Sun, sea and sand in Florida
Florida, often nicknamed the Sunshine State, is well-known for its vibrant, cosmopolitan character and exciting theme parks, as typified by Orlando, a city centrally located in the state. In that city, you could even start a road trip that takes you 905 miles to Key Largo, the Express points out.
After booking a holiday package for an Orlando stay, you could hire a car and spend the next ten days visiting - in the following order - Kissimmee, Three Sisters Springs, the Kennedy Space Centre, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Silverball Museum at Delray Beach, Miami and the Everglades National Park. However, many other road trip opportunities abound in Florida...
The civil rights stuff: on the trail of Martin Luther King Jr.
From Florida, it's easy to proceed to explore the rest of the American South. If you are especially fascinated by the history of the American civil rights movement, you could check out sites that played crucial roles in the life story of Martin Luther King Jr.
Those sites include where the man himself was born in Atlanta, Georgia - just one potential road trip stop away from Memphis, Tennessee, where he was assassinated. The American South is also rich in memorials, museums and historic sites commemorating figures of the civil rights movement.
Hit the road - the Great River Road
Staying on the subject of civil rights, the case for these did, of course, lead to the outbreak of the American Civil War in the early 1860s. Both sides of the conflict - the northern Union and southern Confederacy - fought for control of the Mississippi River running through the nation.
That river remains the country's "artery" today - and, by travelling for one to two weeks down the Great River Road running from Minnesota to Louisiana, you can gain a remarkable insight into America's regional culture and population diversity.
Stay in the loop - the Yellowstone loop
If you like to spend much of your time watching David Attenborough documentaries, there's plenty of stunning natural scenery to check out in the States. You can enjoy much of that by pursuing a looping trip taking in large parts of Utah and Idaho as well as West Yellowstone in Montana.
The western United States' beautiful scenery which you can enjoy by doing this includes large blue skies, geysers and hot springs. You can catch sight of abundant wildlife both along the way and in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. As USA TODAY notes, this was America's first national park and, today is home to bison, wolves, bears and elk, among other animals.
Water great way to explore Hawaii
The Aloha State can feel like a soothing oasis, especially given its supply of rainforests, waterfalls and dramatic seascapes. You can see all of those if you take what is known as the Hana Highway - or HI-360, as it is more technically known.
Don't be fooled, though; driving this winding, narrow road can feel like something of a rollercoaster. The route covers the 52-mile distance between the towns of Kahului and Hana and comprises 620 curves and 59 bridges. At least, once you're in Hana, you can relax on its red sand beach as long as the forecast is good, you could even strip off for it as many people indeed do, Travel + Leisure acknowledges...
What would really count as the ultimate American road trip - in other words, one that would give you the best possible understanding of the country's sheer scale? One strong candidate would be the coast-to-coast journey advocated by The Telegraph...
While you would need to drive over 4,000 miles to enjoy this trip in its entirety, it's a surprisingly manageable affair, considering that it doesn't need to last longer than 21 days. Notable US cities where you can stop on this trip include Washington DC, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
You don't have to be afraid to take a few detours along the way, either. Attractions within practical travelling distance of the route proper include Niagara Falls, Grand Teton and the Grand Canyon.
Ultimately, it's up to you where and how you travel by road around the US. The above list might even have given you a few exciting ideas for other trips off the beaten paths - but one thing you can probably already see is that the US is abundant in awe-inspiring attractions just waiting to be enjoyed. Time to hit the road!
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