Spring / Summer

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1. 1
   Into Music City231 mi

   Roll out of the North Georgia mountains (Blairsville) and point the hood northwest to Nashville. Under four hours of driving means you arrive with the afternoon and evening intact — grab hot chicken, wander Broadway, and let the honky-tonks send you off in style. An easy opener to shake out the road legs.

2. 2
   Nashville to Little Rock349 mi

   A gentle five-and-a-quarter-hour cruise across Tennessee and into Arkansas. Little Rock is your landing spot — enough daylight left to walk the River Market district or the Clinton Presidential Center. Rest up, because tomorrow is the big grind.

3. 3
   The Long Haul to Amarillo618 mi

   No sugarcoating it: this is a nine-hour marathon across Oklahoma and into the Texas Panhandle. Get an early start, caffeinate hard, and split the wheel if you can. Stretch your legs in Oklahoma City around the halfway mark. Overnight in Amarillo — you're saving Palo Duro Canyon for fresh morning light.

4. 4
   Palo Duro & Westward to Santa Fe301 mi

   Start with the 'Grand Canyon of Texas' — hike or drive Palo Duro Canyon before the heat builds, its red-and-orange walls a proper welcome to the West. Then an easy four-hour-and-change run into New Mexico to Albuquerque and up to Santa Fe. Green chile and adobe await.

5. 5
   Santa Fe to the Painted Desert285 mi

   Give Santa Fe a slow morning — the plaza, the galleries, one more breakfast burrito — then aim for Arizona. Roughly four and a half hours brings you to Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. Time the late-day light for those banded badlands and ancient fossilized logs. Bed down near Holbrook.

6. 6
   Red Rock Sedona184 mi

   A short three-hour drive drops you into Sedona's cathedral of red rock. This is a deliberately light driving day so you can hike Cathedral Rock, chase a vortex or two, and watch the sandstone catch fire at sunset. One of the days you'll be glad you didn't rush.

7. 7
   On to the Grand Canyon139 mi

   Barely two and a half hours north, but you're climbing into one of the planet's great spectacles. Get to the South Rim with the whole afternoon free — walk the Rim Trail, peer into the abyss at Mather Point, and stake out a sunset spot. Let it humble you.

8. 8
   Canyon to Joshua Tree~326 mi

   A five-and-a-half-hour push across the desert into California and Joshua Tree National Park. Arrive with time to wander among the twisted trees and boulder piles. Stay for the stars — the night sky here is a headliner all its own.

9. 9
   Desert to the Pacific~476 mi

   A big one — close to eight hours — trading the Mojave for the sea. Push through and let the payoff be your first glimpse of the Pacific along the Big Sur coast. Time it right and you'll hit Highway 1's cliffs in golden light. Long day, worthy reward.

10. 10
    Big Sur North to Crater Lake539 mi

    Another honest grind — nearly nine hours up through California into Oregon. Savor the coast early, then settle in for the miles. Crater Lake's impossibly blue caldera is your prize at the end. Overnight near the park so you can catch the rim at dawn.

11. 11
    Crater Lake to Mount Rainier399 mi

    Circle the rim one more time, then a seven-hour drive north through Oregon into Washington's Cascades. Mount Rainier looms into view long before you arrive. Get settled at Paradise or the surrounding forest and breathe the alpine air.

12. 12
    Rainier to Vancouver243 mi

    A tidy five-hour finish — north through Seattle traffic (plan around it) and across the border into Vancouver. A relaxed cap to the outbound leg. You've earned the city lights, the seawall stroll, and a proper celebratory dinner.

1. 1
   Into the rainforest~216 mi

   Roll out of Seattle and make for Olympic National Park — an easy 4-hour push before the odometer starts getting serious. Settle in, walk the mossy Hoh Rain Forest or catch the tide at Ruby Beach. A gentle opening day on purpose.

2. 2
   Coast to canyon walls~272 mi

   Drop south to the Columbia River Gorge, straddling the Oregon/Washington line. Chase waterfalls along the historic highway, stand under Multnomah Falls, and let the river do the talking. About 5 hours of driving with plenty of pull-offs.

3. 3
   The long eastward run~350 mi

   Today's the price of admission for Glacier: point the car northeast and cross into the Inland Northwest, overnighting around Spokane, WA. Nothing fancy — this is a get-it-done day, roughly 5–6 hours, so you're fresh for the mountains.

4. 4
   Arriving at Glacier~274 mi

   Push through northern Idaho and western Montana to Glacier National Park (~4.5 hours). Arrive with afternoon light to spare, grab your park bearings, and get a good night's sleep before the big scenic day.

