People want to travel to these places the most, according to Pinterest. North Carolina is one of the most popular destinations on the list. These are the most popular road trips according to Pinterest data from UK vehicle leasing company, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts.
Here are some of the most picturesque moments you can experience on road trips around the world. These are the top 15 places you can take your own road trip to.
1. Route 66
Located in the great United States. The most searched route on Pinterest each month is Route 66, which connects the east and west coasts. With amazing views and spectacular spots along the 2,400-mile route, it’s no wonder that this iconic road trip is so popular. Originally, the road was used by migrant workers migrating west, especially during the Dust Bowl. Pinterest users search for Route 66 49,500 times on average each month. Definitely on many people’s bucket lists!
2. Badlands National Park
There is no wonder that Badlands National Park, home to iconic monuments like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Deadwood, is the second most searched for a road trip on Pinterest. It receives an average of 14,300 searches each month. It is recommended that travelers get out their traditional road maps before heading out on the roads in the national park, because GPS signals may weaken as you travel deeper into the park.
3. Cheddar Gorge
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 14,170
4. The Road to Hana
Maui’s Road to Hana is a stunning road trip through its beautiful countryside. Not only does this road trip offer stunning views, but it also has a rich history and culture. Due to the influx of tourists in Maui since its reopening, it is recommended that you book a ‘Road to Hana’ tour, where guides can safely show you the sights of interest. Approximately 9,760 people search for the road trip on Pinterest each month to see what they can expect to see on their bucket list journey!
5. Great Ocean Road
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 6,670
6. North Coast 500
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 6,410
7. Columbia River Gorge
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 4,220
8. Cabot Trail
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 3,700
9. Iceland Ring Road
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 2,030
10. Skeleton Coast
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 1,130
11. North York Moors National Park
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 1,120
12. Karakoram Highway
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 670
13. Great Smoky National Park
The Great Smoky National Park is the 13th most popular road trip and is known for its diverse range of plants and animals as well as its beautiful views of ancient mountains. It is located in western North Carolina and Tennessee. It’s beautiful all year round, but in Autumn, the mountains produce a breathtaking display of colors for drivers. According to Pinterest, Route 89 is the 16th most popular road trip. From the border of Canada to Mexico, it’s America’s most scenic road trip. Travelers will visit seven national parks, fourteen national monuments, and three heritage sites on this road trip. We recommend that you give yourself three to four weeks to complete the journey and enjoy everything along the way.
14. Taman Peninsula
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 400
15. San Juan Skyway
Average Pinterest Search Volume per month: 320
Five Essential Tips on how You Can Prepare for a Long Road Trip!
Get Some Rest
Driving requires a great deal of concentration, especially if you’re traveling on unfamiliar roads. Ensure you get a good night’s sleep the night before your road trip so you wake up feeling refreshed and ready.
Have Some Spare Change On You
It is not uncommon to come across a toll bridge or road when traveling long distances. If you want to park along your road trip, you can easily pay for any parking charges by having spare change.
Check your Vehicle Before you Start Driving
You should always perform a full vehicle check before any long drive, to make sure your vehicle is ready to handle long hours of driving along different roads. Here are a few things to check before you go:
- Tire pressure and tread depth
- Check the windshield wipers
- Check the level of oil
- Headlights
- Engine coolant
- Fuel level
It may also be a good idea to get your car serviced before you set off on your trip, so a mechanic can check for any faults that may arise after you leave.
Pack the Essentials
You will spend a lot of time in your vehicle, so make sure you have everything you need. Don’t forget to pack comfort items as well! You should also pack blankets, pillows, snacks, and even games, in addition to a first-aid kit and items you may need if the vehicle breaks down. When you’re not even halfway through your trip, you don’t want to be bored, uncomfortable, and hungry!
Have All Your Important Documentations
Traveling across a country or border requires you to have all the necessary documentation when you get to checkpoints or border controls. Prepare a folder that contains all your travel documents. In this way, you will have less time spent waiting in lines and queues. If you are traveling in remote areas, it is also a good idea to keep all your email booking references together and downloaded onto your mobile device, as the signal could be poor. If you lose your mobile device, someone else will have these documents at their disposal!
This North Carolina Town is Ranked Best Small Town to Visit in 2022
Seaside Small Town: Cambria, California (pop. 5,678)
Many of Cambria’s restaurants, tasting rooms, and cafés serve olallieberry pie, which can be found at Linn’s Restaurant, and live jazz brunch can be found on Sundays at Indigo Moon, a modern American eatery with a cheese and wine shop.
Laid-Back Small Town: Winslow, Arizona (pop. 9,005)
It has been 50 years since country-rock band the Eagles first released, “Take it Easy.” Its iconic line, “standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona,” has become an American pastime. Travelers from all over the world still visit Winslow’s Standin’ on the Corner Park to snap photos with its flatbed Ford mural and a life-size statue of a man playing the guitar.
