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Great American Road Trips - Scenic Drives: Hit the Road and Explore Our Nation's Beautiful Scenic Byways
Let the natural beauty of America’s most scenic drives inspire the travel bug within you and get you exploring the wide-open spaces and breathtaking vistas in our country.Absorb the best America has to offer from the slow lane! This collection of scenic drives, broken out by region, features breathtaking road trips, both long and short. Highlighted by over 140 gorgeous photos, each trip also includes helpful info to help you plan your trip. Inspirational photos showcase why these well known drives are worth the drive. Many of the drives are described in the first person by people who have made the trip, taken the photos and visited the cool places along the way.
- GenresNonfiction
Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 29, 2021
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
I returned recently from a trip to my hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, where my grandchildren and I had ventured up the North Shore Scenic Drive, one of the scenic drives featured in Reader’s Digest’s lovely Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives. Imagine my pleasure when I returned home to find a copy of the book waiting for me, sent by the publicist.
Beautiful photographs lure the reader into marvelous vistas and not-to-be-missed sites. I immediately searched out the section on the North Shore Scenic Drive that we had just visited. We had been on Highway 61 on a dramatically beautiful day, eaten at Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors, jetted down the alpine slide in Lutsen, saw the Split Rock Lighthouse on the horizon, and let Gooseberry Falls wash over us. It had been a glorious day, so it was fun to read the narrator’s take on the drive that I knew so well. What is not told is the magnificence of the city of Duluth, which on the three nice days of the year is the most beautiful city in America.
I then went to the Table of Contents and checked off all of the scenic roads I had traveled, and it was a nostalgic pleasure to read about all the wonderful places I had been—17 I think. I especially enjoyed remembering the Heart of the Palouse outside of Spokane, which a friend drove us on. (We had not known a thing about the Palouse before our ride.) I also loved our visit to Door County, Wisconsin, and Monument Valley in Arizona and Utah.
Several years ago, my sister gave us the book, The Most Scenic Drives in America, a detailed look at 120 drives all over the United States. It was published in 1997 by Reader’s Digest. The current book, Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives, is more compact and easier to handle than the older version. The book gave me renewed interest in taking a scenic autumn trip to the Central Adirondack Trail in New York this year.
Read this book and get inspired! Happy trails to you!
I returned recently from a trip to my hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, where my grandchildren and I had ventured up the North Shore Scenic Drive, one of the scenic drives featured in Reader’s Digest’s lovely Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives. Imagine my pleasure when I returned home to find a copy of the book waiting for me, sent by the publicist.
Beautiful photographs lure the reader into marvelous vistas and not-to-be-missed sites. I immediately searched out the section on the North Shore Scenic Drive that we had just visited. We had been on Highway 61 on a dramatically beautiful day, eaten at Betty’s Pies in Two Harbors, jetted down the alpine slide in Lutsen, saw the Split Rock Lighthouse on the horizon, and let Gooseberry Falls wash over us. It had been a glorious day, so it was fun to read the narrator’s take on the drive that I knew so well. What is not told is the magnificence of the city of Duluth, which on the three nice days of the year is the most beautiful city in America.
I then went to the Table of Contents and checked off all of the scenic roads I had traveled, and it was a nostalgic pleasure to read about all the wonderful places I had been—17 I think. I especially enjoyed remembering the Heart of the Palouse outside of Spokane, which a friend drove us on. (We had not known a thing about the Palouse before our ride.) I also loved our visit to Door County, Wisconsin, and Monument Valley in Arizona and Utah.
Several years ago, my sister gave us the book, The Most Scenic Drives in America, a detailed look at 120 drives all over the United States. It was published in 1997 by Reader’s Digest. The current book, Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives, is more compact and easier to handle than the older version. The book gave me renewed interest in taking a scenic autumn trip to the Central Adirondack Trail in New York this year.
Read this book and get inspired! Happy trails to you!
