Think about your last vacation. What do you remember? Did you hurry from one activity or place to another, getting a bird’s-eye view of too many things to enjoy the journey?
If so, there’s good news. You can use 2024 to do something different: Explore iconic highways, ride the rails to multiple destinations or board a riverboat on the country’s waterways.
“There’s a growing trend called ‘slow tourism,’ a chance to enjoy the journey, make memories, eat like a local, participate in experiences and discover the heart of a destination,” says Berkeley Young, president of tourism research and consulting firm Young Strategies Inc. “You can travel by road, rail or boat; set your own pace; and create lasting memories—all without a passport.”
Similarly, Kim Orlando, founder and CEO of women’s travel site SheBuysTravel, says she’s seen an increase in domestic travel for all kinds of users—families, girls’ getaways, affinity groups and multi-generational travelers.
“Domestic destinations are packed with experiences that range from riverboat cruising to road trips, and it’s usually more affordable than traveling overseas,” she says. “Vacation varieties are endless: mountains, desert, oceans, lake life. Busy cities and charming small towns offer travelers diverse cultural experiences and cuisines.”
Kim says domestic travel has many advantages.
“The language, roads and monetary systems are familiar, and time differences are not as drastic, giving you more fun time in your destination and less stress,” she says. “You can literally hop in your car and go.”
Asphalt Icons
When you ask people about America’s iconic drives, three or four big routes come to mind, depending on where you live: the Pacific Coast Highway from Dana Point, California, to Leggett, Washington; historic Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica/Los Angeles; and U.S. 1 on the East Coast from Key West, Florida, to Fort Kent, Maine.
“Taking a road trip along any of America’s iconic highways opens up a whole world of itineraries, regardless of where you live and what you enjoy,” Berkeley says. “Whether you take a long weekend or an extended trip, consider exploring some of the country’s more unusual and diverse regions defined by their distinctive highways.”
He says a highway route rather than a connect-the-dots system of interstates can make for a more relaxing vacation.
Ride the Rails
With more than 21,400 miles of routes and more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada, travel via Amtrak connects people to big cities, small towns, national parks, historic sites, popular travel destinations and off-the-beaten-path adventures.
“Train travel can be a good alternative to driving or flying, and these days, customers have many options when taking a trip by rail,” says Kimberly Woods, senior public relations manager at Amtrak’s Washington, D.C., office. “Diverse destinations and the variety of routes and accommodations broaden choices, whether you’re traveling with children, as a couple, solo or with a group of friends.”
Amtrak is the only national passenger rail service in the United States. In 2023, it had more than 28 million passengers, according to the company’s annual report.
“We’re seeing a strong increase in people who choose to travel with us because of the convenience, the chance to see more of the country than flying and the simple novelty of being on a train,” Kimberly says.
Amtrak offers multiple options to travel short distances, such as from Washington, D.C., to New York, Chicago to Milwaukee and various locations in Southern California.
Leisure travelers opt for overnight travel on several long-distance trains. The configurations of accommodations can include several types of service. First class offers private rooms with chairs that convert to upper and lower berths, larger bedrooms, family suites and accessible bedrooms. Coach cars have extra legroom and dedicated luggage storage.
A white-tablecloth dining car features traditional chef-curated menus. Customers can visit a cafe car to buy more casual options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Passengers can also bring their own food, beverages and snacks. Basic Wi-Fi is offered, and passengers can travel with small pets or bring their bicycles.
The Auto Train offers daily service from Lorton, Virginia, to Sanford, Florida, and allows customers to travel with vehicles.
In the Northeast between Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, customers travel for work, vacation or day trips. However, as Amtrak’s routes fan out westward, the number of leisure travelers increases.
“You can board in New York and travel along the East Coast to Washington, D.C., to Florida and as far south to Miami,” Kimberly says. “Chicago is our hub for Western itineraries to Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Oakland/San Francisco; and Los Angeles with a variety of other destinations along the way in large cities and smaller towns alike.”
In addition to direct routes, spur lines fill in across the lower half of the country. The Amtrak USA Rail Pass includes hop on/off access for 10 segments over 30 days for a single fare.
“When you travel by train, you can be as busy or relaxed as you want,” Kimberly says. “You’ll have space to work, read, watch movies on your devices, have good old-fashioned face-to-face conversations or just sit back and look out the window to enjoy the scenery.”
Rolling Down the River
The sight of a paddle-wheeler cruising down the Mississippi River conjures up romantic images of an earlier time in America’s history when waterways transported pioneers and settlers westward. Today, traveling by riverboat or small ship has been significantly modernized, yet the romance and adventure remain.
River cruises allow visitors to enjoy laid-back transportation with an itinerary of interesting stops.
“Cruising the Mississippi River, you can visit St. Louis to see the iconic Gateway Arch National Park, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, and Forest Park and its many free attractions,” says Katie Blake, public relations specialist with Missouri Division of Tourism. “Smaller towns along the river reveal much of the country’s history and culture, especially because many of them were founded as the nation grew.”
