If you鈥檙e like me, the lure of the open road is matched only by the allure of vintage roadside motels, which beckon with their hints of a bygone age when the cross-country road trip was the epitome of glamor, freedom, and open-ended adventure. Throw in a retro neon sign, preferably featuring a starburst or flashing arrow, and there鈥檚 just no passing by.

I鈥檓 not the only one rekindling my love affair with these humble low-slung establishments, which were typically planned for car-loading convenience with outdoor-facing entries and pull-up-to-the-door parking. Across the country, new owners are reimagining these properties with a younger generation of road-trippers in mind, building on historic roots with quirky d茅cor, upscale amenities, and, in many cases, a connection to nature and the outdoors.

Here are eight of听our carefully chosen motels reinvented for the adventurous road-tripper.

Circle of Destination Motel, Escalante, Utah

Escalante鈥檚 classic Circle D Motel, newly rechristened , takes advantage of its location on Utah鈥檚 spectacular Highway 12 scenic byway to create an inviting home base for rugged adventure.

The salmon-pink adobe exterior features a long veranda where guests congregate at sunset to swap stories of their day’s听adventures and tips about driving conditions on the park鈥檚 many unpaved roads. The spacious rooms have refrigerators, microwaves, and a generous dog-friendly policy, while extra-large suites feature a full kitchen and sitting area and sleep up to six. Bookcases are thoughtfully stocked with maps and hiking guides for Grand Staircase National Monument and surrounding area.

A rock-walled fireplace, beamed ceiling, and terracotta-colored walls give the motel鈥檚 Destination Caf茅 the feel of a Santa Fe pueblo, and an enclosed outdoor patio provides prime seating to soak in the high desert views. The southwestern theme continues in the menu, which features egg burritos and wraps, cheesy spinach quiche, baked goods, sandwiches, and salads for lunch.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:听

Perched on the western edge of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument,听almost within the park itself, the town of Escalante is fast becoming the base camp of choice for hikers, mountain bikers, and canyoneers who come to explore the park鈥檚 myriad slot canyons secreted off Hole in the Rock Road just north of town.

Drive Highway 12 through nonstop views of candy-striped canyon country to two of the monument鈥檚 signature hikes: the 6-mile trail to 126-foot Lower Calf Creek Falls and otherworldly Devil鈥檚 Garden, a wonderland of hoodoos, arches, and other chiseled rock formations. Speaking of hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park and Kodachrome Basin State Park are both less than 50 miles away. It鈥檚 only a little further to Capitol Reef National Park, and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, with its 1.5-million-year-old crystallized logs, is 10 minutes from town.

Price: Rooms from $126.

Jubilee Railroad Wilderness Lodge, Dunsmuir, California

A departure from the traditional motor lodge,听 but with a similarly hipster vintage vibe, (formerly Railroad Park Resort) dates back to the 1960s, when its original owners assembled a collection of vintage train cars鈥� most of them a caboose鈥攁nd turned each one into a fully outfitted rolling cabana.

Purchased in early 2024 from the original owners, and manned by an enthusiastic collective of young, eco-minded outdoor enthusiasts, the resort鈥檚 new incarnation is exemplified by ,听a string of rail cars anchored by an 1812 pullman club car, which glows with oxidized copper, burnished wood, and velvety craftsman-inspired wallpaper.

The bar, newly outfitted with a hand-milled Douglas fir bar top, features live music most nights of the week and serves localized takes on classic cocktails like a fig black walnut old- fashioned and blackberry mint mojito made with wild berries.

Our caboose, one of several dog-friendly options, had beds for four and a full kitchenette; others featured their own outdoor picnic areas. Behind the resort, an expansive campground features RV and tent sites generously spaced within a dense pine forest.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:听

Shadowed by the spiky silhouette of the Castle Crags and sandwiched between the Shasta-Trinity wilderness and the mystical glacier-topped pyramid of Mount Shasta, this northernmost area of California has long been favored by serious hikers and mountaineers and remained relatively off the radar for the hordes that throng Tahoe and the central Sierra Nevada.

Kayakers, paddle boarders, boaters, and fishing enthusiasts favor Lake Siskiyou, those who prefer river swimming head for the waterfalls and swimming holes of the McCloud and northernmost Sacramento rivers, and Lassen Volcanic National Park and the new Satitl谩 Highlands National Monument are both within day- trip distance.

Price: Cabins and rail cars from $145, campsites from $38.

Camptown Catskills, Leeds, New York

A 1930s motor lodge turned boutique resort, , builds on its regional history with a modern design rich in colorful plaids, plush wools, and crackling fires. High-end touches in the 24 lodge rooms included heated bathroom floors and Frette linens, and snacks are plentiful, along with craft beers, local wines, and locally made artisanal snacks (including the听editor鈥檚 favorite popcorn from Hudson Valley).

The 26 log cabins retain the warmth of their vintage knotty pine but add plush king or queen beds, fireplaces, full kitchenettes, and porches with rocking or Adirondack chairs. The 22-acre property features a heated saltwater pool with cocktails, beer, and south-of-the-border-inspired bites on offer at Bar Piscina.

Tip: Try the alambres, a combination of savory grilled meats and vegetables similar to fajitas but finely chopped and easy to scoop up on tortillas. sources from Hudson Valley farms and purveyors in Jalisco-inspired specialties like grilled Nopal salad with smoked queso fresco and mole tamales with duck confit. This is no average roadside grub with its twice James Beard-nominated Chef.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:

Just across the Rip Van Winkle bridge from the village of Hudson, Camptown is within day-trip distance of just about any Catskills highlight. Don鈥檛 miss Kaaterskill Falls, which cascades 260 feet over terraced limestone, the challenging climb up Devil鈥檚 Path, or the views from Giant Ledge. Paddlers can choose between lakes such as Dolan and North-South or the Hudson itself.

Price: Rooms from $249, cabins from $449. A few of the property’s original micro cabins book for $189.

Pacific Motel, Cayucos, California

A block from the beach at the northernmost end of Morro Strand Beach,听 feels like it鈥檚 straight from a 1960s surf movie with its swaying palms, overlarge striped umbrellas, and lobby shop featuring swimwear and beach bags in colors that would feature well in a Barbie Dream House. Bright primary-color patio furniture, ping pong tables, fire pits, and retro touches like Tivoli radios turned Bluetooth speakers make for a fun stay. All rooms feature Parachute linens, and stand-alone bungalows feature gas fireplaces.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:

Walk the 3-mile length of Morro Strand, which starts just south of Cayucos, watch for whales from the Estero bluffs, or head for the Piedras Blancas Rookery, where elephant seals congregate from fall through spring to mate, give birth, and raise their pups. A fleet of bikes stands waiting for riders to cruise the area鈥檚 paved bike paths,听while the Morro Bay Bike Park has trails and jumps for all skill levels.

Price: Rooms from $169.

Mellow Moon Lodge, Del Norte, Colorado

of the San Luis Valley, in a landscape so otherworldly that it鈥檚 home to a UFO Watchtower, maintains the essence of its wild west heritage, lightened with Scandinavian-inspired d茅cor. The onsite Lunar Lounge serves up ethically sourced local coffee and quick morning fare like overnight oats and breakfast burritos, then switches to craft cocktails and local craft brews to top off an active day.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:

One look at the dust-crusted bikes propped outside the majority of rooms, as well as the free bikes on offer to all guests, and it鈥檚 clear that mountain biking is a big draw here, in particular the with its wide range of trails from rolling to ragged.

The largest sand dunes in North America, left behind by the retreat of an ancient sea, can be found in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, where you can choose to climb dunes as high as 750 feet or careen down them on a sandboard. It’s a fact little known to non-Coloradans that some of the state’s most coveted 14ers rise from the San Luis Valley, in particular the daunting Crestone Needle and Blanca Peak, and the slightly more accessible Culebra Peak.

Price: Rooms from $162.

LOGE Camp, Bend, Oregon

In-room hammocks, picnic-ready Yeti coolers, ski lockers, and an outdoor kitchen ready for grilling卤 it鈥檚 extras like these that make it clear takes its outdoors-oriented mission seriously. Formerly the simple and outworn Entrada Lodge, the property has become something akin to a grown-up summer camp, albeit one fresh with reclaimed wood, geometric wool rugs, and plank tables and curvy chairs that could hail from an Icelandic cabin.

Outdoors, expansive common areas feature plenty of seating and gathering options, the pool offers plenty of loungers, and fairy lights dangle over a broad deck where a long gas firepit allows plenty of marshmallow-toasting access.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:

Located on the outskirts of Bend en route to the Cascade Lake and the prime ski and mountain bike resorts of Mt. Bachelor, LOGE Camp is all about the mountains. The departs straight from the property, as do connector trails leading to popular mountain biking trail networks. And staff are happy to point you towards plenty more hiking, biking, and snowshoeing options, including the route to Tumalo Falls. The motel concierge rents paddleboards, snowshoes, XC skis, and sleds onsite, and you can book shuttle service to Mt. Bachelor or rent bikes through Cog Wild Tours, which has a partnership onsite.

Price: Rooms from $121.

The Billy Motel, Davis, West Virginia

With its sunny yellow siding, fire hydrant-red doors, and moon landing-era logo, beckons weary travelers off the Appalachian Highway and into an arty oasis where flames dance in the lounge鈥檚 cider cone fireplace and the bar features curved banquettes of gold Naugahyde, teal walls, and red-and-black linoleum floors. The menu at the motel鈥檚 restaurant, ISH Kitchen, circles the globe from Mediterranean shawarma to Japanese ramen to a Vietnamese dish of marinated ground beef wrapped in kaffir lime leaves.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:听

At the edge of the Monongahella National Forest with Blackwater Falls State Park just minutes outside town, the tiny former timber town of Davis is known for its Kodachrome extravaganza of fall color, with prime viewing spots being Pendleton Overlook and Spruce Knob. The 4,000-foot peaks that ring the town support two ski resorts, Canaan Valley and Timberline, which lure powder enthusiasts in winter and welcome mountain bikers with miles of zig-zagging singletrack the rest of the year. In recent years, Canaan Valley has added fat tire biking, keeping cyclists on two wheels year-round.

Price: Rooms from $110.

Saugatuck Retro Resort Motel, Saugatuck, Michigan

Flamboyant midcentury design with a Jetsons futuristic flourish takes the (formerly the Saugatuck Motel) from its 1953 roots to a perennial party spot complete with fire pits, hammocks, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and the requisite kidney-shaped pool. While the d茅cor favors blinking neon signs and vintage photos evoking Michigan鈥檚 status as the Motor State, lush landscaping and shady groves lend a feeling of seclusion.

The 国产吃瓜黑料 Potential:听

With 12 miles of Lake Michigan coastline, including the sun-seekers鈥� havens of Oval and Douglas Beach, Lake Michigan takes central stage for swimmers and beach walkers, while paddlers turn inland up the Kalamazoo River and its wildlife-rich protected estuaries. Wade鈥檚 Bayou offers a sheltered put-in. Road bikers favor the 24-mile Beeline Trail along the river connecting Saugatuck-Douglas with Holland or the Kal-Haven Trail State Park, where a 34-mile route connects South Haven and Kalamazoo.

