United States

5 Driving routes through the United States, from the West to the Great Lakes

Monument Valley in the Western United States @AdobeStock
Monument Valley in the Western United States @AdobeStock
Monument Valley in the Western United States @AdobeStock
Monument Valley in the Western United States @AdobeStock

As always, the way we like to travel the most is by taking a route by car.

This allows you to gradually get to know the best attractions of the destination country or region, while also discovering lesser-known places.


And for this way of traveling, United States It is the best country in the world due to its large size and great diversity of landscapes and cities.

San Francisco @AdobeStock
San Francisco @AdobeStock

Yes for you trip to the united states you consider plan a route, we are going to propose some that include many of the best places you can visit in this great country.

And we will start with the most emblematic area, the West Coast and the national parks in its interior.

Route from Los Angeles to San Francisco through national parks

Un trip to the western United States must have as main axes the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco y Las Vegas, as well as various National Parks such as Grand Canyon of the Colorado.

When planning a route through the western United States, you have a wide variety of alternatives to start it.

This time we are going to suggest starting the route in Los Angeles, then going to the Grand Canyon, returning through Las Vegas, and finally heading to San Francisco.

Views of Los Angeles from Griffith Park
Views of Los Angeles from Griffith Park

Of course your first visit should be Los Angeles city, where you must spend at least a full day to walk through such emblematic places as Hollywood Boulevard, with the famous Avenue of the Stars and Hall of Fame, or the Downtown, with the historic place known as the Town of Los Angeles.

Here you have all the information and you can sign up for the Route from Los Angeles to San Francisco, through Las Vegas and national parks, What does it offer logitravel to do on a 13-day trip, which includes flights, accommodations, transportation and visits with a guide in Spanish

Other places that if you have time are worth visiting are the exclusive neighborhood of Beverly Hills and the famous santa monica beach.

And if you can go up to the Griffith Observatory, you will have spectacular panoramic views that will show you the enormous dimension of the city of Los Angeles.

Already en route, the first national park that we suggest you visit is Joshua Tree, where you will arrive passing through Palm Springs, a true oasis in the desert thanks to its thermal springs.

En Joshua Tree You will be able to see the surprising geological formations with steep mountains of rocks and granite monoliths, and its characteristic trees that give its name to the national park.

Grand Canyon of the Colorado in Arizona
Grand Canyon of the Colorado in Arizona

From there, passing through emblematic places of the Route 66 in Arizona, like Kingsman, Seligman and Williams, and you will reach the Grand Canyon National Park.

In this impressive landscape wonder, you must visit the different South Rim viewpoints, to finish in the tower of desert view, from where you will leave the Grand Canyon on its east side towards the Monument Valley.

We tell you that this park navajo indians It will be one of the most impressive visits on your route through the western United States, with its iconic landscapes from famous western movies.

In this semi-desert territory of the United States, a suitable place to stay is Kanab, and from there, and in the direction of Las Vegas, you will have the opportunity to visit another of the most interesting parks, such as Bryce Canyon, with the impressive shapes and colors of the stones that make up its most characteristic corners.

En Las Vegas You will have to spend a day to stroll through its spectacular hotels and corners that make up a true leisure theme park, where the Venice hotels, Paris y New York They must be essential stages.

Las Vegas @AdobeStock
Las Vegas @AdobeStock

On the route we propose, after leaving Las Vegas you will enter the nevada desert, and specifically in the Death Valley, one of the hottest places on earth.

An alternative on the route is to visit the Calico ghost town, an old and characteristic western mining town, which has now become a tourist attraction.

The next stage on the route will be Yosemite national park, with its landscapes that will remind you of the Alps, with numerous waterfalls, and having as its iconic image the great rocky promontory known as El capitán.

En Yosemite you also have the opportunity to see a giant sequoia forest en butterfly grove.

Finally, the route that we propose is completed with the visit from San Francisco, a city where, among other alternatives, you can go up to Twin Peaks lookout, travel the famous slopes in a traditional and now tourist cable tram, or walk through the neighborhoods Chinatown o Little Italy.

