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In a year’s time I will have a Big Birthday. Planning to leave the kids at home with their grandparents and take off with the Mrs for a week. I’d like to go somewhere warm and drive around in beautiful scenery, bookended by an interesting city break.
I’ll have an Amex 241 voucher to burn so BA destinations preferable.
So far either Miami + Florida Keys; or Las Vegas + Arches/Zion National Parks are front runners. South Africa would be on the list but we did go there a few years ago.
Any more ideas to add to the pot?
Florida Keys is a great drive and ticks most of the boxes, although I wouldn’t describe Miami as an interesting city. Fort Lauderdale is a nicer place to stay IMO.
You should drive across the Everglades as well.
If you are flying into a North American destination and then interested in a scenic road trip, I’d suggest a couple of other options
(a) Vancouver (or possibly Seattle or even Portland) – up into the Rockies or out to Vancouver Island
(b) Boston (or Montreal or even Toronto) – New England in the Fall; or down to Cape Cod; Northern Main or out into Nova Scotia
There are lots of amazing road trips to do in North America, but I assumed OP was being literal in saying a year’s time, and I wouldn’t recommend Canada or New England in November, much as I love both places.
I would also consider the West Coast too far for a one week road trip.
Perhaps OP could be more explicit in their parameters.
I would skip zion and do bryce, arches and antelope canyon. I have done that area road trip twice and love it so much. It is hot so avoid the summer months, we went early May and it was into the 30s.We flew into Dever and look domestic flight to flagstaff. I flew to yellowstone after but you can always end at salt lake city.
Crater lake down to Yosemite via San Fran ending in LA staring in Portland I have also done, along the coastal drive if that is open and you like the coast. Think we did that in May a few years ago
I have also done Virginia up to Maine in the foliage season and that was stunning. You can start in D.C. and end in Boston. No many national parks mostly state parks along the way. I would love to do that again. I suspect you can add in Cape Cod if you want some coast.
Thanks all. To clarify, I was being literal in the trip being next November. New England / Vancouver don’t sound appealing to me for that time of year!
Keys/Everglades is a great road trip but the weather can be stormy in November. Would it not be a good time of year for the autumn leaves in New England though? You could even do a 2 centre trip if you wanted some sunshine as well.
We did the Pacific Coast Highway between SFO and LA last November on a 10 day break on a VS UC redemption LHR-SFO. Great drive with stunning scenery and you can find lots of top tips on here about places of interest / to stay en route. If you are literally going for a week you could still have a day or two either end as it’s not the longest drive and split the journey up into bite size chunks with some exploring in between. Weather pleaseant that time of year. Lovely towns to mooch around like Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara – the list goes on… Plenty to bookend it with in terms of great hotels and activities in both SFO & LA (although we preferred to spend our time in Santa Monica at that end – the Oceana Santa Monica is a great Hilton redemption!). Also, I don’t think Yosemite is a great option in November as the weather may mean many parts of the park could be closed.
We did Phoenix and headed south in Late January this year. Weather was great. Not sure of weather in November , though. Did a round trip Tucson, Tombstone , a few days in Phoenix and up to Sedona. Was planning on Flagstaff but they had had several feet of snow. Pima Air museum, , Titan Missile site, Kartchner Caverns not to mention OK Corral! Copper mine visit and great wee museum in Bisbee. I expect you’ll get lots of ideas! Car hire very easy in Phoenix
I’d agree that NE US is out as well as Sierra Nevada and, sadly, the jewel that is Yellowstone.
I like the two suggestions directly above this one best. Done the LA->SF trip several times now and still discovering new things along the way. No issues with weather events on mild coastal climate.
Red Rock, Mt Charleston and Death Valley are also great options from Vegas, or the Phoenix/Sedona direction?
@Jill – there’s a missile site in the middle of the Everglades (HM69 Nike Missile base)! We found it completely by accident on google maps but ended up doing the guided tour with one of the park rangers and hearing all about its significance in the Cold War.
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