Pacific Coast Highway 1 (along Big Sur)
Travel along the Pacific Coast Highway in California
through Big Sur National Park, which many claim is the best road trip in the entire United States. The entire trip takes about 10 hours to complete from start to finish, but if you take this route, it is recommended that you extend it by about a week to enjoy the scenery along the way.
As one of the most scenic roads in the United States, traveling on the Pacific Coast Highway offers unparalleled views of the magnificent natural and man-made wonders between San Francisco and Los Angeles – Yosemite, Carmel Beach, Big Sur, the Bixby Creek Bridge, Cambria, and Morro Bay.
Big Sur Bixby Creek Bridge
This road trip is particularly famous because of the scenic and interesting stops along the way, such as the Bixby Creek Bridge in Big Sur and the Elephant Seal Lookout in San Simeon, where you can come face-to-face with dozens of elephant seals on the beach. Yosemite National Park is also an easy detour!
El Capitan in Yosemite National Park
Highlights: Yosemite National Park, Carmel Beach, Big Sur, Cambria, Morro Bay
Distance: 951 km
Recommended time: One week
Nearest International Airport: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Yellowstone Grand Circuit
Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, The Great Yellowstone Loop – American Road Trip
Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the world and is one of the must-see attractions on any U.S. bucket list. With numerous geothermal features such as hot springs, mud pots and vents, Yellowstone is more than just a homogenous park with trees.
The best times to visit are April, May and September through November. The circuit or figure-of-eight route, depending on the route you choose, can be done in three to four hours without interruption.
But what’s a trip to Yellowstone National Park if you’re just going around the park? We recommend that you stay near Yellowstone National Park and give yourself at least three days to properly explore this wonder of nature’s creation.
Yellowstone National Park, Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone Loop – American Road Trip
Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Yellowstone Caldera is actually a caldera classified as a “super volcano,” resulting in more than 10,000 geothermal features that exist in the national park today. With a total area of 8,991 square kilometers, Yellowstone National Park is 12 times larger than the entire mainland of Singapore (721 square kilometers)!
Artist Point in Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone Grand Loop – American Road Trip
Artist Point in Yellowstone National Park
Highlights: Old Faithful Geyser, Mud Volcano, Uncle Tom Trail, Artist Point, Lamar Valley, Grand Prismatic Spring, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs Distance: 230 km Suggested time: 3-5 days Nearest international airport: Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
