The great American family road trip

There’s nothing quite like a summer road trip when you’re looking to do some serious family bonding. We’ve picked 10 themed itineraries for different kinds of broods, from gourmands to adventure junkies—read on for some inspiration, and then get ready to hit the road.

Miles: 440

California State Route 1 stretches for more than 650 miles, and this drive takes you to some of the most delicious—and crowd-pleasing—food spots between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Driving south from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay, stop at Dad’s Luncheonette, housed in a historic red caboose, for a grass-fed beef burger or chive-topped mac and cheese. Two hours south lies Monterey, where the Monterey Bay Aquarium pairs well with a snack at the all-organic Revival Ice Cream. Try the Bees’ Knees, infused with local honey and honeycomb candy. Less than an hour south is the rugged and scenic oceanside region of Big Sur—stop at the photogenic Bixby Bridge for a group photo along the way. Get dinner at Nepenthe (try their ambrosia burger made with ground steak). Check into Big Sur Lodge, and on the way out the next morning, hit Big Sur Bakery for cream-filled donuts and cheddar-and-chive scones before continuing down to San Simeon; stretch your legs while observing the 17,000 resident elephant seals.

Continue to Santa Barbara for lunch at La Super-Rica Taqueria, a favorite of the late cooking legend Julia Child. Stay at the Kimpton Goodland, and do some whale watching or rent bikes for the oceanside Cabrillo Bike Path—and maybe stop for a salted caramel gelato at the artisanal Tondi. For dinner, head for the coastal community of Montecito for Bettina for Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas made with California ingredients. In the morning, hit Dune Roasters for coffee; a small menu includes breakfast sandwiches and pastries, and then it’s onto Los Angeles for lunch at Petit Trois Valley. Taste the burgundy escargots and Brittany wild sole meunière of chef Ludo Levebre, one of LA’s most highly regarded chefs; pickier eaters can order from the “Enfant” menu (cheeseburger and frites, anyone?).

Miles: 350

Start off in hip Asheville, which has become a culinary hotspot with a strong reputation for artisanal beers (try Highland Brewing Company, which has a meadow for kids to run around in). Then head for French Broad Chocolate Lounge, an homage to all things cacao with everything from baked goods to bonbons, and take their afternoon chocolate factory tour. Dinner is at Cúrate, whose chef Katie Button worked for avant-garde food world superstar Ferran Adria of the now-shuttered el Bulli in Spain. The menu of Spanish tapas, or small plates, is one of the most respected in the city, and it’s also friendly for smaller appetites—try the crispy fried patatas bravas and tomato sauce-topped albondigas meatballs. The Village Hotel on the sprawling Biltmore Estate has plenty of rooms with trundle beds, and there’s a pool on the property.

Start the next day at Biscuit Head to sample their standout biscuits, and then head east to the famed Lexington Barbecue, which serves what North Carolinians call “western-style” barbecue, which consists of pork shoulder served with a dipping sauce made up of vinegar, tomatoes, and pepper. Stop at nearby Greensboro for a look at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum, site of the famous 1960 Greensboro sit-ins at a Woolworth building. Then head an hour east to Durham, home to Duke University. Try the take-out only Saltbox Seafood Joint or the 1957 Chicken Hut, one of the city’s oldest Black-owned restaurants. When you’re not noshing, visit the Duke Lemur Center or check out a Durham Bulls minor league baseball game. Rest up at the whimsical, art-filled 21c Durham Hotel. Then it’s time to bookend your road trip at Skylight Inn, located in the town of Ayden. The classic spot has been serving up eastern style barbecue—whole hog style seasoned with vinegar and pepper—since 1947.

Miles: 330

Maine’s 125-mile stretch of lighthouse-dotted coastline, called the Bold Coast Scenic Byway, is filled with adventures for outdoorsy road trippers. From Boston, drive 90 miles up to Kennebunkport on scenic U.S. Route 1, which runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. Rent kayaks and explore the tidal Kennebunk River; the area above Dock Square bridge is closed to larger boats, making it easier to paddle around. Splurge with a suite at the White Barn Inn, with its waterfront cottages and spacious, light-filled suites. Then it’s 45 minutes by car to charming Portland Maine. Try your hand at lobstering with Lucky Catch Cruises, where you can join Maine lobstermen while they pull up their traps in picturesque Casco Bay, or catch a fly casting or archery course through the LL Bean Outdoor Discovery Programs activities (the company’s flagship is just up the road in Freeport). Stay at the stylish Press Hotel in the Old Port District, former home of the Portland Press Herald. For dinner, the Watershed Tavern and Brewery is a good bet for wood-fired pizzas and interesting craft lagers and IPAs for the adults.

On the way to coastal Acadia National Park, stretch your legs at Camden, Maine, and feast on lobster rolls and crab cakes at Waterfront Restaurant, with its postcard-worthy harbor views. In Acadia, you can camp at the popular Blackwoods Campground, but if your crew prefers four walls, base yourself out of one of the charming B&Bs or hotels in Bar Harbor and head into the park for the many hiking trails. Don’t miss Thunder Hole, a dramatic display where waves enter a small inlet and shoot out of a cavern as high 40 feet in the air. About 70 miles up the coast next to the Canadian Border, Downeast Coastal Conservancy beckons kayakers with its habitat of coastal watersheds and islands.

