Adam and I still have fond memories of our road trip across America. Exploring with amazing friends was the key to a great adventure. This is a short summary of what the road was like, where we stopped and what we saw. We’ll focus on pros and cons of the route we picked and what we should have or shouldn’t have done during the trip.

First things first. The road map!

New York

If you consider visiting the entire East coast, you should definitely do it one way. You can save lots of time flying to any of the South cities and start your road trip there instead of renting a car directly in New York and doing a round trip.
Maybe it’s not the cheapest solution, because you have to pay extra for a ‘different return car location’, but you can save a lot of time and energy.
Our flight to Miami was pretty comfortable, not too long and with an amazing view of the city from the plane window

Miami

We should have spent more than one day there! The city has many interesting places to visit and I am not even thinking of the beaches.
You can go to the Wynwood Walls which is ideal for photo shooting and yet not that popular or touristic. Totally worth visiting!
The Star Island is an interesting and not so time absorbing attraction. 2 years before the trip, Adam and I explored it on Google street view and never thought we would ever be there for real.

Key West & Dry Tortugas

Be prepared for a loooong ride. Getting to Key West takes a few hours and even though the views are stunning, the ridiculous speed limit and monotony will make you sleepy and tired.
Book a flight, not a ferry, to Dry Tortugas National Park. It is worth every penny. The view of the coast and small islands from a seaplane, and the flight itself, by all means is an amazing and probably one of a lifetime experience.

The Everglades National Park

Be aware of thieves! Never leave your belongings in a car. We had most of our valuables with us but a little case on the back seat was enough to attract a robber.
Go for a bike ride in the park, but be careful, keep the distance and enjoy watching scary crocodiles in their natural habitat.
Save at least 2 days if you’re up for exploring wildlife in the park

Atlanta

There are probably many interesting places you can visit in Atlanta. The Aquarium is nice for a short stopover. Still, I don’t think we would have stayed there longer if we could..

Savannah

Wow, what a place to be, especially for the Fourth of July Celebration

Cape Canaveral

Check out the Rocket Launch Schedule before planning your visit.
Take the Kennedy Space Center up-close bus tour, drive around major NASA buildings, historically significant launch pads, vehicles and ISS processing facility
The rest of the complex is not that interesting and kind of feels like a disneyland…

Smoky Mountains

It’s a huge National Park, we would have stayed there for a week if we only had more time. Renting a wooden cabin and having a barbecue with friends is a must. Be aware of the mosquitos though..
Stop at as many viewpoints as you can.
Keep away from bigger towns as they are very busy and touristic.
Always fuel your car before going for a ride in the mountains 😉
Yeah, and go see bears!

Erie

Nice for an 1-2 hour stop before crossing the Canadian border.

Niagara Falls…

Uhm… the waterfalls are nice, but if we had to choose, they wouldn’t be our top pick…

Toronto

First but not last impression
The distance between Toronto and Montreal is a little more than we expected. We missed our hotel check in time in Montreal and ended up in a random motel on highway 401. Yet another memorable experience though 😀

Montreal

Feels like a European city.
Vibrant, cultured, bilingual.

Maine – Acadia National Park

The whole route from Montreal is very scenic, but watch for moose when crossing the border in Coburn Gore.
Try some lobster in the island! not a fan…nor an expert, but it’s always good to taste new things.
The views are breathtaking and there are not that many tourists.

Boston

Another wonderful city.
Perfectly combines old and new architecture.

TOP PLACES:

1. New York
2. Key West
3. Cape Canaveral
4. Toronto
5. Maine
6. Boston
7. Smoky Mountains