These kinds of things are why my advice to anyone coming here to the States is to get out of the city. If you just stay in NYC, LA, or one of our other cities, you're missing out. The backroads and rural America are where you can truly see what this country has to offer.
The Virginia section of the Parkway rolls into Skyline Drive, which runs through Shenandoah National Park. All of it is very pretty. The North Carolina mountains are taller and more impressive, but Skyline Drive shows you a lot of great views into the Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Valley.
There are basically 4 or 5. Cities in California. Its 1,000 miles long and about 300 miles wide. There are 4 mountain ranges, the coastal, the Sierras, the San Gabriels and the Trinity Alps. Then there is the central valley. There is more empty land than cities.
Native Californian here & I was blessed with parents who took my older brother & I camping at least once a month, and then a nice long camping vacation twice a year. My husband & I continued the tradition with our four children, and we were very fortunate bc my brother was a Level IV Ski Instructor in the winter, but during summers he'd teach rock climbing, be a Park Ranger, or any number of things that kept him fairly nearby or in the state with his dogs & ready to be our "vacation" for 4-6 weeks every summer. We'd camp at yellow-post sites in the National Forest, which means no services & no other campers for miles. For us, we were usually in the High Sierras on the Western side north of Kings Canyon. The natural lakes were so clear bc no power motors were allowed, so there was nothing to pollute them & you could see to the bottom, perhaps 70-80ft down. The fish we caught were sweet, they almost tasted like candy! We also camped in the spring & fall in the desert at Joshua Tree & Death Valley (the lowest, AND hottest, place in the US), where ppl from around the world come to rock climb. We've gone to MANY ghost towns, too. Those are especially fun. Love your videos~ Thank You for sharing yourselves!
Northern California is so beautiful. You have the coast then giant Redwood trees. There is a peninsula in Monterey CA that has a few of the best golf courses in the country.
I've been on half of those scenic drives. They are amazing. My father would take a vacation or two during the year and we would travel in a motorhome or drag a trailer all over. My Dad thought that it was important for his children to see the U.S. We panned for gold, silver and garnets, explored ghost towns and abandoned gold mines, go fishing in the mountains etc. One year he pulled my brother and myself out of school and we went rock collecting in Montana for 16 days. I was in fourth grade and my brother was in third. We had to keep a journal and give a report for school and the school was happy with the abrupt absence.
at 8:00 for SURE go to Hearst Castle in Cali I've been there and its absolutely AMAZING and also driving the China grade and the Redwood forest google images of all 3
As a lifelong North Dakotan, I'm glad our state finally made one of these lists. I think we get overlooked a lot being one of the flyover states. Though I will readily admit the western third of the state is more interesting to look at than the rest of it.
We loved North Dakota! Last year hubby and I took a driving trip for our 45th anniversary to visit the Great Lakes (we visited Superior, Michigan, & Huron). We spent the night in Dickinson, North Dakota and visited the Theodore Roosevelt National Park-gorgeous! Buffalo, prairie dogs, more buffalo, and a small band of wild horses. Will return again if we have time.
It's funny to me that you're so surprised by California. It's a huge place, it isn't just LA and San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Highway aka California state route 1 is total views for hundreds of miles.
I live in Bucks County Pennsylvania. One of the oldest trade routes in America is between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia. The stretch of Route 32 &611 from Washington Crossing all the way up to Delaware Water Gap is not only one of the most beautiful drives in the country it is one of the more historically significant. It runs along the Delaware River
When you think of Colorado you should always remember that the Rockies run right through there. It’s a stunning state in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. Not to mention some of the tallest mountains in the country. It’s not called America The Beautiful for nothing :)
You could do a video of The Top Ten Scenic Drives of every state. Idaho has so many great roads to travel. With scenic over looks on all of them. Also some very awesome historical sites that will blow your mind.
Being from WV, I am partial to autumn drives in the mountains…but my two faves on this list-and I have been to both-are the Oregon coast and the Florida Keys. The US just has so many fantastic places and scenic drives to experience!
The Keys are just spectacular, and so different than anything on the list. Like a different world down there. I can't even imagine what it was like in the Summer to build the road that ties them all together. And it's ridiculously long and narrow.
@@MoMoMyPup10 the Keys are definitely a world of their own and I was awe struck crossing that bridge surrounded by water…kinda scary but also beautiful! Drove from Miami down through the Keys and it was such a memorable vacation. Perfect place for scuba, conch, sunsets and nightlife! And don’t forget the cute little Key deer 🦌 💕
I've been to 6 of them (Oregon coast, North & South Dakota, the UP, California coast, Bryce). They are all beautiful. I'm surprised Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park wasn't on the list.
The kancamagus highway in New Hampshire is absolutely stunning, especially in the fall and driving along the coast of mass and the coast Maine is breathtaking
wow --- a real blast from the late 1960's - went with the family on our summer vacations to New England - on one we went thru beautiful scenery of Franconia Notch and saw the silhouette of the Old Man of the Mountains ..... iconic - though i thought his natural visage crumbled a decade ago - so his passing is marked but no facial construction done -- ah, well
As a Vermonter I agree, but some out of staters have no common sense, as they stop suddenly in front of you and get out to take photos, one couple did that on route 7 and ended up with a $500.00 ticket as they stopped in front f a police cruiser and they got the ticket for stopping in the middle of a highway during morning traffic .
@@marydavis5234 True - we also get that with tourists in Florida. I call it being "sun blinded", when drivers just stop in the middle of the road to look around and get their bearings.
I can't really argue with his choice of central Utah. It's truly spectacular, and would probably have been the highlight of my last big road trip if not for the total solar eclipse (which I saw in Jackson Hole). Another worth mentioning: The entire US section of the Lake Superior Circle Tour is pretty (the Michigan route he mentioned is part of it; I haven't done the Canadian side), but for my money it's hard to beat the Minnesota side of the lake - the North Shore Highway sticks very close to the coast the whole way (I think at its furthest, it gets half a mile inland), which results in a lot of fantastic views.
@@sandyp9891 I was stationed at an AFB just south of Marquette, MI...in the UP. The fall colors were beyond description. If you go check the "Fall colors" information on the internet. Not sure about the Michigan web site but Wisconsin certainly updates a fall's colors map during the autumn months.
As someone who lives in the Blue ridge area and near the Smokey Mountains in north Georgia I would defiantly recommend visiting it at least once. I would also recommend visiting during spring or fall. The summer is just too hot and the winter is too cold, but come as you please because we can’t tell you if you can or cannot come. The blue ridge region is defiantly a spectacular area to visit. I hope you guys come. Anyones welcome
My drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park was the most amazing drive I’ve ever experienced. Being from the east coast I had never seen mountain formations like that. I’m so glad it is number one for him too. Also driving through upstate New York in the fall is spectacular.
