Great American Scenic Roads

I've been fortunate enough to drive around most of the US since learning to drive a long, long time ago. I've made several cross-country journeys and taken family vacations by car up and down the West and East coasts. After experiencing a lot of scenic miles behind the wheel, here are my choices for the most scenic drives in the USA:

Pacific Coast Highway
My favorite scenic drive in the US is and has always been the Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California. The road goes all the way from the Oregon border to the Mexican border, but the highlights are the coastal sections in Northern and Southern California. My favorite section is between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, there are some beautiful, cliff-side stretches and with the Pacific Ocean at your side, it's easy to forget you are less than an hour from Los Angeles. The 17-mile drive north of Monterey is also spectacular coastline driving and makes for a great reason to stop and visit the Pebble Beach Golf Resort.

Pacific Coast Highway in Southern California

The Road to Hana
On the Hawaiian island of Maui, there is a magical road, that snakes its way from Kahului (near the airport) to the town of Hana. The road is so curved (620), the scenery is so beautiful, the 52 mile drive will normally take you at least three hours. The road crosses over 59 bridges, some across deep canyons and through lush rain forest. Some of the bridges are one-lane wide, forcing drivers to pull over and yield to on-coming traffic. The combination of the rain forest scenery, the cliffs, the mountains and the blue sea below, make this one of the most scenic drives in the world, let alone the US. Yes, you should rent a convertible to make the drive, and yes, you should stop and buy banana bread, its fresh and tasty. This is a daytime drive, be sure to fill your tank before leaving and bring snacks and rain gear.

The Road to Hana in Maui, Hawaii

Mulholland Highway
Running along the crest of the Santa Monica Mountain foothills, separating the San Fernando Valley from Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Mulholland Highway is a great stretch of scenic road. You get jetliner views of both the city and the valley with many scenic overlooks where you can pull over and enjoy the view. The road was made famous for it's 1950's races and many "inspiration points" for romance. There's only one lane in either direction, so it can be slow going during busy times. Very early morning is the best time to find the road all to yourself. The best drive is from Sepulveda Blvd, near the 405 freeway, heading east all the way to Barham Blvd. and the 101 freeway.

Mulholland Highway in Los Angeles, California

Blue Ridge Parkway
A ribbon of road so wonderful it's a National Park. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs for 469 miles connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It offers great mountain views and lots of campgrounds and places to stop and explore the wildlife. The Parkway has it's own website (blueridgeparkway.org) filled with everything you could want to know about this scenic road. This scenic drive includes so much, it really is a destination rather than just a scenic drive.

Blue Ridge Parkway running between Virginia and North Carolina

Overseas Highway / US 1
This scenic route has some of the most spectacular water views in the world. Running south from Miami over the ocean, US 1travels 113 miles across some 42 bridges to reach Key West and the southernmost point in the US. Leave a good five or more hours to explore the road, don't try to rush it. The highway was built along the original railroad line laid in 1912 that opened up Key West as a destination resort. The road is best driven at sunrise and sunset, and provides some truly breath-taking vistas.

US 1 between Miami and Key West, Florida