9/26/2026 Some Drives Not to Miss

 are dozens of beautiful drives you can take in the U.S, but here are some of my favorites that you might not be aware of. 

• Natchez Trace:  Hard to know where to start with this topic, so I'll start with my first great drive.  Way back in the 1990s, I worked for a training and consulting company and took a wrong turn on a business trip to Jackson, Mississippi.  I ended up on something called the Natchez Trace, which is a 444 mile parkway that goes from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS.  I ended up making a U-turn a few miles down it, but promised myself I would someday drive the whole thing! Way, way, way back before steam engines and gasoline engines, people made rafts and rough boats and floated them down the Mississippi River, carrying cargo.  They had no way to get back upstream, so they tore their rafts apart and took a wagon, rode a horse, or walked back to Nashville on an old Indian Trail.  This trail was so heavily used over hundreds of years that in some places, the original Trace is as much as 15' deep because of the wear of feet, hooves, and wagon wheels.  Large trees now grow in the middle of some sections, which gives evidence of its age.  The parkway is very scenic and has a lot of historical sites, including the cabin where Meriwether Lewis was shot and died.  It is two-lane the entire length, as I remember it, and because it goes from northeast to southwest, it is a great way to get from the northeastern states to the southwest.  There are lots of scenic pull-offs and not a single stop light in the entire 444 miles, but there are two, free rustic campgrounds you can stop at if they are not full.  Plan on taking at least three days to drive this parkway.  Check it out at https://npshistory.com/publications/natr/index.htm  
• Oregon Coastal Highway:  While the entire Pacific Coast is a terrific drive, I think the section through Oregon is the most scenic and least crowded, at least compared to the California coastal drive.  Start from the town of Astoria on the Columbia River and drive all the way to Brookings at the California Border.  (Don't miss the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, and grab a salmon fish sandwich at the booth across the highway.)  There are quite a few excellent Oregon State Parks along the way, and two of my favorites are near the towns of Bandon and Yachats.  (The latter is pronounced yah-hots, by the way.)  Most of the state parks in Oregon have full hookup sites, as well as partial hookup sites.  Take at least a week to drive this and stop often along the way.  The area south of Yachats is called Cape Perpetua, and don't hesitate to drive even a big rig up the cliff to the visitor center south of town.  Also don't miss the drive up to the top of the Cape, near the campground.  The road looks steep, but really is not, and the views here and at the visitor center are incredible.  https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/destinations/parks-forests-wildlife-areas/cape-perpetua-scenic-area/  Also, check out photos from my blog here:  https://grandmajjb.blogspot.com/2024/10/1025-cape-pertetua-yachats-oregon.html   
• Columbia River Drive:   

 

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