Arizona here. I liked his list, but I'm partial to the 89A drive from Flagstaff to Sedona. It's not a long one, but it transitions from the tall pines, to the red rocks of Sedona. Absolutely breathtaking when the leaves are changing as well. We live 20 minutes down the road and still can't get enough of it
I'd add the Pocono Mountains a series of softly rolling low green mountains in New England. In the places where the green isn't covering everything the rock outcropping is a deep brick red that frames the amazing range of trees, bushes and flowers everywhere. It is teeming with life and simply beautiful.
Hey guys I'm an American! I live deep in The Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. Within 15-20 minutes' drive from my house, I can be in of course The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Blue Ridge National Park, and The Nantahala Forrest! If you like looking at mountains, this is the place to live. I'm a hillbilly born and raised here for generations; we love our mountains! Since our land/mountains are so beautiful because we kept 'em clean richer people is moving here and forcing us poorer people to move away from our home! But if y'all ever get to visit in this area, take a drive on The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway from Cherokee, NC over to Gatlinburg, TN.! I know yuns would love it! Come on over, we would love to have y'all here! I know England must have some great places too!
Right there with you Brother. My Mama was born in a small town just outside of The Great Smokey Mountains National Park. She moved to South Carolina, but we went to "the mountains" every year to see family. Those mountains are in my soul.
Indeed, when I am driving from my home in Hendersonville NC to Gatlinburg TN (1 1/2-2hrs via I40) I will often take the drive down 441 from Cherokee to Gatlinburg. Many beautiful overlooks along the way including Clingman's Dome, the second highest point East of the Mississippi. Cades Cove is near Gatlinburg also.
One I think he missed is also on Lake Superior, but in Minnesota. The drive from Duluth to Grand Portage is a beautiful collection of cliffs, waterfalls, and lighthouses hugging Lake Superior's northern side.
I grew up in Monterey California and used to do that big sur drive every weekend with my parents , beautiful place and pfieffer camp grounds is amazing for a backpacking adventure.
Because I love other cultures and languages, I have wanderlust and want to visit other countries, but being from the US, I understand why many of us don't. First, we have every climate and landscape (not structures though), and it's super expensive to leave the continent. One day....but until then, I'll visit the remaining 18 states I haven't been to. :)
Yeah, Brits can pop over to mainland Europe for a long weekend if they want to on a short flight. You can't really justify going to Europe from America for less than 5 days and 5k per person.
Most of California is rural or undeveloped. There's a lot of national forest land, park land, and farm land. There's also a lot of desert in southeastern California where you can drive for miles without seeing any homes or businesses. At 8:51 is McWay Falls. Many people stop there to take pictures. There's no road or trail down to the falls, and it would be quite difficult to climb down to them (and possibly illegal).
@Darryl Walker The deserts and national forests account for over half the land in California, and that doesn't include large chunks of undeveloped land along the coasts and in the mountains.
Was in Big Sur a couple weeks ago, Beautiful. On any day I can decide to see the most beautiful alpine lake in the world lake Tahoe, climb inside a volcano like Mt Lassen & see boiling pools, hike the redwoods on the pacific ocean, or walk around San Francisco.
To a native of America, Colorado is notorious for being a mountainous state. In fact, the state's biggest city, Denver, is known as the "Mile High City" as there's a point where you are exactly a mile above sea level. The MLB team there, Colorado Rockies, have a purple line to signify that is where the exact place where you are a mile above sea level. It's kind of hard to see because it's a row of purple seats in a sea of green seats.
I grew up in Denver and we drove I-70 through the mountains all the time. It is just gorgeous view after stunning vista after mesmerizing canyon. It is incredible. That very first shot that pulled up of it looks like Copper Mountain ski resort. That is a stunning area high up in the mountains. And yes, Southern UT (current home) is other worldly. It feels like you've left Earth. It is so different and striking and the contrasts between blues reds and greens is stunning. As huge as the California cities are, they account for a super tiny fraction of the state. California is huge. And the vast majority of it is pretty empty. Honestly this video is a large part of why American's don't do a lot of abroad travel. We have so much variety and such an insane amount of things in our own backyard to try and see to fill 3 lifetimes. I've resigned myself already that there are places in this country I won't personally get to see.
Those are all great, but as a motorcyclist, I have to give honorable mention to Bear Tooth Hwy between Cooke City, and Red Lodge, Montana. The road dips slightly into Wyoming along the way. Watch for grizzlies! Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park, also in Montana. San Jaun Skyway loop in southwest Colorado. Million Dollar Hwy also in southwest Colorado. Too many to list them all!!!
I’ve done the Florida Keys, I-70 in Colorado, the entire Blue Ridge Parkway twice on a motorcycle, and the California Coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles. I have others still on my bucket list.
Native Californian here 56 years strong and though there are those who are moving out of state because of the politics, My family and I will hold the fort down for generations to come. That scenery, as well as so much more of the state is the reason that I’ll probably never move out of this state again. We have the ocean the forest, the desert and all the big cities you can ask for right here in this state. Beautiful sunny California. Home is where the heart is. 😉
2:27 To further explain the Oregon beaches being public: Here in Oregon the concept started over 100 years ago when a law was made saying that all tideland was designated to be state highways (in other words public) In the late 1960s, some loopholes in that were closed with what's called the Oregon Beach Bill, which did two things: First, all beachland from the water to 16 vertical feet above low tide was declared public, so it could never be developed. Second, all beaches up to the line of vegetation has a permanent public easement. Translation: If it's sand along the ocean, you can never own it, and you can't deny anyone the right to access it. Put those two things together, and that's why there's no such thing as a private ocean beach in the state of Oregon.
California never extended the concept up to vegetation, but the high tide line is public all the way down to the Mexican border. Many court cases have been lost by property owners trying to restrict access to keep people out of "their backyards". So there's like 1000 miles of public beach on the west coast. I'm not sure about Washington, but the ocean coastline there is a lot more difficult to access.
The only highway mentioned in this video that I’ve driven on was the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys. I’ve traveled that road many times over the years and it never gets old! Watching this video, however, tells me I need to get out and explore other options! 😀
Colorado has places that in person you would think it was a painting some of the most gorgeous drives ever. I dont like long drives but I did them often in Colorado. any state with the Rockies in it will be gorgeous
North Georgia mountains are incredible! I think most people have no idea just how beautiful this area is. Blue Ridge Georgia, Dahlonega, Helen, Cloudland Canyon… all the waterfalls and natural springs. I just spent two nights in a Yurt to hike the west loop rim of Cloudland. Stay out of the big cities!
