Six Fun 2-Week Road Trip Ideas in the USA

Road trips are a part of the fabric of the USA. The diverse landscapes, open roads, and roadside attractions make the USA a premier destination for road-tripping. I’ve collated six fun 2-week road trip ideas in the USA for your delectation.

We have travelled extensively throughout North America and road trip planning is a huge part of the enjoyment for me. I hope these 2-week road trip ideas through the USA help you plan your dream adventure!

2-Week Road Trip Ideas USA

1. West Coast : Seattle to San Diego

California’s Highway 1 is probably one of the most famous road trips in the world. Following the Pacific coast down from Seattle to San Diego will take you along wild rocky coastline, beautiful white sand beaches; and through ancient redwood forests.

Part of this journey takes you along the Pacific Coast Highway, and to many wonderful cities such as San Francisco. If you visit in the right season, you can follow the whale migration up the coastline too!

During your 2-week road trip down (or up) the west coast be sure to visit these highlights:

• Seattle for a day or two – take in the highlights like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market
• Olympic National Park & Cape Disappointment for natural beauty and hiking
• Cannon Beach & Haystack Rock in Oregon for great views and beach fun
• Drink wine at the Anderson Valley wineries (stay overnight, so you don’t drink and drive!)
• Visit the Redwood forest at Muir Woods
• Spend a few days in San Francisco – this sassy city will keep you busy!
• Visit Monterey, the aquarium, go whale watching and partake in some craft beer at the Monterey Brewing Company
• Drive the Pacific Coast Highway via Big Sur, admire the bridges, views and wild coastline. Visit Hearst Castle and see the Seals at San Simeon too! This is my favourite section of the coast – there’s a raw beauty about it.
• Head south and enjoy the cool as a cucumber Santa Monica
• Finish your trip with a stop at Laguna Beach to rest after your amazing coastal adventure!

If you want to add some especially gorgeous scenery, I recommend the train ride between Vancouver and Seattle on the Amtrak Cascades train.

2. Desert Dreams : Las Vegas Loop

Las Vegas makes a fantastic base from which to start your desert dream loop. From Vegas you will east towards to the Grand Canyon, and then onto some of the most incredible desert landscapes you will ever see. Up through Arizona and onto Utah, where the red earth and rock formations will capture your heart.

Stops for your two-week road trip from Las Vegas include:

• Las Vegas for 1-2 days – after a couple of days in the city that never sleeps you’ll need the wide open spaces of the desert
• Attractions between Vegas and Grand Canyon include the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and part of Historic Route 66 (but more on that later)
• Stay a night in the hotel or cabins at the edge of Grand Canyon – watching the sunset and sunrise is magnificent
• Take a detour to explore the spiritual haven of Sedona. Take the road over Mount Mingus and the mining town of Jerome (if you’re not afraid of heights that is!)
• Spend a night in Flagstaff – this mountain town is cooler than the surrounding deserts, and the wildlife is out of this world
• Head north to Monument Valley – categorically the most incredible place I have ever seen. Like some kind of alien landscape, it is beyond your wildest imagination
• Make a stop at Antelope Canyon – you will need a guide, so book in advance
• Eat at Big John’s Texas BBQ in Page
• Use Kanab as your base for a few days while you explore Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park

If you are able, add in an extra week and head further north to Moab (after Monument Valley), to see the rest of Utah’s ‘Mighty Five’ National Parks – Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands. I wouldn’t try to jam these into a 2-week road trip, as you just simply won’t get the full value of each.

OR you could add Moab and the northern Utah National Parks into the below ‘Wild West’ Itinerary. Or if you’re looking for an amazing extended adventure, spend 1 month+ combining the two itineraries and Utah, Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Colorado!

3. Wild West : Wildlife Wanderings

This loop takes you on a magnificent road trip through some of the areas out west, which are rich in wildlife and history. From the very first US National Park – Yellowstone, to fun wild west towns like Deadwood. Bring your long lens and prepare to see some incredible wildlife!

