| The USA is one the most drivable countries in the | | | | foot, but you can easily navigate the grid style streets |
| world. Interstates connect every major city, even | | | | of the city if you need to drive. |
| making most of Alaska accessible to anyone with gas | | | | 7. Portland. One of the most beautiful riverfront cities in |
| in their car. When it comes to the cities in the USA, | | | | America, Portland lies on the banks of the Columbia |
| each one is very different. Some are bus friendly, | | | | River and Willamette Rivers in Oregon. The city is |
| some are car friendly, some are subway friendly. The | | | | known for its fine arts, some of the best art galleries in |
| best cities in the USA for a road trip are the ones that | | | | the country, abundance of microbreweries (they call it |
| are easy to get to via car, have ample parking, and | | | | "Beertown"), an active bike racing scene, and a |
| are worth the trip into the city. Which ones meet all of | | | | booming restaurant scene. While the city has excellent |
| these criteria? Read on to see ten of the best places | | | | public transportation, you can also easily navigate the |
| in the USA to plan a road trip, and see if you agree! | | | | backstreets and highways of Portland through the I-5, |
| 1. Boston. Before the Big Dig tunnel, driving into Boston | | | | which heads north towards Vancouver Washington, |
| was a nightmare. Now, it's a little less of a nightmare. | | | | and south towards coastal Oregon and California. I-84 |
| Driving into Boston isn't for the weak of heart, but | | | | heads east towards Idaho and Salt Lake City. |
| taking your car into the city is probably the quickest | | | | 8. Denver. Chances are, you don't live near Denver. |
| way to see the city. Parking isn't always plentiful, but | | | | That's precisely why it makes a great road trip |
| the sights are. Try eating in the famous North End, | | | | destination. Denver isn't just a great city to stop |
| taking a Boston Harbor Islands cruise, or walk the | | | | through, it has some incredible scenery just to the |
| famous Freedom Trail of historic sites in the city. | | | | north that make planning a road trip here well worth it. |
| 2. Seattle. This city was created with driving in mind. | | | | Rocky Mountain National Park, around 52 miles to the |
| Unlike many of the older cities on the east coast that | | | | northwest, is best seen during the warmer months of |
| fall victim to poorly laid out highways, Seattle has an | | | | the year, when the roads aren't covered in boulders |
| excellent highway system to get in and out of the city. | | | | and snow. At the foot of the Rockies, you can find the |
| Like any major city, you'll have some traffic, but it's a | | | | booming art town of Boulder, Colorado. Denver itself is |
| piece of cake next to traffic in New York or LA. | | | | home to annual Great American Beer Festival each |
| Highlights of Seattle include Pike's Place fish market, | | | | fall, and has plenty of art museums, clubs, and parks to |
| the Space Needle, and sightseeing cruises through the | | | | keep visitors occupied. A road trip to Denver is easy |
| Seattle Locks. | | | | planning. I-70, I-25, and I-76 being the major routes into |
| 3. San Diego. California's southernmost major city fairs | | | | the city. If you travel to the west of the city on I-70, |
| a little bit better than it's metropolis to the north, Los | | | | check your brakes, you're in for a mountainous |
| Angeles. Yes, the I-5, I-8, I-15, and I-805 all converge | | | | journey! |
| within San Diego city limits, but the 8 lane highways are | | | | 9. Las Vegas. A road trip to Las Vegas might just be |
| big enough to accommodate most of the traffic, most | | | | the road trip of all road trips. Heading into the secluded, |
| of the time. If you're headed to San Diego, try visiting | | | | barren landscape that surrounds Las Vegas offers up |
| historic Old Town for authentic California style Mexican | | | | incredible scenery that seems to wrap itself beyond |
| cuisine and architecture, the Gaslamp Quarter for the | | | | the horizon. The heat pounds the pavement and |
| best shopping, and whatever you do, don't miss the | | | | produces heat lines (just like you've seen in the |