🤠 He missed Montana! "Going to the Sun Highway" in Montana would blow these other places away! Come in the Fall, because the temperatures are pleasant, the Colors are Beautiful, and the traffic is reduced! 😁
The blue ridge parkway is pretty neat. I like the stretch between I-64, and wintergreen resort, there are sections where you have a cliff on one side of the road, and a thousand foot drop off on the other side with no guard rail. It's very scenic, if your not afraid of hights. Once I pass wintergreen resort, I like to take Beech Grove Road down the mountain to rockfish valley, which is full of breweries, cider barns, vineyards, meaderies, distilleries, and restraunts. You definitely want to make sure your breaks, engine, and clutch are in good shape before taking Beech Grove Road, as it is very steep, and curvy.
Along the Oregon Coast are several lighthouses you can visit, plus you can take a tour of the Tillamook factory, with samples at the end (we got ice cream!).
Being a Floridian I have driven the Overseas Highway US1 from Homestead FL to Key West a few times It is an amazing drive. You drive over more than 100 bridges.
haha colorado is very known for its big mountains here in the states, its got the "rocky mountains", which pretty much start right in the middle of Colorado. One of my favorite vacation spots
Yeah a lot of people when they think of California they think LA, San Francisco but California is very large and home to a lot of nature and national parks.
For Michigan they usually pick the Tunnel of Tree and Pierce Stocking Drive at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. But Michigan Highway 185 which circles Mackinac Island and is only open to bicycles and horses is pretty unique and beautiful.
I live in Asheville, NC. About a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yes it is absolutely stunning and I am blessed to see these amazing sights every day but fall is insane on the parkway with all the tourist stopping in the middle of the road taking pictures.
I live next to the town with the lighthouse in the beginning of the video. It's Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon. It's incredibly beautiful here. I'm in Mapleton, right by Florence, which is incredibly beautiful too. I live in the rainforest part.
For the Colorado section, they should have done Idaho Springs to Glenwood Springs, not just to Eagle. The Glenwood Canyon is a perfect end to the drive, signifying when you leave the mountain-forest and begin to enter the desert, a very unique change to someone living in Europe
I was thinking the same thing thing. I would have said Georgetown to Glenwood Springs myself. I was thinking about some of my favorite stretches of highway in Colorado, and that segment really captures quite a lot of them: Eisenhower Tunnel, Lake Dillon, Tenmile Canyon, Vail Pass, and Glenwood Canyon.
I love the Blue Ridge Parkway. I lived in Asheville in the 70's and 80's. We used to go up on the Parkway in summer to escape the heat. I still try to visit every year and after more than 50 years I have seen less than half of the sites. The Parkway is 469 miles long with over 200 overlooks right beside the road. It connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with The Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina/Tennessee. The best vacation you can have is to spend a week on the Parkway and at the nearby attractions. Check out the 4 videos on UA-cam called "The Best Stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway" to learn more about it.
We were driving through to,go,back East from Glacier National Park and decided to check out Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is now one of my favorite parks in the U.S. it doesn’t have the grandeur of Yosemite or Yellowstone, but it is so unspoiled, and few people go there, so you feel like you are back in the 1800s, with the bison, the cabins, the badlands and the river valley area. It is truly gorgeous and less touristy than the other parks. Well worth a visit.
The Road over the Keys is spectacular and there is a lovely breeze off the water. There are so many beautiful places in the USA. I think he barely scratched the surface. If he included Hawaii and Alaska, he would have to make the list 20 scenic views.
I love the drive in Oregon down hwy 101. So beautiful! I lived most of my life in Oregon. I live a few blocks from the beautiful Columbia River and about 2 hours from the coast.
I spent many years in the north of Maine. Five years in Jackson hole Wyoming. (The Teton mountains and surroundings are stunning) And I currently live in the Florida keys. And yes, the worst part can be the traffic. But this easterner is heading back to the west soon.
I grew up in Idaho and we would spend a lot of summers down in central Utah. I’ve been to lots of national parks, but Bryce, Arches, and Zion are probably my favorites.
I absolutely love the drive along i-70 here in Colorado. Do it in my truck when I go camping. In the summer when I'm on the harley and used to drive it when I drove commercial semi trucks .
I spent an entire summer traveling through Arizona, seeing mostly desert. when we drove up to Bryce Canyon it was stunning. I hadn't realized my eyes were squinting against the sun for so long until the cool green came in sight and I felt my face relax. LOL
I think it was Walter Kronkite who named the Beartooth Highway the most scenic road in America! It goes from Red Lodge MT to Cook City MT which then takes you into the NE entrance to Yellowstone Park, it’s a must see drive
Most of California is rural or competently undeveloped. LA and the Bay Area is a small but dense part of the state. We have the most national parks and almost every type of climate here.
Blueridge Parkway is indeed gorgeous. Asheville is a beautiful city. Maybe it's not quite as majestic as the giant mountains and hills in many other places, but there's several coastal roads in South Carolina that are beautiful in their own right, running alongside salt marshes.
As an Oregonian, our coast is awesome. You can pull off just about anywhere and be on the beach in 5 minutes. It's not always sunny but that's fine when it's hot in my town. 😎
I-80 at the Delaware Water Gap, between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is stunning. Along with all the other roads surrounding the northern Delaware River.
I'm in TN not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway and I can say nearly anywhere you go in these mountains it is beautiful. SW Virginia, NE Tennessee and Western North Carolina has been blessed with these wonderful mountains. So far this month we have gotten some good rains which I hope will enhance the fall colors.
With all due respect, Geography King missed the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Beartooth Highway. Those two are easily the most stunning drives in the US, IMHO.
So glad that the Blue Ridge Parkway was mentioned. I worked there for almost 10 years and that bridge you liked with the fall colors around it is the Linn Cove Viaduct. It is made up of sections and each section is hollow. They started on both ends with the pieces and met in the middle. My husband and I were able to walk inside of it while it was being built and look out over the edge. Something I'll never forget.
You will be surprised to know California has some of the most amazing drives in the world, Just outside of Los Angeles we have a mountain range with Ski Resorts, and the Drive through those mountains and around Big Bear Lake is awesome, then just north of LA the area from Malibu to Santa Barbara is just gorgeous even if you have to drive through Oxnard. California is a huge state, with a huge diversity of environments, from desert to forests and grasslands. There is a reason Hollywood was in California, and why 90% of films prior to 2000 were filmed in California.
