Everyone loves a good road trip, with the obligatory road trip mix, or playlist now, I guess. There are millions of paved roads running around the world, but not all of them have equally breathtaking scenery, making a road trip a must. US News & World Report released a list of the best places to take a road trip.
The list includes roads along dramatic coastlines to mountain passes, roads that are destinations themselves:
Pacific Coast Highway, California
Route 1 in California, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), extends almost 656 miles along the state's coast. It begins in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, and travels up to Mendocino County, which is north of San Francisco.
The best views are in the 123 miles section between the Big Sur Highway and the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway. If you begin around Monterey and drive south, you will pass through the redwood forests and seaside cliffs of Big Sur, the Bixby Bridge, and Hearst Castle in San Simeon, which is a great place to get out and walk around.
The road is right on the edge of cliffs, with sharp turns and fog along the way, so be alert while driving.
Hana Highway, Maui, Hawaii
The Hana Highway extends 52 miles along Maui's north shore, beginning in Kahului and going east around nearly 600 curves before ending in Hana.
Along the way, drivers will pass sweeping ocean vistas, black-sand beaches, waterfalls and lush Hawaiian jungle. There are plenty of places to pull-off for photo opportunities and hiking trail breaks.
The drive takes about two hours, though many people add in stops along the way. There is the Garden of Eden and Botanical Arboretum, about 27 miles east of Kahului, which is where parts of Jurassic Park were filmed.
Farther east, there is Wailua Falls, which is located about 16 miles west of Hana and drops an 80-foot torrent of water. Fourteen miles east of the falls, Waianapanapa State Park has a dramatic beach and trails that pass a sea cave where waters occasionally appear crimson, though it is just the result of thousands of tiny fish.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
