| Tennessee, Johnson City to Gatlinburg | | | | cool scenery. From Pierre, follow U.S. Route 83 across |
| So dang gorgeous, these 90 miles of rural Tennessee | | | | the Missouri River and striking grasslands to Interstate |
| might inspire you to grab a banjo and strum an | | | | 90, going west. The good stuff isn't visible from the |
| Appalachian love song. Take U.S. Route 11E toward | | | | interstate, so be sure to turn off at Murdo for buffalo |
| Davy Crockett's birthplace (Everyone: "Born on a | | | | burgers, Badlands National Park for dusty canyons and |
| mountaintop..."). At Greenville, where two homes of | | | | Rapid City for dead presidents carved into the Black |
| Andrew Johnson anchor a presidential historic site, | | | | Hills. |
| veer onto U.S. Route 321, skirting the majestic Great | | | | California, Monterey to Morro Bay |
| Smoky Mountains National Park. Next day, depending | | | | Like you needed reminding that state Route 1 along |
| on your preference, visit the park or, for mountains of | | | | California's central coast ranks as one of America's -- |
| a different kind, nearby Dollywood. | | | | heck, the planet's -- best road trips. South of Monterey |
| Florida, Overseas Highway | | | | begins 125 miles of windy highway within incredible |
| Only car-crazy America would link a 105-mile long | | | | scenery, most amazing at Big Sur, where the Santa |
| chain of islands -- from Key Largo, just south of Miami, | | | | Lucia Range slopes steeply into the Pacific. By the |
| west to Key West -- with a highway, U.S. Route 1. | | | | time you hit San Simeon, the Hearst Castle's |
| "You're on either a bridge or a causeway, surrounded | | | | architectural wonders will barely register against what |
| by shimmering water," says Janet Groene, author of | | | | Mother Nature just showed you. |
| Great Eastern RV Trips. "It's a lovely, lovely drive." | | | | Finally, regardless of your road trip, travel pros urge |
| Two tips: Crowds are smaller during spring and early | | | | folks to plan their routes in advance and to pack a |
| summer, and catch the sunset at Key West's Mallory | | | | map, not just directions spat out by a Web site. Don't |
| Square Dock. | | | | be one of those that thinks they know it all and can't |
| South Dakota, Pierre to Mount Rushmore | | | | get lost. Many a great weekend trip has been ruined |
| Mythic Mount Rushmore does not disappoint, even | | | | by such poor planning. For the best maps available go |
| after driving more than 200 miles across jaw-dropping | | | | to DrivingDirectionsAndMaps. |