I have been on Hwy 1 in California, and Hwy 70 in Colorado....and I was born near the coastal hwy on the Great Lakes and have been to Grand Marais. I now live near the Blue Ridge Mtns inVirginia, and have been on the Skyline Drive in the Fall. He has shown us a lot of beauty, but there is beauty to be found in every state in the Union; you just have to go looking for it....even in the wheat fields of Kansas.
If anyone takes the 101 in Oregon, I recommend stopping in Coos Bay. There’s a national park campsite with Yurts nestled away by a cove. It was one of my favorite spots when we did a West Coast road trip.
I live just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. We've been to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia and they are quite stunning. Blue Ridge Parkway is very nice.
Big Sur is beautiful and it isn’t hard to get to really, I’ve been on that road. Probably on several others mentioned, but I don’t remember them, which speaks to how amazing Big Sur is.
For me Big Sur as well as Hwy 1 from San Francisco to Fort Bragg is phenomenal. I've ridden that northern stretch on my motorcycle so many times but always amazed and I went to college in Monterey so yeah, very biased opinion. After he tossed up Big Sur I couldn't image what could be better (granted, that means something different to everyone and many others were probably thinking the same thing when he mentioned their favorite) but he did kind of nail it. I will take the coast any day but that southern Utah drive is amazing. Bryce Canyon is one of the coolest places I have ever checked out and I have been fortunate enough to see many amazing places.
This was lovely, and I've been on a few of these driving trips. The drone shots were amazing, but not what someone actually 'sees' on the road. Driving footage would be a great addition to his video.
Hello from Colorado! That area is about 2-3 hrs. West of Denver. My Son lives in George Town, about 10min West of Idaho Springs. The Mountains here are amazing.
I live in NJ and the oldest scenic road in the US is located here. It's called Old Mine road and it's 250 years old and stretches 104 miles long into upstate NY. As compared to roads mentioned in the video they watched, there's really nothing spectacular about Old Mine road however when you drive along it, it does makes you feel like you are back in the late colonial times. The best time to travel Old Mine road is definitely during the autumn season!
Ive done the Blue Ridge Parkway, Roosevelt park in North Dakota, the drive in South Dakota, the Florida Keys.... all of them are beautiful. As for the contiguous 48: the drive between Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park is my favorite. I know he said he's never been, but Pali Highway, Oahu, Hawaii is hands down the best scenic drive in the US.
I'm originally from Napa, CA and have been to some of the places in the video. My wife and I honeymooned in Carmel, the northern part of Big Sur. While it's gorgeous, one should drive highway 1 in its entirety. It's known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and at times, you're driving on a cliff following the coast. Keep driving north after the 1 junctions with the 101 and you can drive the "Avenue of the Giants." This is where you get to drive through the California Redwoods. The trees can grow up to some 300 feet tall. Of note, the Ewok scenes in Star Wars Return of the Jedi were filmed in the Redwoods in CA. I now live in Oregon and can attest to the rugged beauty of the Oregon coast. One don't miss drive is in Hawaii. The Road to Hana on Maui is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! It's 81 miles, 617 curves, and 56 one-lane bridges. You'll see waterfalls, jungle, and black sand beaches. This road DEMANDS you do it in a convertable. Oh, and since it's one-way there, you have to turn around go back from whence you came: that's 162 miles, 1,234 curves, and 112 one-lane bridges. Download the audio tour to get narration at certain mile markers. Here's but one of many videos about the road to Hana: ua-cam.com/video/VRCtZ0GL3K4/v-deo.html
You are darn right about “The Avenue”, (as we locals called it ) being worthy of mention. Travelled it hundreds of times before I moved in 09’ and never once took it for granted. The best part of the year was when “Big Leaf Maples” leaves changed to gold/yellow in the fall. It was glorious as could be to see the giants and huge colorful maples mingled together. I even had a store run and was delayed when they were filming Return of the Jedi !
These kinds of things are why my advice to anyone coming here to the States is to get out of the city. If you just stay in NYC, LA, or one of our other cities, you're missing out. The backroads and rural America are where you can truly see what this country has to offer.
Also try some of the mom and pop local restaurants. They usually have much better food than the chains
@@deanbrunner261 Yep. Generally, the smallest and hardest to get to establishments have the best food.
yeah the Cities are overrated all the gems are outside of them.
I agree 100%
@@StacieT Some cities are terrific, but the rural countryside is great as well. A combination of both is best.
As a North Carolinian, I can confirm the Blue Ridge Parkway is amazing.
agreed
The Virginia section of the Parkway rolls into Skyline Drive, which runs through Shenandoah National Park. All of it is very pretty. The North Carolina mountains are taller and more impressive, but Skyline Drive shows you a lot of great views into the Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Valley.
Agreed. Definitely a highlight of the fall season specifically.
The guy who was talking about it said the appleatchins instead of appalashins
My dad and I used to use it all the time he lived in Franklin NC and my grandparents lived in Fancy Gap (always loved that name) VA. When I was young.
There are basically 4 or 5. Cities in California. Its 1,000 miles long and about 300 miles wide. There are 4 mountain ranges, the coastal, the Sierras, the San Gabriels and the Trinity Alps. Then there is the central valley. There is more empty land than cities.
Another beautiful drive to add: Interstate 5 between Redding and Weed, California. The climb up into the Cascades, past Mount Shasta in amazing.
Native Californian here & I was blessed with parents who took my older brother & I camping at least once a month, and then a nice long camping vacation twice a year. My husband & I continued the tradition with our four children, and we were very fortunate bc my brother was a Level IV Ski Instructor in the winter, but during summers he'd teach rock climbing, be a Park Ranger, or any number of things that kept him fairly nearby or in the state with his dogs & ready to be our "vacation" for 4-6 weeks every summer. We'd camp at yellow-post sites in the National Forest, which means no services & no other campers for miles. For us, we were usually in the High Sierras on the Western side north of Kings Canyon. The natural lakes were so clear bc no power motors were allowed, so there was nothing to pollute them & you could see to the bottom, perhaps 70-80ft down. The fish we caught were sweet, they almost tasted like candy! We also camped in the spring & fall in the desert at Joshua Tree & Death Valley (the lowest, AND hottest, place in the US), where ppl from around the world come to rock climb. We've gone to MANY ghost towns, too. Those are especially fun.
Love your videos~ Thank You for sharing yourselves!