November 21, 2021
Readers Digest, Authors
Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives
Readers Digest, ISBN 978-1- 62145-524-0
Non-Fiction –driving, trips, driving trips, scenic drives, places to see, America, USA
192 pages
November 2021 Review
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
This book is segmented into the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Some of the territory they cover in this beautiful pictorial informational book in the West are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. For the Southwest they add: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. In the Midwest the highlights include: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa. From the Southeast they cover: Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. And in the Northeast they introduce the reader to Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
“Designated both a National Forest Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, the Seward Highway takes you through 127 miles of remote wild beauty…Also known as Alaska Route 9, the highway stretches from Anchorage to the charming coastal community of Seward, the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.” (2021. P.9) Can you picture roads scattered across mountainous terrain with cliff hangers giving the drivers the most amazing vistas and views you can imagine? Drop in a rainforest, a smattering of lakes and the Pacific Ocean. Who can resist?
“California’s State Route 1, also known as the pacific Coast Highway, stretches along some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.” (2021, p.13) Gosh, I totally agree! “The highway runs virtually the entire length of the state, but my favorite stretch is the Big Sur section from San Simeon to Carmel, which is so stunning that it is designated National Scenic Byway.” I absolutely love that area too.
“The Apache Trail is not for the faint of heart who prefer their roads paved and with guardrails. Through the 41.5 mile drive snakes through some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the Sonoran Desert, it’s a challenge for drivers unaccustomed to one-lane dirt roads with turnouts, precipitous drop-offs and nothing between you and the canyon below.” (2021, p.58)
“You may not think of Oklahoma as a place of natural splendor---especially not one with blazing fall colors. Yet the Sooner State has plenty of beautiful scenery. For the best fall leaf-peeping, grab the car keys and head to the Talimena Scenic Byway. The route is located in the large, dense Ouachita National Forest, which crosses the state line between Oklahoma and Arkansas.” (2021, p.71)
“The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway provides a fine chance to come up with your own conclusions about this land, which is full of beautiful farms, hardwood forests, tallgrass prairies and unexpected geological surprises.” (2021, p.81) The author if this section is from Illinois and so am I. It is a lovely place to drop out of the hustle of the city or life in general and just relax.
“Along a 150-mile span of the Upper Mississippi River from Red Wing, Minnesota to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, the Great River Road National Scenic Byway offers beautiful vistas, quaint towns, history and culture, woodland hikes and many other hidden gems…Without stops or detours, the trip can be completed in a few hours.” (2021, p.106)
“…the Natchez Trace Parkway winds through centuries of history, taking visitors through countryside and cities, past battlefields and barns. “”Trace” is from the French for a line of footprints or animals.” (2021, p.123)
Whether you drive it or read. The words create great visuals, but the pictures included in this book need no words to relate the beauty of the places they represent. The simple, elegant, splendor of nature alone speaks volumes by herself.
Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives
Readers Digest, ISBN 978-1- 62145-524-0
Non-Fiction –driving, trips, driving trips, scenic drives, places to see, America, USA
192 pages
November 2021 Review
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
This book is segmented into the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Some of the territory they cover in this beautiful pictorial informational book in the West are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. For the Southwest they add: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. In the Midwest the highlights include: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa. From the Southeast they cover: Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. And in the Northeast they introduce the reader to Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
“Designated both a National Forest Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, the Seward Highway takes you through 127 miles of remote wild beauty…Also known as Alaska Route 9, the highway stretches from Anchorage to the charming coastal community of Seward, the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.” (2021. P.9) Can you picture roads scattered across mountainous terrain with cliff hangers giving the drivers the most amazing vistas and views you can imagine? Drop in a rainforest, a smattering of lakes and the Pacific Ocean. Who can resist?
“California’s State Route 1, also known as the pacific Coast Highway, stretches along some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.” (2021, p.13) Gosh, I totally agree! “The highway runs virtually the entire length of the state, but my favorite stretch is the Big Sur section from San Simeon to Carmel, which is so stunning that it is designated National Scenic Byway.” I absolutely love that area too.