Price: Rooms from $169.

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There are two kinds of family road trips. The 鈥淎re we there yet?鈥� kind, with too many car hours and too little action (sorry kids), and the 鈥淒o we have to go home?鈥� kind (thank you, parents). To find the best of the latter, we sent adventurer , with his wife and daughter, to Montana and the family discovered a journey packed with action and Old West history. Turn up the volume and and then read on for planning tips on doing the trip yourself.

Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway

A great road trip needs a great backdrop, and the 49-mile from Wise River to State Highway 278 delivers, with 10,000-foot peaks looming over meadows and forests. There are plenty of adventures to enjoy鈥攆ishing, vistas, hikes鈥攊ncluding a stop at the ghost town of , an abandoned mining community that makes for an easygoing nature walk. You can also relax at the family-owned .

Crystal Park

Who doesn鈥檛 love a treasure hunt? That鈥檚 what you鈥檒l find at , where you鈥檒l hear the scraping of shovels and the excited murmurs of folks on the hunt for quartz crystals. You can keep any you find鈥攁nd they鈥檙e pretty darn easy to find. With just simple hand tools and a $5 fee for everyone over ten, your family will come away with souvenirs for life. 鈥淲e could have spent all day there,鈥� Jacob says.

Bannack State Park

A bustling population of 3,000 once inhabited this site, a former territorial capital where gold was discovered in 1862. These days, the ghost town at thrives as a destination for visitors exploring the site鈥檚 stunningly well-preserved buildings. Spend an afternoon opening creaky doors into the past, then make it an overnight stay at the park鈥檚 campground. For a special night the kids will love, rent the park鈥檚 tipi.

Ennis 4th of July Parade

The clopping of hooves can be heard alongside the hum of classic cars and John Deere tractors at the . This can鈥檛-miss parade has been marching steadily onward every summer for the past 89 years. With the historic western charm of Main Street and three distinct mountain ranges as a backdrop, it鈥檚 a great way to experience one piece of the rich tapestry of communities that make up America.

Ennis and Virginia City

Experience thriving Western towns across rural Montana. Exhibit A: the vibrant . The shops, saloons, and restaurants on Main Street buzz with locals and visitors alike, especially at Tavern 287, a family-owned restaurant with delicious upscale dishes at small-town prices. 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely taking a detour to go there whenever I鈥檓 in the area,鈥� Jacob says. Also a must: the connecting Virginia City to Nevada City.

Ennis Rodeo

If you鈥檙e looking for a true Montana experience, look no further than the bleachers at the . It鈥檚 part sporting event, part social gathering, and all fun. Stunning scenery and lots of talented cowboys and cowgirls make Ennis a great spot for your first rodeo. The two-day event features bull riding, steer roping, barrel racing, and more. Day-of tickets are free for kids under five, $10 for older kids, and $15 for adults.

You don’t find . Montana finds you. It’s not about checking off stops or taking the scenic route. It’s knowing the distant mountain you saw yesterday can look different tomorrow and stay unchanged for years to come. It’s silences that buzz, rivers that rise, and stories that stick with you. For more Montana trip planning information go to听.

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Over the last three decades, I鈥檝e driven all across the country, sometimes flying in and renting a car, more often just driving my Roadtrek camper van from my Indiana home. During those road trips, I’ve also visited every national park in the contiguous U.S. Whenever I鈥檓 home too long or the news gets too dire, I start to feel that itch to hit the open road.

Before planning any road trip, I recommend buying a Rand McNally road atlas. It will help you navigate when you no longer have cell service. Just like you shouldn鈥檛 leave your route to Google Maps, you shouldn鈥檛 leave your summer road trip playlist to Spotify. I try to at least pick a few songs or artists, or even an audiobook, connected to my destination. Case in point: I can鈥檛 drive through Texas without listening to hometown heroes the Old 97鈥檚 or the Vandoliers. You can practically smell bluebonnets and the dregs of a discarded Lone Star beer bottle with every song.

When compiling this list, I attempted to hit as many geographical regions of the the U.S. as possible, but focused most of the attention on northern or higher elevation areas where the summer heat may not be as brutal.听 I also chose these road trips based on their proximity to adventure. And with a few exceptions, I鈥檝e personally roadtripped through each of these destinations myself.

Remember, when things go wrong on the road, as they inevitably will, just tell yourself that it鈥檚 just going to make for a great story. It always does for me.

Here are my top recommendations for the best summer road trips in the U.S.

Communing With Nature: Redwoods to Crater Lake

Distance: 456 miles
Potential adventures: Hiking, photography, road cycling
Perfect road-trip playlist song:

A couple of years ago, I did a version of this road trip in Winnebago鈥檚 prototype electric RV, and it was incredible. Perhaps my biggest regret was that I spent the entire article talking about the RV and not the scenery I was experiencing.

Start in , where the smell of saltwater, mountain air, and redwood trees will linger in your nose and remain in your memories forever. Similar to hiking its sister park Sequoia, walking through millennia-old redwood groves inspires an almost religious connection to the听natural world. The park offers more than 200 miles of trails for every skill level鈥攆rom experienced hikers gaining 3,000 feet of elevation to those who need accessible, paved or gravel paths.

From there, take CA 299 east to , which still bears scars from the Carr Fire in 2018. When I visited, some life had returned to the hillside, but it remained a sobering reminder . Despite this, there was plenty of outdoor adventure to be had, such as hiking or biking dozens of miles of trails, checking out multiple gorgeous waterfalls, or swimming in the eponymous lake.

Taking CA 44 further east to , you鈥檒l see even more charred trees, reminders of the that damaged nearly 70 percent of the park. Given its elevation (more than 10,000 feet at its highest), Lassen Volcanic finds itself buried underneath snow for most of the year. Late July through September is the perfect time to visit, when most of the trails can be hiked without snowshoes. The half-mile Sulphur Works and 2.7-mile Bumpass Hell trails with their steam vents, bubbling pools, and mud pots echo 驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 volcanic features.

Next, head north to , which encompasses Mt. Shasta, California鈥檚 fifth-largest peak. I only spent an afternoon on the trails there, and were I to do it over again, I would have spent multiple days exploring the trails through seemingly endless fir and pine forests. The road between Mt. Shasta鈥攚hich is actually a stratovolcano鈥攁nd Crater Lake is known as the , with other highlights including Burney Mountain and Medicine Lake Volcano. This is yet another gorgeous road, so take your time heading further north to Crater Lake National Park.

Whenever I think of the color blue, I see Crater Lake鈥檚 impossibly perfect waters听in my mind. I hiked up the short, but steep Watchman Peak Trail, to gaze upon the entirety of namesake attraction.

The park itself isn鈥檛 massive, so visitors can knock out the highlights in a day or two. Be sure to drive or, even better, bike the length of the 33-mile Rim Road with its 30 scenic vistas. The road does have some elevation changes, so be ready to climb or bring an e-bike.

If you love fly fishing, continue southwest to Grants Pass, located on the world-famous Rogue River. I鈥檇 recommend visiting in late summer between August and September when the summer steelhead run is in full swing.

(Great) Lake Life: Indiana Dunes to Apostle Islands

Miles: 971
Potential activities: Hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, paddling
Perfect road-trip playlist song:

As a native Midwesterner, I鈥檝e long claimed that Michigan and Wisconsin are the two most-underrated states in the nation for outdoor adventure. Over the years, I鈥檝e traveled extensively within the area, hiking and biking nearly endless rolling hills covered in thick birch, pine, and oak forests. I鈥檝e paddled the Great Lakes and fly-fished some of the world’s most-renowned trout rivers. Visitors can find thousands of miles of gorgeous shoreline, much of which they may have all to themselves.

This road trip starts at Indiana Dunes National Park, which offers more than 11 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Most visitors prefer to lounge on the beach, but Indiana Dunes also boasts a staggering amount of biodiverse ecosystems in a relatively small, 15,000-acre footprint. More than 1,000 wildly different plant species essentially live side-by-side, including a rare ethereal white plant called the ghost pipe and multiple species of carnivorous plants.

Crossing north into Michigan, fly fishers can stop in either Grand Rapids, to hopefully catch smallies and pike, or head further north to the famous Pere Marquette River to fish for wild brook and rainbow trout. (Visit or for the latest river conditions and news on what鈥檚 currently hatching.) You鈥檒l find plenty of free or low-cost spots to camp along the Pere Marquette in the (I鈥檇 suggest Claybanks Campground if you鈥檙e wading and Sulak Campground if you鈥檙e in a boat), though you may want to spring for a hotel in Grand Rapids to听enjoy the multitude of restaurants and bars after you get off the river.

Driving further north to Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores, the road hugs Lake Michigan to the west and later, after crossing Mackinac Bridge, Lake Superior to the north. They鈥檙e both stunning bodies of water, but try to keep your eyes on the highway. Driving across Mackinac Bridge on a windy day requires nerves of steel. (I swear the bridge was swinging the last time I crossed it.) Both national lakeshores have some great hiking, but the most incredible scenery is best seen via the water. Bringing or renting a sea kayak for an afternoon is a must.

From Pictured Rocks, head west. The most fun I鈥檝e ever had on a mountain bike was in , thanks to more than 50 miles of fun wooden features and flowy singletrack. Copper Harbor is also the entryway to , although you鈥檒l have to ditch your vehicle for a ferry to get there. I鈥檇 recommend at least overnighting on the island and staying even longer, if you鈥檙e able.

This itinerary ends at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, another spot where getting on the water is a must. Paddlers can even camp on several of the islands. Mountain bikers should definitely check out the 17 miles of singletrack at . Nearby, Big Top Chautauqua brings in artists like Iron and Wine and Old Crow Medicine Show to perform under a massive circus tent. (Steve Earle rocked out during my most recent visit.)

The Ultimate Outdoor Paradise: Glacier National Park to Stanley, Idaho

Miles: 794
Potential activities: Hiking, mountain biking, paddling, fly fishing
Perfect road-trip playlist song:

You could take the entire summer traversing this route and still barely scratch the surface of what this nearly 800-mile slice of paradise from Glacier National Park to Stanley, Idaho, offers. No matter what outdoor activity you love, you鈥檒l find it here.

Yellowstone or Glacier will get busy during the summer high season, so enter the parks early or later in the day, when the bulk of the crowds have dissipated. Start in Glacier, which, for me at least, may be the most beautiful place in the world. Spend a morning kayaking Lake McDonald; if you鈥檙e lucky, the weather will allow an almost glass-like reflection on the blue water that鈥檚 ideal for frame-worthy photos.

Going to the Sun Road reopens by July each year. Take it to the lesser-traveled east side of the park for some of the best hiking opportunities. Finish your Glacier excursion with a fly fishing trip down the middle fork of the Flathead River, one of the best鈥� and most picturesque鈥攕pots in the country for cutthroats and rainbows.