5. 5
   Going-to-the-Sun~50 mi

   A near-zero-driving day, and worth every minute. Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road, stop at Logan Pass, walk to Hidden Lake Overlook, and soak in Lake McDonald. Do not rush this one — it's the crown jewel of the return.

6. 6
   Big Sky crossing~400 mi

   Say goodbye to the peaks and settle into Montana's wide-open middle, overnighting in Billings (~6.5 hours). A workmanlike day — the reward is halving the brutal haul to the Badlands.

7. 7
   Into the Badlands~400 mi

   Cross into South Dakota and reach Badlands National Park by afternoon (~6.5 hours). Drive the Loop Road at golden hour when the striped spires light up — it's otherworldly. Sleep near Wall or the park.

8. 8
   Faces in the granite~70 mi

   A short, satisfying hop into the Black Hills to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial (barely an hour of driving). Take your time with both, and if you've got energy, wind through nearby Custer State Park. An easy, monument-filled day.

9. 9
   North to the painted canyons~266 mi

   Head north to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota (~4.5 hours). Drive the scenic loop, scan for bison and wild horses, and catch sunset over the badlands the crowds forget. A quietly spectacular stop.

10. 10
    Roadside oddities~461 mi

    A driving day (~7.5 hours) broken up by great weirdness: cross into Nebraska for Carhenge — Stonehenge built from spray-painted cars — then a quick hop to Scotts Bluff National Monument, where the Oregon Trail wagons once squeezed through. Stretch your legs and climb the bluff for the view.

11. 11
    Across Nebraska~450 mi

    Buckle in for the plains crossing along the Platte, landing in Lincoln, NE (~7 hours). Not a scenic marathon, but a steady one — split this way so tomorrow's a treat, not a slog.

12. 12
    Kansas City and its brisket~200 mi

    An easy morning drive into Kansas City (~3 hours). This is a reward stop: eat legendary barbecue, wander the fountains and the Country Club Plaza. Roll in early enough to actually enjoy the city.

13. 13
    Gateway to the West~249 mi

    Cross Missouri to St. Louis and the Gateway Arch (~4 hours). Ride the tram to the top, walk the riverfront, and mark the moment — you're squarely back in the East now. Comfortable pace with the afternoon free.

14. 14
    Underground~293 mi

    Head southeast into Kentucky and Mammoth Cave National Park (~5 hours). Book a ranger-led cave tour into the world's longest cave system — it's cool, dim, and unforgettable. Surface, and rest up for the home stretch.

15. 15
    Home to the mountains~281 mi

    The final push south through Tennessee into the North Georgia mountains around Blairsville (~5 hours). Arrive to the smell of pine and the quiet of home. Trip complete — and what a way to close the loop.

Outbound · Southern Route

1. North Georgia (Blairsville area) to Nashville, TN~227 mi · ~3h 47m
2. Nashville, TN to Little Rock~406 mi · ~6h 46m
3. Little Rock to Amarillo & Palo Duro Canyon, TX~665 mi · ~11h 5m
4. Amarillo & Palo Duro Canyon, TX to Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM~308 mi · ~5h 8m
5. Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM to Petrified Forest & Painted Desert, AZ~281 mi · ~4h 41m
6. Petrified Forest & Painted Desert, AZ to Sedona, AZ~141 mi · ~2h 21m
7. Sedona, AZ to Grand Canyon — South Rim, AZ~109 mi · ~1h 49m
8. Grand Canyon — South Rim, AZ to Big Sur & Pacific Coast Highway, CA~681 mi · ~11h 21m
9. Big Sur & Pacific Coast Highway, CA to Mount Rainier, WA~900 mi · ~15h
10. Mount Rainier, WA to Vancouver~230 mi · ~3h 50m

Return · Northern Route

1. Seattle, WA to Olympic National Park, WA216 mi · 4h 2m
2. Olympic National Park, WA to Columbia River Gorge, OR/WA272 mi · 4h 58m
3. Columbia River Gorge, OR/WA to Glacier National Park, MT624 mi · 10h 30m
4. Glacier National Park, MT to Badlands National Park, SD~796 mi · ~13h 16m
5. Badlands National Park, SD to Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse Memorial, SD~70 mi · ~1h 10m
6. Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse Memorial, SD to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND266 mi · 4h 29m
7. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND to Carhenge399 mi · 6h 24m
8. Carhenge to Scotts Bluff National Monument62 mi · 1h 8m
9. Scotts Bluff National Monument to Kansas City594 mi · 8h 55m
10. Kansas City to Gateway Arch National Park249 mi · 3h 52m
11. Gateway Arch National Park to Mammoth Cave National Park293 mi · 4h 47m
12. Mammoth Cave National Park to North Georgia (Blairsville area)281 mi · 5h 13m