• Begin in either Salt Lake City or Denver (depending on what is convenient for you. We started in Denver, as it was significantly cheaper to fly into Denver internationally. Although the drive from Denver is much further.
• Your first stop is a few days in Grand Teton National Park. Jackson Hole is a fun place to base yourself for this, although be sure to book in advance, it can get expensive
• Now head north to Yellowstone. My 4-day Yellowstone guide will ensure you get the very best out of your visit. Yellowstone lives up to its reputation as one of the most spectacular national parks in the world
• Drive the Beartooth Highway between Cooke City Silver Gate and Red Lodge – this scenic highway is wild, full of switchbacks, and quite extraordinary
• Chill in Billings, Montana, for a night or two. Visit the Red Oxx Luggage Factory and their historic downtown
• Onwards to more natural wonders now – take the scenic route via Devil’s Tower to Deadwood South Dakota. Enjoy an evening in the town where Wild Bill Kickok died
• The road trips around the scenic Black Hills are awesome – use Keystone or Rapid City as a base
• Spend a few days exploring Custer State Park, Needles Highway, Mount Rushmore, and Wind Cave National Park
• Head east to Badlands National Park if you have time – this other-worldly landscape is captivating.
• If you’re flying out of Denver, be sure to stop at Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska on the way home – this scale replica of Stonehenge in England is made out of old cars!

4. Route 66 Lite : Highlights or Bust

To drive the whole of Route 66 and to really get the most out of it, you need a month at least. I know some folks who have taken 6+ months to drive it, taking in every twist and turn, every oddity, and every side road. But I’ve dubbed this 2-week road trip ‘Route 66 Lite’ – taking in the highlights!

Highlights for your itinerary:

• Start with 2-3 days in the fabulous city of Chicago! Blues music, unparalleled pizza, and architectural highlights will keep you busy
• First stop, St. Louis – home of the Gateway Arch, fabulous barbecue, and interesting westward pioneer history. In fact, all the way along your Route 66 journey you will find stories of westward migrants; including those who left the “dustbowl” and pushed west during the Great Depression.
• There is a good intact section of original Route 66 highway between Springfield, MO, and Tulsa, OK
• In Texas, fun stops include Cadillac Ranch, the U-drop Inn and the restored Magnolia gas station in Shamrock. Stop at the Mid-Point Cafe in Adrian Texas and celebrate reaching halfway!
• Try to coordinate reaching Albuquerque for their annual hot air balloon festival in October
• One of the well preserved and still well-visited sections of Route 66 is between Seligman and Kingman in Arizona. Probably due to the fact that this was one of the last sections to be bypassed
• Don’t miss the dramatic mountain roads and a visit to Oatman. Left almost abandoned in the 1950s after a new route was installed between Kingman and Needles. Oatman is home to the wild burros (donkey descendants of pack animals abandoned there). They swagger into town and take advantage of thrilled tourists
• As you wind down towards Santa Monica, there are lots of stops off Route 66 to visit. Such as Joshua Tree, in case you fancy taking longer than 2 weeks.

A Route 66 road trip is very much about enjoying the road and the roadside culture along the way, rather than stopping for long breaks in cities. It’s all about the journey, not the destinations on this occasion.

5. Southern USA Road Trip : The Classics

You could spend months exploring the southern states of the USA. An area rich in tumultuous history, it is also home of the blues, barbecue and incredible natural beauty. While the mosquitos might be the size of birds, and the humidity will make your hair curl, The South is one of the friendliest and fantastic areas to discover on a US road trip.

