GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS – SCENIC DRIVES
Discover Insider Tips, Must-See Stops, Nearby Attractions, and More
Published: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Reader’s Digest
Non-Fiction
Our family loves to take road trips. We have only flown as a family one time, every other vacation has been a driving vacation. We have driven to Florida several times, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Plus all the states on the way to our destinations. We love to see our beautiful nation and stop and visit the quirky and fun spots along the way.
This book is definitely one we will be using to start planning more of our road trips. Soon my husband and I will be empty nesters and we are hoping to take more road trips and see more of the great states we have yet to visit. GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS is divided by regions and points out scenic drives in each state. I will have to say that I was disappointed that not every state is mentioned in this book and in fact, some states have more than one scenic drive listed. I was hoping to find a scenic drive for our trip to Kentucky this summer, but nothing in that state was featured.
Some of the Scenic Drives mentioned that are on my personal bucket list include Oregon Coast Highway, Highway 12/Journey Through Time Scenic Byway in Utah, Natchez Trace Parkway, Outer Banks Scenic Byway, and Door County Coastal Byway in Wisconsin. One of the drives featured in our state is the Great River Road that covers Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. I’ve traveled this road many times as I grew up near this part of the state and it is definitely a very beautiful drive, especially in the Fall, but really any time of year.
The book is full of amazing photography featuring the area of the scenic drive. Each scenic drive is listed with a highlight of where in the state the drive is located, an explanation of the drive, and the towns the drive travels through. The explanation will also mention any state parks or specific restaurants or museums you may want to visit. A Points of Interest highlight will tell you how long the scenic drive is, fun facts about the area, nearby attractions, and not-to-miss locations.
So, for the Great River Road, various state parks are listed in the explanation as well as which highways are part of the drive. A few coffee shops and museums are mentioned as well as specific scenery. In the Points of Interest, it mentions that the drive is 150 miles and if you have time, don’t miss the riverboat excursions in the various towns. If you visit in the fall, monarch butterflies and birds flock to Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin before they head south. Various attractions nearby include the Field of Dreams baseball diamond and the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. Photos of fall foliage along the river and a great blue heron also fill the page.
We have also driven the US Highway 2 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Minnesota North Shore drive and I would definitely agree that these drives meet the Scenic Drive category.
If your family also loves road trips or at least dreams about taking road trips, then this is a great book for you. It makes a great coffee table book and conversation starter with visitors about places they have visited or hope to visit.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, non-fiction, Reader's Digest, road trips, travel, United States, vacation