The content of the article:
- Beautiful American Roads
Car travel in America is incredibly popular, even if it doesn't have a final destination. Americans love travel for the sake of travel, so a leisurely autotrip from one day to a month will be one of the brightest adventures in life.
Beautiful American Roads
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Mountains Road winds its way along the Appalachian Mountains, connecting two national parks - Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains.
The scenic highway project was created under President Roosevelt, and the first stone was laid on September 11, 1935. Construction began simultaneously at two opposite ends, marching towards each other from North Carolina to Virginia. In 1936, the highway was officially named Blue Ridge Parkway and became part of the National Park Service.
Construction work on the 755-kilometer track took more than 52 years and was of great historical and economic importance to America. With a high-quality and large road network, President Roosevelt planned to lift the country out of the Great Depression by offering thousands of jobs.
The final touch was the construction of the beautiful Lynn Cove Viaduct near Grandfather Mountain, complementing the composition of countless tunnels and bridges that run over the canyons and rivers of the two states.
The protected park road has become the most visited attraction not only in Virginia and the Carolina, but also among other National Parks in the country. In addition, it is a really important road artery, while at the same time offering beautiful views from specially equipped observation decks, as well as the possibility of camping.
In winter, some sections of the road are blocked due to bad weather, low clouds, fog and freezing temperatures. The proximity of groundwater leads to the formation of a thick layer of ice at the top points, which is extremely dangerous for motorists and makes it difficult for special services to maintain the road.
The highway is free of charge along its entire length for any transport, except for commercial ones. Despite the speed limit of 70 km / h, this road is an absolute example of American culture.
Pacific highway
This highway is a must-see as it runs along the beautiful West Coast and is rich in views and attractions.
The 1,055 km long path began its existence in 1913 and connected Los Angeles and San Francisco. The two-lane, winding track features a leisurely ride that doesn't tire Americans and tourists alike. If there are several alternative roads, motorists still choose the Pacific Highway for its beauty and unpredictability.
Traveling along the Pacific Highway, travelers will be able to see the place where dreams come true - Hollywood, as well as many kilometers of Malibu beaches.
Near the town of San Simeon, you can admire the games of several thousand elephant seals that populate huge beaches and bays, and in Moro Bay you can see a real 177-meter extinct volcano and a port built of 23 million years old stones.
Impressive is Senator Hirst's mansion on Enchanted Hill, which has become a historical monument, and one of the most recognizable bridges in the world - the Golden Gate.
The delicate architecture of Santa Barbara, vineyards and wineries, the lilac sands of Pfeiffer Beach and coastal Monterrey with the freshest seafood and whale watching excursions will make your highway trip unforgettable.
Even when the road veers away from the ocean, tourists can still enjoy the long alleys of lush trees.
Path to the sun
The construction of a 50-kilometer route, piercing the entire Glacier National Park (Glacier), was completed in 1932, making it almost a greater attraction than the reserve itself.
The park, named after the eponymous peak in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, is called the Crown of the Continent. It preserves the intact ecosystem of the pre-Columbian era, allows grizzly bears to freely exist, and as entertainment it offers only to observe and admire the wild nature.
At the foot of the park there is a continental divide, where rivers flow into either the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean. A completely paved road crosses it, winding between mountains, balancing dangerously on steep cliffs, diving into tunnels and climbing over passes, which, thanks to such difficulties, only becomes more attractive for auto travelers.
The highest point accessible for transport is the Logan mountain pass, located at an altitude of 2025 meters above sea level. Enjoy the spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains from observation decks or specially equipped picnic areas, as well as staying at one of the park's several campgrounds.
The entrance to the park is paid, and the road itself is open only in summer due to the specifics of the climate. Since the highway is very narrow and devoid of roadsides, but abounds in observation decks, it is patrolled by rangers throughout its entire length. If travelers stop outside of these areas or there is a traffic jam of motorists and cyclists, rangers will quickly resolve the problem by ensuring continuity of movement.
Texas hill country
Texas is not the most attractive state in America, with gentle hills, small dusty towns and abandoned farms. However, there is a track here that will surprise even the most sophisticated traveler.
The first Spanish settlers brought wine to this harsh land of cowboys and prairies, and now the quantity, quality and picturesqueness of Texas vineyards is one of the main attractions of this region.
Moving between wineries, tourists will enjoy the stunning wildflower carpets. Texans are very fond of their landscapes and, on the eve of spring, literally attack with information about the routes to visit the fields, information about the types of flowers and other useful information.
Lupines of all imaginable colors, which are harmoniously diluted with flowers under the name "Indian blanket", are raging especially brightly in the fields. Tradenscantia, ragweed, phlox - simple and natural beauty make drivers stop by the curb for great photos.
Texas Hill Country is not only a road, it is the history of an entire state and its inhabitants. It branches off to farm ranches where peaches grow abundantly, to small breweries, along towns where local retirees play accordions right on the street, to karst caves that provide residents with drinking water.
Explaining the phenomenon of this area and the excitement around the Texas-Hill-Country highway, Americans call it a piece of old America. Colorful, atmospheric, with its own architecture, with an unusual American-Spanish cuisine, as well as with the views for which hundreds of Americans move here to meet a cozy old age.
Great river road
The legendary highway, which clearly demonstrates the life and history of the most vibrant and colorful southern states of America, follows the famous Mississippi River. The Great River Road combines several different highways and is 4,000 kilometers long, stretching across 10 states.
The project of a unique track was born in 1938 with the aim of attracting tourists to the most famous river in the country.The idea of combining the existing roads with the construction of a new single route was almost killed by the Second World War, but studies showed such a high return on investment and prestige for the country that it was unanimously approved for implementation.
The commission, which includes representatives from 10 states and two Canadian provinces, still exists today and is engaged in the maintenance, conservation, development and promotion of the route and resources of the legendary river.
The project, which demanded $ 314 million, was completed in the 70s and tried to educate everyone on the route about the history, culture, architecture and natural resources of the American South. Following the river route, tourists will be able to:
- take a walk in the colossal Itasca Park in Minnesota, where hundreds of lakes and untouched forests;
- visit the apple valley of Minneapolis with a museum of Russian art and one of the country's archery water parks;
- climb the 192-meter West Gate in St. Louis;
- plunge into the world of Elvis Presley in Graceland;
- to feel the unprecedented fun of the cheerful New Orlen, which has gone through so many troubles, but has retained the spirit of the French flavor.
In some places of the great Mississippi, you can wade, then get tired of knotty elms and an abundance of midges, turn somewhere in San Francisco or California. And then, along one of the winding secondary roads, again to see ahead of the blue ribbon of the river, which is already spreading and frightening with its power.
The Great River Road can be called one huge theme park, where today casinos will stun the traveler, and tomorrow - the silence of swamps and forests, where vibrant American culture is replaced by completely wild voodoo rituals.
The road along the Mississippi is a lifelong journey.
There are almost 200,000 miles of high-quality motorways in the United States, which are completely different from each other in terms of the impressions they leave.
