RealTravel Reveals Top Ten Travel Destinations for Extended American Road Trip
California Coastline, New Mexico and New York City named best spots by Real Travelers.
Los Altos, CA (PRWEB) June 5, 2007 -- RealTravel (http://realtravel.com), a travel blogging and information site that helps more than half a million people every month plan trips with advice from other travelers, today announces top 10 travel destinations in the United States for a road trip, according to RealTravel editors and road warrior member "Little Haxby."
1. Driving Highway 1 (California)
Highway 1 is known to be one of the most beautiful highways in the country, and a must when planning a trip to California. When Little Haxby took this scenic route, it made quite an impression: "North of San Francisco, the road is the stuff of car chases and tragic accidents, from high cliff to rocky shoreline, overlooking the great blue Pacific. The road only suits compact cars with excellent turning radii and brand new brakes. It's an adventure. Highway 1 is arguably the most scenic drive (and also up for most fun drive) ever built."
2. Dogfish Head Brewery Tour (Delaware)
The microbreweries of the United States can boast impeccable quality, dedication to small business craftsmanship, and the production of truly distinguished brews. The Dogfish Head Brewery, located in the small state of Delaware, is one example of this. "There's nothing grand or architecturally stunning about the building where hand crafted ales are born," says Little Haxby in her travel blog. "It's the culture, excitement and hospitality of those invested in the products that make the experience a must when touring the country."
3. Mardi Gras (New Orleans )
Sometimes the best road trips coincide with local festivals at destinations along the way, as was the case when Little Haxby visited New Orleans during the infamous celebration known as Mardi Gras. "The air was full of the scents of liquor, roasting sweet sausage, and funnel cakes," she recalls. "There were politics and rebirth fueling this smorgasbord...the ceremony of the parade, the magic of the famous and celebrated spectacle was unifying."
4. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
The park traces the Rio Grande along the Mexican border, covering a huge territory. Serenity-seekers will find themselves surrounded by nothing but scenic beauty for hundreds of miles. Hikes are gorgeous and calm with Western-style switchbacks up the Chisos Mountains, birds and mammals are abundant, and the geography takes your breath away. There are craggy peaks, rolling hills, stubby limestone plateaus at the feet of the mountains, loose earthen mounds, and canyons. The Lost Mine Trail and the Santa Elena Canyon Trail are popular routes that offer spectacular views.
5. Jemez Pueblo (New Mexico)
On Route 550 bearing north, a number of reservations and their respective pueblos are situated one after another. The attempts of the Jemez and Hemish peoples to protect their lands came at the price of a vast majority of the population, and there is an excellent museum with the local history on the outskirts of the pueblo. Go beyond the traditional travel guide and enrich your visit to this area of the country by learning of its past; it only adds to the awe suffusing the land.
6. Bryce Canyon (Utah)
Curiously, this National Park sits only sixty or seventy miles from Zion National Park, yet enjoys only a fraction of the latter's visitors. This is an incredible piece of land with well-maintained trails. It is in the land of hoodoos, first introduced in Dixie National Forest. The blue sky, green pines, and orange rock sucking in the sunshine are stunning together. There you can explore a grand garden of nature so singular it feels almost other-worldly.
7. Russian River Valley- Free Wine Tour (Northern California)
On the River Road, begin with Korbel. Their gardens boast award-winning antique roses, so a complete experience should include a free tasting followed by a stroll around the estate, surrounded by the scents of flowers. Then, turn onto West Side Road and follow the narrow byway: just about every winery along here is free, including Porter Creek, Davis Bynum, Hop Kiln, and Arista.
8. New Mexico Museums
At the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, a short documentary explains the famous artist's connection to the state. Also in town is the Museum of International Folk Art. The Girard Wing houses a collection of folk craftsmanship that could rival any other, at least in diversity and creativity. This wing was created in a spiraling, free form fashion that allows the visitor to peruse without loss.
9. Along the Umpqua River (Oregon)
When Highway 101-North winds back toward the shore in Northern California, the territory is Oregonian. Along the road, rolling slopes lead to rocky beaches. Rivers often lead inland from the Pacific, leaving dense trails of green along the beds. Little Haxby felt this scenic highway "made for an exquisite afternoon and a new love for Oregon."
10. New York City
The hustle, the crowd, and the traffic only add to the splendid experience of the Big Apple. "Once you can walk at a healthy clip and understand the subway, it feels smaller, and accessible," Little Haxby reflects. "It's a city where you can choose anywhere from budget (the seriously budget hostels are still around $50 a night) and live off bagels and free subway concerts, to extravagance ($500 per person sushi) and always spend as much time as you want quite contentedly."
RealTraveler Little Haxby, a 24-year-old from Boston, shares her anecdotes and travel tips in her travel blog, The Grand American Road Trip, recounting her experiences on the road whether it be city nightlife, a historic B&B, or scenic campground.
About RealTravel
Recently named "One of the Twelve Essential Travel Websites" and "Best of the Web" by Forbes and BusinessWeek, RealTravel is a travel blogging and information site that helps more than half a million people every month plan trips with advice from other travelers. Visit us at http://realtravel.com.
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