5 U.S. Road Trips with a Town & Country Twist
The prospect of a road trip may evoke scenes from the National Lampoon's Vacation series, but with careful preparation, it can be a leisurely trip to remember. T&C has created five car-centric itineraries in the U.S. that can be enjoyed in three to seven easygoing days (a holiday should not be spent white-knuckling a 14-hour drive from point A to point B). Give yourself time to explore each locale, just as you would during any vacation, stock up on local snacks and souvenirs to fuel the drive (suggestions below), and splurge on memorable hotels. After all, the whole point of a road trip is that the journey should be just as enjoyable as the destination. Ready? Set. Go!
Relax like a political scion in New England.
The Route: Kennebunk, Portland, Rockland, Acadia National Park
California gets all the credit for its coastal highway, but Maine’s coast is just a smidge longer—and offers infinitely more opportunities to eat lobster. From swooping coastal cliffs to the peak of Cadillac Mountain (the highest point on the East Coast), prepare for dramatic views and serene beaches. Start the trip in presidential vacation mecca Kennebunk (the Bush family compound is nearby), a 90-minute drive from Boston, with a veritable lobster bacchanal—we recommend White Barn Inn—before making your way north to Acadia’s glorious trails.
Where to Stay: White Barn Inn, Auberge Resorts Collection, Kennebunk
Freshly renovated this summer, White Barn Inn is an idyllic retreat with bikes on hand for quick trips to the beach or town, a serene pool surrounded by white pine and oak trees, and luxurious cottages set amongst a charming garden or along the beach. The boutique spot has 26 rooms, so book early and be sure to snag a reservation at the restaurant: it's highly rated but not the least bit stuffy thanks in part to its location inside a charming 200-year-old restored barn. Culinary enthusiasts can go all out by going on a morning lobster expedition with a local fisherman; that evening executive chef Matthew Padilla will prepare a five-course dinner with the lobster you selected—the ultimate Maine experience.
What to Bring Home: A suitcase stuffed with L.L. Bean, sourced straight from its Freeport flagship.
Claim artistic bragging rights in the southwest.
The Route: Las Vegas, NV, Great Salt Lake, UT, Grand Canyon, AZ, Santa Fe, NM
Some of the most talked about art on display in the U.S. right now is in the middle of the desert. Seriously. The best (or rather, only) way to see it all is to embark on a Southwestern expedition. This meandering road-trip covers Ugo Rondinone's Seven Magic Mountains, Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, Walter De Maria's The Lightning Field, and Charles Ross’s Solar Pyramid (in that order). It is a nine-hour direct drive from Las Vegas to Santa Fe, but the art installations are all a bit out of the way, so plan at least five to six days to see it all stress-free. For a shorter route, opt out of the Spiral Jetty visit, which requires a significant detour to Utah. Alternatively, you can make a loop out of the stops starting and ending in Las Vegas. Either way, this will be an art excursion to remember.
Where to Stay: Amangiri
Prepare to do a lot of jaw-dropping on this trip, including at the hyper-
minimal, hyper-luxe Amangiri resort. Set near the famous Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, the 34-room sandstone hotel blends nearly seamlessly into the landscape. Inside, however, a 25,000-square-foot spa and a spectacular desert pool max out all expectations of a blissful stay.
What to Bring Home: Two C’s: chiles and crystals. The green chile is the calling card of Southwestern cuisine and Arizona’s famed rock shops are heaped with New Age-y crystals galore. You’ll be wise to scoop up jars of both along the way.
Leaf peep along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Route: Knoxville, TN, Cherokee, NC, Asheville, NC, Waynesboro, VA
The undulating hills and curves of this drive follow the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Great Smoky Mountains. Plan the trip in October for peak foliage—although the drive is spectacular any time of year—and meander through the blazing trees to picturesque spots like Mabry Mill, Rough Ridge, and Mount Mitchell (all prime Instagram fodder). Take plenty of breaks to hike the mountains and to tuck into elevated Southern cuisine like Asheville’s Rhubarb restaurant and The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.
Where to Stay: Blackberry Farm
It is no secret that T&C editors are fans of Blackberry Farm, just outside Knoxville. As our 2012 article about the property proclaims, it is “a garden hideaway, culinary mecca, workshop for the soul — is not only growing a reputation as the country's ultimate resort; it's planting the seeds of a new way of life.” The above all holds true today. The idyllic property offers cottages, rooms, and houses, across its 4,200-acre estate with heirloom gardens and peerless service and amenities.
What to Bring Home: North Carolina is an unexpected hot spot for ceramicists. Stop in East Fork Asheville, owned by descendants of Henri Matisse, for the least touristy mugs on the market.
Feast your way around the Olympic Peninsula Loop.
The Route: Seattle, Port Townsend, Sequim, Olympic National Park, Neah Bay
With full-bodied wines, fresh oysters, rich coffee, and an abundance of locally grown produce, you could complete this entire trip with your eyes closed and be wholly satisfied from the gastronomic pleasures alone. We recommend using all senses, however, as this 445-mile loop encompasses the city of Seattle, whale-watching in the Puget Sound, lavender farms in Sequim, beaches along the Pacific Coast, and the Quinault Rain Forest. Highway 101 encircles the protected Olympic National Park, which was one of the last-explored areas of the contiguous United States.
Where to Stay: The Four Seasons in Seattle is a classic choice for good reason, but for the rest of the trip, it may be time to spring for that private land yacht…
What to Bring Home: All the wine you can carry—particularly Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, a speciality in this state.
Dance across the deep south.
The Route: Austin, TX, Lafayette, LA, New Orleans, LA
From old-time honky-tonks in Austin to legendary jazz clubs in New Orleans, think of this trip as an immersion into the rich music history of the Southeast. Start by kicking up your boots at The White Horse (after a full day of swimming in a nearby spring and fueling up on Tex-Mex at Fonda San Miguel), then ease over to Lafayette to see the area’s famous swamplands, before settling in to New Orleans. True audiophiles will want to visit during October’s Voodoo Fest concert (the annual Jazz Fest in April is also a great choice), but Chickie Wah Wah or Preservation Hall have live music most nights of the week.
Where to Stay: Maison de La Luz
Maison de La Luz opened last year and is already a New Orleans institution. It’s a modern riff on Southern hospitality, but also manages to feel like an intimate speakeasy (the cocktails in its bar, it must be said, are fantastic). It is located just a few blocks away from Lafayette Square and the French Quarter and guests are given priority reservations at a handful of the nearby restaurants like Josephine Estelle and Seaworthy.
What to Bring Home: New Orleans is certainly known for its cocktails and its homegrown spirits are worth sampling as well. Try Seven Three Distilling’s moonshine or vodka to fully imbibe that famous Southern hospitality.
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