| San Diego Zoo, the best zoo in the country. | | | | movies), and the journey seems endless. Without |
| 4. San Francisco. On TV, it seems that San Francisco | | | | notice, you'll catch your first glimpse of Las Vegas, if |
| was made for trolley cars and walking. Spend a day | | | | headed north on I-15, tens of miles before you get |
| there walking up and down the hills and you'll realize | | | | there. What seems like a dot on the horizon will get |
| that you'll soon become exhausted, or broke from the | | | | bigger and bigger, until you run alongside the famous |
| cab fare! Luckily, if you're staying San Francisco, most | | | | casinos and towering hotels Vegas is known so well |
| of the hotels have inexpensive parking, and sometimes | | | | for. It's next to impossible to get lost in Las Vegas. |
| free parking. If you stay along Fisherman's Wharf, you | | | | There's one major road in, and one out. Once you're |
| can easily walk to most of the attractions along the | | | | off the highway, you can take the cruise of all cruises, |
| waterfront. | | | | down the Las Vegas Strip. For a truly unforgettable |
| 5. Kansas City. Smack dab in the middle of the USA | | | | experience, drive the 3.8 mile long strip at night, when |
| lies Kansas City, spreading itself over two states and | | | | the city really comes alive. |
| the Missouri River. Nicknamed the city of fountains, | | | | 10. Salt Lake City. Like Las Vegas, a road trip to Salt |
| Kansas City actually has the most fountains in the | | | | Lake City is like an optical illusion. After driving on miles |
| world outside of Rome. With a revitalized downtown | | | | of dry salt beds (Bonneville Salt Flats State Park), |
| area, and some of the best BBQ you can find in the | | | | heading east on I-80 will run alongside the intriguing |
| country, Kansas City is home to some interesting | | | | Great Salt Lake, and lead to beautiful Salt Lake City. |
| architecture new, like the American Jazz Museum, and | | | | The skyline of Salt Lake City is set strikingly against a |
| historic, like the Liberty Memorial (which houses the | | | | backdrop of tall snow capped mountains. The city itself |
| World War I Museum). In terms of drivability, the city | | | | is sloped, and has an interesting feel unlike any other in |
| couldn't have been set up any simpler. I-70, I-35, and | | | | the country. The city stays relatively cool all year long, |
| I-69 all are easy routes that head into the city, while | | | | and has some world famous skiing nearby. You might |
| I-435 makes a giant loop around the city. | | | | recognize the city from the 2002 Winter Olympic |
| 6. San Antonio. Besides flying into San Antonio, you | | | | Games. If you're staying at any of Salt Lake City's |
| don't have many other options to see this inland Texas | | | | hotels, parking usually isn't a problem. However, |
| city. San Antonio is located in the epicenter of Texas, | | | | destinations within the city usually must be driven to, |
| and is a true cross section of Texan life. As you | | | | since they are spread far apart. |
| approach the city from I-10, the sudden shift from rural | | | | You've probably noticed by now that there aren't |
| landscape to major city is abrupt. The city's lack of a | | | | many east coast cities on this list. The east coast has |
| major metropolitan area sets it apart from many other | | | | some tremendous sights to see, but many of those |
| US cities. Heading to the west of the city, the terrain | | | | are small towns, coastal peninsulas, islands, and hard to |
| starts to get rockier and more mountainous. Driving into | | | | navigate cities that were built hundreds of years ago. |
| the city is simple, with I-10 heading east-west, and I-35 | | | | That makes taking a road trip to cities like New York a |
| heading north to south. San Antonio is home to the | | | | little more difficult. The newer cities of the west coast |
| historic Alamo, and the beautiful Riverwalk area. Most | | | | kept driving in mind when the population really started |
| hotels have free or reasonably priced parking. The | | | | to take off, setting them at a slight advantage for road |
| best way to see the city's major attractions are by | | | | trip goers. |