North American Road Trips

North American Road Trips by martin Derrick is a rock-solid list of 36 scenic drives, mostly in America but with a few Canadian ones tossed into the mix. There's nothing that will surprise anyone here, but since it's meant to be a greatest hits that's to be expected.

I should say "greatest hits" with the added goal of offering a variety of geographic regions. If this were truly simply the most scenic roads, I'd argue that the vast majority if not all of them would be out west, whose stunning mountain, canyons, and rock formations have a grandeur that's tough for the East to match.

The first two are a bit surprising given that they're in Hawaii, not usually the first place one's mind goes to when thinking of driving America. They look beautiful based on the photos, but it's a little odd as a starting choice. From Hawaii we move to Alaska with the Seward Highway and the road from Anchorage to Valdez, two trips I can vouch for (I was a bit surprised Denali didn't make it here). Then it's some oldies but goodies in the contiguous West, including the Pacific Coast Highway (split into two parts), the Columbia River Scenic Byway, and the Going-to the-Sun road in Glacier National Park. Nobody who has driven any of these would have any argument on their inclusion here. The same holds true for Utah's route 12 (which is definitely in my own top five) and Monument Valley. We're in mountain country with Pikes Peak Highway and the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado, and then we leave the high country for the most part with less magnificent but still beautiful scenic drives that include the Bayou in Louisiana, the Mississippi Great River Road (divided into two sections), Route 66 (more for nostalgia than actual scenery I'd say).
Out east we're more into roads along water (Miami to Key West, Cape Cod), or rolling hills/smaller mountains (Blue Ridge Parkway, Route 100 Vermont, etc.) And finally, the two Canadian routes are the Cabot trail in Nova Scotia and the Sea to Sky Highway north of Vancouver.

As noted, it's hard to argue with any of these if one accepts the goal of spreading the drives across the whole country, though anyone who has driven extensively might quibble here and there and offer up a few other possibilities. But if you accept this as a greatest hits, and that another text/source will provide a sort of "lesser known" scenic drives, Derrick makes the selections one would mostly expect.

Each road entry has a small inset map, a series of absolutely gorgeous photos (these might be worth the book's price alone), a very brief description of the route, and an inset of "Must See" stops along the way. It's not an exhaustive accounting by any measure, and because Derrick has to be much more selective given so many options and so little space, it's easier here to come up with alternatives. I'm not sure, for instance, I'd have recommended Disneyland (not because it isn't worth a visit but because it's so well known) or Venice Beach (too touristy for my liking) on the Pacific Highway. But with so much online, it isn't like the vast majority people can't do that kind of bore-down-into-the-details research elsewhere.

North American Road Trips is a nice all-in-one-place source for what are definitely essential drives in this country (and Canada). It's concise, beautifully enhanced with stunning photos to lure you in, and offers up just a little information about possible side trips/stops. Not a bad starting point for anyone planning a single trip, looking for a lengthy road trip, or planning for multiple years.

I am an armchair traveller aficionado and I believe I have read more books about great American road trips than your average Joe, so I have become a pretty astute judge at what makes a travel book successful – the photos. This book has some of the most gorgeous job dropping photography I’ve ever seen. These are pictures you can fall into and get lost. And for those lucky enough to make the journey for real, there’s plenty of practical information about how to make each of these 36 trips a reality

Wow!

Okay, I admit it. I’m a reader that can be drawn in by pretty pictures. Oh boy, this book does not disappoint. It details 36 great north American road trips. Each trip includes a map, glorious photos, and helpful information that will make you want to pack your bags and jump into the car. The author provides information on trip time, the best time to visit, and places to stop along the route.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I don’t often purchase books that I’ve already read but this is really the perfect coffee table book. I plan on getting a hard copy. I would recommend it for both the serious and the occasional traveler.

North American Road Trips presents a smart survey of coast to coast road trips across the US and Canada. Starting from the West in Hawaii and ending Nova Scotia in the East, the trips all provide great opportunities to get a feel for the diversity of North America. As such, this isn't a book of the 'most beautiful roadtips in the US' (most of which would likely be on the West Coast), but instead provides a really great way to experience all that North America has to offer - from kitschy tourist attractions along Route 66 to the black sand beaches of Hawaii, Louisiana bayous to Death Valley starkness. It's all covered here: culture, desert, forest, rain forest, jungle, historical sights, swamps, Americana, volcanos, coastlines. It's like a bucket list of places to go see in a lifetime.

The book has a lot of beautiful images, many of them clearly from drones. Really, the only detractor of this book is that the images are grossly oversaturated and unrealistic to what you will actually see when you do these drives. But as eye candy, they do inspire and make you want to visit these locations.

Each of the roadtrips has a short few sentences general overview, several pages of detailed discussions about the route, and large maps showing the location and where you will travel. Under the maps is a callout box with specific information about the start/end point, the roads used, distance, driving time, and best time of the year to go. The photographs are large and all captioned. There is another callout box with 'must see' recommendations on the routes.

Because the trips are listed from West to East, they are easy to reference. The table of contents is also very clear with nearly all the trips nicely descriptive to give you an idea of what you will be seeing (e.g., Turquoise Trail, New Mexico and Cap Cod Route 6a, Massachuseets).