Heading south, Helena is a nice stopover between Glacier and Yellowstone, offering some pretty good mountain biking in its own right. Helena may have started out as a gold town, but it鈥檚 now a Silver-Level IMBA Ride Center, with more than 75 miles of trails spread around town.

Driving further south, get into Yellowstone early in the morning to see Grand Prismatic Spring boil and Old Faithful erupt, then hit the road again. Your best shot at seeing a grizzly or wolf is heading to Lamar Valley. Plenty of cars will be parked alongside the road with people looking into the hills with spotting scopes. If crowds clog the trails, Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests have lots of great hikes with practically no one else around.

Further south is on one of the most breathtaking roads in America, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, and Grand Teton may be one of the most photogenic mountains in the world. in has free dispersed campsites overlooking the namesake mountains. It鈥檚 the perfect place to unwind after a day on the trails and enjoy a cocktail or three.

After spending a day or two in and out of the park, head west, crossing into Idaho. If you鈥檙e fascinated by 驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 geology, then spend a couple of hours exploring End the road trip in . It鈥檚 a cool, under-the-radar town that puts you in the middle of all the surrounding outdoor action. Plan to spend two or three days there, with at least one earmarked for fly fishing the Salmon River. I recommend hiring a guide with , who helped me hook into tons of rainbow-cutthroat hybrids.

Keep in mind: This is grizzly country, so have bear spray ready and make a lot of noise as you walk.

Seeing Colors: South Dakota鈥檚 Badlands to Black Hills

Miles: 103 miles
Potential activities: Hiking, photography, trail riding
Perfect audiobook:

I didn鈥檛 know what to expect the first time I rolled through South Dakota in 2020, but after spending a couple of weeks exploring it and its sibling state to the north, I drove听away impressed. So much so I鈥檝e been back multiple times in the years since.

Start in Badlands National Park, preferably during sunrise or sunset. Watch how the changing light illuminates and reflects on the various colors of layered sandstone. Driving the loop road through the park takes around two hours with stops at the overlooks, each giving a unique and often expansive view of the rock formations. If you鈥檙e planning to hike, dedicate two days to explore the park. During summer, sunscreen and a shady hat are a must for the Badlands, where you won鈥檛 find too many trees on the trails.

From the Badlands, head west. Unless you鈥檙e an amateur spelunker or otherwise fascinated with caves, dedicate half a day to , springing for one of the cave tours. I recommend the basic 75-minute tour, which covers the natural highlights and boxwork formations inside the cave, as well as the historical significance of the cave to the Lakota people. Be sure to get your tickets as early as possible, as they often sell out during the summer high season.

After the tour, head toward neighboring . This gorgeous, well-maintained park is on par with many national parks, offering lots of great hiking and biking options. Beginning in Deadwood, the 109-mile runs through the heart of Custer State Park, terminating in Edgemont, passing over more than 100 converted railroad trestles and through 4 tunnels. If you didn鈥檛 bring a bike, the park offers several heart-racing hiking trails (both metaphorically and literally). Both Cathedral Spires and Black Elk Peak offer beautiful views and opportunities to hop into the refreshing Sylvan Lake.

Throughout its 1.2 million acres, offers more than 450 miles of hiking trails, a bit of singletrack in Spearfish, and fun times swimming or paddling in the lakes and reservoirs. The scenery surrounding the roads is beautiful, but the tarmac can get a bit twisty; there鈥檚 a reason why thousands of bikers flock to Sturgis each year.

If you decide to visit Mount Rushmore, be sure to earmark time for the as well. The two manmade monoliths are great contrasts to one another, allowing you and your traveling companions to discuss the great and not-so-great aspects of our nation鈥檚 history.

I listened to Dee Brown鈥檚 sobering 鈥淏ury My Heart at Wounded Knee鈥� while driving through the state. Hearing the atrocities that occurred on these grounds gave me a much deeper understanding of both the landscape and the people who lived there years ago.

Fly High: Pisgah National Forest to Hot Springs, North Carolina

Miles: 97 miles
Potential activities: Hiking, fly fishing, gravel, road, and mountain biking
Perfect road-trip playlist song:

This trip traversing North Carolina鈥檚 most scenic national forests and perhaps the best trout water east of the Mississippi is a must for every adventurer with a bike and a fly rod.

Start in , which boasts some of the most challenging and fun singletrack you鈥檒l find east of the Mississippi. Tucked away in the seemingly endless pine forests, trails can be gnarly and pretty technical, but always fun. I have roughly the same number of smiles and scars to remember from years of riding there. Be sure to earmark at least a day for the fast and flowy DuPont State Forest trails nearby.

Head southwest to , which got hit hard by Hurricane Helene last fall, but has made a remarkable comeback in the months since. When I was here in the spring, ongoing highway repairs heading in and out of Haywood slowed traffic to a crawl in places. Try to time your travel to early in the morning or at night in order to avoid the traffic jams.

Maggie Valley and the surrounding towns are filled with mom-and-pop campgrounds and motels that need visitors鈥� cash to pay for all the repairs. What do they offer in return? Trout, and lots of them. (Be sure to , as the Carolina game wardens do not mess around.) The Pigeon River and both Jonathan and Richland Creeks get stocked by the state of North Carolina in the spring, and the trout are still hitting mop flies and woolie buggers in the summer. ( can give you the current intel.)

In nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cataloochee Creek flows through a picturesque valley and is filled with skittish wild brookies. Catching one of these native little fish felt as momentous as catching dozens the day before on the Pigeon.

From there, head north on NC 209 to , another spot recovering from last year鈥檚 hurricane. My cycling team held our training camp in this tiny Tarheel town for more than a decade, so I can assure you both the road and gravel riding here are amazing. The twisty mountain roads surrounding the town will make you earn the super-fun descents. The gravel climb up 4,600-foot Max Patch is challenging, but doable for most riders; beware the backside descent, which can be treacherous in places. Hot Springs is a major Appalachian Trail hub, with lots of other great hiking options nearby. As a bonus, the French Broad River runs through Hot Springs, so after you get back from your epic ride, you can unwind in the cool water while getting your line wet.

I Cannot Tell a Lie; I love Washington State: North Cascades to Olympic

Miles: 342 miles
Potential activities: Hiking, fly fishing, sea kayaking, wildlife viewing, road cycling
Perfect audiobook:

Begin your drive at North Cascades National Park. Due to its northern location, it鈥檚 not as heavily traveled as the two other national parks in the state, and locals rightfully view it and the surrounding national forest as their backyard. Nearly every SUV you see will be loaded with kayaks or mountain bikes on top.

My favorite day-hike in the park, the Cascade Pass Trail, winds upward through fir and cedar forest to views of multiple peaks and glaciers. Neighboring Ross Lake National Recreational Area is a perfect spot for casual paddling and swimming. If you have at least three days for a backcountry adventure, visit Desolation Peak in the northeast corner of the park, where famed beat writer Jack Kerouac served as a fire lookout in 1956.

Leaving North Cascades, keep an eye out for some famous fly-fishing rivers during the remainder of the road trip. You may come across the Yakima River, known for salmon and trout, and the Skagit and Hoh Rivers, that offer great steelhead fishing. The should help you find access points and fly shops along the way.

Nearly all the roads in have opened by early July. Road cyclists flock to the park to challenge themselves on the steep upward roads. Visitors will find tons of incredible hiking options throughout the park, with a wide variety of mileage and difficulty levels. If you have time after leaving the park, detour down to , where one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in U.S. history occurred in 1980.

From Mout Rainier, head northwest. The problem with is there鈥檚 almost too much to do. Spanning nearly a million acres, visitors can be easily听overwhelmed with the number of hiking options. Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Rain Forest are two of the more popular recreation areas, but that often leads to congestion and lack of parking. Queets and Quinault Rain Forests have a similar feel to Hoh, but far fewer visitors. If you鈥檙e looking for a backcountry adventure, Sol Duc Valley and Deer Park are great jumping-off points.

国产吃瓜黑料 Powered by Lobster: White Mountains to Hidden Maine Ponds

Miles: 384 miles
Potential activities: Hiking, fly fishing, kayaking, stargazing, eating lobster
Perfect road-trip playlist song:

Full of beech and maple forests, gorgeous hillsides, and mountain-fed lakes, is a terrific starting point for this New Hampshire to Maine road trip. Two of the shortest trails have some of the best views; a 1.5-mile hike will take you to New Hampshire鈥檚 tallest waterfall, Arethusa Falls, while a somewhat steep 3-mile hike leads you to Lonesome Lake, which lives up to its name.

From there, head northeast to Acadia National Park. Start your day early with a drive up Cadillac Summit Road to catch the sunrise. This has become such a popular activity over the years that a $6 parking pass is required during the high season. You may second-guess yourself when your alarm goes off at 3:30 am, but the view is worth it. If you get there pretty early, be sure to bring a headlamp to keep from tripping over a rock or going over a ledge.

Acadia has 45 miles of gravel carriage roads perfect for cycling and another 158 miles of hiking trails. Several outfitters rent bikes if you don鈥檛 bring your own. For 1.5 hours before and after low tide, you can walk about a mile-long sand bar from Bar Harbor to Bar Island. This is one of the more popular activities in the park, and you鈥檒l likely be surrounded by other walkers. When both the weather and sea are cooperating, kayak around Bar Island and the bits of land just off the coast of Bar Harbor. Be sure to fuel your activities with plenty of fresh blueberries and lobster, which you can find nearly everywhere you go.

If Acadia feels too crowded, try spending a day or two in . The bay-front park has around 20 trails, nearly all of which are shorter thant two miles.

Spicer Pond, about 45 minutes west of Portland, is filled with lots of fun-sized native brookies. When you think of stereotypical Maine wilderness, this relatively tiny body of water is likely what you see in your mind. You鈥檙e almost guaranteed to have the pond, or a neighboring one just like it, to yourself. If you need a guide, Jake Ratcliff with can help you out.

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Robert Annis, a frequent 国产吃瓜黑料 contributor, spends more time on the road than the average long-haul trucker. When not behind the wheel of his beloved Roadtrek camper van singing along to Son Volt鈥檚 classic Trace album, he can be found either hip-deep in the closest trout stream or your town鈥檚 cheapest dive bar.

The post The Best Road Trips to Take This Summer Across the U.S. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I鈥檓 writing you from a beach in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. My wife and I have been coming down here a couple times a year since 2018, were married here just before the pandemic was declared in 2020, and are currently spending two months in town, enjoying the warm weather while we recuperate from a major surgery.

Why do we love it? One of the reasons is for the things it doesn’t have. There are no golf courses, no night clubs, no shopping malls or supermarkets, and honestly not a lot of the other amenities many American tourists deem essential. Which is perfect鈥攖hey鈥檙e the people we are trying to get away from. And while it’s starting to feel a little less like a sleepy seaside town, it’s still very much a haven for people who want to be a part of the local culture.

