Sometimes the best memory in your life is a journey.
Have you ever been on a trip where the sights out your window were new and exciting? One where your face was glued to the glass as you tried to capture everything you saw?
People often say that the best part of the journey is the end, but sometimes, you enjoy the journey more than the end.
For example, driving into New York City for the first time will certainly be more fun than the end if you’re lodged in a dingy motel.
The most beautiful drives in the world.
While traveling by air is quick and easy, there are some gems that you might miss if you were in the sky. This is why road trips can maintain their charm in this day and age.
Although driving takes more time, you get opportunities to enjoy the gorgeous views that come with it, making your trip more impactful.
Here are a few examples of drives where your destination doesn’t really matter as the charm is all in the journey;
1. US Route 163, Arizona/Utah
If you live in the United States, road trips are probably something you’re very familiar with as states are so large, that traveling between them feels like going to another country. US Route 163 is a drive boasting a gorgeous view of wide-open desert space on either side and noble mountainous monuments up ahead. The long stretch of tarmac slopes upwards into the horizon against the picturesque backdrop, making for stunning photographs.
2. Strada Statale 163, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Nothing beats an ocean view, and Strada Statale 163 has a killer one. This daredevil drive straight out of a movie, runs on a road built against a towering cliff, with nothing but a perilous drop and the Mediterranean Sea on the other side. It makes for a gorgeous view from the safety of your vehicle, and you get to drive by lovely villages like Amalfi and Positano.
3. Highway One, Monterey County, California
Can you hear the seagulls? I sure can! Also in the United States, Highway One almost covers the length of California’s coastline, starting just south of Los Angeles and ending in Mendocino County to the north. The most beautiful part of this drive, however, is heading south from Monterey when you pass through the gorgeous Carmel-by-the-Sea and the famed Bixby Creek Bridge.
4. Tianmen Mountain Road, China
Do you like danger? This drive sure is full of it, with Tianmen Mountain Road being known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world. It is a six-mile stretch full of hairpin bends, turning vehicles 180 degrees several times while going up 1100 meters. Definitely wouldn’t recommend speeding here. Danger aside, however, being a mountain road, this drive offers breathtaking views as you snake your way up to Tianmen Cave.
5. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina/Virginia
This drive feels like a modern road carved into a fantasy setting. It’s no wonder that it is known as ‘America’s Favorite Drive.’ The view is simply gorgeous on this road spanning 469 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to Shenandoah National Park. It is particularly stunning in the fall when the greens give way to the browns, reds, and oranges.
You can make it so that the journey is the destination.
If you’re one who enjoys long drives listening to music and enjoying the sights, then the roads above probably tickle your fancy.
People usually travel for the destination, but with drives like these, it is well-deserved if you go on a trip solely to experience the journey.
It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Get in your car, take your phone and snacks in your car and visit these places, so you can park on the side of the road and take it all in.
Who’s going to stop you?
