GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted January
    1st, 2017

    Winter Road Trips

    Happy Camper Blog

    Winter Road
    Trips

    Now that the holidays are over, you probably can’t wait to hit the
    road again. But you don’t have to wait until springtime. Here are five great
    road trips you can take this winter:

     

    VIRGINIA
    Skyline Drive | Shenandoah National
    Park

    Skyline Drive is the only public road that runs through Shenandoah
    National Park and it spans 105 miles along the crest of the beautiful Blue
    Ridge Mountains. There are four entry points: Front Royal near Routes 66 and
    340, Thornton Gap at Route 211, Swift Run Gap at Route 33 and Rockfish Gap at
    Routes 64 and 250. On a clear day, it will take you about three hours to
    travel this scenic road and there are 75 overlooks along the way. If you’re
    driving an RV, be prepared to shift into low gear and be sure your rig will
    clear Mary’s Rock Tunnel which is 12′ 8″ high.

     

    FLORIDA
    Big Bend Scenic Byway | Florida
    Panhandle

    This scenic byway, which covers about 220 miles, can be accessed
    from Apalachicola in the west, Tallahassee Regional Airport in the north, or
    Newport in the east. The byway is divided into six “spurs,” each with their
    own scenic attractions. Here are just a few examples. Coastal Trail East
    travels through the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and to the historic
    St. Marks Lighthouse on Apalachee Bay. Coastal Trail Central offers views of
    beach houses, seagrass beds and the Alligator Harbor Aquatic Preserve.
    Coastal Trail West leads to Eastpoint, a commercial fishing village offering
    seafood markets and restaurants and views of huge piles of oyster shells and
    wooden boats as evidence of the area’s thriving oyster industry. From there,
    you can cross the Bryant Patton Bridge to St. George Island, a 28-mile
    barrier island offering beautiful beaches, a bike trail, kayak rentals,
    fishing, boating and hiking.

     

    TEXAS
    Texas Hill Country

    The Texas Hill Country is known for its clear blue skies, beautiful
    countryside and quaint historic towns, and there are several scenic drives
    you can take in this region. The 13-mile Willow City Loop begins in
    Fredericksburg and travels over hills and valleys, offering views of creeks,
    meadows and cliffs. The Swiss Alps of Texas loop spans between 80 and 130
    miles, depending on the route you take. It crosses the Medina and Sabinal
    Rivers and features breathtaking views of its namesake hills in Leakey which
    are up to 2,400 feet high and have deep canyons created by the Frio and
    Nueces Rivers. The third route, the Gruene-Fredericksburg-Bandera Loop,
    travels between Gruene, Fredericksburg and Kerrville and is a relaxing drive
    that offers views of rolling hills, farmland and rivers, and there are
    country stores, museums and dance halls along the way.

    NEW MEXICO
    The High Road | Santa Fe to
    Taos

    It’s always good advice to take the high road, but in New Mexico,
    you can do just that – literally. The 105-mile High Road runs from Santa Fe
    to Taos and takes about 2 ½ hours to drive if you don’t stop along the way.
    It offers spectacular views of New Mexico’s legendary scenery that has
    inspired so many artists. In fact, the beautifully-preserved Spanish
    Colonial-style San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, located in the Ranchos
    de Taos Historic District, served as an inspiration for both Georgia O’Keeffe
    and Ansel Adams. Visiting this region also offers an excellent opportunity to
    learn more about Native American and Spanish cultures. Taos Pueblo, which has
    been continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years, has been designated both a
    World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. And Santa Fe, which was
    founded in 1610, making it the oldest capital city in the U.S., is
    widely-renowned as a city of arts, culture and history.

    UTAH
    Moab’s Scenic Byways

    If you’re in search of awe-inspiring scenery, you surely won’t be
    disappointed if you head to the Moab region in southern Utah. The area is
    known for its stunning red rock landscape that attracts photographers,
    bikers, hikers, ATVers and other adventurers. The Upper Colorado River Scenic
    Byway travels 44 miles along the Colorado River gorge and passes locations
    where many westerns and TV commercials have been filmed. The Moab to Monument
    Valley Film Commission operates a museum here, and admission is free. The
    17-mile Potash-Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway offers views of dinosaur
    tracks, rock art petroglyphs and “Wall Street,” a popular climbing area that
    features 500-foot sandstone cliffs. Dead Horse Mesa Scenic Byway, which
    stretches 35 miles, will take you through miles of postcard-worthy red rock
    vistas and it’s worth paying the entry fee to Dead Horse Point State Park to
    enjoy the panoramic views of Canyonlands’ dramatic pinnacles and buttes from
    a vantage point 2,000 feet above the Colorado River.

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