Driving the United States Pacific coast from border to border is a 1,500-mile journey in which you will rarely lose sight of the ocean. This driving tour begins on the northwest tip of Washington state at Olympic National Park and stretches south, ending at the Mexican border south of San Diego.
Once through the landscapes of Washington and Oregon, the drive transitions into Northern California where the redwood forests provide up close views of the world’s tallest trees at the Avenue of the Giants. Here you’ll be able to drive through the enormous trees before heading further south through San Francisco and on to the many beach towns of California’s coastline. A drive through Los Angeles and San Diego will be a contrast from the quaint towns along the quiet coastline. The end of the U.S. line will be the Mexican border.
Route 66 was a highway built to connect the Midwest and the west coast, linking Chicago to Los Angeles by one continuous paved road. While the Great Depression halted work on the highway for a number of years, it finally opened up in its fully paved form in 1938. The road represented freedom for those who wished to explore the entire country and was significant in transporting troops during World War II.
The road stretches from Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and ends in California. Along the way there are many roadside attractions. Among them are a number of dated drive-in theaters, gas stations that serve as museums featuring Route 66 memorabilia, a giant blue whale in an abandoned swimming pond, unusual roadside statues and signage, a leaning water tower in Groom, Texas and a graveyard for Cadillacs buried nose first in a field.
The mighty Mississippi River runs side by side with The Great River Road, a winding driving tour destination that stretches from the headwaters of the river in northern Minnesota to Cajun country of southern Louisiana.
This single-route drive takes travelers on a journey through the upper Midwest and down into the river towns and industrial centers that dot the shores of the river nicknamed "Big Muddy." Hannibal, Missouri is one stop along the tour, and is the home of famous author Mark Twain. Further south in Tennessee, a stop by Graceland will be a treat for Elvis fans as will a walk down famed Beale Street where blues was born. You can also drive to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Miss. The road extends south to the unique cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
