Scenic Road Trips for the Summer

Almost half of Americans are planning for their first vacation to be a road trip once the stay-in-place orders have been lifted. With so many iconic and beautiful highways across the United States, there are numerous options for you to choose from. Here are some of our top choices.

Located about two and a half hours away from The Big Apple, the Catskills feel like they're a world away. There are plenty of small towns along the way for you to stop at-including Poughkeepsie, Woodstock-or you can extend your trip by traveling all the way up (and over) to The Finger Lakes region. This drive is also a favorite among many 'Leaf Peepers' in the fall.

An easy day-trip drive that can be extended by venturing out to Plymouth, Massachusetts, or Narragansett, Rhode Island. Enjoy staying at The Wayfinder Hotel where you can learn Polo, try your hand at oyster fishing, go on sailing excursions and get your fill at a lobster bake.

Nestled in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, Asheville, North Carolina has plenty to offer the foodie travelers, historians or those that just want to enjoy the scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains. Driving up to Bristol, Virginia will only take about an hour and a half, but you'll be surrounded by the picturesque Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests for most of the drive.

An easy drive filled with farmland-and eventually the smell of the ocean-the trip from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia is almost a direct route that's hard to get lost on. Whether you want to get away for the weekend or make a week-long trip to enjoy the coast and travel up to Charleston, South Carolina, the relaxed atmosphere, delicious cuisine and beautiful beaches are worth the drive. Make a pit-stop in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina which was rated one of the best islands in the United States.

Whether you're wanting to get away to the Music City or escape to the often-overlooked city of Louisville, Kentucky, both of these places have so much to offer. And the drive between them is just under three hours of mostly clear highway.

The ultimate Florida road trip, this route will take you over seven hours to complete-on a good day. But breaking it down to enjoy each destination, you'll be rewarded with some of the best places in Florida.

If you're looking for the ultimate barbeque lovers drive, you can't miss stopping at any of these cities. Elgin is known as the "Sausage Capital of Texas," Lockhart as the "Barbecue Capital of Texas," and Driftwood as the home of the original Salt Lick. Plus they are all a short drive from centrally located Austin, Texas.

Driving outside of Detroit, Michigan, it's easy to see some of the most beautiful heartlands of America. And-depending on your favorite college team in the state-it's easy to add in a trip to Ann Arbor along the way while also bypassing East Lansing if you so choose.

See some of the most visited areas of South Dakota and some of the most top-rated National Parks by traveling to Badlands National Park, Custer State Park and Black Hills National Forest. Finish up the trip with a visit to the hometown of Wild Bill Hickcock and Calamity Jane in Spearfish, South Dakota.

A beautiful journey through the desert along Interstate 10, make sure to take a detour to Joshua Tree National Park before enjoying the luxury beach town of Malibu, California. Enhance your trip with a stopover at Disneyland in Anaheim or eat your way around Los Angeles.

Beverly Hills and Sonoma, California can feel like they are in totally different states, and after spending over seven hours in the car for this drive, you may be surprised to find yourself still in the Golden State. But if this drive doesn't seem daunting to you, give yourself an even more scenic adventure by traveling up the coastline on Highway 1.

Nature lovers will rejoice with this drive from Sacramento to gorgeous Lake Tahoe. Spend the weekend boating, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors on this trip. Or, if you aren't planning to venture out until next winter, then enjoy some of the best skiing the country has to offer.