[…] US Route 250 – A zig-zagging route that runs diagonally across West Virginia, Route 250 cuts you through the heart of some of the wildest places in the state […]
[…] to the North & West by a string of jagged mountain peaks. The rugged terrain is perfect for dispersed camping opportunities, though the isolated nature of the area forces me to only suggest this for […]
[…] and easiest way that you can take back roads on a regular basis is by incorporating them into your daily commute. Some of you may already be doing this by default, because of where you live and/or work. But […]
Hi, I’m Ricardo, I must say I really like this whole idea of taking back roads to see the real soul of America. Please tell me which are some of your best trips across the USA you have taken? have you travelled from the northeast towards California?. love to hear your wonderful stories.
[…] with a travel agency. No matter where I am or what I’m hoping to discover, nearly all of my favorite travel memories have one thing in common – they were recommended to me by someone […]
[…] switched tents! After trying a couple different tents over the multiple camping trips we took during and after the pandemic, we settled on a Coleman Four Person tent with a Screened-in […]
Really great and informative articles/posts! I’ve done a couple cross-country trips, and am about to begin the long trip back to WA State (am currently in the Sullivan County Catskills) and was debating doing the Northern route or middle route. I am now better able to make a more informed decision. Thanks. If you have any info re: Glacier National Park, I’d love to read it.
[…] miles each way! As you can imagine, he’s still pretty new to riding. In addition to the back road route planning, I’ve been giving him a significant amount of advice and gear suggestions to […]
[…] delays, you are going to be absolutely stunned by the natural beauty of what is easily one of the greatest back roads in the country! I digress. Bioluminescence in the Pacific waters requires impact or strong […]
Hey, thank you so much for this extensive write up. I am as green as it can get when it comes to adventure riding but I am soon (in weeks) embarking on my first. Having read your pieces for hours one thing I didn’t find was abt self defence. Do I need to carry a gun or any kind of defence weapon with me?
[…] that remain on my bucket list: riding a motorcycle cross country, taking one of America’s historic highways the whole way from coast to coast (US-50 is the most likely candidate), driving cross country on […]
[…] Goldfield: Speaking of old mining towns, Goldfield is another great historical destination in the desert. For such a small town, it has a surprising amount of things worth seeing – historic saloons, museums, shops, and even a car forest! Being fairly isolated in the sparsely populated center of the state, and surrounded by stark natural beauty, the area around Goldfield is also prime real estate for stargazing. […]
[…] along one of our absolute favorite scenic drives in the Bay Area, eventually dropping you onto the Pacific Coast Highway in Jenner. You’ll wind your way through towering redwood trees as you follow the course of […]
[…] visited the Jenner Wine Bar, it was August of 2020. Not long after completing our first massive cross country drive together, my wife and I were looking for an outdoor venue to be able to sample the world-renowned […]
Hi Sarah, I’m very sorry for my delay. I should’ve updated my website, as I am currently not in a position to offer road trip plans to readers. I appreciate you finding me and submitting your request, and I hope that you have (or had) a great trip!
I missed any info on Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, New York and pretty much both the entire South and the entire northeastern U.S., especially Florida, Tennessee, Vermont, Georgia and Louisiana. There are so many amazing, off-the-beaten-path sites in those states, including in the Appalachians… I get there’s a lot of coverage on those places, and I appreciate the nod to Minnesota, but it’s a little misleading to call this article a “cross-country road trip itinerary” when you miss so many key parts of a cross-country road trip….
Hi Jonathan! Thank you for your comment. I clearly did not do as good a job of communicating my intent in creating this article as I had expected. I actually am feeling a little bit called out that, while I addressed the fact that I was only outlining information on the northern and central routes in this particular post (in part because it’s intended to follow very closely to one of the loop trips that I’ve taken)… it makes more sense for me to include information about the southern route here as well…. or at the very least, include links to the other, more detailed posts discussing the southern route. I’ll be correcting that, so I appreciate your criticism and feedback there.
That being said, this is not intended to be and never will be an all-encompassing post. That’s one of the very first things that I address in this post: reread the section near the top, entitled “Plan a Cross Country Road Trip.” By default, this post is NOT going to cover every state, because no one who is taking a cross country road trip is going to be able to drive in every state. As is stated multiple times throughout the post, when you take a cross country road trip, you’re going to have to prioritize where you drive. I’ve driven across this country roughly a dozen times, which I believe puts me in a very small group of people who have had similar experiences…. and I’ve still not gotten to all 48 of the inter-connected states. Sorry, North Dakota.
