MomSkoop
Family road trips create memories that last a lifetime. The journey itself can be packed with unexpected adventures, breathtaking views, and quirky roadside attractions that become the highlight of your vacation. Instead of rushing to reach your destination, these carefully selected routes encourage you to slow down and savor every mile of asphalt adventure with your loved ones.
1. Pacific Coast Highway: Ocean Views That Mesmerize
California’s Highway 1 stretches along dramatic coastlines where the Pacific Ocean crashes against rugged cliffs. Children press their noses against the windows, spotting sea lions basking on the beaches and perhaps even a whale spout in the distance.
Stop at glass-bottom boat tours in Monterey, explore tide pools teeming with starfish, or build sandcastles at countless beaches along the way. The route connects charming coastal towns like Carmel-by-the-Sea, where ice cream shops and candy stores welcome young travelers.
2. Blue Ridge Parkway: Mountain Magic Through Three States
Winding through Virginia and North Carolina, this 469-mile mountain road feels like driving through a painting. Autumn transforms the landscape into a fiery canvas of reds and golds, while summer offers cool mountain air and wildflower meadows.
Kids can earn Junior Ranger badges at various National Park Service stations along the route. Families discover waterfalls hidden just short hikes from parking areas, and picnic spots offer panoramic views that make sandwich breaks extraordinary.
3. Route 66: America’s Classic Road Trip Experience
The ultimate nostalgic highway adventure crosses eight states from Chicago to Santa Monica. Giant roadside attractions make perfect photo ops – think massive blue whales, oversized rocking chairs, and the Cadillac Ranch, where cars protrude from the ground like strange sculptures.
Mom-and-pop diners serve up thick milkshakes in frosty metal cups. Children’s eyes widen at neon signs buzzing to life as evening falls on quirky motor lodges shaped like teepees or spaceships.
4. Florida Overseas Highway: Island-Hopping Adventure
Connecting the Florida Keys across 42 bridges, this highway creates the illusion of driving right over the ocean. The Seven Mile Bridge stretches across impossibly blue waters where kids spot dolphins playing in your car’s shadow.
Pull over for impromptu snorkeling stops where colorful fish dart around coral reefs just yards from shore. Roadside fruit stands offer fresh-squeezed key lime juice and coconuts cracked open right before your eyes.
The overseas railway heritage adds history lessons to your journey, with old bridge sections now serving as fishing piers.
5. Going-to-the-Sun Road: Glacier National Park’s Sky Highway
Montana’s engineering marvel cuts through Glacier National Park’s heart, climbing to over 6,600 feet at Logan Pass. Snow walls tower alongside your vehicle well into summer, creating natural snow tunnels that amaze young travelers.
Mountain goats and bighorn sheep often appear on rocky outcroppings, causing excited pointing from the backseat. Pullouts reveal valleys carved by ancient glaciers, with waterfalls ribboning down impossibly steep mountainsides.
The Alpine Visitor Center becomes a welcome break where rangers help children identify wildlife through powerful spotting scopes.
6. Natchez Trace Parkway: History-Filled Southern Journey
Following ancient Native American pathways through Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, this 444-mile route feels like traveling back in time. Commercial traffic is banned, creating a peaceful drive where historical markers tell stories of Meriwether Lewis and Kaintuck boatmen.
Kids stretch their legs at the remains of ghost towns and sunken roads worn deep by centuries of travelers. The parkway’s canopy of trees creates natural tunnels, with sunlight filtering through leaves in ever-changing patterns.
Fireflies illuminate summer evenings at campgrounds along the route, creating natural light shows.
7. Beartooth Highway: Wyoming’s Alpine Coaster Ride
Climbing to nearly 11,000 feet between Montana and Wyoming, this 68-mile route delivers the thrills of a roller coaster with hairpin turns and dramatic elevation changes. Summer snowball fights become possible even in July when snowfields linger beside the highway.
Alpine lakes appear like sapphires scattered across the landscape, perfect for impromptu picnic stops. The thin mountain air creates an otherworldly quality to the sunshine, making colors seem more vivid.
Young geologists marvel at the exposed rock layers telling Earth’s story across millions of years.
8. Hana Highway: Tropical Paradise Path in Maui
Hawaii’s famous Road to Hana features 620 curves and 59 bridges packed into just 52 miles of tropical wonderland. Waterfalls appear around nearly every bend, many accessible by short trails perfect for restless kids needing movement breaks.
Rainbow eucalyptus trees display technicolor bark that seems straight from a fairy tale. Roadside stands offer fresh banana bread, coconut candy, and just-picked tropical fruits that introduce young taste buds to new flavors.
Black sand beaches provide perfect lunch stops where children collect unusual stones and watch for sea turtles.
9. North Cascades Highway: Washington’s Alpine Wonderland
Washington State’s Highway 20 delivers jagged mountain peaks, electric-blue lakes, and wildflower meadows that seem painted rather than real. Diablo Lake’s turquoise waters, colored by glacier flour, prompt young scientists to ask questions about geology and glaciation.
Liberty Bell Mountain’s distinctive shape becomes a game of “who spots it first” for backseat passengers. Countless hiking trails branching off the highway range from wheelchair-accessible boardwalks to challenging climbs, accommodating all family fitness levels.
Evening brings stargazing opportunities rarely found near cities.
10. Skyline Drive: Virginia’s Mountaintop Wildlife Corridor
Shenandoah National Park’s backbone road travels along the Blue Ridge Mountains’ crest, offering valley views from both sides. Early mornings often find the valleys filled with fog that looks like a fluffy white ocean from your mountaintop vantage point.
Black bears frequently cross the road or forage in berry patches, creating wildlife viewing opportunities that rival expensive safaris. Speed limits stay low (35 mph), creating a relaxed pace perfect for spotting deer, wild turkeys, and other creatures.
Rangers at visitor centers provide children with animal track identification cards for interactive learning.