Northern California is so beautiful. You have the coast then giant Redwood trees. There is a peninsula in Monterey CA that has a few of the best golf courses in the country.
I've been on half of those scenic drives. They are amazing. My father would take a vacation or two during the year and we would travel in a motorhome or drag a trailer all over. My Dad thought that it was important for his children to see the U.S. We panned for gold, silver and garnets, explored ghost towns and abandoned gold mines, go fishing in the mountains etc. One year he pulled my brother and myself out of school and we went rock collecting in Montana for 16 days. I was in fourth grade and my brother was in third. We had to keep a journal and give a report for school and the school was happy with the abrupt absence.
at 8:00 for SURE go to Hearst Castle in Cali I've been there and its absolutely AMAZING
and also driving the China grade and the Redwood forest google images of all 3
I can't believe he left off Highway 101 in western Washington, through the Olympic Peninsula. It's gorgeous.
As a lifelong North Dakotan, I'm glad our state finally made one of these lists. I think we get overlooked a lot being one of the flyover states. Though I will readily admit the western third of the state is more interesting to look at than the rest of it.
We can't help where we are born, but you gotta admit...North Dakota is nobodies first choice.
@@willvr4 and in that you would be wrong.
We loved North Dakota! Last year hubby and I took a driving trip for our 45th anniversary to visit the Great Lakes (we visited Superior, Michigan, & Huron). We spent the night in Dickinson, North Dakota and visited the Theodore Roosevelt National Park-gorgeous! Buffalo, prairie dogs, more buffalo, and a small band of wild horses. Will return again if we have time.
I've never been (but my Mom was born there), but I would assume that the Red River Valley was impressive in its vast flatness.
@@Markle2k I live in the Valley now, and yeah, you're not entirely wrong.
It's funny to me that you're so surprised by California. It's a huge place, it isn't just LA and San Francisco. The Pacific Coast Highway aka California state route 1 is total views for hundreds of miles.
Been to Carmel and the drive up along the coast is stunning. Would love to go all the way to Big Sur. Someday.
I live in Bucks County Pennsylvania. One of the oldest trade routes in America is between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Philadelphia. The stretch of Route 32 &611 from Washington Crossing all the way up to Delaware Water Gap is not only one of the most beautiful drives in the country it is one of the more historically significant. It runs along the Delaware River
When you think of Colorado you should always remember that the Rockies run right through there. It’s a stunning state in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. Not to mention some of the tallest mountains in the country. It’s not called America The Beautiful for nothing :)
I enjoyed the scenery driving through the Smokey mountains and driving through Texas during Bluebonnet season
You could do a video of The Top Ten Scenic Drives of every state. Idaho has so many great roads to travel. With scenic over looks on all of them. Also some very awesome historical sites that will blow your mind.
Being from WV, I am partial to autumn drives in the mountains…but my two faves on this list-and I have been to both-are the Oregon coast and the Florida Keys. The US just has so many fantastic places and scenic drives to experience!
The Keys are just spectacular, and so different than anything on the list. Like a different world down there. I can't even imagine what it was like in the Summer to build the road that ties them all together. And it's ridiculously long and narrow.
@@MoMoMyPup10 the Keys are definitely a world of their own and I was awe struck crossing that bridge surrounded by water…kinda scary but also beautiful! Drove from Miami down through the Keys and it was such a memorable vacation. Perfect place for scuba, conch, sunsets and nightlife! And don’t forget the cute little Key deer 🦌 💕
@@StacieT The clear water enables you to see all sorts of fish AND rays! It was awesome😊
I've been to 6 of them (Oregon coast, North & South Dakota, the UP, California coast, Bryce). They are all beautiful. I'm surprised Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park wasn't on the list.
I used to live in Oregon and the coastline is absolutely breathtaking.
The kancamagus highway in New Hampshire is absolutely stunning, especially in the fall and driving along the coast of mass and the coast Maine is breathtaking
wow --- a real blast from the late 1960's - went with the family on our summer vacations to New England - on one we went thru beautiful scenery of Franconia Notch and saw the silhouette of the Old Man of the Mountains ..... iconic - though i thought his natural visage crumbled a decade ago - so his passing is marked but no facial construction done -- ah, well
The old man fell of the mountain in 2003 and it’s still mourned by new englanders today
Driving just about anywhere in Vermont in September is amazing. Seeing the fall leaves on the rolling hills and mountains. Words cannot describe.
As a Vermonter I agree, but some out of staters have no common sense, as they stop suddenly in front of you and get out to take photos, one couple did that on route 7 and ended up with a $500.00 ticket as they stopped in front f a police cruiser and they got the ticket for stopping in the middle of a highway during morning traffic .
@@marydavis5234 True - we also get that with tourists in Florida. I call it being "sun blinded", when drivers just stop in the middle of the road to look around and get their bearings.
I can't really argue with his choice of central Utah. It's truly spectacular, and would probably have been the highlight of my last big road trip if not for the total solar eclipse (which I saw in Jackson Hole).
Another worth mentioning: The entire US section of the Lake Superior Circle Tour is pretty (the Michigan route he mentioned is part of it; I haven't done the Canadian side), but for my money it's hard to beat the Minnesota side of the lake - the North Shore Highway sticks very close to the coast the whole way (I think at its furthest, it gets half a mile inland), which results in a lot of fantastic views.
Utah around Kanab and “Best Friends Animal Sanctuary” are truly unbelievable to the eyes.
ALSO..try the Lake Superior drive when the Autumn colors are at their peak. Stunning!
A friend that's from Wisconsin highly recommends the North Shore Highway and it's definitely on my to-do list!
@@sandyp9891 I was stationed at an AFB just south of Marquette, MI...in the UP. The fall colors were beyond description. If you go check the "Fall colors" information on the internet. Not sure about the Michigan web site but Wisconsin certainly updates a fall's colors map during the autumn months.
I've been to Utah twice and it's easily the most underrated state in terms of natural beauty.
As someone who lives in the Blue ridge area and near the Smokey Mountains in north Georgia I would defiantly recommend visiting it at least once. I would also recommend visiting during spring or fall. The summer is just too hot and the winter is too cold, but come as you please because we can’t tell you if you can or cannot come. The blue ridge region is defiantly a spectacular area to visit. I hope you guys come. Anyones welcome
Thanks for including Michigan. It's gorgeous in the UP. I've been on that gorgeous highway 1 in California. Breathtaking.
I go to college in the UP and I never get tired of seeing Lake Superior when traveling for school breaks.
My drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park was the most amazing drive I’ve ever experienced. Being from the east coast I had never seen mountain formations like that. I’m so glad it is number one for him too. Also driving through upstate New York in the fall is spectacular.
If you ever come to the west in the US you need to go see the Grand Canyon. It’s absolutely stunning and pictures/video do not do it justice.
*We love our coast here in Oregon. He's right, there are only small towns on the Oregon Coast....there's no large coastal cities.*
Arizona here. I liked his list, but I'm partial to the 89A drive from Flagstaff to Sedona. It's not a long one, but it transitions from the tall pines, to the red rocks of Sedona. Absolutely breathtaking when the leaves are changing as well. We live 20 minutes down the road and still can't get enough of it
I'd add the Pocono Mountains a series of softly rolling low green mountains in New England. In the places where the green isn't covering everything the rock outcropping is a deep brick red that frames the amazing range of trees, bushes and flowers everywhere. It is teeming with life and simply beautiful.
Hey guys I'm an American! I live deep in The Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina. Within 15-20 minutes' drive from my house, I can be in of course The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Blue Ridge National Park, and The Nantahala Forrest! If you like looking at mountains, this is the place to live. I'm a hillbilly born and raised here for generations; we love our mountains! Since our land/mountains are so beautiful because we kept 'em clean richer people is moving here and forcing us poorer people to move away from our home! But if y'all ever get to visit in this area, take a drive on The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway from Cherokee, NC over to Gatlinburg, TN.! I know yuns would love it! Come on over, we would love to have y'all here! I know England must have some great places too!
Smoky Mountains are beautiful.
Right there with you Brother. My Mama was born in a small town just outside of The Great Smokey Mountains National Park. She moved to South Carolina, but we went to "the mountains" every year to see family. Those mountains are in my soul.
Indeed, when I am driving from my home in Hendersonville NC to Gatlinburg TN (1 1/2-2hrs via I40) I will often take the drive down 441 from Cherokee to Gatlinburg. Many beautiful overlooks along the way including Clingman's Dome, the second highest point East of the Mississippi. Cades Cove is near Gatlinburg also.
One I think he missed is also on Lake Superior, but in Minnesota. The drive from Duluth to Grand Portage is a beautiful collection of cliffs, waterfalls, and lighthouses hugging Lake Superior's northern side.
Bam! My native Utah gets the number one scenic drive - woohoo!
I grew up in Monterey California and used to do that big sur drive every weekend with my parents , beautiful place and pfieffer camp grounds is amazing for a backpacking adventure.
Because I love other cultures and languages, I have wanderlust and want to visit other countries, but being from the US, I understand why many of us don't. First, we have every climate and landscape (not structures though), and it's super expensive to leave the continent. One day....but until then, I'll visit the remaining 18 states I haven't been to. :)
Yeah, Brits can pop over to mainland Europe for a long weekend if they want to on a short flight. You can't really justify going to Europe from America for less than 5 days and 5k per person.
Most of California is rural or undeveloped. There's a lot of national forest land, park land, and farm land. There's also a lot of desert in southeastern California where you can drive for miles without seeing any homes or businesses.
At 8:51 is McWay Falls. Many people stop there to take pictures. There's no road or trail down to the falls, and it would be quite difficult to climb down to them (and possibly illegal).
@Darryl Walker Clearly you don’t know the size of the state.
@Darryl Walker The deserts and national forests account for over half the land in California, and that doesn't include large chunks of undeveloped land along the coasts and in the mountains.
Was in Big Sur a couple weeks ago, Beautiful. On any day I can decide to see the most beautiful alpine lake in the world lake Tahoe, climb inside a volcano like Mt Lassen & see boiling pools, hike the redwoods on the pacific ocean, or walk around San Francisco.
To a native of America, Colorado is notorious for being a mountainous state.
In fact, the state's biggest city, Denver, is known as the "Mile High City" as there's a point where you are exactly a mile above sea level.
The MLB team there, Colorado Rockies, have a purple line to signify that is where the exact place where you are a mile above sea level. It's kind of hard to see because it's a row of purple seats in a sea of green seats.
Big Sur in California is amazing. I’m partial to roads in Pennsylvania and New England especially in the Fall. Of course Colorado is beautiful too.
I grew up in Denver and we drove I-70 through the mountains all the time. It is just gorgeous view after stunning vista after mesmerizing canyon. It is incredible. That very first shot that pulled up of it looks like Copper Mountain ski resort. That is a stunning area high up in the mountains. And yes, Southern UT (current home) is other worldly. It feels like you've left Earth. It is so different and striking and the contrasts between blues reds and greens is stunning. As huge as the California cities are, they account for a super tiny fraction of the state. California is huge. And the vast majority of it is pretty empty.
Honestly this video is a large part of why American's don't do a lot of abroad travel. We have so much variety and such an insane amount of things in our own backyard to try and see to fill 3 lifetimes. I've resigned myself already that there are places in this country I won't personally get to see.
The Natchez Trace is very pretty in the fall with great stops. I live not far from Natchez and my family loves it
Those are all great, but as a motorcyclist, I have to give honorable mention to Bear Tooth Hwy between Cooke City, and Red Lodge, Montana. The road dips slightly into Wyoming along the way. Watch for grizzlies! Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park, also in Montana. San Jaun Skyway loop in southwest Colorado. Million Dollar Hwy also in southwest Colorado. Too many to list them all!!!
Two omissions that are lovely ... Natchez Trace Parkway and the Willow Loop in central Texas at the peak of wildflower season.
Lincoln City to Brookings is about 3/4 of the entire Oregon Coast. And yes, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
I’ve done the Florida Keys, I-70 in Colorado, the entire Blue Ridge Parkway twice on a motorcycle, and the California Coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles. I have others still on my bucket list.
Native Californian here 56 years strong and though there are those who are moving out of state because of the politics, My family and I will hold the fort down for generations to come. That scenery, as well as so much more of the state is the reason that I’ll probably never move out of this state again. We have the ocean the forest, the desert and all the big cities you can ask for right here in this state. Beautiful sunny California. Home is where the heart is. 😉
2:27 To further explain the Oregon beaches being public: Here in Oregon the concept started over 100 years ago when a law was made saying that all tideland was designated to be state highways (in other words public) In the late 1960s, some loopholes in that were closed with what's called the Oregon Beach Bill, which did two things: First, all beachland from the water to 16 vertical feet above low tide was declared public, so it could never be developed. Second, all beaches up to the line of vegetation has a permanent public easement. Translation: If it's sand along the ocean, you can never own it, and you can't deny anyone the right to access it. Put those two things together, and that's why there's no such thing as a private ocean beach in the state of Oregon.