And it’s a great place to enjoy nature. From the sea turtles nesting on the beach, to whales spouting in the distance I can see as I write this. Or the pelicans my dogs are chasing, or the knock-your-socks-off sunsets that happen nightly, it’s just a stunning backdrop for taking it easy.

If you think simple pleasures, a slow pace, and making new friends sounds nice too, then I think you’ll enjoy it. Here’s how I make the most of my time in Todos Santos.

What鈥檚 the Best Way to Get to Todos Santos?

If you鈥檙e visiting from the U.S., then it鈥檚 probably going to be easiest and cheapest to fly in and out of San Jose del Cabo (SJD). It鈥檚 serviced by most major airlines with direct flights from as far away as Salt Lake City and Denver. La Paz is another option, but the smaller airport isn鈥檛 as convenient.

From there, renting a car is the best option for most travelers who want to venture outside a resort. Conventional taxis and ride share services aren鈥檛 really available here, and outside of the town center, things aren鈥檛 walkable. If you鈥檙e doing that, make sure you book a flight that lands at least four hours before nightfall, so you have plenty of time to take the shuttle bus to the rental car location, go through that checkout process, then complete the hour-and-a-half drive north before it gets dark.

When we borrow cars from local friends, or arrange travel for friends and family, we use for the journey to or from the airport. At $200 one-way, it鈥檚 not cheap, but the vehicles are brand new, the drivers are competent, and the pickup times are 100 percent reliable. The pickup area at SJD is a horrifying glimpse into tourist trap hell, and the company gets us out of there as fast as humanly possible.

There are also various bus services, and which can run as low as $25 one-way.

Driving from the U.S. is by far the most adventurous way to get here, though. The thousand-mile or so journey from the border is arguably the best camping road trip on earth, and should be on every 国产吃瓜黑料 reader’s travel bucket list. We just spent two weeks camping our way down from our home in Bozeman, Montana, and plan to do the same on our way back up, in April. For some reason, Americans are often under the impression that Mexico is dangerous. Statistically speaking, you’re actually safer here than at home. Road conditions can prove hazardous, though, more on that below. (Check out our article on safety concerns for travelers in Mexico).

Where to Stay in Todos Santos

Best Hotel for Budget Travelers

Located just a few minutes鈥� walk from the town center, offers a stylish, comfortable, friendly environment that鈥檚 also affordable. While rooms in the converted motel are clean and basic, the pool, bar, and outdoor hangout spaces provide ample options for socializing, or finding a private place to work or relax.

And while Todos Santos is very safe, travelers showing up by vehicle may appreciate secure parking, if only because the return trip would be evermore challenging without that vehicle. Quinta Santa Rosa鈥檚 friendly staff are happy to open the hotel鈥檚 main gates, so you can roll right into the courtyard. Rooms start at $125 a night.

Best Splurge Hotel

Looking for a splurge? The recently renovated rivals the elegance of the nicest hotels in major cities, complete with old-world charm in a space that was originally constructed in the late 19th century. A small and very private pool is hidden inside the courtyard, surrounded by marbled verandas. The ten suites are surprisingly spacious and feel incredibly romantic. But be prepared to pay for all that private luxury. Rooms start at about $1,100 a night, depending on conversion rates.

The first time we visited, we were surprised by the extra taxes tacked onto the advertised room rates by hotels at check out. Don鈥檛 forget to budget for an additional 16 percent in value added tax on top of your total bill.

Want to Rent a House? Do This.

When we rent houses, we use . RARE has the nicest properties in town, and their friendly, helpful staff are always on hand to help out when small problems arise. That level of service really elevates the experience above Airbnbs.

An exception there is , where my buddy Jed rents out three poolside casitas. He lives onsite and can also offer local insights into anything you want to see or do while you鈥檙e here. Swell is much nicer than anything else costing $72 a night.

Where to Eat in Todos Santos

Food is a big part of this town’s appeal. From the the taco stand in Pescadero (just south of Todos Santos proper), to , Todos Santos Boutique Hotel鈥檚 fine dining restaurant, you just can鈥檛 go wrong. There鈥檚 no way I could fit all my recommendations here, but here’s a start.

FYI, Locals Love Their Italian Food

Want to eat Italian food (a local favorite), while watching an epic sunset? is located in a palapa on a hill above town, giving you excellent views to the coast. Another great Italian option is , located right in the town center. The latter makes all of its own pasta in-house.

Best Mexican Restaurants for Tacos, Quesadillas, and More

Hungry for table service tacos? just north of downtown, or 5 Tacos听and a Beer in Las Tunas (that鈥檚 their speciality) are both serviceable, casual, walk-in options. The food at in Cerritos (one hill further south than Pescadero) is better, but involves a 15 minute drive. If you go there, make sure you order a smoked fish quesadilla.

For breakfast, you won’t find friendlier service or better Spanish lessons than those at . For lunch, I usually order tacos de pescado capeado at Bahia Pescadaria, but don鈥檛 skip for heartier dishes.

Make time to visit in Pescadero for dinner. That鈥檚 farm-to-table, with food mostly coming from the farm you鈥檙e dining right in the middle of.

Where to Drink in Todos Santos

For Cocktail Enthusiasts

Visit my Norwegian friend Freddy at for one of his handmade cocktails and good conversation. He鈥檚 open Wednesday to Saturday from 6 P.M., and runs out of barstools fast. in the Todos Santos Boutique Hotel is also great, and you won鈥檛 have a problem finding a seat.

For Wine Lovers

Note that wine is going to be surprisingly expensive due to taxation and shipping. Sergio Madera is the best sommelier in town (he did our wedding), and works out of , Hotel San Cristobal鈥檚 seafood restaurant. He also does private wine and mezcal tastings. Message him on to arrange one of those.

For Beer Drinkers

Book a bar table (you definitely need a reservation) at , north of town, to coincide with a sunset at some point during your visit. And if, like me, you enjoy a good beer, in Las Tunas is a must visit, with loads of options on tap from Mexico and beyond.

What to Do in Todos Santos

Most people come to shop for art, eat good food, chill at the beach, and surf, all in an environment that鈥檚 still significantly less touristy than anything available in Los Cabos.

Best Beaches for Surf and Sunsets

As a note on beaches, any place near town, north of Pescadero, is going to have a gnarly shore break and dangerous riptides. Go to Pescadero or Cerritos if you want to get in the water. The beaches in town are still great places to hang out and watch the sunset.听 If you want to do that while someone brings you margaritas, day passes at start at about $50 for a couple. Ask for Chacon. Not only does he make a mean drink, but he鈥檒l entertain you with stories all day, too.

Head to the Sierra to Hike

If you like hiking, devote a day to drive out to the Sierra de la Laguna mountains that you can see on the east side of town. There you鈥檒l find scenic swimming holes, cliff jumping spots, and some seriously stunning trails. That’s an especially nice destination when it鈥檚 too hot on the coast鈥攖he mountains reach 6,800 feet above sea level.

Check Out the Art Scene

A great place to start your journey into Todos Santos鈥� art scene is at . There, Michael Cope and Erik Ochoa paint and sculpt in-house, host weekly events, and represent a dozen or so other artists. Michael has lived here for 30 years, and will talk your ear off.

For Ocean 国产吃瓜黑料s, Make Friends

Want to go fishing, or explore areas outside of town? You鈥檒l need to make friends, which really isn’t hard to do. There aren’t conventional fishing charters (as Americans understand them), but you can catch a ride on a panga from Punta Lobos if you can talk them into it, and simply throwing a line into the surf usually turns up a catch.

What to Avoid in Todos Santos

Don’t drive after dark in Baja: Seriously. I鈥檓 a trained race-car driver, have worked as a precision driver in car commercials, drive a truck equipped to survive an impact with large animals and with lights that reach a mile into the darkness, and I still try to avoid it when at all possible.

Watch out for road obstructions: Not only are the roads here often too narrow for two vehicles to pass each other safely, but their shoulders are dangerously crumbled, huge potholes and invisible speed bumps abound, and livestock ranges freely across the peninsula. If you haven鈥檛 before traveled to remote, undeveloped parts of the world, the level of danger is nothing like any you鈥檒l have experienced before. Hell, I almost hit a cow on the highway yesterday, in the middle of the afternoon.

Give yourself time to get around: Travel times estimated by navigation apps cannot be relied upon. Allow plenty of extra time to reach your destination before nightfall.

Keep cash close: Speaking of driving, keep some small bills on hand. There鈥檚 about $11 in tolls between here and the airport, and when you stop for gas, the attendant will wash your windshield. In return for that service, hand them 20 pesos.

Text like a local: Like most countries outside of the U.S., people here text via WhatsApp. Go ahead and get that downloaded and setup before you arrive. As an added bonus, WhatsApp is operating system agnostic, so you won’t have trouble with group messages if one of your friends still insists on using an iPhone.

Do You Need to Speak Spanish in Todos Santos?

You鈥檒l certainly have a better time the more Spanish you speak. Neither my wife or I approach fluency, but we鈥檙e learning. And even our limited ability to respect the local culture has enabled use to make friends, which then opens up all manner of interesting new possibilities.

When friends from Bozeman flew down a couple months ago, their half-decent Spanish enabled them to make friends with the manager at a hotel, who then invited them to come fishing with his family the next morning. We know a guy we can text on WhatsApp who will drive us to dinner and back for a few bucks, so we can avoid drinking and driving. When we saw a Mexican trio play at a local bar, we were able to ask them to perform at our wedding. Friends we鈥檝e made here invite us to their homes and events. We can easily make reservations at the best restaurants. And all that takes is a little practice ahead of time, and a willingness to smile our way through a little embarrassment on the frequent occasions we get something entirely wrong. Todos Santos is very much a place for people prepared to do the same.

Wes Siler听writes about the intersections of science, news, politics, gear, vehicles and travel, and travels to Todos Santos every chance he gets. He’s also recently covered $3,000 binoculars that he absolutely didn’t regret, how to make your outdoor gear last almost forever, and new trends in camping gear that are actually centuries old. He and his wife got married at the San Cristobal hotel mentioned above.听

The post The 国产吃瓜黑料 Traveler鈥檚 Guide to Todos Santos, Mexico appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you鈥檙e a regular reader of this column or have followed my adventures over the years, you鈥檝e no doubt realized that I have a habit of changing adventure rigs quite often. My wife says I have a problem, but I think it鈥檚 fun to try new camping rigs and, as with most other outdoor gear, constantly tweak and dial them in.

Our latest rig is a camper van. Sarah and I tested a Wayfarer Vans Walt conversion last summer, and we liked van camping and traveling so much that we pulled the trigger on a van of our own late last year. After five months with it, I have a better sense of how a van compares to different types of rigs, and thought I鈥檇 break down why we made the switch.