The appeal of the book is that the road trips are comprehensive for the American (and 2 Canadian) milieu: history/culture (saloons, native Americans, route 66 Americana, Civil War, Revolutionary war) complementing the nature. It is easy to do a simple "most beautiful American drives" but much harder to create a group of drives that really showcase a complete North America picture. But it is all here and nicely presented - a guide that beautifully showcases the perfect vacation for many years to come. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I spent three weeks this year, with my family, driving around California and touching some of Arizona and Nevada. We all loved it. There was just so much to see and such variety! It thoroughly whetted our appetites for more road trip adventures. So I’d started to explore where our next trip might take us when I spotted this book. It details 36 scenic drives across, around and through America and parts of Canada. For each route, details are provided of the precise roads to take, the total distance and (most importantly) what you’ll see on the way. The length of the journeys varies considerably but the book is at pains to stress that even the shorter trips can usefully fill days of exploration and discovery.

There are some classic routes here – e.g. Pacific Coast Highway & Route 66 – but many more are (to me at least) surprising and, I have to say, hugely tempting. Seeing the amazing photographs that adorn just about every page really did prompt me to start making a shortlist of which of these routes (or which combination of routes) will comprise our next trip. The images are absolutely stunning! This book really can be used as a tool to plan your own trip(s) but it’s an equally a gorgeous ‘thing’ that would happily sit on a coffee table, waiting for the next person to pick it up, leaf through it, enjoy the the beauty of the photographs – and dream.

So what will my next trip look like? Well, I’m toying with coupling a few routes together – though I’ve yet to fully address the logistics:

- Miami to Key West, Florida
- Mississippi Great River Road II – Tennessee to Louisiana
- Bayou Cruise, Louisiana

I’ll enjoy the planning – but I can’t wait for the trip!

As an avid hiker, I was drawn to this book. While I know I'll never get to most of these places, just seeing the amazing pictures and reading all the thorough information was almost enough. Very enjoyable.

This is a gorgeous book and one that I highly recommend to travelers, both armchair and ready to go. The photos are so beautiful and evoke the best of the American spirit. The narratives add a deeper dimension to the book. A number of trips are described that can be taken on classic American roads in all parts of the country. Enjoy looking at places you have been while dreaming about where you would like to go next. You won't regret spending time with this volume.

Just for the photos themselves this book is outstanding. This would be a great coffee table book. Each location gives maps and tips on how to complete the road trip. My favorite feature is the "Must See" section at the bottom. It features a few major attractions worth the stop. This book has a diverse amount of locations. I also love the history or facts about the locations as well. Beautiful book!

North American Road Trips Unforgettable Journeys of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick form Quarto Publishing Group - Chartwell Books. The title, Unforgettable Journeys of a Lifetime, and the description, Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime say it all. Beautiful photographs will hook you and remind you of the wonders of North America. Included in the road trips are jaunts in Alaska, Hawaii, Key West Florida along with main land USA and Canada. I recommend this book for everyone, arm chair travelers, newbie travelers, seasoned travelers, dreamers and everyone else. This beautiful and useful book would make a wonderful gift.
Thank you Martin Derrick, Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

America and the road trip go hand in hand since we're such a driving culture. I love road trips, so when this came up on NetGalley I jumped on it because I am always eager to add to my bucket list.

This book is great almost from the beginning in that the table of contents lays out your journey. This book can either be read cover to cover, or dip in and out as time allows/as the journeys pique your interest. While other reviewers have commented on the odd choice of starting with Hawaii, I like that element of difference. Everyone thinks of the classic western road trips - and they're covered - it's nice to have something new. I think the narratives added nicely to the maps and trips themselves, making them slightly more human. He's a good writer and the stories flowed well. I'd like very much to travel with him.

While I would definitely buy this for others, I think I'd prefer to buy it in paper as it is one of those you read & refer back to. It's fine electronically, just not my preferred for travel guides. I also think the maps' callout books would work better in print.

This book makes me want to get in the car and start exploring these wonderful sights. The photographs are amazing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am definitely going to buy this book! I've done some of these road trips, but would love to do more, based on the descriptions and beautiful photos in this book. Each "road trip" has a written description, as well as some breathtaking photos that make you want to visit those sites along the road. Trips cover nearly every state in the union (plus a couple of trips in Canada), but each trip would be a superb vacation. I have to say the best part of this book is the photography. Even a quick browse through these stunning photos will convince you to plan a road trip!
One caution to the reader: the driving time listed for these road trips is just that. If you stop anywhere (or if any distance along the road has lower speed limits), you won't be even close to that driving time. For instance, the Hawaii Belt Road lists a driving time of 5-6 hours, but that's based on 55 miles per hour. MUCH of that road has speed limits of 40 mph or less. I'd double that time to make it realistic.

A must read for all armchair travelers. The North American Road Trips by Martin Derrick is a list of 36 scenic drives in America He has included beautiful photos, maps and suggestions of where to stop to eat along the way . I cannot travel so I enjoyed this journey through America that I will never see. Such wonderful choices here on where to stay that each reader will find themselves ready to pack their bags. This book truly takes you away from the drudgery of everyday life. Very well done.

I received an ARC that did not influence my review.

What a wonderful little book. Perfect for the armchair traveller in Australia right through to the avid adventurer embarking on the North American Road Trips.