Very well done Oregon. Lots of states need to follow your example ☺️.
California never extended the concept up to vegetation, but the high tide line is public all the way down to the Mexican border. Many court cases have been lost by property owners trying to restrict access to keep people out of "their backyards". So there's like 1000 miles of public beach on the west coast.
I'm not sure about Washington, but the ocean coastline there is a lot more difficult to access.
Nice beaches, but the water is too cold to swim
The only highway mentioned in this video that I’ve driven on was the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys. I’ve traveled that road many times over the years and it never gets old! Watching this video, however, tells me I need to get out and explore other options! 😀
Yeah you do. Come to Lake Tahoe. 😅
Going to the sun road, Glacier National Park, Montana should have made the list!
I thought the same thing! Glacier National Park is AMAZING
Colorado has places that in person you would think it was a painting some of the most gorgeous drives ever. I dont like long drives but I did them often in Colorado. any state with the Rockies in it will be gorgeous
North Georgia mountains are incredible! I think most people have no idea just how beautiful this area is. Blue Ridge Georgia, Dahlonega, Helen, Cloudland Canyon… all the waterfalls and natural springs. I just spent two nights in a Yurt to hike the west loop rim of Cloudland. Stay out of the big cities!
That entire coastline from Northern California - Southern Oregon is ‘tops’! And he isn’t lying there are campgrounds everywhere.
Always take the backroads. Some treasures aren’t talked about and little known.
🤠 He missed Montana! "Going to the Sun Highway" in Montana would blow these other places away! Come in the Fall, because the temperatures are pleasant, the Colors are Beautiful, and the traffic is reduced! 😁
The show yellow stone shows a lot of Montana
Not the parts I go to! 🤠 Not unless you hike in 10 to 15 miles will you see the good stuff! 🤣
Agreed on his last choice. I'd even extend it going from Capital Reef down to Glenn Canyon
Washington State has gorgeous mountains, inland, and ocean views, all stunningly beautiful.
The blue ridge parkway is pretty neat. I like the stretch between I-64, and wintergreen resort, there are sections where you have a cliff on one side of the road, and a thousand foot drop off on the other side with no guard rail. It's very scenic, if your not afraid of hights. Once I pass wintergreen resort, I like to take Beech Grove Road down the mountain to rockfish valley, which is full of breweries, cider barns, vineyards, meaderies, distilleries, and restraunts. You definitely want to make sure your breaks, engine, and clutch are in good shape before taking Beech Grove Road, as it is very steep, and curvy.
Along the Oregon Coast are several lighthouses you can visit, plus you can take a tour of the Tillamook factory, with samples at the end (we got ice cream!).
Being a Floridian I have driven the Overseas Highway US1 from Homestead FL to Key West a few times It is an amazing drive. You drive over more than 100 bridges.
These drives just scratch the surface of scenic drives throughout the U.S.A.
haha colorado is very known for its big mountains here in the states, its got the "rocky mountains", which pretty much start right in the middle of Colorado. One of my favorite vacation spots
The Blue Ridge Parkway is beautiful! I live in the Appalachians
Yeah a lot of people when they think of California they think LA, San Francisco but California is very large and home to a lot of nature and national parks.
For Michigan they usually pick the Tunnel of Tree and Pierce Stocking Drive at Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. But Michigan Highway 185 which circles Mackinac Island and is only open to bicycles and horses is pretty unique and beautiful.
I have been on all of these drives and they are spectacular.
I live in Asheville, NC. About a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Yes it is absolutely stunning and I am blessed to see these amazing sights every day but fall is insane on the parkway with all the tourist stopping in the middle of the road taking pictures.
I live next to the town with the lighthouse in the beginning of the video. It's Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon. It's incredibly beautiful here. I'm in Mapleton, right by Florence, which is incredibly beautiful too. I live in the rainforest part.
For the Colorado section, they should have done Idaho Springs to Glenwood Springs, not just to Eagle. The Glenwood Canyon is a perfect end to the drive, signifying when you leave the mountain-forest and begin to enter the desert, a very unique change to someone living in Europe
I was thinking the same thing thing. I would have said Georgetown to Glenwood Springs myself. I was thinking about some of my favorite stretches of highway in Colorado, and that segment really captures quite a lot of them: Eisenhower Tunnel, Lake Dillon, Tenmile Canyon, Vail Pass, and Glenwood Canyon.
I love the Blue Ridge Parkway. I lived in Asheville in the 70's and 80's. We used to go up on the Parkway in summer to escape the heat. I still try to visit every year and after more than 50 years I have seen less than half of the sites.
The Parkway is 469 miles long with over 200 overlooks right beside the road. It connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with The Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina/Tennessee. The best vacation you can have is to spend a week on the Parkway and at the nearby attractions.
Check out the 4 videos on UA-cam called "The Best Stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway" to learn more about it.
We were driving through to,go,back East from Glacier National Park and decided to check out Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is now one of my favorite parks in the U.S. it doesn’t have the grandeur of Yosemite or Yellowstone, but it is so unspoiled, and few people go there, so you feel like you are back in the 1800s, with the bison, the cabins, the badlands and the river valley area. It is truly gorgeous and less touristy than the other parks. Well worth a visit.
The Road over the Keys is spectacular and there is a lovely breeze off the water. There are so many beautiful places in the USA. I think he barely scratched the surface. If he included Hawaii and Alaska, he would have to make the list 20 scenic views.
I love the drive in Oregon down hwy 101. So beautiful! I lived most of my life in Oregon. I live a few blocks from the beautiful Columbia River and about 2 hours from the coast.
I spent many years in the north of Maine. Five years in Jackson hole Wyoming. (The Teton mountains and surroundings are stunning) And I currently live in the Florida keys. And yes, the worst part can be the traffic. But this easterner is heading back to the west soon.
my favorite drive is "The snowy range scenic byway" in Wyoming and Grandview drive in Peoria Illinois
I'd add the Wind River Canyon in Wyoming. 25 miles through a canyon with the road following and curving along with the river. Just amazing.
I grew up in Idaho and we would spend a lot of summers down in central Utah. I’ve been to lots of national parks, but Bryce, Arches, and Zion are probably my favorites.
The ski resort off of I-70 in Colorado looks like Copper Mountain. We used to go skiing there every year . . .
I absolutely love the drive along i-70 here in Colorado. Do it in my truck when I go camping. In the summer when I'm on the harley and used to drive it when I drove commercial semi trucks .