Watch: Inside a Wayfarer Vans Conversion

Why We Made the Switch

First, some quick background. I spent six weeks last summer riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR), and Sarah joined me in the Wayfarer test van for the last two weeks of the trip. While planning the adventure, we began discussing logistics and what vehicle she鈥檇 take. The natural choice, to me, was to take our Tundra and 19-foot Airstream鈥攂ut after talking it through, it became clear that towing the trailer would be too much work and create a lot of unnecessary headaches. I suggested she just camp in the Tune M1 that lives on the back of our Tundra, but we haven鈥檛 built out the inside, and she rightly pointed out that living and working out of it for several weeks wouldn鈥檛 be comfortable.

All of that led to our interest in trying a van. We quickly learned that a van was not only the right rig for that particular trip鈥攚hich involved moving to a new location every day and lots of highway driving鈥攂ut it made more sense for the majority of our trips than the Airstream. Here鈥檚 why:

1. We averaged 20mpg over a couple thousand miles, which is nearly double what our truck gets pulling the trailer.
2. Navigating cities, small towns, and even gas stations was infinitely easier with a van half the length and with a better turning radius. While the Airstream was only 19 feet long, when you add it to the truck鈥檚 length, you鈥檙e piloting a 38-foot rig versus a 19-foot van.
3. We worried significantly less about getting stuck or having to back up for long distances on Forest Service roads. Even though our trailer has a 3-inch lift and all-terrain tires, the whole rig was much more difficult to fit in tight spaces than a self-contained van.
4. The van, despite being front-wheel drive (FWD), proved quite capable and went anywhere we needed to go. The GDMBR is made up of mostly dirt roads, some of which get pretty gnarly鈥攅specially in New Mexico and Montana. There were some particularly rough, rocky, and rut-strewn sections of Forest Service road between Seeley Lake and Whitefish that the van probably had no place being, but Sarah took it slow and made it through without issue.
5. The build was simple, high quality, and offered most of the amenities we were used to with our Airstream, such as running water, lights, a heater, and a fridge鈥攋ust with much less required maintenance.
   

   

Choosing the Van

When we got home from that trip and returned the test van, we were surprised by how much we missed it. We didn鈥檛 just miss camping out of it鈥攚e missed all the little advantages that come with having a campervan, like the passthrough from the cab to the living area and ability to make quick snacks in the kitchen on the road. So, we decided to sell the trailer and look for a van.

We were set on a Wayfarer conversion after spending so much time in one, which limited our van choice to either a Ram Promaster or Ford Transit. I labored over the decision mainly because the Transit is available in all-wheel drive, and I thought that might be necessary for some of the places we go. Ultimately, we decided that a van with all-wheel drive would still be nowhere near as capable off road as the four-wheel-drive Tundra in our driveway. The low clearance, limited suspension travel, overall size, and lack of low range really limits where an AWD van can go compared to a truck, so we decided to skip it. Besides鈥攚e鈥檇 already found the Promaster鈥檚 FWD to be capable of getting to most places we wanted to visit on our trip along the Divide.

Promasters can cost significantly less money than AWD Transits: A brand new, starts just over $50K, while a starts around $57K (though when you dig into it, it鈥檚 very difficult to find a 148鈥� High Roof, AWD Transit for less than $65K). Used Promasters are even less expensive, and when we were shopping it was easy to find a slightly used Promaster with 30,000 to 40,000 miles on it for $30K, which was a big factor in our decision. What really sold me on the Ram was . First of all, Promasters are more square inside and feel much more roomy to me than Transits, which get narrower toward the roof. At their widest points, Promasters are about 7.5 inches wider. A high-roof Promaster has about 6 feet, 2 inches of standing room inside after a Wayfarer conversion, but its exterior height is a full 8 inches shorter than a high-roof Transit (which, despite the tall height, only offers 2 more inches of interior head room). That might not sound like a big deal on paper, but I can assure you it makes a difference in high winds on the highway, low overhangs around town, and low-hanging branches on dirt roads. Heck, a mid-roof Transit, which only offers 5 feet 8 inches of standing height, is only 3 inches shorter than a high-roof Promaster.

There isn鈥檛 really enough of a difference in payload and towing capacity between the two makers to really matter, but Promasters get better fuel , which was important to us (we average around 18 to 20mpg in ours, while the AWD Transits usually average 13 to 15mpg). They also have about two more inches of ground clearance from the factory than the Fords.

There seems to be a consensus on the internet that Transits are more reliable than Promasters. While data from does sort of back that up, the Ram鈥檚 listed annual cost of ownership number is only $200 more, which wasn鈥檛 enough to sway me in the Ford鈥檚 direction given the Transit鈥檚 higher purchase price and lower fuel economy. I also asked the folks at Wayfarer about their experience with both vans, and they said from what they鈥檝e seen and heard from customers, there really isn鈥檛 that much of a difference between the two in terms of reliability. Both vans are sold all over the world, and there are plenty of examples of people traveling extensively out of each van with great success.

Ultimately, we chose to buy a used, 2023 159-inch wheelbase, high-roof Ram Promaster 2500. We opted for a 2023 because that model year came with a new, nine-speed transmission, which helps the van鈥檚 3.5L V-6 on the highway and in the mountains. We really appreciated the amount of space it had inside over the Transit, and were able to save a bunch of money by finding a great deal on a used van. Side note: Wayfarer is one of very few van conversion companies that will actually convert used vans.

The Build Process

Wayfarer Vans is based in Colorado Springs, and they have their conversion process down to a science. They can help you source a van, and once you鈥檝e got one, lead times vary from two to eight weeks for scheduling your install. Installs themselves usually take just two to three days.

Each is based on the van model you bring them, so our high-roof, long-wheelbase Promaster meant we鈥檇 be going with the same Walt conversion we tested. We optioned ours a little differently than the test rig, but it鈥檚 quite similar overall. The biggest-ticket options we wanted were the windows, bug screens, and heater.

Because we were moving from a 19-foot Airstream to a van, we really appreciated the Walt鈥檚 extra storage space for gear and extra seating. The Walt has one extra 鈥淏oot Box鈥� in the back compared to the Transit models and a larger galley cabinet for more storage. We often camp with friends, and being able to easily seat four or five people for dinner or board games inside the van if it鈥檚 nasty outside is awesome. As a side note, you can also spec either van with a if you have kids or travel with more than two people.

You can read a more detailed account of the van鈥檚 interior build in this article I wrote last year, but the moral of the story is that Wayfarer builds simple, high-quality camper vans that are completely modular and allow you to change the layout of the van depending on your needs.

Top Takeaways

We鈥檝e had the van for nearly five months now, and it鈥檚 already gotten more use than our Airstream did in the several years we owned it. That鈥檚 because now, in addition to a sweet camper, we also have a supremely practical vehicle that we use for other things than just camping trips. We鈥檝e hauled appliances and kitchen cabinets, driven to visit family across the country, used it as a production vehicle for my video business, and even used it as a daily driver because it gets better fuel economy and is easier to park than the truck.

I was also used to constantly working on the various systems in our Airstream, given it was 20 years old: I ripped out the black tank and replaced the toilet with a composter, lifted it and added bigger tires, added lithium batteries and a solar system, and more. With the Wayfarer build, we still have running water, a heater, lights, vent fans, solar-powered electricity, and even a portable composting toilet, but it鈥檚 all simpler and everything just works. It has a hand pump that pulls water from a 5-gallon jug, so there’s no winterization required. The electrical 鈥渟ystem鈥� consists of a , which works flawlessly and is simple to replace if it somehow wears out. All of the cabinetry is high-quality, Baltic birch plywood that鈥檚 completely modular and can be easily repaired or replaced if necessary. In practical terms, that means I now spend a lot less time futzing with systems and more time planning trips and actually camping.

We鈥檝e also found that it鈥檚 an infinitely better winter and ski camping rig than the trailer, due to the superior insulation, lack of plumbing to freeze, maneuverability and the fact that we are no longer dealing with trying to tow a trailer on snowy roads. The front wheel drive, paired with the I ran on it this winter, have proven to be totally capable of getting us to our favorite ski hills.

I鈥檝e already mentioned how practical the van is for more mundane tasks like moving furniture, but we鈥檝e also found that it makes for the perfect dog palace at trailheads or when running errands around town. The fans and windows allow us to keep it cool inside if we need to leave the pup in the van for a bit, and he鈥檚 got a comfy bed and a full bowl of water at his disposal. Bonus: The fact that there鈥檚 a always inside means we can keep groceries cool if we鈥檙e in town for the day, or just have cold drinks waiting for us after a mountain bike ride.

Off-Road Capabilities

But what about off-road stuff? You can鈥檛 do that in a Promaster! While the Promaster is an exceptionally practical vehicle, it鈥檚 also true that a huge, front-wheel drive, box on wheels is not an off-roader. But honestly, that鈥檚 part of what I love about it鈥攊t doesn鈥檛 pretend to be one, unlike some other vans out there. Despite that, it will absolutely get you down a gravel or moderate dirt road, which, if we鈥檙e honest, is really what most of us do with our built-out trucks, anyway. I do plan to modify mine just a bit to make it more dirt-road capable, which I鈥檒l cover in an upcoming article.

If I know I鈥檓 going somewhere that the roads will be really rough, I鈥檒l take the truck and sacrifice some camp comfort. I also love that the van also gives me the option to bring my e-bike or tow a four wheeler for further exploration (both of which will get further off road than my truck ever could).

Gear Hauling and Practicality

One other point in the win column for the Promaster is its gear hauling ability. Our van can not only tow more than 6,000 pounds, but has a payload capacity of 3,994 pounds. After the lightweight Wayfarer build, that means we still have plenty of payload leftover for toys and never have to worry about overloading the rig, which is something we鈥檙e constantly mindful of with our truck. If you鈥檙e an overpacker like me, a 戮-ton Promaster is a great option and can usually be found for significantly less money than an equivalent 戮-ton pickup truck.

If I鈥檝e learned one thing in all the years of testing rigs, it鈥檚 that no adventure vehicle is perfect. I always shied away from vans mainly because I assumed you needed at least $150K to buy one. Downsizing from a 19-foot travel trailer to a Promaster and Wayfarer conversion taught me otherwise. It鈥檚 also teaching me that, as with most things in life, simple is better.

More Gear Reviews

The Best Trailers, Truck Campers, and Van Conversions of 2025
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The 7 Best Sleeping Bags for Car Camping

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Upon first sight, my younger daughter hugged the yellow . Arms draped across its cheerful face, she said, 鈥淐an we keep it?鈥� A reasonable question for a car that looks like it time-traveled from Woodstock to Haight-Ashbury via Pixar Studios.

The ID. Buzz is Volkswagen鈥檚 reinterpretation of its microbus鈥攁 car so entrenched in American counterculture that you would think it ran on patchouli oil. But this isn鈥檛 just an exercise in brute nostalgia that鈥檚 engineered to empty a former hippie鈥檚 pension. It鈥檚 a modern, all-electric machine that manages to embody the good vibes of its flower-power past.

