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5 Classic American Drives

The open road is as much a part of American heritage as the
silver screen, which is why we let the cinema — from
'Thelma & Louise' to 'Sideways' — guide us to our country's
most inspiring drives.
By William Bailey

Nothing triggers wanderlust quite like a classic

American road-trip movie. The best of these films
evoke the feeling of a place in such a way that the
scenery becomes a character in its own right.

With that in mind, we started our search for great

American drives at the movies, where we watched reel
after reel until we found five films that feature U.S.
highways and landscapes as prominently as the
protagonists. From the vast soundstage of the
Southwest to the Technicolor magic of the Alaskan Denali's 6-million-plus acres are home
wilderness, each of these drives captures the spirit of to grizzlies, caribou, Dall sheep, and Mt. McKinley.
Courtesy of Nic McPhee / Wikimedia Commons
the film that inspired the route.

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Film Synopsis: Emory University grad Christopher
McCandless (Emile Hirsch) donates all of his Find Special Offers & More Savings
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possessions and life savings and sets off on a two-
Tips for Wellness on the Road
year journey that ends in a remote part of Alaska's
wilderness.

Destination Highlights: After traveling through western U.S., McCandless's last great adventure took
shape on Alaska's Stampede Trail, near Denali National Park & Preserve. Plan your trip: Fairbanks,
Alaska, to Denali's Wonder Lake; 204 miles.

If you begin where Wyatt and Billy hit the

Route 66 ('Easy Rider') open road, in Death Valley, Calif., then, like
the boys, you'll be ready to refuel by
Follow the highway that gave birth to the American Flagstaff, Ariz.
road trip as we know it. Courtesy of Environs / Wikimedia Commons

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5 Classic American Drives Page 2 of 3

Film Synopsis: The South and Southwest come alive as

Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) discover
themselves and America in this 1960s counterculture
classic.

Destination Highlights: Follow the old U.S. Route 66,

which overlaps U.S. Route 40 in many places, from
California to Louisiana. Plan your trip: Death Valley, Calif.,
to Flagstaff, Ariz., to Taos, N.M., to New Orleans; 2,017
miles.

California's Other Wine Country

('Sideways')
Experience one of our nation's cinematic wine regions.

Film Synopsis: This bromantic comedy by director

Alexander Payne follows friends Miles (Paul Giamatti) and
Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a tour through one of the
less-trafficked areas of California wine country, the Santa
Ynez Valley. The film is one of the first to celebrate "Sideways" is a tour through one of the less-
American wine. trafficked areas of California wine country,
the Santa Ynez Valley.
Courtesy of Jester7777 / Wikimedia Commons
Destination Highlights: The six communities of Santa
Ynez Valley, Calif., are mainly located along or near U.S.
Route 101. Plan your trip: Santa Maria to Buellton to Santa
Ynez; 41 miles.

Cross-Country: Chicago to L.A.

('National Lampoon's Vacation')
The itinerary for the classic family road trip.

Film Synopsis: "Why aren't we flying? Because getting

there is half the fun. You know that." A family vacation
goes amusingly awry when Clark W. Griswold (Chevy
Chase) and clan embark on an epic road trip to Walley
World. Take in the view from the South Rim of the
Grand Canyon, where the Griswold fam
Destination Highlights: The film traces the Griswolds' paused for a millisecond before skipping
town.
route from their home in Chicago to St. Louis, the Grand Courtesy of Colin.faulkingham / Wikimedia Commons
Canyon, and Los Angeles — 2,408 miles, according to
Clark's primitive PC. Plan your trip: Chicago to St. Louis to
the Grand Canyon to Anaheim, Calif.; 2,221 miles.

Utah's Canyon Country ('Thelma &

Louise')
Set out in search of freedom in the wide-open expanse
of Utah.

Film Synopsis: Friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise

(Susan Sarandon) break from their everyday lives and hit
the road, where their journey turns into a flight from the law
— and they end up choosing freedom on their own terms. Thelma & Louise director Ridley Scott shot
all of the desert scenes in Utah. Plan your

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5 Classic American Drives Page 3 of 3

trip from Bryce Canyon (shown here) to

Destination Highlights: In the final, iconic freeze-frame, Dead Horse Point.
Courtesy of Chmehl / Wikimedia Commons
Thelma and Louise float suspended above Arizona's Grand
Canyon, having driven their 1966 Thunderbird convertible
off a cliff—and into film history. But director Ridley Scott
actually shot all of the desert scenes in Utah, including at Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse
Point State Park. Plan your trip: Bryce Canyon to Dead Horse Point, Utah; 287 miles.

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