Now that summer is here, most people will be taking vacations, including road trips. Reader’s Digest has put together a new book, the first in the Great American Road Trips series, that covers Scenic Drives. Hoping to inspire readers to travel and explore the wide-opens spaces and breathtaking views of our country, “Great American Road Trips – Scenic Drives: Discover Insider Tips, Must-See Stops, Nearby Attractions and More” is a complete guide to making road trips easier.

“Great American Road Trips” begins with a foreword by the editors that explains the purpose of this book “These trips will take you on an odyssey in your car, van or RV.” These drives range from the ones that lead to beaches to the more adventurous, like a trip along North America’s highest paved road, the Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado. Each one is a firsthand experience from travelers and photographers themselves and comes with helpful added tips like length of trip, fun facts, nearby attractions, and “not to be missed” points of interest. All this is highlighted by over 140 gorgeous photos. The information is divided into five parts: West (Seward Highway in Alaska, Big Sur Coast in California), Southwest (Apache Trail in Arizona, Texas Hill Country in Texas), Midwest (Illinois River Road in Illinois, North Shore Scenic Drive in Minnesota), Southeast (Bayou Country in Louisiana, Cherokee Foothills Byway in South Carolina), and Northeast (Cape Cod’s Route 6 in Massachusetts, Vermont Route 108 in Vermont).

Whether taking a cross country trip or planning a staycation, “Great American Road Trips” is the ultimate guide to scenic drives. Even if you are not planning a road trip anytime soon, it still contains exceptional pictures and information about each scenic drive. The first person descriptions make them more realistic. Highlight: each section ends with a quote and being from Texas and having lived near Fredericksburg, I am partial to the one after ‘Southwest,’ “Where flowers bloom, so does hope” by Lady Bird Johnson because it accompanies the picture of a field of bluebonnets near Fredericksburg. Seeing all these flowers along side the road every spring is awe-inspiring.  All the pictures are colorful and they make each destination look more inviting. “Great American Road Trips” is an extremely helpful resource for anyone planning a scenic drive or two and might just inspire a bucket list altogether.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.