Top 10 Hidden American Treasures

Realtravelers Team Edwards celebrated their honeymoon in a truly unique fashion: spending the summer road-tripping! In about 94 days, they clocked 25,486 miles on their speedometer, traveling through 48 of the United States and Canada. Now back at home and reflecting upon their adventure, they graciously wrote this list of travel tips for travelers looking for hidden gems along the open road.

“When we began our journey, we went in search of the soul of America,” writes Team Edwards. “It is found on the open road, in the diners and roadside attractions and hidden natural treasures that demonstrate the enduring humanity of our nation. These often-overlooked gems gave us the best impression of America and priceless memories that we are pleased to share with you.”

Here is an excerpt from their descriptive list:

Top 10 Hidden American Treasures

10. Avenue of the Giants (Northwestern California)

Just off highway 101 near Humboldt Redwoods State Park is the Avenue of the Giants. This stretch of asphalt weaves back and forth under the 101 through the Redwood Forest where many of the tallest trees in the world reside. Upwards of 360 feet, these colossal trunks seem to disappear into the clouds as you gaze skyward in awe. Continuing along this route, you will reach the town of Meyers Flat, home of the famous Drive-Through Tree. Here, you can pay a small admission fee to enter the private property on which it stands, and then proceed to literally drive your car through a natural opening in the trunk of one of these mighty trees. Back on the Avenue, the road is lined by the impressive trees, which can’t be fully appreciated until you park your car, get out and stand beside (or in some cases, inside!) one of them. A peaceful yet humbling drive, this route shouldn’t be missed.

9. World’s Largest Fountain (Fountain Hills, Arizona)

A suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, Fountain Hills doesn’t have much going on, except for the fact that it’s home to the world’s largest fountain. It is located in the middle of a large pond and shoots a large stream of water over 600 feet - that’s two football fields! — into the air…it was by far one of the oddest sights we’ve experienced. Apparently the fountain is on a schedule — on for 10 minutes, off for 10 minutes. Luckily, we happened on it while it was on. The pond and fountain were part of a beautiful park, complete with ducks and cactus gardens. We couldn’t believe we were the only people there, but maybe the locals were bored with this phenomenon? Either way, it was a truly impressive sight.

8. Custer State Park (Custer, South Dakota)

Nestled in the Black Hills is Custer State Park, 71,000 acres of beautiful land and wildlife. Needles Highway, a narrow winding road that swerves through giant needle-like rock formations jutting 30 and sometimes 40 feet in the air, runs through the park. Full of wonderful photo opportunities, this scenic drive offers an amazing view of Mount Rushmore framed like a picture through the one-lane tunnels that lead you through the park. This is easily the most interesting drive either of us has ever enjoyed. The park also hosts another famous mountainside monument. The Crazy Horse memorial will be the largest sculpture in the world when finished… (more…)

7. Ruby Falls ( Chattanooga, Tennessee)

Just across the Georgia border lies Chattanooga, Tennessee, home of Lookout Mountain and the famous Ruby Falls, a natural waterfall located 1500 feet underground. An elevator takes you and your tour group down nearly the height of the Empire State Building into the side of the mountain, where a guide leads you through the beautiful cavern. Along the way, you pass several interesting geographical formations before finally arriving at the falls. Once there, your path becomes enveloped in darkness, and climactic music pours from unseen speakers while giant spotlights illuminate the falls in an impressive reveal.

6. Badlands National Park (Southwestern South Dakota)

Just off of I-90, south of the town of Wall lies Badlands National Park. This destination has to be the strangest thing we’ve seen in all our travels. The geography here in this 20-mile stretch of road is equivalent to that of another planet. We pulled off the road and hiked down a trail out into the actual formations, walking around and climbing on the dunes. The ground is like a mixture of dried mud, sand and dust. Every time it rains or the wind blows, the landscape changes. It’s uninhabitable (except for the wild rabbit we saw), but breathtaking. There really aren’t words to describe this geographical oddity. It’s something you just have to experience for yourself. (more…)

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Be sure to read this adventurous couple’s entire Top 10 journal entry, and read about their whole honeymoon trip while you’re at it on their entertaining travel blog, Looking for America. To share your own set of travel tips, visit this topic on our Forums or send an email to: carrie@realtravel.com.

Useful links for planning a summer road trip:

California Tourism
Arizona Travel Guide
South Dakota Tourism
United States Travel Map
United States Road Trip

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