Travel blog

Affectionately known as “The Mother Road,” Route 66 is a popular tourist destination. People are eager to “get their kicks on Route 66” and experience a simpler time.

Established in 1926 as a transcontinental highway, Route 66 served as the main route for families migrating west during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. Later, the road transported families eager to see the Grand Canyon and visit Disneyland. As the road’s popularity grew, so did the number of attractions, diners, gas stations, and motels that sprang up along the route.

In the 1950s, the Interstate Highway System was introduced and Route 66 began to lose its relevance as a main road to the west. However, many vacationers still wanted to experience Route 66 and its quirky Americana attractions, so the road gained a new life thanks to tourism. Today, Route 66 retains its quaint charm and remains a popular tourist destination where there are plenty of “kicks” to be had.

When people imagine Southern charm, Charleston, South Carolina is often the first place that comes to mind. The city on Charleston Harbor was founded in 1670, and still retains much of its historical appeal. Cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and centuries-old military memorabilia are trademarks of the city. Gracefully drooping willow trees and vibrant flowers are found throughout Charleston. Delicious low-country cuisine is plentiful and at its most tasty here in its birthplace. Charleston is friendly, welcoming, and full of incredible places to go, things to see, and experiences to enjoy.

Nicknamed “The Jewel of the Great Lakes,” compact Mackinac Island in northern Michigan is unlike anywhere else in the world. Cars are not allowed on the island, so the moment you step off the ferry you are transported back to a more graceful era. Nowhere is this bygone gentility more strongly felt than at Grand Hotel, an island institution since 1887. One of America’s finest historic hotels is most often reached by horse-drawn carriage, but that’s only the start of what makes it special.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has some of the best views in the eastern United States. You will enjoy incredible mountain vistas, idyllic valleys, thundering waterfalls, and more as you travel through Virginia and North Carolina along this wonderful winding road. A mecca for nature lovers, it has a diversity of animal and plant life including over 100 different types of trees. In addition, it is peppered with culturally and historically significant sites. You can see evidence of the Native Cherokee People, bootleggers, moonshiners, and musicians all along the route.

The strikingly beautiful Death Valley National Park in the heart of the Mojave Desert is a land of extremes. It is the lowest, driest and hottest place in the nation with scorching temperatures that can soar above 120 degrees. This eerie desert landscape is as varied as it is beautiful. Dramatic mountains give way to expansive salt flats, sand dunes and unique hillside landscapes. There is much to do experience and see in this stunning stretch of desert. Here are some of the top things to do in Death Valley National Park:

Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is most famous for its unique rock formations known as hoodoos. The park is home to the world’s largest concentration of hoodoos, which rise high up into the air like totem poles in vivid red, orange, and amber. The park also boasts spectacular natural amphitheaters and bowls, pine forests, high plateaus, and deep valleys. Anywhere youlook in Bryce Canyon is uniquely beautiful, and you can look forward a new jaw-dropping vista at every turn. People often spend just a day or two in Bryce Canyon as part of a trip to multiple national parks, if you plan out your stay—that’s plenty.

Smoky, savory, juicy, and delicious, barbecue is arguably Americas greatest culinary tradition. Unlike grilling, which involves quick, high heat cooking, proper barbecue must be done low and slow. Cooked over a wood fire whose flavorful smoke permeates the meat, the art of barbecue creates some of the tastiest food in the world. Barbecue regions have their own distinct styles with signature flavor profiles, sauces, cuts of meat, and iconic restaurants.

Newport, Rhode Island was the summer playground of the rich and powerful during America’s Gilded Age around the turn of the 20th century. During that time, American commerce experienced an unprecedented boom. Railroad, banking, oil, steel, and mining tycoons earned massive fortunes and spent lavishly on their image and lifestyles. They wanted to show off on their way to becoming American royalty—and nowhere was showier than at their Newport mansions.

Running parallel to the Mississippi for nearly 1,400 miles from Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico, Highway 61 is one of America’s iconic roads. Particularly the final stretch from Memphis to New Orleans known as the Blues Highway. Countless blues musicians traveled the Blues Highway in the early and mid-20^th century. This is where the blues was born, and it is full of can’t-miss stops for blues lovers.  The land that gave us Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Robert Johnson is rich with culture and filled with music.  Visiting the historic sites of the Blues Highway that explore this musical past are an unforgettable experience.

As opening day approaches, Balloon Fiesta Park becomes a boomtown. It buzzes with the sound of trucks and people rushing to prepare the site of one of Albuquerque’s premiere events. In this makeshift city, experienced workers and volunteers alike must come together to set up booths and facilities in anticipation of 900,000 guests. Since 1972, visitors have flocked to New Mexico each year to gaze upward and be awed by the magnificence of hundreds of hot air balloons.