• Start your trip in Miami Beach. Get a dose of Art Deco architecture, nightlife and beach life. The juxtaposition between the buzz of Miami and the quiet of the Everglades will make you appreciate both more
• You must take a tour of the Everglades while in Florida – seeing alligators in the wild, herons, turtles and more is such a thrill
• Seeing the sunrise from Cocoa Beach and exploring the Cape Canaveral National Seashore is a great pitstop along the Florida coast
• Head on up to Georgia and take a trip out to Cumberland Island from St Marys to see the Dungeness Mansion ruins + lots of wild horses. Followed by a day or two in Savannah. A city with an awesome vibe, great food; it also happens to be one of the few US cities where you can drink alcohol on the street! If you’re looking for a beach break, take a day trip out to Tybee Island.

On a 2-week road trip, you can either keep heading north to the Carolinas, or you can veer inland to the mountains. Here are some suggested ideas for your second week of road tripping in the south.

The Coast

• Head north from Savannah and enjoy Hilton Head Island and the historic town of Beaufort
• Spend some time in the opulent city of Charleston. With it’s beautiful townhouses and southern charm, Charleston is a must if you are road-tripping the east coast
• Other fun spots along the South Carolina coast include historic Georgetown and the buzzing Myrtle Beach!
• End your 2-week road-trip in Wilmington, North Carolina (keep an eye out for Dawson’s Creek filming locations)

The Mountains

• Head inland from Savannah, via the cute town of Forsyth, Georgia; and eat Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
• Take a quick stopover in Atlanta before heading into the mountains. Be sure to visit the Martin Luther King Jr National Monument
• Now it is time to enjoy the beautiful Smoky Mountains for a few days. The scenic drives around Gatlinburg are just spectacular – AAAND RELAX!

6. Mississippi River : Great River Road and Beyond

There is something special about the Mighty Mississippi river. Whether it is the history of this important trade route, or the natural beauty as it cuts through the landscape from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota; a road trip down the Mississippi River is an enriching one.

The Great River Road runs 3000 miles through 10 states, and would take you more than 2-weeks ideally. But here are the highlights for a two-week trip.

You can combine parts of this road trip with the Route 66 itinerary above. Or add it to the Southern USA trip and create a loop after visiting the Smoky Mountains.

Itinerary Ideas

• Start in St Louis or Memphis, depending on how much time you have and how fast you want to travel. If you want to have a decent couple of days in each place, start from Memphis. Got a bit more time? Plan to hop to a new place each day, start from St Louis or even Minnesota!
• If you’re starting from Minnesota, check out my friend Michele’s write up of Hannibal MO, home of Huck Finn.
• Check out the cute river towns of Grafton and Alton. It’s the little places with big heart that show what the Mississippi River has to offer
• St Louis features in my highlights of Route 66 above – so you can take in a little bit of motoring history + enjoy some barbecue
• Next stop is the Shawnee National Forest – take a hike in the Garden of the Gods
• Onwards to Memphis, whose history is inextricably linked to the river. I absolutely recommend you visit Sun Studios and Graceland if you can. And while Beale Street is a gas to see, it’s pretty rough and rowdy… so I suggest you head out to Overton Square for some live music and great restaurants
• Take the 61 highway out of Memphis and head to Clarksdale Mississippi for a couple of days. Why Clarksdale? Because blues music is in it’s water, and you won’t get anything more authentic
• Next on the itinerary is Vicksburg. Home to a key Civil War battle, you can learn about the military history while you are there
• Natchez is your next port of call. Full of antebellum architecture and southern charm, Natchez was a pivotal city for European settlers. Be sure to check out Natchez-Under-the-Hill, this cute historic part of town used to be a stop-off for traders, and was known for its brothels! Nowadays, the establishments of ill-repute are just saloons and craft shops
• Finish your 2-week USA road trip down the Mississippi in the sassy city of New Orleans. I adore the vibe here, the bottomless brunches, the music, and the food. Taking a cemetery or walking tour is a must.

Almost all of these stops along the Mississippi have opportunities for riverboat cruises, and I suggest you do at least one!

I hope this guide helps you to fulfil your 2 week USA road trip dreams – don’t forget the road trip snacks!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.