Hit the Road to Explore the Beauty and History Along America’s Iconic Routes

As America celebrates 250 years in 2026, its most famous highway passes its own major milestone when Route 66 turns 100 in November. Though officially decommissioned, it’s as popular as ever, and the centennial anniversary lands at a moment when the American road trip is no longer a vintage throwback but once again a bucket-list trip. You can traverse numerous impressive drives across the country, but three routes in particular make the most commanding cases for appreciating the beauty and stories of the USA by hitting the road. Route 66 remains king, of course, joined by Blue Ridge Parkway and California Highway 1, each setting strikingly different scenes.

ROUTE 66
Route 66 received its federal designation in 1926, linking Chicago to Santa Monica and eventually stretching more than 2,400 miles across eight states. The heavily photographed western portions are unmistakably dramatic, but the beginning of the route is where you’ll find the most charm. The road begins in Illinois and stretches hundreds of miles from Chicago to the Mississippi River as it traverses the first state to pave its complete portion. Here, the old road still threads through small cities, courthouse squares, diners, service stations and highway-era landmarks built for motorists. There’s no shortage of history in this jam-packed portion and certainly no shortage of quirk, either.

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While you could pass through the state easily in less than a day, don’t. The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway covers more than 400 miles across its historic alignments and passes through more than 90 communities, with more than 85 percent of the old road still accessible to vehicles. These towns abound with neon signs, giant roadside figures, murals, museums and near-endless memorabilia from the highway’s first century. You’ll find no long stretches of emptiness here, and you should stop frequently.

You won’t hit all 90-plus communities on your way through, so make a point of stopping in Pontiac, where Route 66 weaves into nearly every block of downtown. Spend time inside the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum before heading to the Pontiac- Oakland Automobile Museum, then wander among the city’s many large-scale murals celebrating everything from vintage automobiles to the Mother Road itself. The compact historic district makes it easy to explore on foot, with local restaurants, cafés and independent shops filling the spaces between attractions. Discover plenty of non-Route 66 museums and exhibits in this haven of curiosity, too.

Catch the contrast of Route 66 with a visit to Bloomington and Normal, where two thriving downtowns are anything but preserved relics. Walk Bloomington’s historic commercial district before crossing into Normal, where the highway’s legacy remains part of the community’s identity alongside its vibrant university culture.

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Save time also for Springfield. Lincoln’s legacy understandably anchors the capital city’s appeal and is worth exploring, from the impressive immersion of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to the magnitude and gravitas of the Lincoln Tomb. But Route 66 legacy runs just as deep here, and the two are not completely separate. For quintessential Mother Road moments, visit the Cozy Dog Drive In, where the famous corn dog on a stick has welcomed motorists for generations, and continue to Route 66 Motorheads Bar, Grill & Museum, home to vintage automobiles, motorcycles, signs and an eye-popping array of Mother Road memorabilia. Grab a drink and gawk for anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours. There’s plenty to see.

When it comes to preserving and showcasing the original purpose of Route 66, Illinois shines brighter than almost anywhere else along the highway. The road was built to connect communities, and the stories preserved here are real American tales of the people who built them and welcomed the rest of the country as they passed through. The scenery to the west is breathtaking, and you should certainly complete the whole route if you have a couple of weeks to do so, but don’t dash across the opening stretches just because you can. This is where the human story of the Mother Road takes shape.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
While Route 66 tells the story of roadside America and shows off the canyons and deserts of the West in glorious fashion, the Blue Ridge Parkway showcases another treasure of America’s natural bounty. Stretching 469 miles between Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, the Parkway trades neon and artificial giants for mountain ridgelines, waterfalls and hundreds of scenic overlooks. Practically every curve reveals another long-range Appalachian view, making the drive itself the primary attraction.

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Western North Carolina delivers one of the Parkway’s strongest stretches. Haywood County alone includes 46 miles of the route, with access points leading toward waterfalls, picnic areas, overlooks and some of the Parkway’s highest elevations. Use Waynesville as your base for exploring the county’s galleries, breweries, restaurants and historic downtown before climbing onto the Parkway for panoramic mountain scenery. Nearby Maggie Valley offers another worthwhile stop, particularly if you’re pairing the drive with hiking or a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Continue east toward Asheville, where one of America’s most creative small cities sits only minutes from the Parkway. Spend the morning browsing independent galleries, bookstores, breweries and restaurants before driving onto the Parkway for an entirely different perspective. Stop at the Folk Art Center to explore the Southern Highland Craft Guild’s celebrated collection of Appalachian craftsmanship, then continue toward Craggy Gardens or Mount Pisgah, where overlooks stretch across seemingly endless mountain ridges.

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Each season transforms the Parkway. Spring blankets hillsides with rhododendron and mountain laurel, summer offers cooler temperatures than surrounding valleys, autumn draws photographers from around the world as forests erupt into bold color, and winter strips away the leaves to reveal mountain layers normally hidden beneath dense foliage.

CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 1
California Highway 1 offers one of the world’s great coastal drives, tracing the Pacific through surf towns, vineyards, dramatic cliffs and working harbors, with beaches that seem to stretch forever. While Big Sur naturally attracts much of the attention, don’t race through the Central Coast.

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Make San Luis Obispo your first extended stop. The city combines Spanish colonial history; a lively downtown; nearby Edna Valley wineries; and quick access to Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and Morro Bay. But it also occupies a unique place in American travel history. In 1925 entrepreneur Arthur Heineman opened the Milestone Mo-Tel here, widely recognized as the world’s first motel (“motor-hotel”). Designed specifically for motorists, it introduced a lodging concept that reshaped road travel across the United States. Long-awaited redevelopment plans aim to restore and celebrate the historic property.

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Continue north to Morro Bay, where Morro Rock rises nearly 600 feet above the harbor entrance before the road winds through Cambria and San Simeon. Stop to observe the famous elephant seal rookery, tour Hearst Castle or linger at the many ocean overlooks punctuating the drive. Farther north, Highway 1 reaches Big Sur, where steep cliffs plunge into the Pacific and engineering icons like Bixby Creek Bridge have become symbols of California. Finish the drive through Carmel-by- the-Sea and Monterey, where art galleries, seafood restaurants, historic Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium provide a fitting bookend to one of America’s most celebrated roads.

Whichever route you take, slow down, stop often and let the road set the pace.