Resilient Small Town: Africatown, Alabama (pop. 2,000)
A majority of the descendants of the founders still reside in and around Africatown, which is famous for its Union Missionary Baptist Church founded in the late 1800s and its Old Plateau Cemetery, where enslaved Africans and their descendants are buried, including an ally of the Buffalo Soldiers.
A Shark Lover's Small Town: Chatham, Massachusetts (pop. 6,594)
Jaws, which was filmed off the coast of Cape Cod in the early 1970s, changed how beachgoers everywhere see the ocean. Almost half a century later, sharks continue to be a source of fascination along the Atlantic Coast, especially in the waters around Chatham, a charming seaside town situated at the bend of the peninsula.
Tropical Small Town: Everglades City, Florida (pop. 352)
Local favorites include the casual Triad Seafood Market & Cafe, with its picnic tables right on the water, and Camellia Street Grill, which boasts a chalkboard menu and dockside location. The town offers seafood and Southern-style dishes all year round, so don’t worry if stone crab season is past.
Breathtaking Small Town: Cañon City, Colorado (pop. 17,141)
The Royal Gorge is one of Colorado’s most famous natural features. It is a narrow, more than a 1,000-foot-deep canyon, acting as a bottleneck for the Arkansas River, allowing for some amazing whitewater rafting.
Festive Small Town: Bemidji, Minnesota (pop, 14,574)
Lake Bemidji, the northernmost lake feeding the Mississippi, is the source of the city’s nickname, “The First City on the Mississippi.”. This Minnesota town is the self-proclaimed “curling capital” of the country, as well as where Paul Bunyan is said to have been born. There is an 18-foot statue of lumberjack Tom Sawyer and a blue ox, Babe, beside a lake that has been attracting kitsch-loving photographers for 85 years.
Artsy Small Town: Gallup, New Mexico (pop. 21,899)
There are so many things to do in Red Rock Park, with its Anasazi ruins dating back to 300 C.E., that outdoor enthusiasts can rock climb nearby in Mentmore, mountain bike the High Desert Trail System, or hike the top of Pyramid Peak. During the Red Rock Balloon Rally, which takes place the first full weekend in December, visitors can take a scenic balloon ride over the area’s spectacular red rock scenery.
Quirky Small Town: Banner Elk, North Carolina (pop. 1,049)
For lovers of dry rosés and zinfandels, tastings are available at the local wineries of the Appalachian High Country American Viticultural Area. There are plenty of hiking and downhill mountain bike trails in Banner Elk, which sits between the South’s two largest ski resorts, Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain. Beech Mountain Brewing is one of the only U.S. breweries owned and operated by a ski area in the former.
Pre-Historic Small Town: Chillicothe, Ohio (pop. 22,059)
In the state’s 200-plus-year history, Chillicothe served as Ohio’s capital twice as it is located on Ohio’s Scioto River in the Appalachian foothills. Of course, its history as a human settlement dates back much further. In the Shawnee language, the word Chillicothe, or Chalahgawtha, means “principal town,” the name of the chief settlement of the Shawnee tribes.
Nautical Small Town: Newport, Rhode Island (pop. 25,163)
The town of Newport, known as the “City by the Sea,” has a long history of sailing, which is not surprising given the town’s waterfront location on Aquidneck Island. It was even announced this May that the Sailing Museum would open, offering a long-awaited multimedia experience featuring six exhibits that appeal to yacht enthusiasts as well as experienced sailors.
Fossil-Hunting Small Town: Ste. Genevieve, Missouri (pop. 4,999)
You can get old-fashioned scoops of butter pecan and chocolate milkshakes at local landmark Sara’s Ice Cream, which uses a vintage 1929 Bastian-Blessing milkshake fountain. Enjoy pots of Darjeeling tea and crustless salmon and cucumber bites at Quintessential Rivertown Spice & Tea, housed in a historic home built in three distinct phases beginning in 1807.
Historic Small Town: Cape May, New Jersey (pop. 2,768)
This stunning Victorian shore community is situated at New Jersey’s southernmost point and once served as a guide for Black enslaved laborers to freedom. This was one of my favorite places to visit. Cape May’s pedestrian mall lined with boutiques and cozy eateries, as well as the center for booking activities ranging from trolley tours of the Historic District to candlelight house tours during the holidays.
Literary Small Town: Livingston, Montana (pop. 8,040)
In the late 19th century, Livingston was formed as a Northern Pacific Railway service stop and soon became known as the “Original Gateway City to Yellowstone National Park.” The railroad used this moniker to draw East Coast visitors, and it was a good strategy because the historic town is just 55 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. I am so bummed I didn’t visit this place when I went to Yellowstone in 2019.
Museum-Rich Small Town: Cartersville, Georgia (pop. 23,187)
As a gateway to the Atlanta metro area as well as the beauty of the north Georgia mountains, Cartersville is an ideal destination for both culture and outdoor enthusiasts. There are three Smithsonian Affiliate museums in this small town as well: The Booth Museum, which displays works of Civil War art, Native American artifacts, and a replica of the Apollo I capsule; the Tellus Science Museum, which houses a variety of hands-on exhibits; and the new Savoy Automobile Museum.