My Favorite Road Trips
There's a particular kind of freedom that only a road trip gives you. No boarding times, no gate changes, no rushing through an airport with a rolling bag catching on everyone's heels. Just a full tank of gas, a rough idea of where you're headed, and the freedom to change your mind the second you see a sign for something interesting. Some of my favorite travel memories didn't come from the big, planned-out stops — they came from the little places I almost drove past.
My Favorite Road Trips
There's a particular kind of freedom that only a road trip gives you. No boarding times, no gate changes, no rushing through an airport with a rolling bag catching on everyone's heels. Just a full tank of gas, a rough idea of where you're headed, and the freedom to change your mind the second you see a sign for something interesting. Some of my favorite travel memories didn't come from the big, planned-out stops — they came from the little places I almost drove past.
The Pacific Coast Highway
I've driven Highway 1 more times than I can count, and it still gets me every time. The road curves along cliffs above the ocean for miles, and just when you think you've seen the best view, there's another one around the next bend. My favorite part isn't Big Sur itself, as gorgeous as it is — it's the tiny turnouts in between, where I've found roadside stands selling fruit I'd never heard of, and one unmarked overlook where I sat and watched the sunset with exactly no one else around.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
This one is slower, quieter, and somehow feels like it belongs to a different era. No billboards, no fast food chains crowding the exits — just ridge after ridge of mountains, especially in October when the leaves turn every shade of red and gold. I once pulled off at a gravel overlook I almost skipped, and it ended up being the best view of the entire trip. That's the thing about not being tied to a schedule — you get to follow those instincts.
Route 66 (or what's left of it)
Chasing the old alignment of Route 66 feels like part road trip, part treasure hunt. Long stretches of the original highway have been bypassed by the interstate, but the parts that remain are full of character — neon motel signs still buzzing at night, diners with menus that haven't changed in fifty years, tiny roadside museums run by people who clearly love the road as much as I do. I've stayed in motor courts on this route that I never would have found searching online, just by stopping when something caught my eye.
The Maine Coast
Route 1 up the Maine coastline is a different kind of beautiful. Lighthouses, working harbors, little towns that smell like salt air and fried clams. Fall is my favorite time to go — the light turns crisp, the crowds thin out, and just a few miles inland the hardwoods put on one of the best foliage shows anywhere. I once found a tiny harborside inn in a town with no traffic light, just because I decided to turn off the main road on a whim. Acadia National Park in October, ocean on one side and blazing color on the other, is hard to top.
The Real Magic Is Where You Stay
Some of my favorite memories from these trips aren't even the scenery — they're the little inns and guesthouses I stumbled into along the way. A converted lighthouse keeper's cottage. A family-run motel with a porch swing and a dog who greeted every guest. A harbor town bed and breakfast where the owner drew me a map of her favorite trail by hand. Those are the places you don't find in a guidebook. You find them by having the freedom to wander.
That's exactly what I love helping people do at Grace Peak Adventures. A great road trip isn't just about the route — it's about where you rest your head each night, and finding those places takes time most people don't have. That's where I come in. Tell me the kind of trip you're dreaming about, and I'll help you build a route dotted with the kind of hidden-gem stays that turn a good trip into one you'll be telling stories about for years.
So — where's your next road trip taking you? Let's find the hidden gems together.