In Alaska, everything is larger than life: glaciers, moose, trees, and bald eagles.
Trying to see Alaska by motor vehicle definitely has its limitations. When looking at a map of the state, only a relatively small portion is accessible by road. Nevertheless, the panorama of Alaska can still be experienced from the highways, and Route 1 is considered as one of the best. Driving into Alaska, Tok is the first major crossroads and where you pick up Route1, better known as the Tok Cut-Off. As a freeway, Route 1 is as well maintained as can be for one that experiences such extremes of temperature. The pavement is just about glassy but the underlying ground bucks the road into a mild roller coaster effect. If you’ve driven up the Alaska Highway to get here, it’ll be the smoothest road you’ve seen in days. As Route1 rolls through the magnificent forests of Alaska, the first thing you begin to notice is how big everything is. Read more . . .
The southwest edge of South Dakota is a tourist’s dream. Since the rest of the state is a little flat and unspectacular, both our trips are in the southwest. You begin in Hot Springs, 53 miles south of Rapid City, and drive thirteen miles north on U.S. 385 to the entrance of Wind Cave National Park. It is seventeen miles straight through Wind Cave and Custer State Park to U.S. 16 Alt., but you might want to take the Wildlife Loop Road for the twenty-mile ride around Custer Park. The Prairie Dogs, bear, antelope, elk, bison, and other woodland friends are out waiting for you. Turn west on Route 16
The Black Hills drive is a four-hour trip from Devil’s Tower Junction in Wyoming to Custer, South Dakota. Travel north on Route 24 from Devil’s Tower Junction toward Devil’s Tower National Monument. Devil’s Tower is an 867-foot structure formed by a fountain of volcanic magma that cooled and formed over 60 million years ago. There is also a Visitor Center and a 1.3-mile trail around the tower. 
If you live in the Chicagoland area, a famous day trip is to Illinois’ second largest city, Rockford. But if you want some truly picturesque roads and a unique and quaint destination town, head west from Rockford to Galena, near the Mississippi River. Take U.S. 20 west from Rockford through Freeport, where you can see the area of the popular second Lincoln-Douglas debate at Taylor Park. Proceed west on U.S. 20 to Rte. 73. Take Rte. 73 north 1 mile into the town of Lena, where you must rest at Lena’s Drive-In and enjoy the best soft-serve ice cream you’ve ever eaten. 
Most people think of the Grand Canyon when whitewater rafting is talked about, but perhaps the most exciting rafting is in southern West Virginia. You might also realize that driving there could be pleasurable, too. We start at the New River Gorge Bridge, famous for parachuting and bungee jumping. About thirty miles southeast of Charleston, close to Fayetteville, drive north on U.S. 19 for 4 miles to U.S. 60 (The Midland Trail), south 10 miles to Route 44, south 29 more miles to Route 61 (Piney View), then south 5 miles to Beckley. From that location, take I-64 east 16 miles to Route 20 (Sandstone), south 31 miles to Princeton, then U.S. 19, 35 miles north back to Beckley.