Heading north toward Dillon Beach, the first revelation hit: Unlike its asthmatic ancestor, this bus moves. The all-wheel-drive version will get to sixty miles per hour in a very decent six seconds. And more than just my daughters loved it. Skiers returning from Tahoe slowed beside us, faces pressed against windows like kids at a pet store. At the Dillon Beach Resort, we became the parking lot鈥檚 main attraction. 鈥淚 used to have one of these,鈥� declared every old-timer. And then, the inevitable question after getting a good look at the car: 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the range?鈥� I managed around 230 miles on a full charge and limited spirited driving. That鈥檚 not a lot compared to, say, the 320-mile range of a Tesla Cybertruck. But no one wants to hug a Cybertruck.

The interior is comfortably utilitarian and stops short of luxe territory, with the exception of the gorgeous panoramic smart glass roof that can transition from transparent to opaque with a voice command. This isn鈥檛 quite a #vanlife vehicle. Despite its ancestral connection to cross-country odysseys, the ID. Buzz is, at its heart, an exceptionally cool minivan. There鈥檚 no built-in kitchenette, no pop-top for sleeping under the stars. It鈥檚 designed more for Costco runs and car camping鈥攖hough aftermarket conversion companies are already drafting plans.

After about a day, my older daughter had heard me answer enough questions about specs that she could fill in as ambassador. The first rule of ID. Buzz Club? You will talk about the ID. Buzz. Exasperated after fielding so many boomers鈥� car questions, she asked, 鈥淲hy does everyone want to talk to us?鈥�

Which brings us to the question: Who exactly is this for? You can get more mileage and utility out of a or a . Those are definitely more practical. But in an automotive landscape where everything is starting to feel the same, the ID. Buzz does something radical: It prioritizes joy. Perhaps that鈥檚 exactly the revolution we need.

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Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are back on bikes for the fourth series in their epic motorcycle saga around the world. Over twenty years ago they filmed their first series, Long Way Round (2004), which followed the duo, still in their thirties, riding from London to New York鈥攚hat McGregor calls 鈥渙ne of the highlights of my life.鈥�

From his breakthrough role in Trainspotting to playing Star Wars鈥� legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi, McGregor鈥檚 star factor surely has skyrocketed since that first series. But in Long Way Home he鈥檚 still playing himself, riding along with his best friend Boorman as they film each other from cameras mounted on their crash helmets.

鈥淏ecause of the shared experience of doing these journeys together there鈥檚 this bond that we have that I don鈥檛 share with anyone else,鈥� shares the Scottish actor. In Long Way Down (2007), the two rode from Scotland through 18 countries down to Cape Town, South Africa. And in the last installment, Long Way Up (2020), McGregor and Boorman rode on prototype electric Harleys from the southernmost tip of South America through Central America to McGregor鈥檚 home in L.A.

A lot has changed since filming their first Long Way series two decades ago, but you wouldn鈥檛 know it from their bikes: McGregor rides a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado while Boorman chooses a rusty BMW R75/5. After riding into the future on electric bikes that they had to plug-in along remote stretches of Patagonia, McGregor said “the only way to go this time was back.”

In addition to riding vintage bikes, this time the two also are adventuring closer to home, from the rolling hills around McGregor鈥檚 childhood home in Scotland to Boorman鈥檚 house in England. But as always, they’re taking the scenic route. Zipping along a 17-hairpin pass in Norway up to the Arctic Circle, and then down to the Baltics and through the Alps they clock 7500 miles through 17 countries in 63 days. But they still manage to dive into different cultures and take on challenges along the way, including picking themselves up after a few hairy stretches and falling off the bike.

OUTSIDE: So why Long Way Home now? It鈥檚 been 20 years since your first Long Way motorcycle road trip.听

Ewan McGregor: We did our last trip, Long Way Up, just before the world was locked down with the terrible pandemic. It was in sort of a lucky accident that it happened, when it happened.

It had been a long time since we did Long Way Down. We got this very strong sense that it had meant a lot, to a lot of people who had been stuck inside, who hadn’t been able to travel for two years. And just by sheer luck or whatever Long Way Up came out when people were still sort of struggling to get back into coming out of their homes. It meant a lot to people, and it meant a lot to us doing it.

Long Way Up had its own complications鈥攚e did the trip on electric bikes which were quite difficult to find a plug for in Patagonia and such places [a fast charger would have been nice too, laughs Boorman]. But we did it, and we just love being back on the road together basically.

On that trip, when we were in Bolivia, we started daydreaming about another one. We came up with the Scandinavian idea; 鈥淟ong Way Scandi鈥澨齱e used to call it in our helmets as we were chatting to each other. I suppose after we’d been on the cutting-edge-of-technology motorcycles, the only way to go was to go back the other way.

Last time you were riding on super fast electric Harleys, now you鈥檙e riding a bit slower on old temperamental bikes. Why old bikes this time around?听

McGregor: Oh, I’ve always loved old bikes, and I always fancy doing a trip in old classic bikes. We just wanted to do one that was less stressful, more fun. More chance for us just to f***听around and have a laugh. And this sort of loop came out of that idea where we weren’t going to be. We’re not going to have to rush to get a boat from Egypt to Sudan on this one day, or else we wouldn’t be able to do it for another week. So we took the stress out of it, and we just had such a great time.

There were some intense moments when the power went out in Long Way Up and you needed to charge your bikes in the middle of Patagonia. What were the challenges this time?听

Charley Boorman: I don’t want to point any fingers [points to Ewan in the chair beside him]. With the high-tech bikes you can’t really fix them if they go wrong. But old bikes you can. There’s always somebody somewhere that you bump into who can help you, who has a little workshop in the garage. So the breakdown becomes part of the adventure. The times you get stressed because your bike is broken, you end up meeting all these extraordinary people that can help you, and then that becomes one of the highlights of the journey meeting these interesting, like-minded people. That bumping into strangers is part of it.

McGregor: No computers involved. There’s no chip. There’s not a chip on that bike, except for the occasional french fry that’s falling out of my pannier. They鈥檙e mechanical and therefore fixable, and on an adventure that’s quite a good idea. You don’t want something that can catastrophically fail.

So Ewan, you’re in all these films now, what do you like about working on something were it鈥檚 unscripted; you’re yourself?听

McGregor: I’ve always made documentaries. I did one about polar bears a long, long time ago up in Churchill, Canada.听I’ve made three different movies with my brother about the Royal Air Force because he was a pilot in the Royal Air Force. I’ve always enjoyed them because I don’t have the pressure of playing somebody. It’s just me.

I suppose it鈥檚 like a busman’s holiday in a way. We are filming, and we are filmmakers. Charley and I were thinking about getting things across for an audience while we’re doing these trips, but also at the same time, we’ve got an amazing, talented cameraman, Claudio von Planta, and Max Curtis who we picked up in Chile as our fixer there. And he’s such a great addition to the filming team that we had him come on all of this trip. So Claudio and Max sit on the same motorbike, and it’s just the three bikes for most of the time.

And because they’re so skilled we don’t really have to worry too much, just about being ourselves and meeting people and appreciating what we see, recording it, talking about it, and then hopefully inspiring people to look at this world that we鈥檙e lucky to live on. And if we can inspire some people to get out there and travel and experience the world, then we’d be very proud.

Charley, you’ve been in some serious motorcycle accidents over the years…What keeps you getting back on the bike鈥攅specially with the camera on you?

Boorman: Ah, there鈥檚 been a lot of crashes, and 2016 was a bad one, lots of operations to get back together. And then 2018 [crash] was much worse. But all my life, I’ve ridden motorcycles, I’ve ridden horses and stuff like that, and you tend to fall off, and you get back on again. The first one with the broken legs I woke up the next morning having gone through a lot of surgery. I’d broken three limbs, and I’d broken my left hand as well as my right hand.听 I was starting to go down into a into a very deep, dark hole.听

Then I realized there was someone in the room with me, and I looked over and there was a guy in the other bed, and he was in a much, much worse place than I was. And I remember looking at him, and I remember looking down at myself, and I remember thinking it’s not that bad actually. So from then on I was lucky enough to be able to sort of jump out of that hole and start to look at wanting to ride a bike again and wanting to have more adventures.

Somehow the motorbike was my therapy to get back on it. It鈥檚 very easy to get stuck in a trauma and let that trauma dictate your life and it’s a real rabbit hole. There is nothing you can do about what’s happened, so you may as well look forward.

And having friends like Ewan and knowing that people are around you to help but it’s taken a long time, 30 odd operations to get back and be walking again properly.

So I’m happy to be here with Ewan.

So what鈥檚 next? Will there be any more Long Way adventures?

McGregor: Well, you just have to wait and see. Who knows? We’re planning a big luxury RV trip.

Boorman: With helicopters.

Long Way Home premieres on May 9, exclusively on Apple TV+.

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Of all the road trips I鈥檝e plotted in my travel writing career, the best had this in common: they were scenic, they were unhurried, and they capped each day beneath the cosmos. The following astro-meets-adventure itineraries tick every box.

There鈥檚 no better way to celebrate the start of road trip season鈥攁s well as from April 21 to 28鈥攖han by taking a long, star-focused drive. Some of these itineraries might already be on your list, others may surprise you, and all can be completed in a long weekend. Here are the best stargazing road trips in North America.

Cook County Aurora Route

3+ nights | Northern Minnesota

Cook County is among the northernmost points in the continental U.S. That makes this Lake Superior region arguably the best place in the lower 48 to chase the aurora. Here鈥檚 a 140-mile out-and-back drive through northern Minnesota鈥檚 forested fringes.

• Lutsen: Start roughly 90 miles north of Duluth for a stint on the 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail by day. Trek by day, then unwind beneath the stars after dusk. Sprinkle in some wellness with a stay at , where each abode has a private sauna with forest-view windows.
• Grand Marais: Drive 20 minutes north along the lake to reach Grand Marais, a spirited arts community. See the stars in unmitigated splendor on a guided night-vision hike with , a first-of-its-kind outfitter located just outside of Grand Marais. To optimize your aurora odds, book an accommodation within walking distance of ideal lights-hunting perch Artist鈥檚 Point (like ).
• Gunflint Trail: Sip your last dregs of city life before heading an hour inland on the 57-mile Gunflint Trail. This traverse, thick with maples and birches, is famous for its numerous moose sightings. For remote stargazing, reserve digs like or pitch your tent at a local campground (typically open starting in May). If you have time, set aside another day to explore nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, another DarkSky Sanctuary

The Arizona Traverse

3+ nights | Arizona

Inky nightscapes abound in Arizona, where global light pollution authority DarkSky International has certified more than two dozen astronomical getaways. Catch the cosmos on this 340-mile road trip, which weaves northward through the Grand Canyon State鈥檚 space-watching听hotspots. Consider adding a few detours, like Petrified Forest National Park. Your adventure starts in Tucson, and can end in Flagstaff or Las Vegas鈥攂oth major Southwest transit hubs.