Alexa Paolella, manager of public relations for American Cruise Lines, says people love the different twist on U.S. vacations that small ships offer.
Traveling the country’s waterways by riverboat opens a whole new experience that’s like a flashback in time,” she says. “No passport is required, and your hotel travels with you from port to port, so you unpack once. It’s a much more relaxed pace for discovery with more time to explore small river towns and picturesque shoreside villages, especially the places large cruise ships don’t go.”
American Cruise Lines’ fleet of 19 ships sail America’s coastlines and rivers. Accommodations vary from 90 to 180 passengers, depending on the vessel. Classic paddle-wheelers and modern riverboats navigate the Mississippi and Columbia rivers.
The company’s small cruise ships transport guests along both coasts, with itineraries in Alaska and Puget Sound and cruises exploring the New England coast all the way to the Florida Keys. It has also added national park tours to its offerings.
Many of the company’s itineraries are themed around music, history or cuisine that explore the distinctive characteristics of each ship’s ports of call.
“All our cruises offer a variety of experiences and activities ashore each day, providing access to larger cities but also the opportunity to relish the unique experiences only found in the smaller towns along the way,” Alexa says. “Onboard, curated entertainment and chef-prepared daily meals complement the comfortable and relaxing travel that comes with sailing on America’s waterways.”
Best Resources for Local Knowledge
“Some of the best planning resources are state tourism divisions and local convention and visitors bureaus,” Berkeley says. “Their job is to know their states, towns and counties and to provide easy ways to take a vacation that suits your interests and lifestyles.”
Every state has a dedicated tourism department with staff who promote visitation by creating trip plans around music, food, culture and history. Research them first before drilling down to specific stops along the way via city/town or county-specific visitors bureaus and welcome centers.
“State and local agencies work with local attractions, accommodations, dining and special events and maintain extensive information about what to do, the best times to visit, outdoor activities and much more,” he says. “They have access to information about recommended routes and many times offer promotions for hotels, restaurants and attractions.”
Key travel planning resources include state tourism and economic departments, and local convention and visitors bureaus.
Berkeley says true leisure travel is about the experience, but vacationers in a hurry to get where they’re going may miss interesting discoveries along the way.
“Just remember: Don’t sweat the tiny details,” he says. “Determine the path you want to explore, book your transportation and some lodging, and get out there,” he says. “Fill in your itinerary as you go along. Meet locals and eat local. Be adventuresome—go find the real America.”
Asphalt Icons: Take Your Pick for Your Next Road Trip Discovery
By Pamela A. Keene
Ohio native Kim Taddie saw the ocean for the first time when she was nearly 22 years old, landing a job in Ocean City, Maryland. She’s been exploring ever since. She and her husband, Gordon McLachlan, have traveled across North America and around the globe. Now residents of Ocean Beach, California, they have spent much of their 40-year marriage on the road.
“Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, our family would go camping but only to places nearby, so I’d never really been anywhere until my early 20s,” says Kim, a retired nurse practitioner. “When we met, Gordon had been an avid traveler, not just in the U.S. but all over the planet. It was a perfect match: I wanted to travel more, and Gordon was living my dream.”
Aside from their globe-trotting, they’ve traversed the United States, mostly on the road in their motorhome. One of Kim’s favorite courses is along the first transcontinental highway, Route 66 between Chicago and Southern California.
“Traveling along the two-lane asphalt road is like going back to the 1950s with roadside attractions, motor courts, crazy statues and all kinds of nostalgia,” she says. “It’s not as popular as a travel route since the interstates have opened up, but it is so worth the drive because of what it represents in our country’s history.”
Among Gordon’s favorite routes is the 1,650-mile Pacific Coast Highway, which hugs the shores of the Pacific Ocean from Dana Point, California, north to Leggett, Washington.
“Spectacular views, the chance to see whales and other wildlife offshore, plus memorable sights like Big Sur between Carmel and San Simeon, the Avenue of the Giants in Weott, California, and the Heceta Head Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon, are why we keep going back,” he says. “Camping in state parks along the way allows us to take our time and discover other treasures, too.”
Nicky Omohundro, an Oklahoma City-based editor who launched Littlefamilyadventure.com to encourage family travel, says the country’s iconic highways are a great place to start a family road trip.
“Each has its own trademark stops, like the Delta Blues Trail that’s part of the Great River Road along the Mississippi River and, of course, Route 66,” she says.
Nicky advises tackling renowned highways in sections, and she often travels with no cellphone, just a map.
“For me, when we do this, it’s more about the journey than the destination,” she says. “And we’re never disappointed.
“Kitschy street art in many of the towns, retro diners, motor courts and gas stations are just a few of the reasons we love Route 66. You almost have to see it to believe it. Giant statues of American music and film stars like Elvis, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe at the Braidwood, Illinois, Polk-A-Dot Drive In and the Catoosa, Oklahoma, Blue Whale prove the point. The route doesn’t really take itself too seriously.”