San Francisco @AdobeStock
San Francisco @AdobeStock

Of course, you should not miss going to see the famous Golden Gate Suspension Bridge, even get closer to the residential area of Sausalito, or in the evening, enjoy the Fisherman's Wharf leisure area.

Other routes through the United States

As we have commented, United States It is a country of such size that there are many alternatives you have to plan a route to visit it.

In the case of the west of the country, apart from the route that we have proposed, here you have information on other options that require less travel time.

Specifically, this other option of route through essential sites on the West CoastThis route from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the coast, or this one route through national parks on the West Coast.

And to get to know other areas of the United States, we propose these two alternatives, one route through southern cities with musical roots, And a route through the Great Lakes in the north of the country.

Dallas @AdobeStock
Dallas @AdobeStock

Route through the musical roots of the Southern United States

If you are passionate about music, in the United States you will have the opportunity to visit emblematic places of some of the most prominent figures in genres such as blues, drunk, rock and roll or country.

For this we propose this route through the southern United States, which unites key cities in the history of these genres, where you can attend festivals and concerts, to visit monumental sites y museums, and also where you can go to places where you can listen to live music.

Here you have information and you can reserve the Route through the Musical Roots of the South providing logitravel, lasting 18 days

The route starts from Dallas, where at the beginning of April the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, which every year brings together great talents from different disciplines whose concerts you can see for free.

Of course in Dallas you have the obligatory visit of the museum commemorating the assassination of JFK.

The route will take you to the city of Austin , where you have more than 200 venues to listen to live music.

On your tourist visit you must visit the imposing building of the Capitol, or corners like the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Museum, where you can see a replica of the oval office for the Casa Blanca.

Skyscrapers of downtown Dallas in Texas
Skyscrapers of downtown Dallas in Texas

In the city of San Antonio You could visit El Alamo, an old mission that remembers the battle that took place in the War of independence, an event that starred in the film John Wayne of the same name.

Houston is the next stage of the route, a city where you will have to walk through the Downtown and financial district, where you will be surprised by its large skyscrapers.

Of course in Houston It is a must see NASA Space Center, where you can learn everything related to the different missions carried out in space.

En New Orleans, walking through its famous French Quarter you will be able to see how the city has recovered after the Hurricane Katrina of 2005.

You can also get on a ferry to navigate the Mississippi River, and you can close the day by going to a place listen to jazz music.

This route through the southern United States Its final point is the city of Atlanta, where you can make the surprising visit of the theme park dedicated to Coca-Cola, and from the musical point of view you can know Criminal Records, a store that has become a sanctuary for music lovers.

En Atlanta You can also attend a concert at the Fox Theater.

Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago Millennium Park
Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago Millennium Park

Route through the Great Lakes of the United States

If you are considering making a route through the Great Lakes, in the north of the United States, you will visit cities like Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, Detroit or Milwaukee.

En Chicago you will pass through millennium park and you have several interesting museums to visit, as well as navigate through chicago river.

Here you have information and you can reserve the Route through the Great Lakes providing logitravel, lasting 14 days

In the city of Madison, capital of the state of Wisconsin, you have the opportunity to do various Outdoor Activities along the banks of the Lakes Mendota and Monona.

In the nearby Minneapolis You will be able to see its amazing chain of lakes, with picturesque trails to walk.

El Sculpture Garden and Walker Art Center They are cultural visits that you can do in said city, and in its twin St paul you will be able to see the imposing building of the Capitol and visit the interesting Minnesota Interactive Science Museum.

Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee
Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee

Heading north to Grand Rapids, you will pass through what is known as Land of 10.000 Lakes, and then you will visit landscape enclaves that are between Bayfield y Marquetteand Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, with its cliffs above the Lake Michigan.

En Detroit, an essential visit is the Henry Ford Museum, and if you are a music lover, the Motown museum located in the place where Stevie Wonder y The Supremes They recorded their hits.

To complete the route, in Milwaukee, the largest city in the state of Wisconsin, you can visit its art Museum, Miller Park and harley davidson museum.

About the Author

José Luis Sarralde

Journalist and traveler throughout his life, José Luis Sarralde is the founder of Guías Viajar, where since 2008 he has been capturing his travel experiences around the world, specializing in cultural and scenic destinations in Spain and Europe.

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