Top down, suns up, it is time to hit the road and let a little adventure in. It doesn’t matter if you are taking off for the afternoon or for the whole weekend, pack some snacks and get on the road already. There is something about the open road that lets our minds race free and see our troubles in the rearview mirror. Pack some snacks, grab your shades, and get ready for the best drives in the US to soak up the summer sun. While on the road you are going to want to check out The Best US Drives To Soak up the Summer Sun. 

The Best US Drives To Soak up the Summer Sun

Highway 1, California to Washington

Highway 1 is an iconic scenic highway and should be at the top of your driving bucket list. Hop on the Pacific Coast Highway in sunny San Diego, California, and start driving north. Stop for lunch in one of the many seaside towns and enjoy fresh shrimp cocktails and raspberry lemonade on a hot summer day. Call it a night in beautiful Pismo Beach and watch the sunset over the black volcanic rock beach. Get up with the sun and drive to Carmel for a little retail therapy. Don’t forget to stop at States Hot Springs on the way there for a little dip.

It will take you a couple days to drive Highway 1 through California, which turns in the 101. When you hit the Oregon Coast you are going to think you are in a different country. So picturesque, the Oregon Coast looks like it was lifted right out of a storybook. Pitch a tent at Cannon Beach and you will be rewarded with a night under a thousand stars as waves crash just a few feet away.

As the 101 ventures into Washington, it cuts inland to Quinault Lake, part of the Olympic National Forest. Stay at the Lake Quinault Lodge and you can officially say you have been to one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s favorite places on earth!

Get inspired with The Most Scenic Drives in America to hit the road and see all that you can see!

Seward Highway, Alaska

The Seward Highway from Anchorage to Seward, Alaska, was voted the #1 most scenic drive in the United States. It’s no wonder when you can take a 3-hour drive and pass Turnagain Arm and see mountain goats, bald eagles, moose, bears, and in August, Beluga whales. On one side you have the largest bore tide in the world and on the other you you have the second largest national forest in the US. Your senses won’t know which way to turn to take in all the sights!

Once you pass onto the Kenai Peninsula, be prepared for the icy-blue green waters of the Kenai Lake. It is a color you thought only came alive on canvas! This lake, like most in Alaska, are all fed from glacier streams which deposit silt giving the lake it’s hard-to-believe coloring. Finish up this beautiful drive in the iconic small town of Seward, Alaska. Excellent place to try paddle boarding, hiking up to the Harding Ice Field, or catching a boat out into Resurrection Bay to see Orcas, Grey Whales, Stellar Sea Lions, and Puffins.

The Milepost is an absolute must to have when road tripping Alaska.

Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine driving on a bridge that is just a few feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Driving across the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It connects the Florida mainland to Key West, the southernmost post in the US. This highway first started out as a dream to be a railway, but ended up as a 113-mile epic highway to drive! Traveling the Overseas Highway is a great excuse to get out and soak up the summer sun!