10 Best American Road Trips That Aren't Route 66

If you've been aching for a motorcycle road trip, go west young man. Though I-40 stretches all the way across the country to Nashville, the first stretch, filled with desert and punctuated by the Grand Canyon, is the route that the counterculture rebels rode in Easy Rider. The Eastern half of the trip is pretty great too; you'll pass through legendary tourist destinations like Graceland and the natural beauty of Hot Springs National Park. As far as cuisine goes, make sure you hit the Big Texas Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, home to the 72-ounce Steak Challenge.

If you really want to get away from it all, this is the road trip for you. Big Bend National Park has been called the most isolated of the US National Parks, and 385 is a two-lane highway straight through it. It will just be you and the canyons and mountains as you drift through the desert. There are some towns to stop in, of course. Appropriately, a couple of them are ghost town tourist attractions. You'll end your trip seeing sculptures amongst the cactus. Marfa has become a strangely chic art destination over the last several decades, partially because of the town's remote locale.

You'll pass by Civil War era mansions and fishing shacks on your trip from Mobile through Biloxi to New Orleans. Of course, the food, music, and culture of New Orleans is legendary, but this trip will also allow you to be a riverboat gambler in Biloxi and eat some of the best seafood you've ever had in the huge fishing town of Mobile. From the beginning of your journey, coming east over the scenic Jubilee Parkway Bridge, this will be one of the most interesting stretches of road you've ever seen.

Most of the time, when people think about taking a cross-country road trips, they are talking about east to west. Why not buck the trend and take a north-south journey? The Great River Road follows the Mississippi from Northern Minnesota all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Your surroundings will shift from forests to prairies to swamps and your culinary options will go from the hearty meats and cheeses in the North to Missouri and Tennessee bar-b-que to Cajun cooking in the deep south. While most cross-country routes were designed for transport traffic, this road was engineered with an eye toward emphasizing the river and the state's Big Muddy passes through, so you'll get pleasant meandering rather than the barrelling traffic most interstates offer.

You'll feel like you've gone back in time when you approach this small stretch near U.S. 550, and not in that lame colonial re-enactor kind of way. The Million Dollar Highway connects two old mining towns nestled in the mountains of southwestern Colorado. You'll not only get a sense of history, but you'll also get a sense of excitement as you traverse the guardrail-free hairpin turns of the Red Mountain Pass. Your trip will also feature some more serene moments; you'll be able to appreciate the wildflowers and the wildlife when you're not worrying about the tricky driving. Make sure you follow the speed limit as you take in the natural grandeur here, and be thankful you don't drive the snow plows that keep the road open all winter.

Glaciers are quickly becoming an endangered geographical species, so it might be best to come check them out so you can tell your grand kids what they looked like. Though the Going-to-the-Sun Road is be a modest road trip in itself, at only 50 miles long, you'll see more unforgettable sites on this little stretch of road than on many much longer trips. You'll cross the Continental Divide at an elevations of well over 6,000 feet and spot the mammoth glaciers of the aptly named Jackson Glacier Overlook. Be prepared, those of you who don't deal well with heights: a portion of the route is carved into sheer vertical cliff.

Maine is an area of the country that is underrated for its natural beauty. You'll certainly enjoy the architecture and laid back New England attitude. The food is wonderful too. Southerners might protest this but New England diners serve some of the best breakfast we've ever had and lobster is beloved for a reason. But, the scenery is what will stick in your mind. If you wind your way past Bar Harbor and into Acadia National Park, or any of the other beautiful natural refuges in this part of the country, and see Moose moving through coastal fog, you'll never again make the mistake of dismissing Maine's scenic appeal.

When you talk about American mountain ranges, people's minds immediately drift to the Rockies, but the majestic Appalachians are worth a look as well. The rolling hills and lush greenery of the Blue Ridge Parkway provide a beautiful gateway to the American South. Not only are there calming, lovely views and ample camping, but there are also some amazing tourist traps. You'll never forget rolling into Piegeon Forge, TN outside of the Smokies, a tacky tourist town that looks like a cross between Reno, Nevada and a log cabin. Also, be sure to check out the Dinosaur Kingdom in Natural Bridge, VA, a open-air "museum" dedicated to an alternate history where dinosaurs helped the Confederacy win the Civil War. There's also a Stone Henge replica made of foam, appropriately called "Foam Henge." For equal doses of natural beauty and ridiculous Americana, a trip through the Shenendoahs and the Smokies can't be beat.

U.S. 191 stretches from the Canadian border down to Douglas, Arizona. The entire route offers a staggering variety of natural beauty, but this chunk in particular is something special. This small stretch of 191 takes you past the unbelievable majesty of Grand Teton and Jackson Lake on the way to Yellowstone's south entrance. You'll not only see majestic mountains, but you'll catch a variety of wildlife, including bison, elk, and bears.

The jewel in the crown of scenic California Route 1 is Big Sur. It doesn't matter what side of the car you're on, you'll see huge redwoods on one side and rocky beaches on the other. There is also a ton to see outside of Big Sur as you wind your way along California's coast. You'll pass by the unbelievably decadent Hearst Castle in San Simeon and the adobe buildings of Monterey. Follow in the path of John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, and Jack Kerouac on this journey that is often rated among the most scenic in the country.