So named because it connects Tampa on one side to Miami on the other, the Tamiami Trail is Florida’s southernmost cross state highway. This video tells the story of Tamiami driving from east to west. Almost immediately after leaving the Miami suburbs, the route enters The Everglades and follows the northern boundary of Everglades National Park. The first stop is a tour of the park with plenty of alligators, a crocodile and birdlife. Then, continuing west, the trail follows Loop Road into Big Cypress National Preserve where more marshes, alligators and turkey vultures are easy to spot. And there’s also a short hike to find tree snails. For lunch, stop at Joanie's Blue Crab Café, located in the oldest standing building in The Everglades. Then, a short detour leads to Chokoloskee, the island home of Smallwood, on the National Register of Historic Places. Established in 1906, the former trading post has survived numerous hurricanes and is now a museum. Then, back on US 41, look for Fakahatchee Strand Preserve, Florida’s largest state park. Ten minutes farther, take a left onto San Marco Road which goes to Marco Island, known for luxury condos and ritzy resorts. The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is here, too. Because a visit to The Everglades just isn’t complete without actually getting onto the water, the reserve offers several different boat and kayak tours. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

The Las Vegas Strip sparkles as one of the busiest and most famous streets on Earth. And yet, an hour away lies a peaceful scenic byway where the colors of nature rival the bright lights of The Strip. A road trip through Valley of Fire State Park reveals an array of rainbow-colored rock formations, excellent hiking trails and Hollywood movie-making history. You’ll also see Native American petroglyphs dating back several thousand years. While nearby Las Vegas pulses with excitement and constant change, Valley of Fire contrasts with quiet consistency. There’s evidence humans have been active in Valley of Fire for 11,000 years. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

Like most of The Land of Enchantment, the southwestern part is rich in human history. Named the Trail of the Mountain Spirits, this National Scenic Byway blends antiquity with a mystical landscape. This New Mexico road trip starts just off I-25 at exit 63, about 2½ hours south of Albuquerque. Heading west, the first point of interest is tiny Hillsboro. Once prosperous thanks to gold and silver mining, it’s now more of a living ghost town with shops, a couple of restaurants and numerous historic buildings. Then, the scenic byway climbs steeply into the Gila National Forest and eventually enters the Gila Wilderness. This area is so important that in 1924, it became the world’s first designated wilderness when the U.S. Forest Service set aside 755,000 acres. There’s evidence humans have been active here for more than 11,000 years. And the byway leads to the most significant example: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. A trail runs through a canyon where the Mogollon people lived more than 700 years ago. Walking along cliff walls, the path leads into a series of caves where rock walls and ancient timbers define cooking, sleeping and storage areas. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

This National Scenic Byway is the access road to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. While the South Rim is open year-round and a lot easier to reach by highway, it’s also much, much busier, attracting 90% of the park’s six million annual visitors. The North Rim is remote and you can’t get there by vehicle in the winter because the road is closed. The drive to reach the Kaibab Plateau – North Rim Parkway is spectacular, heading north of out of Flagstaff and passing through the western part of the Navajo Nation on its way to such famous attractions as Horseshoe Bend, Lees Ferry and Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. The journey is a fitting setup for one of the world’s most magnificent and beloved natural wonders. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

This All-American Road jumps off the map. When studying the atlas, it doesn’t seem possible that one scenic byway could connect the Outer Banks and, in fact, two ferry rides are needed to make the full journey. The Outer Banks are a chain of barrier islands arcing into the Atlantic and then doubling back to the mainland. Renowned for their isolated beaches, plentiful seafood and a seemingly endless ocean of vacation rentals, a visit also reveals that lighthouses, gardens, hang-gliding and aviation history are big deals here, too, expanding the options for fun in this coastal paradise. In Part 1, we explore the northern part of the Outer Banks, including the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Wright Brothers National Memorial, Jockey’s Ridge State Park and the attractions found on Roanoke Island. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

In Part One, Beautiful Byways took a road trip through the northern half of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. From the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and Wright Brothers National Memorial to the Elizabethan Gardens, there’s a lot more to this coastal paradise than just pretty beaches. In Part Two, our journey down this All-American Road continues into the more remote and most beautiful part of the islands where more lighthouses, shipwrecks and shelling set the scene. Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Graveyard of the Atlantic museum and isolated Ocracoke Island are highlighted. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

As far as scenic drives go, there’s none more stunning or famous than central California’s Big Sur Coast Highway, following the Pacific Ocean from Morro Bay to Monterey. Perhaps it’s the All-American Road’s proximity to Hollywood or California’s long love affair with the car and freeway that have made this route the granddaddy of world-renowned road trips. Or maybe it’s simply the inspirational mix of splendid coastal views accentuated by picture-perfect towns on either end. Regardless, this scenic byway is on the bucket list of many globetrotters. This video begins on the southside, near Morro Bay. The charming harbor is framed by fishing boats with the huge, round Morro Rock in the background. The drive heads north, stopping at Point Piedras Blancas, one of Earth’s top spots to watch elephant seals. After this, the road tightens, hanging onto cliffs high above the Pacific. The highway features numerous pullouts and passes through several small communities including Big Sur, the most well-known town along the way. Although Highway 1 continues north to San Francisco and beyond, our story ends in Monterey, site of Cannery Row and one of the world’s top aquariums. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

In a state with five national parks, it’s not surprising Utah also boasts 28 scenic byways, nine of which are designated as National Scenic Byways. And these roads reach virtually every region of the Beehive State. Logan Canyon and the Nebo Loop feature mountains, forests and lakes. Trail of the Ancients, Dinosaur Diamond and the Energy Loop explore Utah’s extensive human and evolutionary history. Flaming Gorge offers expansive views and small crowds. And Scenic Byway 12, Patchwork Parkway and Zion Scenic Byway connect travelers to sculpted layers of geological beauty, from Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks to Brian Head and Cedar Breaks National Monument. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.

This road trip is a treasure hunt for sandstone formations, dinosaur tracks and Plains Indian rock art in the hills and canyons of the Oklahoma Panhandle. This video is part of America's Most Scenic Roads, the series that led to Beautiful Byways. The drive starts in the Texas Panhandle before crossing into the Oklahoma Panhandle on US 385. What’s remarkable about the remote western part of the Sooner State is its geological and paleontological importance. This is where prairie shortgrass meets the Rocky Mountains. And a lot of dinosaur bones have been unearthed here – 18 tons, in fact. An ancient volcano exploded in present-day Colorado and one of the lava flows ended in Oklahoma. This slow-eroding real estate is called Black Mesa and as the eastern-most extension of the Rockies, it’s the highest point in Oklahoma, elevation 4,963 feet. As the area where the mountains greet the Great Plains, plants and animals are at their westernmost and easternmost ranges. The rocks are impressive, too. Sandstone formations named “The Old Maid” and “The Wedding Party” are scenic representations of millions of years of erosion. And just across the border in Colorado is an unexpected oasis with more great hiking trails and ancient rock art. For more scenic drive inspiration visit Beautiful Byways: https://www.beautifulbyways.com.