While our fleet fuel card company writes a lot about vehicles, fuels, and fleet management, we sometimes forget about how fun driving can be. Here, we decided to create a two-part series that explores the best road trips in the country.
Overseas Highway
Where: Miami to Key West
Just 120 miles through Florida gives you the opportunity to drive several different bridges and causeways over the ocean. You’ll feel like you’re floating over the turquoise blue waters in between the islands and along the way, you can stop and discover each of them. End in Key West and don’t forget to take a picture with the “Southernmost Point in the U.S.” buoy.
Route 66
Where: Illinois to California
If you have time, take this long road trip on “Mother Road” and you’ll get the chance to experience several big cities along the way. We suggest starting in Chicago and hitting Springfield, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff and ending in Los Angeles. If you want, you can even “detour” up to Las Vegas.
The Columbia River Gorge
Where: Oregon and Washington
If hiking, waterfalls, and beautiful cliffside views are your thing, take your car through the Columbia River Gorge. The area runs along the Columbia River (which separates Oregon and Washington) and offers some amazing opportunities for photos, picnics, and hikes to over nearly 50 waterfalls. Most of the waterfalls are on the Oregon side (along I-84), but Washington’s Route 15 also offers some amazing hikes and views.
Badlands National Park
Where: South Dakota
This trip through the park is a short one, but shows you some stunning landscapes along the way. In just 32 miles, you can see 14 different viewpoints in the canyons the Badlands Wall, the Big Badlands Overlook, and Notch Trail. Once you reach the end of the park, you can head right to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota’s Black Hills.
NYC-Niagara Falls Loop
Where: New York City to Niagara Falls and back
This road trip gives you access to some prime cities and landmarks. Spend some time in New York City, then head up through Connecticut and make a stop in Boston. From there, head through New Hampshire and Vermont to Montreal, then down to Toronto and end in Niagara Falls. After that, head back down through Pennsylvania to discover Amish Country and Philadelphia before you get back to NYC.
Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway
Where: Virginia to North Carolina
Start your Appalachian Mountain adventure at the Front Royal Entrance Station in Virginia (just two hours west of Washington D.C.) and continue south along Skyline Drive, which gives you beautiful views as it traces the mountain range. After your 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park, connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway for another scenic 469-mile drive to the Great Smoky Mountains.
Big Sur
Where: California
The Big Sur is one of the country’s most iconic routes along Highway 1 in California. Starting in San Francisco, follow the coast down to Los Angeles and you’ll find gorgeous coastal views, bedrock cliffs, sandy beaches, and more. We suggest checking out Hearst Castle, Santa Monica, and Malibu along the way.
Million Dollar Highway
Where: Colorado
Built in the late 1880s, some believe the name of this highway comes from its fill dirt which contains gold ore. Others believe it cost a million dollars to build. Either way, this 25-mile stretch from Silverton to Ouray is cut into the side of the San Juan Mountains and climbs two miles above sea level. With every twist and turn, you’ll enjoy breathtaking vistas and because it’s part of the San Juan Skyway, you can enjoy an even longer road trip if you want to.
Beartooth Highway
Where: Montana and Wyoming
If you’re anywhere near Yellowstone National Park, find the north entrance and follow Route 212 near Cooke City and follow it down to Red Lodge, Montana. You’ll pass through the Absaroka-Beartooth National Wilderness via Beartooth Highway – a road that, at one point, is just under 11,000 feet in elevation and offers some of the most beautiful mountain valley views you’ll ever see.