• Tucson: Start your Arizona Traverse on the new , a mini road trip in itself that connects a dozen astronomy attractions in and around the city. Highlights include Kitt Peak National Observatory, home to one of the world鈥檚 largest radio telescopes, and Saguaro National Park, a DarkSky-certified escape where towering cacti pierce a sparkly night sky. Camping is available in six designated Saguaro Wilderness Area campgrounds. (Note: the sites are only accessible by foot.)
• Sedona: Head roughly three hours north of Tucson for stop number two, Sedona, another DarkSky-certified destination with star-view options galore. Admire the silvery pinpricks from Beaverhead Flat Scenic Overlook or the Aerie trailhead. Or, watch for stars and peculiar flying objects on a guided UFO tour. Reserve accommodations like to enjoy the dark-sky splendor from bed.
• Grand Canyon National Park: There鈥檚 nothing like sky-watching from the spellbinding Grand Canyon, whether it鈥檚 a ranger-guided astronomy session on the South Rim, or DIY stargazing on the remote North Rim, which is open from mid-May to mid-October. For the ultimate twilight treat, try the lottery for a sleep at Phantom Ranch, the only lodging on the Grand Canyon鈥檚 base.

Baja Coast to Coast

2+ nights | Baja Sur, Mexico

You could make a multi-month adventure out of zigzagging along Baja鈥檚 many natural and night-sky attractions. But for those who don鈥檛 have unlimited PTO, here鈥檚 a bite-sized, 100-mile trip from the Gulf of California to the Pacific coast. You could tackle this road trip in a quick weekend, but I recommend at least four nights to soak up the culture and daytime marvels.

• Loreto: Start your Baja Sur weekend in Loreto, a seaside town famous for its blue whales, national parks, beach clambakes, and鈥攖hanks to a recent community movement鈥攕targazing. The local astronomy club Cielo Magic hosts for residents and tourists in town. There鈥檚 also a local sky-watching meetup every Friday near the main plaza. Or, take a roughly 30-minute drive out of town to admire the planets and stars in the foothills of the Sierra de la Giganta mountains. Stay at historic and centrally located Hotel Boutique Posada de las Flores Loreto, which has a rooftop for space-gazing above the main square.
• Puerto Adolfo Lopez Mateos: Crisscross the peninsula鈥檚 mountainous interior to reach this tiny coastal town鈥攁 magnet for whale watchers between January and March. But marine life isn鈥檛 the only reason to visit. You can also book twilight sand dune tours and picnics through local outfitters. Overnight at an before heading back to Loreto the next day.

Oregon Outback

3+ nights | Central-South Oregon

Few destinations top stargazers鈥� bucket lists like the Australian Outback, but most don鈥檛 know that the U.S. has its own version much closer to home: the Oregon Outback, a stretch of high desert in the state鈥檚 central and southern regions. The region鈥檚 half-dozen DarkSky destinations are all within a few hours鈥� driving distance. Consider spending an additional evening in Sisters, an artsy DarkSky-certified community just outside of Bend.

• Prineville Reservoir State Park: Begin an hour from Bend at Prineville Reservoir State Park, a stop with kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and fishing, as well as year-round for all-hours star access. If you鈥檙e more of a glamper, book one of the park鈥檚 five deluxe log cabins to start your trip in style.
• Summer Lake: A three-hour drive south of Prineville Reservoir will drop you in the 2.5-million-acre Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Try the Summer Lake Wildlife Area for birdwatching in the marshes and camping beneath the cosmos. Or, upgrade your visit with a stay at the , a collection of campsites and cabins with onsite soaking pools.
• Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge: This remote, high-elevation refuge鈥攋ust three hours southeast of Summer Lake鈥攊s the ultimate Pacific Northwest retreat for space lovers. Pitch a tent for free at to snooze beneath the stars, then spend your daytime hours searching for petroglyphs or hiking to see pronghorns, pikas, and bighorn sheep.

Nova Scotia to New Brunswick

3+ nights | Eastern Canada

Life in Atlantic Canada centers on the sea, but don鈥檛 sleep on this maritime region鈥檚 starry skies. Three Dark Sky Preserves lie within a picturesque, six-hour road trip across the region. You鈥檒l start in Halifax and end in Moncton, though you can add stops like Prince Edward Island along the way.

• Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site: Kejimkujik鈥檚 thick pine forests, set two hours west of Halifax, brim with natural wonders and Mi鈥檏maw culture. Try hiking or biking through forests or along the coast, or take a to follow the footsteps of the area鈥檚 earliest humans. After sunset, snag a campsite (open mid-May to late October) and point your eyes skyward for a glimmering twilight fresco.
• Fundy National Park: A four-hour drive north will lead you to Fundy National Park, home to the highest tides in the world. Explore the expansive mud flats and craggy coasts in the afternoon, then watch for planets and stars by camping in the Dark Sky Preserve (sites and yurts available year-round).
• Kouchibouguac National Park: Conclude your journey with a 115-mile drive up to Kouchibouguac National Park, a mosaic of honey-hued dunes and sprawling wetlands. Spend daylight looking for river otters and seals, or mountain biking the park鈥檚 nearly 40-mile trail system. Camping, available from mid-May to late October, provides the best twilight view. You can also try a nearby cabin, , and visit the park at night.

Across the Appalachians

3+ nights | West Virginia to Virginia

Link up three DarkSky getaways just a short trip from D.C. This Virginia-West Virginia adventure totals roughly 150 miles point-to-point. Spend more time in West Virginia鈥檚 Monongahela National Forest, a rock-climbing oasis, if your PTO allows.

• Watoga State Park: Drive four hours west of Washington, D.C., or 2.5 hours north of Roanoke, for a starry retreat with all sorts of aquatic adventures. Watoga State Park, a 10,000-acre getaway with swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking, is part of one of the east coast鈥檚 largest DarkSky-certified areas. Overnighting in one of the park鈥檚 (from $157), or pitching a tent at one of its three (from $50), puts you smack-dab in the stargazing action.
• Natural Bridge State Park: Cross state borders to reach Natural Bridge State Park, a two-hour drive east of Watoga. This DarkSky-certified spot is full of karst terrain and navigable caverns. The park will host events starting April 25. Alternatively, book a primitive campsite or at a nearby campground and do your own star-watching from there.
• James River State Park: Around 60 miles east of Natural Bridge State Park, this Virginia escape offers pristine twilight skies and plenty of overnight accommodations, from park-run to full-service campsites. Spend your non-astronomy hours hiking the scenic 3.5-mile Cabell Trail or angling for smallmouth bass or catfish.

Klondike Highway

3+ nights | Yukon Territory, Canada

This historic highway parallels the route miners traversed during the Klondike Gold Rush. It鈥檚 also one of the continent鈥檚 best night-sky drives. Fortunately, you can tag some of the best bits in a long weekend. Start in Whitehorse, drive six hours up to Dawson City, then head back the way you came.

• Whitehorse: The aurora often flickers above Whitehorse, the Yukon territory鈥檚 main city, between early fall and spring. Book a private telescope session at the Yukon Astronomical Society鈥檚 Observatory, or try ice fishing beneath the aurora. Come summer, enjoy another astronomical marvel: the midnight sun. Sleep just outside of town at forest-fringed , a quiet escape tucked amid evergreens.
• Carmacks: Just two hours north of Whitehorse, you鈥檒l find the quiet riverside town of Carmacks. Local companies offer aurora tours from mid-August to mid-April. Hit the hay at a hotel in town, then stock up on road-trip snacks at the general store for the next leg of your drive.

Dawson City: After the 220-mile drive from Carmacks, your arrival in Dawson City will feel like striking gold. This National Historic Site overflows with Indigenous and gold-rush history. Explore downtown on foot, then admire the nightscapes from a yurt. If you鈥檙e here for the midnight sun, try summer camping up in mountainous Tombstone Territorial Park, a protected area on the Dempster Highway.

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America鈥檚 national parks are known for their vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness, and we love celebrating the trails that take you deep into the backcountry听of these iconic landscapes. But sometimes, the best views in our national parks can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. Here are the eight best national park scenic roads.

1. Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road carves a 48-mile path through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the gateway towns听of Estes Park and Grand Lake. It鈥檚 one of the highest paved roads in the country, with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet at the Gore Range Overlook. The two-lane blacktop is a stiff challenge for cyclists (I always see a few on this road when I鈥檓 in the park) as it climbs more than 4,000 feet in just 12 miles, but it鈥檚 a convenient way for the rest of us to enjoy a high alpine environment; roughly eight miles of the road cruises above tree line with expansive views in either direction. Given the altitude, snowfall means the road is typically only open from late May to early October. I drove the road in July with my family one year, and we marveled at the amount of snow that was still piled up at the pass.

Best View听

The Gore Range Overlook (at mile 19.3 if you鈥檙e coming from Estes Park) sits near the crest of the road with long range views to the west of the Never Summer Mountains. Gaze down from the parking lot and you鈥檒l see small ponds scattered across the tundra. To the east, you can see Longs Peak, one of Colorado鈥檚 most famous 14ers.

Get Out of Your Car

If you drive the entire road, you鈥檒l have more than a dozen opportunities for short hikes. Make sure you explore from the Alpine Visitor Center. It鈥檚 usually not as crowded as Alpine Ridge, which also begins at the visitor center, but takes you through the high alpine tundra with views of the Never Summer Mountains in the distance and the Cache de la Poudre River below. You鈥檒l hit a forest of spruce and firs after two miles, which is where most people turn around. If you go all the way to Milner Pass, it鈥檚 an eight-mile out and back, dropping 1,000 feet on its way to the pass. Keep an eye out for pikas and marmots along the way.

Reservations

You need a to enter Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer, but if you鈥檙e only planning to stick to Trail Ridge Road and not visit the super popular Bear Lakes Corridor, then reservations are easier to get and only necessary between 9 and 2. So even if you don鈥檛 plan ahead, you could start your drive early and catch the sunrise, or start in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset.

2. Chain of Craters Road, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii听

You should drive this road now, while you can, because there鈥檚 no guarantee that the pavement will exist in the future. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, encompasses several active volcanoes that have altered the landscape and the two-lane scenic highway multiple times in the last century. Currently, Chain of Craters Road is just shy of 19 miles long, traveling from the top of Kilauea Volcano to the Holei Sea Arch, which hangs over the Pacific Ocean. The road used to carry on past the arch, but that portion of the highway has been swallowed by lava. That鈥檚 what makes this road different from most others in the national park system; you get the opportunity to see the lava that created the Hawaiian islands up close and personal, as the road cruises by several active volcanic craters and the remnants of their outbursts.

Best View

Most of the pullouts along the road offer expansive views of lava fields in various stages of existence. The newer ones will be dark, rolling fields void of life, but the older lava flows will have vegetation and trees sprouting from the creases. The best view comes at the end of the road, when you can take a short walk to see the Holei Sea Arch, a tall, skinny window in a lava-rock cliff that formed over time as the Pacific Ocean slowly eroded the center of the rock.