Miles: 600

Start off in Seattle, where the city’s centrally located Seward Park is one of the few examples of an old-growth forest in the city; take one of the easy trails in the 300-acre park. Head out from the city for about three hours toward the conifer-topped Rocky Mountains, home to North Cascades National Park. The park has a slew of family-friendly hikes, including the River Loop trail that sits right behind the visitor center in Newhalem and takes hikers along the banks of the Skagit River. Don’t miss Trail of the Cedars, which is lined with centuries-old Western red cedars that were spared from loggers. Then head south to Mount Rainier National Park, and spend a couple of days in Paradise, one of the park’s most beautiful areas located in the park’s southern reaches filled with easy hikes and roaring waterfalls; base yourself out of the 121-room Paradise Inn.

The Grove of the Patriarchs Loop is a must: the 1.5-mile route over a suspension bridge and a series of boardwalks is a showcase of some of the park’s oldest trees, some Douglas firs and western red cedars as high as 300 feet. Then head just over three hours by car toward the Olympic Peninsula for Olympic National Park, famous for its moss-covered temperate rainforests with towering old-growth trees. In the Hoh Rain Forest, a habitat for elk, northern spotted owl, and black bear, the Hall of Mosses is less than a mile roundtrip, and it features a spectacular display of bigleaf maple trees draped in moss. Stop at the park’s Rialto Beach to experiencing the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Miles: 628

Start off in Nashville, nicknamed “Music City” for its deep music roots—especially country. Some must dos include a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry, which has hosted live music for close to a century. Then the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which offers a close-up look at the history of this homegrown American genre. Nashville is an incredible eating town: try Biscuit Love for a hearty breakfast of gravy topped biscuits and thick-cut bacon; Arnold’s Country Kitchen is the place to go for a classic Southern “meat and three” meal (if it’s Tuesday or Friday, order the meatloaf). Then head a three hour drive southwest to Memphis, where Sun Studio helped launch rock ‘n’ roll; tour the legendary space and then head over to check out Graceland, Elvis Presley’s 14-acre estate. Make your way to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the site of the former Stax Records—which launched blues icons like Otis Redding. Then cross the border down into Clarksdale, Mississippi, birthplace of Grammy-winning blues icon Muddy Waters. His brick house, once located on a plantation estate, is now located in the Delta Blues Museum.

Then wind along U.S. Highway 61—dubbed the Blues Highway—stopping at Highway 61 Blues Museum in the town of Leland, a showcase of more than 150 local musicians who contributed to the genre. Continue south to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz (if the six hour drive feels like too much, overnight in Jackson, Mississippi, and check out the nearby Blue Front Cafe, a historic juke joint). Check into the new Chloe hotel, housed in a 19th-century mansion in the residential Uptown neighborhood, and then get a taste of the region’s Creole flavors—like seafood gumbo—at Brennan’s. Don’t miss live jazz at all-ages spots like the atmospheric Preservation Hall, but be sure to work in some time to soak in the music from the buskers that play along the French Quarter’s Royal Street.

Miles: 330

Start in Atlanta and visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, dedicated to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and other global human rights issues. Then visit the two-story Queen Anne-style birth home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a National Historic Park located a block away from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King delivered his first sermon. Don’t miss Atlanta’s exciting food scene: stop at the 1947 Busy Bee Café for classic soul food like chicken and waffles and pulled pork. Then head about 2.5 hours west to Birmingham, Alabama, and visit the Civil Rights Institute, which contains the jail cell bars that imprisoned King in 1963 when he wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Then continue south and stop in the town of Selma, where in 1965 King led a peaceful march for voting rights for Black Americans and other minorities; the first attempt was met with violence at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which is now a National Historic Landmark.

Cross the Alabama River in their footsteps to honor their efforts. When it’s time to refuel, continue to Montgomery for Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ for his tender pulled pork. From there, see the six-acre National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a striking memorial honoring Black lynching victims in the United States. Nearby, the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church is where King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the 1960’s; pair it with a stop at the Rosa Parks Museum to learn more about the Alabama native who played a pivotal role in the boycott. Heading back toward Atlanta, stop at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site at Moton Field in Tuskegee, with exhibits and artifacts housed in hangars that tell the story of the airmen who fought military segregation during World War II.

Miles: 280

Start in Las Vegas, and check out the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, which has a certification from the American Zoological Association, and get a closer look at more than 2,000 animals, ranging from sharks to sawfish, in one of the two underwater tunnels. Or go off the Strip and head for the Neon Museum, an outdoor gallery run by a nonprofit group that preserves historic neon signs from the strip. When it’s time to hit the road, stop 30 miles south of Vegas at the massive Hoover Dam, which sits on the Colorado River on the border of Nevada and Arizona. About 100 miles away lies the Grand Canyon Skywalk, an enterprise of the Hualapai people located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation at Grand Canyon West. Here, you’ll get your first glimpse of the Grand Canyon, which was carved out by the Colorado River over millions of years and runs for 277 miles.

