Road trip in the USA: 4 theme ideas to build your adventure

Are you tempted by a road trip to the USA? Well, I won’t hide that I am too! But where to start? Unless you have several months available and a significant travel budget, it’s difficult to cover the entire country. By exploring various sites, blogs, forums, and social media, I realized that you can easily break down road trips to the USA into various themes. Exploring the national parks of the Great West, touring the filming locations of movies and TV series, crossing the USA from coast to coast, venturing into the country’s legendary roads, visiting major American cities, discovering a region during an event… There are road trip themes for everyone’s taste in the USA! But first, it’s important to properly prepare your road trip to the USA. For more information, visit the blog Lost in the USA

The national parks of the Grand West

This is one of the most popular topics for a road trip in the USA. The opportunity to enjoy the vast open spaces and take in spectacular sights!

Here is a suggested itinerary of about twenty days to discover the national parks of the Great West: San Francisco – Yosemite – Mammoth Lakes – Death Valley – Las Vegas – Zion National Park – Bryce Canyon National Park – Grand Canyon – Lake Powell – Monument Valley – Canyonlands National Park – Arches National Park – Salt Lake City – Yellowstone National Park

Not bad, right?

For more inspiration and to discover other road trip itineraries in the USA, visit the blogs of Best Jobers – Mathildee – The Others

 Filming locations for cult films and series

We all have cult movies or TV series that have left their mark on us! Why not organize your road trip in the USA around discovering the most iconic filming locations? I already mentioned a little about that in this article » 15 filming locations for cult movies or series that make you want to travel  »And this one on the Californian filming locations of the Back to the Future trilogy. Here are some examples of movie and TV show filming locations to include in your next road trip in the USA:

Forest Gump: The scene where Forest Gump stops running in Monument Valley on Route 163 – There is also the scene where Forest Gump sits on the bench in Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia. The bench is now at the Savannah History Museum. More information about the filming locations of the film Forest Gump can be found on the blog Lost in the USA

Django Unchained: The scenes outside the plantation were filmed at Evergreen Plantation, not far from New Orleans

Mrs Doubtfire: Mrs Doubtfire's house in San Francisco at 2641 Steiner Street

Breaking bad: a large part of the series was filmed in Albuquerque, and the car wash (Octopus Car Wash) is located at 5308 Central Avenue

Into The Wild: the famous 142 bus is located on the Stampede track, not far from Fairbanks in Alaska.

Jurassic Park: Many scenes were filmed in Hawaii at the Kualoa Ranch

Below you can find a map of film sets around the world (click on the map)

The mythical roads of the USA

Route 66, Highway 163, Route 6, Route 1, Pacific Coast Highway, etc… All these legendary US roads make us dream! Who hasn’t ever dreamed of driving in a convertible, with your hair blowing in the wind, enjoying the breathtaking scenery? For the little anecdote, last June I traveled from Miami to Key West by taking a part of Route 1 in a Mustang convertible and it was fabulous! Visit here for more information about it Car rental in the US. Now I just have to plan a real road trip of several weeks to live an even more intense experience!

Here are some mythical routes to include in your future road trip in the USA:

Route 66 : it’s probably the most famous one! It was created in 1926 and then downgraded in 1986 to be replaced by several highways. Nevertheless, it is still possible to travel the 3600km of historic road from Chicago to Santa Monica, crossing 8 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In the past there were many cities that took advantage of the high traffic of Route 66, but today there is only talk of ghost towns where you can see old gas stations, diners, motels, etc… More information on Route 66

US Route 1 This route runs along the East coast of the USA, from the Canadian border in Maine to Key West in Florida. It is 3800 km long and passes through 15 states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

Pacific Coast Highway: Also known as California State Route 1, this 1,000 km long mythical route connects San Francisco to San Diego with beautiful stops along the way: Santa Cruz, Carmel, Monterey, Point Lobos, Big Sur, San Simeon, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles. A tip: take this route from north to south to enjoy the view of this magnificent coast.

Highway 163 If your name doesn’t mean anything to you, you’ve probably already seen this beautiful landscape with a panorama of Monument Valley. This 103km long road traverses this legendary site in Mexican Hat in Utah to Kayenta in Arizona. Don’t miss stopping at Mile 13 to enjoy a beautiful view of Monument Valley.

US Route 6 This is the route to take if you want to immerse yourself in deep America by traveling from east to west. It is 5,100 km long, starts in Provincetown in Massachusetts, crosses 14 states and ends in Bishop in California

Highway 61 : The Blues Route that starts in Chicago and ends in New Orleans over 1600 km. More info here

Discovering a region during an event

What if you built your trip to the USA around a particular event that you would dream of attending? The list could be long, but here are a few events that I particularly enjoy:
– Attend a concert or a basketball game at Madison Square Garden and then go on to discover New York and other cities in the Northeast of the country
– Participate in Burning Man Festival (from August 25 to September 2, 2019) or Coachella Festival (2 weekend concerts in the Coachella Valley in April 2019) and discover the great American West
– Celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans or participating in New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and visit Louisiana and the surrounding states
– Participate in Lollapalooza festival at Grant Park in Chicago (August 2-5, 2019) and go exploring the state of Illinois and the surrounding states

Taking out travel insurance before leaving for the USA

Planning a road trip in the western United States It’s an exciting adventure, but taking precautions, especially by taking out travel insurance with Heymondo, is essential. The vast expanses and diverse landscapes of the American West can be spectacular, but unforeseen events can occur. Heymondo offers comprehensive coverage, including protection against medical emergencies and the high costs of healthcare in the United States. The high cost of healthcare in America makes this insurance a necessity, as even a minor intervention can result in significant expenses. By choosing Heymondo, you not only ensure peace of mind during your road trip, but you also financially protect yourself against potential high medical costs. Before embarking on a journey through national parks, canyons, and emblematic roads of the American West, ensure a worry-free adventure with Heymondo.