more oaks.
Jekyll Island, an easy, scenic drive along a coastline laced with beaches, marshes and barrier islands, packs up the same charm and elegance and takes it to the seaside. One of Georgia’s Golden Isles, it’s accessible by car but feels cut off from the rest of the world. Windswept oaks and tangles of driftwood form a backdrop to soft-sand beaches, while trails wind into the woods.
From beautiful people strutting on South Beach to free-range cockerels strutting on Duval Street, Miami and Key West are both the same – and eons apart. Both cities share a free spirit and a strong sense of fun but, while Miami wears its character like a slick designer jacket, Key West wears just whatever it feels like at any particular moment. In other words, it’s weird and proud of it.
Driving on the Overseas Highway, which soars over the water, is alone worth the trip. Visitors can stop at Islamorada, Bahia Honda State Park (currently open with limitations) and Marathon’s adorable and thought-provoking Turtle Hospital before arriving in quirky Key West. Here, there's a colourful buoy which marks the southernmost point in the continental US.
The George Parks Highway, or Parks Highway, joins Anchorage and Fairbanks, slicing through 323 miles (520km) of wilderness, rivers and lakes, with sightings of North America’s tallest peak, Denali, along the way. Anchorage is the glorious starting point, with its galleries, museums and live music scene. Note that visitors to Alaska must currently provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before entering the state – check details here.
The highway follows the eastern edge of Denali National Park before cutting across a corner of the vast wilderness, which sprawls over six million acres. The park’s alpine forest and mountain slopes are home to curly-horned Dall’s sheep, wolves, grizzlies and black bears. Fairbanks’ forested riverbanks and downtown offer further adventure. Visit in summer for the midnight sun, or from August to April for a chance to see the sky swirl with the Northern Lights. Love this? Now check out the stunning spots to relax in your RV this fall.