DRIVE THE ROAD TO BEAUTY NOW

The most beautiful drives are framed by the most magnificent expressions of nature. We’re sharing a few of our favorites with you. The roads are calling… get out there!

1. MILES OF UNINTERRUPTED BEAUTY -- KANCAMAGUS HIGHWAY, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Contrary to its name, the White Mountain National Forest bursts with vibrant color, especially in autumn, with an intensity that puts it among the top of the list for beautiful road trips. The Kancamagus Highway offers one of the most beautiful drives.

This 35-mile stretch of Route 112, in northern New Hampshire traverses multiple elevations yielding a spectacular range of colors, silhouettes, and perspectives.

Along the way, you’ll pass numerous waterfalls, drive through historic covered bridges, and be treated to jaw dropping vistas. The drive is pure bliss, without any gas stations, restaurants, hotels, or billboards to spoil the view.

2. BADLANDS TO YELLOWSTONE DRIVE -- SOUTH DAKOTA & WYOMING

While this is the wild wild west drive of our dreams on a horse, it’s still pretty cool in a car!

Start off at the edge of the Dakota Badlands and drive through some mega-awesome rock formations on either side of the road.

Continue onto Mount Rushmore to see the iconic 60-ft.-high granite faces of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Take a sigh as you consider politics today….

And move on to Devil’s Tower, an astonishing geologic feature that protrudes out of the rolling prairie, surrounded by the Black Hills. This site is considered sacred to the Lakota & other local indigenous tribes. It is also one of the finest traditional crack climbing areas in North America.

Finally, end your drive at Yellowstone National Park, where you can celebrate your 1,300-mile journey with a blast from Old Faithful, the famous natural geyser.

Your main driving routes are via I-90 W, US-14 W, & US-26 W.

3. DESERT DRAMA DRIVE -- PHOENIX TO GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA

One of our favorite drives begins in Phoenix, AZ, and travels 230 miles north and west, through some of the most dramatic rocky landscapes on the planet, ending at the Grand Canyon.

Your first must see stop is Taliesin West in Scottsdale. This house, designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is a national historic landmark, nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains. It is home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

Next, check out and ecologically focused Arcosanti, an urban laboratory focused on innovative design, community, & environmental accountability. 

Head north into red rock country, Sedona, where your mind will be blown by the striking colors, shapes, and gigantic size of the rock formations, seen nowhere else in the world. It is considered both by indigenous tribes and modern day New Age spiritual leaders as a center for "spiritual vortices." 

Then head further north to reach the epic Grand Canyon. You will likely choose to just see a piece of the 277-mile long gorge, although you’ll want to see it all some day. A result of almost 2 billion years of geological history is exposed, since the Colorado River sliced its way through over a mile of layered rock to form this magnificent wonder.

You will drive via I-17 N and AZ-64 W to experience this amazingly beautiful drive.

4. A MOST GLORIOUS COASTAL DRIVE -- PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, CALIFORNIA

Breathtaking views roll out along the Pacific Coast Highway (aka US Route 1), where California meets the ocean.

The 500-mile stretch, from San Francisco to San Diego begins, begins at the lovely Half Moon Bay. Check out the Jetty, (aka the Breakwater), a man-made break with unusual waves shaped by reflections from the breakwater at Pillar Point Harbor. 

The Montara State Marine Reserve & Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area, just north of Half Moon Bay, is an underwater park that protects local ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Then loop around to 17 Mile Drive, a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula.

It hugs the Pacific coastline and passes the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Course, as well as many spectacular mansions and estates.

Roll down and around Big Sur, over the Bixby Bridge, and commune with sea lions, condors, and other gorgeous wildlife.

The head south through the Hollywood hideaway of Malibu beach to chill in style. 

And end your journey in San Diego, for a night out in the funky Gaslamp Quarter.

Read more about Beautiful Drives in Beautiful Drives Through Americana Now.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

Want more stories like this? Sign up for our weekly BN Newsletter, Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr. Join our BeautifulNow Community and connect with the most beautiful things happening in the world right now!

Do you have amazing photos? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition. We run new creative competitions every week! Now, it’s even easier to enter with the new BeautifulNow App!

Plus check out the rest of our App’s beautiful features. It’s free to download here.

IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Dennis Jarvis. “Colours & Rain.” Cape Breton's Cabot Trail.  Nova Scotia, Canada.
2. Image: by Chris Dupe. “Low Waters.” Kancamagus Highway. NH.
3. Image: by Garret Ward. “Milky Way2.”  Kancamagus Highway. NH.
4. Image: by Jasperdo. “Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire.” Kancamagus Highway. NH.
5. Image: by Pete Zarria. “Badlands So. Dakota.” Badlands National Park, SD.
6. Image: by John Hyun. “Mount Rushmore.” Mount Rushmore National Park, SD.
7. Image: by manufrakass. “Devils Tower.” WY.
8. Image: by Allison Richards. “Old Faithful.” Yellowstone National Park, WY.
9. Image: by Alan Levine. “The Desert Flowers Called Me Over.” AZ 87. Phoenix, AZ.
10. Image: by Nick Musso. “taliesin pano sm.” Taliesin West. Scottsdale, AZ.
11. Image: by Jeremy Reding. “Arcosanti.” Yavapai County, AZ.
12. Image: by Daxis. “Sedona - Red Rocks.” Sedona, AZ.
13. Image: by Erik Anestad. ”Grand Canyon South Rim.” Grand Canyon, AZ.
14. Image: by Kevin Thomas. “Pacific Coast Highway.” CA.
15. Image: by The Dewolfs. “Half Moon Bay.” Half Moon Bay, CA.
16. Image: by Jamie Bernstein. “17 Mile Drive.” Monterey, CA.
17. Image: by Spiros Vathis. “17-Mile Drive.” Del Monte Forest. Monterey, CA.
18. Image: by Praveen. “17 Mile Drive.” Monterey, CA.
19. Image: by Steve Corey. “The Other Side of Bixby Bridge.” Big Sur, CA.
20. Image: by James. “Busy Gaslamp Quarter.” San Diego, CA.
21. Image: by Drew Geraets. “I-90.” SD.
22. Image: by BN App - Download now!
23. Image: by SC Fiasco. “Sedona.” Sedona, AZ.