The American highways are a mystical thing, glorified in books and movies. Whether it is the roads snaking through the Grand Canyon or highways of the Midwest, road trips through the country are a popular activity for both locals as well as tourists. In a lot of ways, the open road is representative of the American celebration of personal freedom. While it is true that you have to learn some new road rules and also learn how to read a map carefully, there are plenty of road trips hugging the coast or cutting through the mainland that you should do if you love driving. Read on to know more about all the best routes for American road trips.

Best American Road Trip Routes

Driving on these highways will surely be a trip of your lifetime. As you plan which route to take for that perfect weekend getaway, take a look at these routes to add a little extra touch!

1. California State Route 1

This Pacific road cutting through the heart of the state of California runs from Dana Point near the city of San Diego to Leggett. The highway is an easy drive but is a good introduction to American road trips, with the added pleasure of the Pacific Ocean. During the summer, you are likely to get sunlight all day, but if you are doing the drive during the winter months, you should make sure that you are going from the north to the south where it is warmer. One of those beautiful East Coast America road trips!

2. Highway 61

The US Route 61 connects the southern city of New Orleans to Wyoming in Minnesota, and is a 1400 miles highway that is perhaps the best of south America road trips. The highway is often called the Blues Highway in recognition of the musical city of New Orleans, and often figures in the popular imagination of blues artists. If legends are to be believed, the great blues musician Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads of the 61 and 49. Also one of the most scenic east coast USA road trips!

3. US Route 20

On the list of American road trip routes, this may be the best road if you have a living-on-the-road fantasy. For one, it is the longest road in the US, stretching for 3365 miles from the city of Newport in Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts. Sure, it is broken by the Yellowstone National Park, but if you are looking for easy roads and a smooth drive on one of those 3 weeks American road trips across the country, Route 20 is one of your best options.

4. Monument Valley

This scenic highway is named after the Colorado plateau that is most well known for its exotic limestone structures called buttes. If you take route 17 out of the city of Phoenix, you can see the fabled Grand Canyon as well as Flagstaff and then take the Route 160 to drive through the red desert landscape dominated by buttes and a sinking feeling of the Wild West. After crossing the Arizona Utah border, you can merge with 191 and then I-40 to finally get to Route 66. This is one of the best American road trip routes.

5. Florida Keys

The fabled Florida Keys is the dream if your best road trip ideas involve the ocean. Going from the Miami to Key West, the highway runs through Everglades and quite a number of ocean keys. The most stunning part of the highway is the Seven Mile Highway in the Monroe County – with the Gulf of Mexico on your right and the Atlantic on the left, going towards the north, the road is a stunning sojourn through the American dream.