I am going to leave the “misleading” part of your comment up, because I strive for authenticity and integrity, but we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that part. Quite frankly, you’re wrong. **One of the most critical parts of putting together a cross country itinerary is choosing what to leave out.** This is another point that I discuss in detail in this post. No one – and I mean, NO ONE – has the time or financial wherewithal to take a cross country drive that hits every state. One of the PRIMARY points of this post is to help people to choose what to pick, and what to avoid. I’m going to expand the post, because you’re right – I should discuss options for the southern route. But it’s not going to hit all of the states that you list, because… well, I’ve beaten that horse enough already for this comment.
I see what you mean yea! And thank you for the comment, especially mentioning you’re working on something with the southern route. That part, like I mentioned, is filled with so many great things to see and explore on a road trip. I think it would be great to see those options here with everything else to give a good lay of the land for planning a trip or itinerary that doesn’t get too overwhelming. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
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[…] US Route 250 – A zig-zagging route that runs diagonally across West Virginia, Route 250 cuts you through the heart of some of the wildest places in the state […]
[…] Looking for a road trip playlist? Click here. […]
[…] to the North & West by a string of jagged mountain peaks. The rugged terrain is perfect for dispersed camping opportunities, though the isolated nature of the area forces me to only suggest this for […]
[…] and easiest way that you can take back roads on a regular basis is by incorporating them into your daily commute. Some of you may already be doing this by default, because of where you live and/or work. But […]
[…] Gear – essential gear for motorcycle camping […]
Hi, I’m Ricardo, I must say I really like this whole idea of taking back roads to see the real soul of America. Please tell me which are some of your best trips across the USA you have taken? have you travelled from the northeast towards California?. love to hear your wonderful stories.
Hi Ricardo! Thank you so much – I really appreciate your kind words, and I love that you’re enjoying the site!
As a matter of fact, I’ve actually written a post about my favorite back road drives – although it’s out of date, and needs to be updated!
Here’s the link: https://takebackroads.com/2020/04/09/great-american-road-trips-favorite-back-roads-in-america/
Additionally, I’ve driven cross country, from PA to Northern California and back, at least six times since 2019. Here is one of the posts I’ve written about those trips: https://takebackroads.com/2022/05/05/cross-country-road-trip-itinerary/
My email is scott@takebackroads.com if you have more questions!
If you’re looking for road trip planning advice:
https://takebackroads.com/plan-your-road-trip/
or
https://takebackroads.com/2019/08/14/cheap-cross-country-road-trip/
Thanks!
[…] An Outdoor Explorer’s Story to Owning a Honda HR-V […]
Marvelous and helpful series of articles. Thank you, Scott! You’ve taken the sting out of how to get started and helped to make it fun and manageable!
Thank you so much Tracy! I’m really glad you’re enjoying the blogs! Check out the “Road Trip Resources” category for more helpful posts!
[…] to the interview-style post with Melinda about her solo journey cross country, once Garrison returned from his trip, I sent him a list of […]
[…] How to Take a Road Trip on Back Roads […]
[…] with a travel agency. No matter where I am or what I’m hoping to discover, nearly all of my favorite travel memories have one thing in common – they were recommended to me by someone […]
[…] switched tents! After trying a couple different tents over the multiple camping trips we took during and after the pandemic, we settled on a Coleman Four Person tent with a Screened-in […]
Really great and informative articles/posts! I’ve done a couple cross-country trips, and am about to begin the long trip back to WA State (am currently in the Sullivan County Catskills) and was debating doing the Northern route or middle route. I am now better able to make a more informed decision. Thanks. If you have any info re: Glacier National Park, I’d love to read it.
Hi Amy! Thank you for the wonderful feedback! I’m glad that you found my post to be informative and helpful!
Sadly, Glacier still remains on my to-do list, so I don’t have anything to share unfortunately. I’m sorry!
[…] miles each way! As you can imagine, he’s still pretty new to riding. In addition to the back road route planning, I’ve been giving him a significant amount of advice and gear suggestions to […]
[…] My Favorite Road Trips […]
[…] to compactly pack your gear in a balanced manner (to prevent overloading one side of the […]
[…] The Best Back Road in Each State […]
[…] delays, you are going to be absolutely stunned by the natural beauty of what is easily one of the greatest back roads in the country! I digress. Bioluminescence in the Pacific waters requires impact or strong […]
Hey, thank you so much for this extensive write up. I am as green as it can get when it comes to adventure riding but I am soon (in weeks) embarking on my first. Having read your pieces for hours one thing I didn’t find was abt self defence. Do I need to carry a gun or any kind of defence weapon with me?