Beautiful! WV Also has many stunning views, even from main roads. 😊
I did Big Sur 2 weeks ago, absolutely gorgeous scenery
I spent an entire summer traveling through Arizona, seeing mostly desert. when we drove up to Bryce Canyon it was stunning. I hadn't realized my eyes were squinting against the sun for so long until the cool green came in sight and I felt my face relax. LOL
I think it was Walter Kronkite who named the Beartooth Highway the most scenic road in America! It goes from Red Lodge MT to Cook City MT which then takes you into the NE entrance to Yellowstone Park, it’s a must see drive
Most of California is rural or competently undeveloped. LA and the Bay Area is a small but dense part of the state. We have the most national parks and almost every type of climate here.
Blueridge Parkway is indeed gorgeous. Asheville is a beautiful city.
Maybe it's not quite as majestic as the giant mountains and hills in many other places, but there's several coastal roads in South Carolina that are beautiful in their own right, running alongside salt marshes.
As an Oregonian, our coast is awesome. You can pull off just about anywhere and be on the beach in 5 minutes. It's not always sunny but that's fine when it's hot in my town. 😎
I-80 at the Delaware Water Gap, between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is stunning. Along with all the other roads surrounding the northern Delaware River.
I'm in TN not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway and I can say nearly anywhere you go in these mountains it is beautiful. SW Virginia, NE Tennessee and Western North Carolina has been blessed with these wonderful mountains. So far this month we have gotten some good rains which I hope will enhance the fall colors.
With all due respect, Geography King missed the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Beartooth Highway. Those two are easily the most stunning drives in the US, IMHO.
The upper up Michigan, is beautiful in the fall, the winter too!
My most favorite place..
My family from there..spend most of my childhood there...
So glad that the Blue Ridge Parkway was mentioned. I worked there for almost 10 years and that bridge you liked with the fall colors around it is the Linn Cove Viaduct. It is made up of sections and each section is hollow. They started on both ends with the pieces and met in the middle. My husband and I were able to walk inside of it while it was being built and look out over the edge. Something I'll never forget.
Hope your holiday is terrific. The Oregon coast is so lovely.
You will be surprised to know California has some of the most amazing drives in the world, Just outside of Los Angeles we have a mountain range with Ski Resorts, and the Drive through those mountains and around Big Bear Lake is awesome, then just north of LA the area from Malibu to Santa Barbara is just gorgeous even if you have to drive through Oxnard. California is a huge state, with a huge diversity of environments, from desert to forests and grasslands. There is a reason Hollywood was in California, and why 90% of films prior to 2000 were filmed in California.
I have been on Hwy 1 in California, and Hwy 70 in Colorado....and I was born near the coastal hwy on the Great Lakes and have been to Grand Marais. I now live near the Blue Ridge Mtns inVirginia, and have been on the Skyline Drive in the Fall. He has shown us a lot of beauty, but there is beauty to be found in every state in the Union; you just have to go looking for it....even in the wheat fields of Kansas.
If anyone takes the 101 in Oregon, I recommend stopping in Coos Bay. There’s a national park campsite with Yurts nestled away by a cove. It was one of my favorite spots when we did a West Coast road trip.
I live just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. We've been to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia and they are quite stunning. Blue Ridge Parkway is very nice.
Big Sur is beautiful and it isn’t hard to get to really, I’ve been on that road. Probably on several others mentioned, but I don’t remember them, which speaks to how amazing Big Sur is.
For me Big Sur as well as Hwy 1 from San Francisco to Fort Bragg is phenomenal. I've ridden that northern stretch on my motorcycle so many times but always amazed and I went to college in Monterey so yeah, very biased opinion. After he tossed up Big Sur I couldn't image what could be better (granted, that means something different to everyone and many others were probably thinking the same thing when he mentioned their favorite) but he did kind of nail it. I will take the coast any day but that southern Utah drive is amazing. Bryce Canyon is one of the coolest places I have ever checked out and I have been fortunate enough to see many amazing places.
This was lovely, and I've been on a few of these driving trips. The drone shots were amazing, but not what someone actually 'sees' on the road. Driving footage would be a great addition to his video.
Hello from Colorado! That area is about 2-3 hrs. West of Denver. My Son lives in George Town, about 10min West of Idaho Springs. The Mountains here are amazing.
I live in NJ and the oldest scenic road in the US is located here. It's called Old Mine road and it's 250 years old and stretches 104 miles long into upstate NY. As compared to roads mentioned in the video they watched, there's really nothing spectacular about Old Mine road however when you drive along it, it does makes you feel like you are back in the late colonial times. The best time to travel Old Mine road is definitely during the autumn season!
So many stunning and fascinating drives to take and places to see all over the United States!
Ive done the Blue Ridge Parkway, Roosevelt park in North Dakota, the drive in South Dakota, the Florida Keys.... all of them are beautiful. As for the contiguous 48: the drive between Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park is my favorite.
I know he said he's never been, but Pali Highway, Oahu, Hawaii is hands down the best scenic drive in the US.
🙂 I love the I-70 drive in Colorado. Even moved up to Silverthorne for a while.
I'm originally from Napa, CA and have been to some of the places in the video. My wife and I honeymooned in Carmel, the northern part of Big Sur. While it's gorgeous, one should drive highway 1 in its entirety. It's known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and at times, you're driving on a cliff following the coast. Keep driving north after the 1 junctions with the 101 and you can drive the "Avenue of the Giants." This is where you get to drive through the California Redwoods. The trees can grow up to some 300 feet tall. Of note, the Ewok scenes in Star Wars Return of the Jedi were filmed in the Redwoods in CA.
I now live in Oregon and can attest to the rugged beauty of the Oregon coast. One don't miss drive is in Hawaii. The Road to Hana on Maui is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! It's 81 miles, 617 curves, and 56 one-lane bridges. You'll see waterfalls, jungle, and black sand beaches. This road DEMANDS you do it in a convertable. Oh, and since it's one-way there, you have to turn around go back from whence you came: that's 162 miles, 1,234 curves, and 112 one-lane bridges. Download the audio tour to get narration at certain mile markers.
Here's but one of many videos about the road to Hana:
ua-cam.com/video/VRCtZ0GL3K4/v-deo.html
You are darn right about “The Avenue”, (as we locals called it ) being worthy of mention. Travelled it hundreds of times before I moved in 09’ and never once took it for granted. The best part of the year was when “Big Leaf Maples” leaves changed to gold/yellow in the fall. It was glorious as could be to see the giants and huge colorful maples mingled together. I even had a store run and was delayed when they were filming Return of the Jedi !