If you’d like to add another dimension to your locum tenens experience this summer, consider taking a leisurely drive to—or from—your assignment destination. Fine weather and long days lend themselves to road trips that add the perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and fun to any travel plan.
You can customize an itinerary based on trip duration and personal sightseeing “musts” or follow a tried-and-true route mapped out by seasoned travel experts. With regard to the latter, Today Travel shares five great road trips—proposed by Travel + Leisure—handpicked for ease, diversity of landscape, and variety of “along the way” entertainment. Read on to see if any of these journeys will figure in your upcoming travels.
- Bozeman, Montana
Nestled between two of the country’s most beautiful national parks—Glacier National Park and Yellowstone—Bozeman offers stunning geographic scenery. A 53-mile drive down Going-to-the-Sun Road offers views of some of the region’s vast, grassy plains and stretches of majestic mountains, not to mention a variety of untamed wildlife. Artisanal markets and boutiques give visitors a taste of life in the region. - Northeast Stretch
In just 420 miles along Interstate 95, you can visit six of the most historic and “happening” cities in the country—Washington, DC; Baltimore; Philadelphia; New York; Providence; and Boston. This trip is ideal for a going at your own pace as each city offers plenty to see and do for all ages and preferences. In Philadelphia, for instance, the Please Touch Museum is a must for families with young children, and the Rodin Museum—which houses the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris—is perfect for art lovers. - West Coast Loop
As Travel + Leisure conveys, a tour through the beautiful landscape of middle California offers a taste of both small and large cities, coastal towns, and inland vineyards. Locales like Los Angeles, Salinas, Curry Village, Monterey, and Carmel-by-the-Sea have a distinct feel and atmosphere. Experience bustling crowds on big-city streets and quiet strolls along serene beaches. Historic sites, like Pacific Grove’s lighthouse and Yosemite National Park, are some of the most notable stops along the way. - Southern Pass
This trip takes you 469 miles down the Blue Ridge Parkway, from Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. The trek’s highest point, the Linn Cove Viaduct, offers impressive views. Ashville, North Carolina, is another notable stop, with its rich history and wide variety of galleries, shops, and restaurants to please intellectual and entertainment interests. Additionally, a hike to Looking Glass Rock opens up to breathtaking panoramic views. - Mississippi River
A 3,000-mile drive from Minneapolis to New Orleans takes you down the backbone of the country and through some of the Midwest’s most picturesque towns. Galena, Illinois, for instance, is host to a quintessential, Midwestern main street flanked by red-brick storefronts and quaint lamp posts. According to Travel + Leisure, this stretch of country is an antique hunter’s paradise.