Fred
[…] that remain on my bucket list: riding a motorcycle cross country, taking one of America’s historic highways the whole way from coast to coast (US-50 is the most likely candidate), driving cross country on […]
[…] the state’s most famous export. My favorites (to visit, not necessarily to drink): Maker’s Mark, Woodford, and Buffalo […]
[…] Goldfield: Speaking of old mining towns, Goldfield is another great historical destination in the desert. For such a small town, it has a surprising amount of things worth seeing – historic saloons, museums, shops, and even a car forest! Being fairly isolated in the sparsely populated center of the state, and surrounded by stark natural beauty, the area around Goldfield is also prime real estate for stargazing. […]
[…] along one of our absolute favorite scenic drives in the Bay Area, eventually dropping you onto the Pacific Coast Highway in Jenner. You’ll wind your way through towering redwood trees as you follow the course of […]
[…] visited the Jenner Wine Bar, it was August of 2020. Not long after completing our first massive cross country drive together, my wife and I were looking for an outdoor venue to be able to sample the world-renowned […]
Beautiful blog information. Thank you very much for sharing…
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I was wondering if you were interested in collaborating with me on a sponsored post or Link placement in your existing article?
Hi Naureen! Feel free to email me at scott@takebackroads.com with the details. Thank you!
[…] typical route to and from my parents‘ house is a blend of highways and byways that I’ve developed over years of […]
[…] Gear – essential gear for Milky Way / night sky photography […]
Looking forward to hearing back from you I am excited to drive our trip!
Hi Sarah, I’m very sorry for my delay. I should’ve updated my website, as I am currently not in a position to offer road trip plans to readers. I appreciate you finding me and submitting your request, and I hope that you have (or had) a great trip!
I missed any info on Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, New York and pretty much both the entire South and the entire northeastern U.S., especially Florida, Tennessee, Vermont, Georgia and Louisiana. There are so many amazing, off-the-beaten-path sites in those states, including in the Appalachians… I get there’s a lot of coverage on those places, and I appreciate the nod to Minnesota, but it’s a little misleading to call this article a “cross-country road trip itinerary” when you miss so many key parts of a cross-country road trip….
Hi Jonathan! Thank you for your comment. I clearly did not do as good a job of communicating my intent in creating this article as I had expected. I actually am feeling a little bit called out that, while I addressed the fact that I was only outlining information on the northern and central routes in this particular post (in part because it’s intended to follow very closely to one of the loop trips that I’ve taken)… it makes more sense for me to include information about the southern route here as well…. or at the very least, include links to the other, more detailed posts discussing the southern route. I’ll be correcting that, so I appreciate your criticism and feedback there.
That being said, this is not intended to be and never will be an all-encompassing post. That’s one of the very first things that I address in this post: reread the section near the top, entitled “Plan a Cross Country Road Trip.” By default, this post is NOT going to cover every state, because no one who is taking a cross country road trip is going to be able to drive in every state. As is stated multiple times throughout the post, when you take a cross country road trip, you’re going to have to prioritize where you drive. I’ve driven across this country roughly a dozen times, which I believe puts me in a very small group of people who have had similar experiences…. and I’ve still not gotten to all 48 of the inter-connected states. Sorry, North Dakota.
I am going to leave the “misleading” part of your comment up, because I strive for authenticity and integrity, but we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that part. Quite frankly, you’re wrong. **One of the most critical parts of putting together a cross country itinerary is choosing what to leave out.** This is another point that I discuss in detail in this post. No one – and I mean, NO ONE – has the time or financial wherewithal to take a cross country drive that hits every state. One of the PRIMARY points of this post is to help people to choose what to pick, and what to avoid. I’m going to expand the post, because you’re right – I should discuss options for the southern route. But it’s not going to hit all of the states that you list, because… well, I’ve beaten that horse enough already for this comment.
I see what you mean yea! And thank you for the comment, especially mentioning you’re working on something with the southern route. That part, like I mentioned, is filled with so many great things to see and explore on a road trip. I think it would be great to see those options here with everything else to give a good lay of the land for planning a trip or itinerary that doesn’t get too overwhelming. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.