A tour of America – how to choose your itinerary
Whether you want to take a tour of America by motor home or by car. Sleeping in a hotel or a tent. There is the ideal road trip for everyone.
Do you want to go to America next year, but do not know yet which route you want to follow. In this article I give you tips for A road trip through America, With both the famous tour through Southwest America and the more unknown routes.
A tour of America, do it
Four times I have made a tour through America. Also this summer vacation. This time I spent six weeks in Southwest America. More articles about this route will come online, but I have seen more in the last years. Parts of America less known, but just as beautiful.
Therefore in this article I list different routes that can be made through America in an (average) vacation of 3 weeks.
Roadtrippin USA
Now I write from my own experience. I have made several trips across America with the highlights being a six-month road trip in 2001 and a seven-month trip across America and Canada in 2011. I have visited many states and many beautiful parks, cities, roads and more.
How to travel
My experiences are based on a tour through America with a camper or with a car and tent. I also booked cottages through Airbnb, but never used a car and hotel trip myself. Still, I know it’s fine traveling in America when you choose to stay in hotels.
TipIf you want to make an RV trip, a tip I would like to give is to arrange a motorhome through Victoria CamperHolidays.
If you want to do the famous tour
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the well-known round trip in Southwest America. This is a wonderful tour of America and shows you the famous parks of the Southwest. This ‘famous tour’ often goes from Los Angeles, to the Grand Canyon NP, Bryce NP, Zion NP, Las Vegas, Yosemite NP and San Francisco.
If desired and the time you have, you could add Monument Valley, Arches NP (and Canyonland NP, Deadhorse Point) or Antelope Canyon.
Tip: check how much time you have and how much you want to drive. You are easily mistaken about the time and distances.
Follow Highway 1 and 101
A beautiful part of America can be found on Highway 1. This route goes from Seattle to Los Angeles. If you start in Los Angeles you can stop at Big Sur along the way, Big Sur is located on the California coast and offers stunning views. Drive on to San Francisco and stay a couple of days to see Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Fischerman’s Warf and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Then drive on to Oregon and continue on Highway 101 and visit Redwood National Park. Redwood NP is known for its sequoia’s. Be sure to stop in Cannon Beach and end the trip in Seattle.
More time, then you can visit many parks (Yosemite NP, Crater Lake) in between.
Florida with the keys
Florida ‘the Sunshine State’ stands for sun, beach and alligators! Personally, I found the best thing about Florida, Kennedy Space Center and Daytona International Speedway. But also the Everglades National Park and the Keys must be visited if you make a tour through this part of America.
Start the trip in Orlando, visit Walt Disney World or Sea World and drive on to Kennedy Space Center. Then continue through Fort Lauderdale to the Everglades. Finally you take the Overseas Highway to Key West. This road is 127.5 miles or 205.2 kilometers long.
The connection consists of numerous bridges running from key to key (islands) to the city of Key West. In Key West have a drink at Sloppy Joe’s , have lunch at one of the restaurants or explore one of the many beaches. You can drive back via Miami. If you have time to spare, a visit to St Augustine is certainly worth the detour.
Exploring the east coast
A very different side, but also very different environment is the east coast of America. Here you visit cities rather than nature. A tour through the eastern part of America can start in Washington DC. Allow two days to visit this city.
So you can visit Arlington National Cemetery in addition to Washington DC. This is one of 139 national cemeteries in the United States. Although it is a military cemetery, in addition to military personnel, there lie such famous Americans as presidents, astronauts, politicians and deserving civilians, including 367 Medal of Honor recipients. A special monument is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A very impressive place to visit.
After Washington you can drive on to Philadelphia, stay a few days in New York and drive on to Bosten. After all those cities, it’s nice to see some nature, too. Drive on to Niagara Falls and see it from the American side.
Where is your next trip going
America, the land of unlimited possibilities, is a country to tour. The country is set up for motorists, the campsites are there for campers and the walks are open to everyone. A tour of America is a trip you will never forget.
However you choose your route, whether you go for nature, cities or a mix of both is entirely up to you!
Enthusiastic? Here you can find books about America and the National Parks.
