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Gadling readers compile U.S. road trip must-sees

by Brenda Yun (RSS feed) on Apr 28th 2009 at 9:00AM

Gadling would first like to congratulate Karin V, Arti K, and Benderillo, who are the lucky winners of our Road Trip USA giveaway! A copy of Road Trip USA, Route 66, and the Pacific Coast Highway are heading to your doorsteps as I type this.

Here are our winners' road trip destination descriptions:

from "Road Trip USA" winner Karin V:
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is a must see! It seems that most people opt to head to the South Rim. The North Rim is a little out of the way and a bit more isolated, but that is what makes it so wonderful. There is a wonderful lodge just outside the park in the Kaibab forest that is a fantastic place to stop and spend a little time too.

from "Route 66" winner Arti K:
I was returning to California after finishing graduate school up in Illinois - so I decided to do a road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles, via Seattle. Logical, I know. =). But the biggest highlight was driving through South Dakota, seeing signs for a 'scenic detour', and quite literally stumbling on the Badlands National Park. The majesty of the place can't be exaggerated, and it is such a shocking change after the rolling plains of South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and onwards to the east. It is absolutely a must-see! I missed out on seeing the 'Going To The Sun Road' (Montana) and Mt. St. Helens (Oregon) as these are at higher elevations and I was traveling around the end of May. These are next on my must-see list.

from "Pacific Coast Highway" winner Benderillo:
Redwood National Forest. A walk amongst the Giant Trees is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

(find out about the Gadling Readers' Road Trip after the jump)

I was so blown away by the fantastic suggestions for places to visit in the U.S. before we die that I compiled some of the best descriptions below, as well as a handy Gadling Readers Road Trip GoogleMap should you feel compelled to hit the asphalt and check out some of America's best attractions.

View Gadling Readers' Road Trip in a larger map

In case you don't know how to use GoogleMaps, click on any pin to view a Gadling reader's description. You can also retrieve directions to and from any destination.

Enjoy the road and don't forget to buckle up!

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, North America, United States, Books, Transportation, Internet Tools

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

benderillo Apr 28th 2009 1:23PM

Look Ma, I'm a weiner!

Tara Apr 29th 2009 9:35AM

This is great and it's nice to see these must-sees - especially with the option of using the Google maps (my favorite).

Road trips are a great way to see the country, but it's not always as easy as it looks when you're looking at a map (which can fool you into thinking that driving through many states is easy). Plus, you've got to get everything organized first. One of the best road trip planning sites is http://www.planning-fun-road-trips.com - it's great because it has EVERYTHING you need to plan a road trip and it's all free! My favorite section is the "Save Money" one - especially now, with the economy on the rocks.

Looking forward to hearing how these winners' trips go! They should definitely have some entertaining stories to tell-

lori.humm Apr 29th 2009 2:00PM

I drove from Virginia to Los Angeles about 12 years ago - I had few rules: don't eat in chains, don't stay in chains (that was risky), and don't plan ahead. I took my time, and while I tried to stay off interstates the best book I found was a National Geographic book that detailed things to see within 30 mins (or slightly more if it's really special) off of any interstate. Ended up seeing some fantastic things as a result.

Crossing America: National Geographic's Guide to Interstates.