“The Apache Trail is not for the faint of heart who prefer their roads paved and with guardrails. Through the 41.5 mile drive snakes through some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the Sonoran Desert, it’s a challenge for drivers unaccustomed to one-lane dirt roads with turnouts, precipitous drop-offs and nothing between you and the canyon below.” (2021, p.58)
“You may not think of Oklahoma as a place of natural splendor---especially not one with blazing fall colors. Yet the Sooner State has plenty of beautiful scenery. For the best fall leaf-peeping, grab the car keys and head to the Talimena Scenic Byway. The route is located in the large, dense Ouachita National Forest, which crosses the state line between Oklahoma and Arkansas.” (2021, p.71)
“The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway provides a fine chance to come up with your own conclusions about this land, which is full of beautiful farms, hardwood forests, tallgrass prairies and unexpected geological surprises.” (2021, p.81) The author if this section is from Illinois and so am I. It is a lovely place to drop out of the hustle of the city or life in general and just relax.
“Along a 150-mile span of the Upper Mississippi River from Red Wing, Minnesota to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, the Great River Road National Scenic Byway offers beautiful vistas, quaint towns, history and culture, woodland hikes and many other hidden gems…Without stops or detours, the trip can be completed in a few hours.” (2021, p.106)
“…the Natchez Trace Parkway winds through centuries of history, taking visitors through countryside and cities, past battlefields and barns. “”Trace” is from the French for a line of footprints or animals.” (2021, p.123)
Whether you drive it or read. The words create great visuals, but the pictures included in this book need no words to relate the beauty of the places they represent. The simple, elegant, splendor of nature alone speaks volumes by herself.
August 4, 2021
Our family loves to take road trips. We have only flown as a family one time, every other vacation has been a driving vacation. We have driven to Florida several times, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Plus all the states on the way to our destinations. We love to see our beautiful nation and stop and visit the quirky and fun spots along the way.
This book is definitely one we will be using to start planning more of our road trips. Soon my husband and I will be empty nesters and we are hoping to take more road trips and see more of the great states we have yet to visit. GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS is divided by regions and points out scenic drives in each state. I will have to say that I was disappointed that not every state is mentioned in this book and in fact, some states have more than one scenic drive listed. I was hoping to find a scenic drive for our trip to Kentucky this summer, but nothing in that state was featured.
Some of the Scenic Drives mentioned that are on my personal bucket list include Oregon Coast Highway, Highway 12/Journey Through Time Scenic Byway in Utah, Natchez Trace Parkway, Outer Banks Scenic Byway, and Door County Coastal Byway in Wisconsin. One of the drives featured in our state is the Great River Road that covers Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. I’ve traveled this road many times as I grew up near this part of the state and it is definitely a very beautiful drive, especially in the Fall, but really any time of year.
The book is full of amazing photography featuring the area of the scenic drive. Each scenic drive is listed with a highlight of where in the state the drive is located, an explanation of the drive, and the towns the drive travels through. The explanation will also mention any state parks or specific restaurants or museums you may want to visit. A Points of Interest highlight will tell you how long the scenic drive is, fun facts about the area, nearby attractions, and not-to-miss locations.
So, for the Great River Road, various state parks are listed in the explanation as well as which highways are part of the drive. A few coffee shops and museums are mentioned as well as specific scenery. In the Points of Interest, it mentions that the drive is 150 miles and if you have time, don’t miss the riverboat excursions in the various towns. If you visit in the fall, monarch butterflies and birds flock to Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin before they head south. Various attractions nearby include the Field of Dreams baseball diamond and the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. Photos of fall foliage along the river and a great blue heron also fill the page.
We have also driven the US Highway 2 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Minnesota North Shore drive and I would definitely agree that these drives meet the Scenic Drive category.
If your family also loves road trips or at least dreams about taking road trips, then this is a great book for you. It makes a great coffee table book and conversation starter with visitors about places they have visited or hope to visit.