Get Out of Your Car

There are a handful of hiking opportunities along the Chain of Craters Road. You can even hike what鈥檚 left of the former road beyond the current turn-around point at Holei Sea Arch. If you want a short hike, the .7-mile will take you on a boardwalk through an old lava field to a vast collection of petroglyphs that were carved into the lava more than 500 years ago.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

3. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia听

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through the center of Shenandoah National Park, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consider this road a compressed version of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. You can do the road in half a day, but a campground and at the halfway mark make this the perfect two-day adventure. The two-lane road crests at 3,680 feet and offers 75 pullouts with views that extend deep into the mountains and down to the Shenandoah Valley below. Timing your visit during the fall, when the hardwoods in the surrounding mountains are popping with color, makes Skyline Drive a bucket list experience. Biking Skyline from end to end is one of the most memorable centuries on the East Coast. The road is open year round, but will occasionally be closed during the winter because of snow. Check the before you start your trip.

Best View

There are overlooks every couple of miles along Skyline, but the views really stack up around the midpoint as the road reaches its highest elevations. Spitler Knob Overlook, at milepost 48.1, looks west, taking in the Shenandoah River below and the mountains that divide Virginia and West Virginia on the horizon. The sunset from here is stunning, too.

Get Out of Your Car

Head for the highest point in the park by hiking the to the 4,049-foot Hawksbill Summit. The 2.1-mile out and back begins at milepost 46.5, and ends at an observation platform on top of Hawksbill with a 360-degree view of the mountains and surrounding Piedmont.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

4. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana听

Yeah, this road is crowded, with parking lots along its path notoriously filling up by 10 A.M., but there鈥檚 a reason. Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects Glacier National Park while connecting the small gateway communities of West Glacier and St. Mary, might be the most scenic two-lane blacktop in the entire national park system. The 50-mile-long point to point highway delivers views of glaciated peaks, backcountry lakes, and the occasional waterfall, not to mention a great chance to see mountain goats. The road is an engineering feat as well鈥攊t took workers two decades to complete, with builders boring a number of tunnels into the cliffs. Going-to-the-Sun is only open to vehicles during the summer (typically from mid June to mid October), and there鈥檚 a brief hiker/biker season in May when human-powered traffic can access the road after it鈥檚 been plowed, but before the gates are open to cars.

Best View

Logan Pass is the most popular destination on the road, thanks to the visitor center and multiple trailheads there, but the Jackson Glacier Overlook has the sweetest view, as it gives you the best chance to see a glacier from the comfort of your car.

Get Out of Your Car

Going-to-the-Sun provides access to some of Glacier鈥檚 most iconic hikes and landscapes, so you could spend a full week knocking out trails without ever venturing beyond the road鈥檚 corridor. The 2.8-mile is a classic. You won鈥檛 have the trail to yourself (it鈥檚 one of the most popular hikes in the park) but the terrain you鈥檒l experience is iconic Glacier, passing through meadows full of wildflowers in the summer before it听reaches a vantage point overlooking a high alpine lake nestled at the base of the granite-rimmed Bearhat Mountain. Turn back or double your mileage by following the trail to the edge of the lake itself.

Reservations

You need for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road from June 13 to September 28, between the hours of 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. Show up before or after that daily window if you want to drive the road but can鈥檛 score a reservation.

5. Crater Lake Rim Drive, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon听

Crater Lake is a sight to behold. The 13,148-acre pool is the deepest lake in the United States, fed entirely by rain and snowmelt, and completely encompassed by the rim of a volcanic crater that was formed more than 7,000 years ago during an eruption. And it鈥檚 all set within the backdrop of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Mountain Range. The 33-mile Rim Drive gives you a chance to see this lake and the crater from every angle as it forms a paved, two-lane path around the entire scene. There are 30 overlooks along the way, most of which offer a good view of the bright blue water and Wizard Island, a cinder cone island rising 775 feet above the surface of the lake. One of the coolest features of the road is that it was built to disappear into the landscape, so that you can鈥檛 see it as you鈥檙e looking out over the lake. Like many of the scenic park roads built in the 1920s and 30s, Rim Drive has tight curves and very little shoulder, so drive cautiously and watch out for cyclists. Crater Lake National Park gets an average of 41 feet of snow a year, so the road closes for winter, typically from November 1 to June 1.

Best View

Watchman Overlook, 6.5 miles from the visitor center, has one of the best views of the lake, particularly at sunset as it faces west. There鈥檚 also a short, mile-long Watchman Peak Trail that leads to a fire lookout tower with a 360-degree view of the lake, crater, and surrounding Cascade Mountains.

Get Out of the Car

You鈥檒l get plenty of vista views of the lake from above, but is the only legal trail you can take down to the water鈥檚 edge. Find the trailhead on the East Rim Drive, 4.5 miles from where North Entrance Road intersects with West Rim Drive. It鈥檚 a steep, 1.1-mile sandy path from the road to the lake, dropping 700 feet before hitting the boulder-laden shore. Yes, you can take a dip in the water, but it鈥檚 cold, averaging 57 degrees in the summer.

Reservations

Crater Lake National Park doesn鈥檛 require reservations, but there is a $30 per vehicle entrance fee.

6. White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park鈥檚 White Rim Road isn鈥檛 like others on this list. Instead of a paved highway, is a 100-mile four-wheel drive route through the backcountry of Canyonlands, forming a loop around the park鈥檚 Island in the Sky district. It鈥檚 a two-day adventure, at minimum, requiring a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, as well as solid navigational and backcountry skills. But if you have the chops, there鈥檚 no better way to see the park than driving (or mountain biking, if you are so inclined) White Rim Road. Named for the pale slickrock that dominates much of the road鈥檚 terrain, the driving is a mix of sandy washes, rough rocky stretches and the aforementioned slickrock, which will occasionally take you to the edge of canyons. It鈥檚 a two-way road, but most people drive it clockwise. No matter which you go, it should only be attempted by overland veterans and always keep an eyee out for oncoming vehicles, hikers, and bikers. You鈥檒l see towering buttes and monoliths as you drive along the Green River and switchback your way up and down the edges of deep gorges.

Best View

You鈥檒l see some amazing scenery throughout the entirety of this road, but Monument Basin, roughly 30 miles into the drive if you鈥檙e moving clockwise, will give you the chance to park above beauitful canyons and snag an Instagram-worthy shot. Inside the basin below, you鈥檒l see countless red sandstone spires rising from the valley floor.

Get Out of Your Car

The is a 3.4-mile out and back that leaves White Rim Road at mile 65 and meanders across the slickrock to the ruins of a stone structure built by the indigenous people that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. From the ruin, you鈥檒l have a grand view of the Green River below, with its lush banks standing in contrast to the red desert on either side.

Reservations

Any overnight along White Rim requires a . You can apply for a permit up to four months in advance of your trip ($36 permit fee, plus a $5 per person, per night camping fee), and designated campsites are scattered along the route.

7. Grand Loop, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 Grand Loop isn鈥檛 a single road, but a combination of two-lane roads that form a 145-mile figure eight through the heart of the park. You can do the entire figure eight or just tackle the upper or lower loop. If you attempt to drive the entire Grand Loop, it will be an all-day adventure. Some visitors even break it up into two full days, knocking up the Upper Loop on day one and Lower Loop on the second day. Drive the entire Grand Loop and you鈥檒l hit most of the highlights in America鈥檚 oldest national park, with a chance to stop at geothermal wonders like Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Spring, while also being able to take quick detours to iconic landscapes, like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Lamar Valley, a broad grassland bisected by the Lamar River that attracts big game like bison and grizzly bears. If you have a snowmobile, you can explore the Grand Loop during winter, otherwise you鈥檒l have to plan your trip between May and the end of October, when the road is cleared of snow. And be prepared for the occasional 鈥渂ison jam,鈥� when cars stop to watch the locals.

Best View

Artist Point Overlook, a detour off of the Upper Grand Loop on the South Rim Drive, provides the best view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which is 20 miles long and more than 1,000 feet deep. From this overlook, you get a great view of the canyon鈥檚 Lower Falls, a tumultuous 300-foot waterfall flanked by steep rock walls.

Get Out of Your Car

The seven-mile out and back from 听delivers views of the park鈥檚 most iconic landscapes, with vistas of the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley (a primo wildlife watching spot), and Yellowstone Lake. On a clear day from the lookout tower on top of Mount Washburn, you can see straight into the Grand Tetons, too. You鈥檒l be following an old stage coach road on this hike, so there鈥檚 even a bit of Wild West culture thrown in for good measure.

Reservations

No vehicle reservations needed. Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle.

8. Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Park Loop is the quintessential national park scenic drive: it鈥檚 short, gorgeous, and provides access to the park鈥檚 most popular destinations. The 27-mile one-way loop traverses the eastern flank of 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Mount Desert Island skipping from freshwater ponds to beaches and cliffs, delivering some of Maine鈥檚 most iconic coastal views along the way. Acadia gets three million visitors a year, so the road gets congested, but you can still complete the loop in just a few hours. Take your time though, as Park Loop provides access to short trails and beaches that could keep you entertained for days. If you get a timed entry permit, you can tack on the three-mile too, which rises 1,530 feet straight out of the ocean, offering long range views of the Atlantic.

Best View

Dramatic views are a near constant along Park Loop, but Otter Cliff stands out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Otter Cliff is 110 feet tall, making it one of the tallest cliffs on the east coast. Spruce trees sprout from the top of the cliff, while a boulder-strewn beach can be seen below. Hit the cliff during the summer and there鈥檚 a good chance you鈥檒l see multiple species of whales in the water.

Get Out of Your Car

Make a stop at Sand Beach, where you can take a swim if you鈥檙e brave enough to handle the Atlantic鈥檚 frigid temperatures, lounge and walk the , an easy stroll that accesses a variety of views of the Atlantic and Mount Desert Island鈥檚 coastline. The path will also take you to Thunder Hole, an inlet carved into the cliffs where incoming waves create a thunderous echo.

Reservations

You don鈥檛 need reservations to enter Acadia or drive the Park Loop, but you will need them if you want to drive the summit road to the top of . Entrance fee to the park is $35 per vehicle.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national park columnist. He loves a scenic road with an overlook as much as the next tourist and he recently wrote about the best road trips in the Southwest. He鈥檚 excited to plan his family鈥檚 next spring break trip, too.听

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Nevada is full of new and unexpected experiences at every turn. To fully embrace the adventures and quirks of southwest Nevada, photographer Paulina Dao hit the road with her cousin, Jessica Phung. Together, they traveled the Extraterrestrial Highway, in search of the state’s most out-of-this-world attractions.

Read more in 10 Ways to Get (Way) Out There in Nevada.

We鈥檙e听鈥攜our official resource for exploring the Silver State鈥檚 sometimes surprising, always exciting towns, cities, and public lands. With travel tips and inspiration straight from the heart of Nevada, we鈥檝e got you covered. All you need to do is get a little out there.

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