You can walk over the horseshoe-shaped glass-bottomed bridge that juts out 70 feet and hovers 4,000 above the canyon floor (don’t worry; it’s strong enough to hold 70 fully loaded 747 jets). Grab lunch with a view at the Skyview Restaurant before heading south to Kingman, known as the largest city along historic Route 66. Check out the Arizona Route 66 Museum, with its collection of electric cars, and the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, which focuses on the history of Mohave County and the American Southwest. Drive just over 100 miles to Williams, which retains its sleepy mountain town feel. Just 70 miles to the north is the Grand Canyon South Rim, which offers some of the best views of this magnificent natural wonder: head for Mather Point, which has a kid-friendly Rim Trail with incredible views.

Miles: 125

The Overseas Highway, the southernmost part of U.S. 1, runs from Key Largo to Key West, and extends for more than 100 miles, connecting a string of coral islands with more than 40 bridges. Start in Miami at the low-key Surfside, a small beachside community that’s great for families, and hit Serendipity Creamery for ice cream or sorbet. Then head south toward Key Largo for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the nation’s first underwater preserve. Explore the country’s only living coral barrier reef while snorkeling, SCUBA diving, or viewing it all by glass-bottom boat; keep an eye out for turtles, lobsters and hundreds of fish species. Farther down in Marathon, Hawks Cay Resort is an ideal spot for watersports, fishing excursions, or chilling out by one of the five pools. At Marathon’s nearby Grassy Key you can observe dolphins, many of them rescued and rehabilitated, at the non-profit Dolphin Research Center. Programs are scheduled around the willingness of the animals to participate—none are ever forced.

Nearby, Sombrero Beach, with its shallow waters and gentle surf, lies a few miles beyond it. When you’ve had enough sun and sand, take the breathtaking trip across Seven Mile Bridge, which stretches over open water and divides the Middle Keys from the Lower Keys, flanked by sparkling blue waters. Your next stop is Bahia Honda State Park, a 500-acre island sanctuary. Its famous Sandspur Beach remains closed following damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017, but there are still plenty of opportunities to snorkel, kayak, and stargaze. End in Key West, the southernmost city on the continental U.S. Smathers Beach is especially family friendly, with its tranquil waters and plethora of water sports. Hit Blue Heaven for a hearty brunch, or Little Pearl for a sampling of local seafood.

Miles: 120

Start by exploring L.A.’s palm tree-lined Santa Monica, where you can cycle along the bike path, book a lesson at Santa Monica Pier’s Trapeze school, or take in some rays on the white-sand beach. When the road beckons, head for Huntington Beach, dubbed “Surf City USA”—and try a surf school like Wave Huggers. Then head down to Newport Beach to get a bird’s eye view of the coast on the Balboa Ferris Wheel. If it’s blue whale migration season between May and November, join a whale-watching tour. If you’re hankering for more soft sand, head to nearby Crystal Cove State Park, a sanctuary with more than 3 miles of pristine beach and 2,400 acres of backcountry wilderness.

Next up is Laguna Beach, located in the center of Orange County, and home to more than seven miles of pretty coves, bluffs, and natural tidal pools. If it’s the first Saturday of the month, head to Dana Point and catch the farmer’s market, which fills with locally grown organic produce and crafts vendors. For LEGO fans, nearby Carlsbad is home to LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, complete with an entertainment courtyard and themed rooms (Royal Princess or Magic Wizard, anyone?). Farther down in San Diego County, La Jolla Cove is a good spot for snorkeling or for spotting sunbathing sea lions. Your trip ends in San Diego, where Mission Bay Aquatic Park, offers a base for boogie boarding and paddle boarding. When you’ve had enough beach time, seek out close encounters with endangered rhinos and bonobos at the conservation-minded San Diego Zoo.

Miles: 530

Fly into Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Montana, and head north about a half hour to the West Glacier entrance of Glacier National Park, a U.S. Biosphere Reserve that’s a habitat for bears, mountain goats, glacial lakes. The park has more than 700 miles of trails to choose from; for kids, try Trail of the Cedars, which sits right off the park’s main Going To the Sun Road, or the 1.7 mile loop to St. Mary Falls for a glimpse at a 35-foot waterfall. Then head about 2.5 hours by car to Missoula, with its galleries, breweries, and brick-oven pizza joints. Nearby is Garnet Ghost Town, which offers a well-preserved look at mining life more than 100 years ago.

Drive about four hours southeast to Yellowstone National Park to see such iconic sites as Old Faithful geyser and the limestone Mammoth Hot Springs; kids can saddle up and try a horseback ride at Canyon Lodge Corral. Nearby is the dramatic Grand Teton National Park, famous for its snowcapped peaks. Take a few drives through the park and be sure to hit Jenny Lake and Signal Mountain Summit Road, which has exceptional views of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole. End in the famous town of Jackson, Wyoming, with its thriving food and art scenes, and book a room at the 49-room, Shaker-inspired Anvil Hotel, located a block north of the town square.