This book is definitely one we will be using to start planning more of our road trips. Soon my husband and I will be empty nesters and we are hoping to take more road trips and see more of the great states we have yet to visit. GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS is divided by regions and points out scenic drives in each state. I will have to say that I was disappointed that not every state is mentioned in this book and in fact, some states have more than one scenic drive listed. I was hoping to find a scenic drive for our trip to Kentucky this summer, but nothing in that state was featured.
Some of the Scenic Drives mentioned that are on my personal bucket list include Oregon Coast Highway, Highway 12/Journey Through Time Scenic Byway in Utah, Natchez Trace Parkway, Outer Banks Scenic Byway, and Door County Coastal Byway in Wisconsin. One of the drives featured in our state is the Great River Road that covers Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. I’ve traveled this road many times as I grew up near this part of the state and it is definitely a very beautiful drive, especially in the Fall, but really any time of year.
The book is full of amazing photography featuring the area of the scenic drive. Each scenic drive is listed with a highlight of where in the state the drive is located, an explanation of the drive, and the towns the drive travels through. The explanation will also mention any state parks or specific restaurants or museums you may want to visit. A Points of Interest highlight will tell you how long the scenic drive is, fun facts about the area, nearby attractions, and not-to-miss locations.
So, for the Great River Road, various state parks are listed in the explanation as well as which highways are part of the drive. A few coffee shops and museums are mentioned as well as specific scenery. In the Points of Interest, it mentions that the drive is 150 miles and if you have time, don’t miss the riverboat excursions in the various towns. If you visit in the fall, monarch butterflies and birds flock to Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin before they head south. Various attractions nearby include the Field of Dreams baseball diamond and the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. Photos of fall foliage along the river and a great blue heron also fill the page.
We have also driven the US Highway 2 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Minnesota North Shore drive and I would definitely agree that these drives meet the Scenic Drive category.
If your family also loves road trips or at least dreams about taking road trips, then this is a great book for you. It makes a great coffee table book and conversation starter with visitors about places they have visited or hope to visit.
September 7, 2021
If you're looking to plot your next trip or if you're needing a gift for the adventure seekers in your life - this is the book for you!
GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS - SCENIC DRIVES offers up amazing photos and fascinating narratives from a variety of photographers and travel writers.
At first, I enjoyed scanning through the entire book, looking for destinations and scenic drives I was familiar with. Then, I started back at the beginning of the book and enjoyed reading the descriptions for each of the trips in the book. Much of the writing is colorful and engaging, but there are a few passages that are dryer and a bit boring to read. One of my favorite passages, written by Cathy and Gordon Illg, describes part of Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado: "At the edge of the timberline, the road passes through a grove of bristlecone pines. They are the oldest living things in the state. One of the patriarchs of the grove sprouted as the Roman Empire was falling into decline, and their gnarled branches seem to wave goodbye as you leave the trees behind" (page 24).
In addition to the first-hand accounts of the drives, the editors have also included interesting nuggets of information about the various drives, and they've sprinkled terrific quotes throughout the book, such as, "Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue -- John Muir" (page 55).
Whether you enjoy taking road trips or not, I highly recommend this book. It makes a great guide for adventurers, a great coffee table book, and a great book for waiting rooms at doctor's offices.
[I received an early copy from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]
GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS - SCENIC DRIVES offers up amazing photos and fascinating narratives from a variety of photographers and travel writers.
At first, I enjoyed scanning through the entire book, looking for destinations and scenic drives I was familiar with. Then, I started back at the beginning of the book and enjoyed reading the descriptions for each of the trips in the book. Much of the writing is colorful and engaging, but there are a few passages that are dryer and a bit boring to read. One of my favorite passages, written by Cathy and Gordon Illg, describes part of Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado: "At the edge of the timberline, the road passes through a grove of bristlecone pines. They are the oldest living things in the state. One of the patriarchs of the grove sprouted as the Roman Empire was falling into decline, and their gnarled branches seem to wave goodbye as you leave the trees behind" (page 24).
In addition to the first-hand accounts of the drives, the editors have also included interesting nuggets of information about the various drives, and they've sprinkled terrific quotes throughout the book, such as, "Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue -- John Muir" (page 55).
