Road trips are as American as apple pie and baseball. An inherent part of American culture since the covered wagon, the open road and the great divide makes many a traveler salivate with pride and wonder for the natural beauty of the American landscape. Old gas stations, roadside diners, the classic motel, small towns and conversations with true blooded Americans all add to the Americana road trip experience. While you can always grab a Rand-McNally Road Atlas (www.randmcnally.com) or stop at your local AAA (www.aaa.com) to have a go at it yourself, several travel providers offer pre-packaged road trips of America that include detailed maps, historic itineraries, and pre-paid hotels.
Monograms Travel (tel. 866/270-9841; www.monogramstravel.com) offers city stays where you can drive your car to select cities or lengthy road trips through the American countryside. City stays include three-nights in a hotel as well as admission to sites and special attractions. In most cases you can choose hotels. Participating cities include Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., New York, Boston, and Toronto. The Washington D.C. package, with accommodations at the Hilton Hotel, starts at around $489.
For lovers of the open road and the American countryside, Monograms packaged road trips are the way to go. A six-day/five-night trip down the California coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles takes you through Monterrey, by Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara, San Juan Capistrano and Newport Beach. Taking a literary bend, this road trip stops in John Steinbeck country (tel. 831/796-3833; www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html) in Salinas and takes you by the Henry Miller Library (tel. 831/667-2574; www.henrymiller.org/index.html#Bus%20Ride) in Big Sur. When overlooking the verdant landscape that goes from mountain to big surf, you can see why both men loved the northern Californian coast. Hotels are standard facilities such as Radisson's and smaller hotels along the route. Prices for this trip include the detailed itineraries, maps and hotels and start at $439. The luxury hotel option starts at $629. An add-on to San Diego is also available. In addition to the California coastal trip, Monograms has trips through California theme parks, New England towns and inns, Southern Plantations, and America's national parks.
Green Tortoise (tel. 800/867-8647; www.greentortoise.com) offers road trips through America on buses. The Northwest Loop starts in San Francisco before heading out to Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and looping back to California through Las Vegas. This fifteen-day trip costs $799 with an extra $175 for food fund. Departure dates are on June 23, 2006 and August 4, 2006. Accommodations are on the bus on certain long-driving nights, at campsites and in hostels. For people of all ages, Green Tortoise trips offer a close-up glimpse of America's best roads and sites. Stopping in Yellowstone, Devil's Tower and at Mount Rushmore, the Northern Loop is a popular trip as it puts travelers into the heartland of the American West.
The Southwest Loop (www.greentortoise.com/southwest.loop.html) does a similar circle through America's southwestern territories. In eighteen days, also starting out in San Francisco, the Southeastern loop goes all the way to New Orleans and back through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Texas and Louisiana. Sites along the way include Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Texas Hill Country and Zion National Park. Cost of the trip comes to $999 with $191 to go for the food fund. The trip leaves August 28 and September 25, 2006. With road trips all over the United States, Green Tortoise covers a lot of ground. Just hit a link on the map on the home page to select a trip in the region of your choice.
While road tripping, getting a little funky is part of the fun. Roadside America (tel. 888/556-3845; www.roadsideamerica.com) bills itself as the "online guide to offbeat tourist attractions." The "sight of the week" showcases a different offbeat locale. This week, Richard's Art Yard in Centralia, Washington, is the creation of a guy named, you guessed it, Richard, who will give you five minutes of his time for free and 55 more minutes for a five dollar "donation." His yard is a funhouse of sculpture, metal and art, and you can even create your own art in his workshop. Roadside America lists hotels on the way to wherever you want to go and to accommodations near all their featured locations. Set up by writers, Roadside America provides detailed maps, travel tips, and recent news on roadside attractions.
Share your tips and favorite resources on our Road Trips Message Boards today.