Whether you enjoy taking road trips or not, I highly recommend this book. It makes a great guide for adventurers, a great coffee table book, and a great book for waiting rooms at doctor's offices.
[I received an early copy from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]
March 18, 2022
I was pretty excited to open the mail the other day and find the book Great American Road Trips Scenic Drives.
I live in the midwest and spend most of my time here walking along the Sandy beaches of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. I have an Amish community close by and like to travel where there are covered bridges and lighthouses and this book offers images of many I have frequented.
The history lover in me appreciates Vicksburg National Military Park. I haven't been to the summit at Katahdin but have enjoyed the breathtaking view of the White Mountains.
I guess if I were to pick a top scenic spot I have not yet seen I would say the redwoods.
A copy of this book was provided by the generosity of Anna Sacca, Senior Publicity Manager with FSB Associates
I live in the midwest and spend most of my time here walking along the Sandy beaches of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. I have an Amish community close by and like to travel where there are covered bridges and lighthouses and this book offers images of many I have frequented.
The history lover in me appreciates Vicksburg National Military Park. I haven't been to the summit at Katahdin but have enjoyed the breathtaking view of the White Mountains.
I guess if I were to pick a top scenic spot I have not yet seen I would say the redwoods.
A copy of this book was provided by the generosity of Anna Sacca, Senior Publicity Manager with FSB Associates
July 26, 2022
I love to be on the road. That is, I love road trips and am not able to make them now, nor have done as much as I would have liked in the past. So, this book was a delight where I was able to have a vicarious experience traveling virtually in iconic settings in every sector of our great country. This was not only a fine picture book but one of detailed narratives given by the people who were familiar made trips on these roads giving their stories and histories of the environs. This was certainly a pleasure read for me; I felt that I was on the road and made many stops along the way. I even traveled more on these trails as I took the most pleasant ones as I searched them out on the internet…
August 15, 2022
I really enjoyed reading through this book. It is written by the people who regularly take these drives and so it has some information on the must-see items that are off the beaten path.
However, there is no section to tell you precisely where to start and stop for these drives and it is more of a guide than a trip planner. So if you're looking for that, this is not the book for you.
The photos are gorgeous! They were submitted by the people who sent in the stories of the drives. These photographers also said when to go to get the best photos.
I really liked that they had a little blurb on the side to tell you the length of the road/drive, some important stops, and sometimes a word to the wise.
However, there is no section to tell you precisely where to start and stop for these drives and it is more of a guide than a trip planner. So if you're looking for that, this is not the book for you.
The photos are gorgeous! They were submitted by the people who sent in the stories of the drives. These photographers also said when to go to get the best photos.
I really liked that they had a little blurb on the side to tell you the length of the road/drive, some important stops, and sometimes a word to the wise.
September 3, 2021
I was gifted this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Many thanks to the publisher
I really enjoyed this book. There were some very unique drives that I have not yet heard about. I was a little disappointed that the American Southwest section of this book was extremely short, considering the number of beautiful scenic drives are out there. On top of that, I really disliked that they threw in a drive in Alabama in the Southwest section and then repeated the same drive again in the Southern US section.
Overall, this was a fun book with some stunning photos. If you are looking for a beautiful road trip, you may find it in this book!
I really enjoyed this book. There were some very unique drives that I have not yet heard about. I was a little disappointed that the American Southwest section of this book was extremely short, considering the number of beautiful scenic drives are out there. On top of that, I really disliked that they threw in a drive in Alabama in the Southwest section and then repeated the same drive again in the Southern US section.
Overall, this was a fun book with some stunning photos. If you are looking for a beautiful road trip, you may find it in this book!
July 3, 2022
I would put this book in the category of travel writing, not travel guides. Believe it or not, there is not a single roadmap in this book. There are some beautiful pictures and essays about traveling various locations, but this book lacks the necessary details to plan a successful road trip.
July 3, 2021
Excellent vacation guide!
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July 25, 2021You can view my review here! https://www.9to5voyager.com/great-ame...
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