Some Journeys are just as memorable as the destination.
Scenic Drives and Roadtrips
There is something about getting off the main highway and taking the road that winds through the mountains, crosses a small town, follows a river, or disappears into the countryside.
Those are the roads I love most.
Welcome to Scenic Drives & Road Trips on Back Roads Lens, where I share the roads, routes, small towns, national parks, hidden places, and unexpected discoveries that have made my travels memorable.
I don’t believe every road trip needs to be about how quickly you can reach the destination. Sometimes the best part of the journey is the road between here and there.
Slow down. Take the scenic route. Leave room for a few detours.
You never know what you’ll find around the next curve.
Explore Scenic Drives & Road Trips
Whether you’re planning a long-distance road trip or simply looking for a beautiful drive for your next adventure, you’ll find inspiration here.
Back Roads and Byways
Some journeys take a day. Others take weeks.
Follow along on longer road trips across America, from multi-state adventures to seasonal escapes. I'll share the places we visit, the roads we travel, the unexpected stops along the way, and the moments that make a long journey worthwhile.
Epic Road Trips
Some journeys take a day. Others take weeks.
Follow along on longer road trips across America, from multi-state adventures to seasonal escapes. I'll share the places we visit, the roads we travel, the unexpected stops along the way, and the moments that make a long journey worthwhile.
National and State Park Drives
Some of America's most spectacular scenery is found along the roads that run through its parks.
Discover scenic park roads, mountain passes, overlooks, wildlife viewing opportunities, historic sites, and the photography possibilities waiting around the next bend.
Small Towns & Hidden America
The places between the major destinations often tell some of America's best stories.
Explore historic towns, old country stores, covered bridges, rural communities, forgotten places, and the people and history that give these places their character.
Start Here
If you’re new to Back Roads Lens, these guides are a great place to begin.
Want to plan your own road trip?
For me, planning a road trip isn't just about figuring out how to get from one place to another.
It's about finding the right roads, allowing time for unexpected stops, watching the light, and knowing when to put the camera down and simply enjoy where you are.
Want to get off the beaten path?
There is more to America than the places that appear on every popular travel list.
Learn how I look beyond the obvious destinations to find quiet roads, small towns, historic places, unusual stops, and stories worth photographing.
Planning a longer adventure?
Thirty days. Thousands of miles. Plenty of unexpected discoveries.
Follow our journey through America's back roads, small towns, scenic landscapes, and national parks—and see how a long road trip becomes a collection of memories rather than simply a list of destinations.
Looking for scenic drives?
From the Blue Ridge Parkway to Alaska's Denali Highway, discover scenic routes across the country and learn why some of America's best travel experiences happen between the destinations.
Featured Scenic Drives & Road Trips
Here are a few of the journeys and places I’ve explored along the way.
The Road to Hana — Maui, Hawaii
Few drives are as famous—or as rewarding—as Maui's Road to Hana. The journey winds through lush rainforest, past waterfalls, coastal overlooks, black sand beaches, and countless places where you'll want to stop and look around.
But the real magic of the Road to Hana isn't simply reaching Hana.
It's the journey getting there.
The Kancamagus Highway — New Hampshire
Stretching through New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, the Kancamagus Highway is one of New England's most memorable scenic drives.
Waterfalls, covered bridges, mountain overlooks, forests, and the Swift River make this a road where the scenery changes around every bend.
West Virginia's Coal Heritage Trail
Southern West Virginia is a place where the road itself becomes part of the story.
Along the Coal Heritage Trail, mountain roads lead through historic coal communities, hollers, former mining towns, and landscapes shaped by generations of Appalachian life.
This is more than a scenic drive. It's a journey through history.
The Schoodic Peninsula — Maine
On the quieter side of Acadia National Park, the Schoodic Peninsula offers rocky coastline, working fishing communities, lighthouses, forests, and a slower pace.
It's the kind of place that reminds me why I enjoy getting away from the busiest tourist routes.
Grand Teton National Park
The roads through Grand Teton National Park offer spectacular mountain scenery, wildlife, historic homesteads, lakes, and some unforgettable photography opportunities.
Whether you're chasing sunrise, looking for wildlife, or simply driving beneath the Tetons, this is a landscape worth slowing down for.
Badlands National Park — South Dakota
Driving through Badlands National Park feels like entering another world. The Badlands Loop Road winds past rugged rock formations, colorful layered cliffs, sweeping prairie views, and plenty of opportunities to spot bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs along the way. With scenic overlooks around nearly every bend, this is one road where you'll want to slow down, stop often, and keep your camera close.
Explore Scenic Drives by Region
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Northeast
Adirondack roads, New England byways, coastal Maine and more.
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Southeast
Georgia back roads, Florida, the Keys and coastal routes.
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Appalachia
Blue Ridge Parkway, West Virginia, mountain hollers and hidden roads
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Midwest
Small towns, farmland, historic roads and wide-open landscapes.
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Northwest
Mountain roads, wilderness routes and some of America's wildest scenery.
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Southwest
Arizona, Utah, desert highways and spectacular national parks.
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Alaska
Big landscapes, wildlife, mountains and roads where the wilderness is never far away
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Hawaii
Island roads, volcanic landscapes, tropical coastlines, waterfalls and places worth exploring beyond the resort
The Road Is Part of the Story
One of the things travel photography has taught me is to stop looking only for the big attraction.
Sometimes the photograph is an old barn beside a country road.
Or sometimes it’s a weathered sign, a covered bridge, a mountain disappearing into the clouds, or a small town you never planned to visit.
Sometimes it’s wildlife appearing unexpectedly along the roadside.
And sometimes it’s simply the road itself.
Photography has changed the way I travel. I slow down. And I watch the light. I also look for interesting compositions and pay attention to the details that are easy to miss when you’re focused only on getting somewhere.
That’s what I hope to share here.
Not just where to go, but how to experience the journey along the way.
Plan Your Own Road Trip
Planning a great road trip doesn’t mean planning every minute.
Leave room for the unexpected.
Before you hit the road, explore my guides to:
Stories From the Road
The best road trips rarely go exactly as planned.
That’s part of the fun.
New articles from Back Roads Lens include scenic drives, road-trip stories, small towns, wildlife encounters, national parks, historic places, photography lessons, and the unexpected discoveries that happen when you take the slower road.
Take the Back Roads With Me
If you enjoy scenic drives, small towns, wildlife, national parks, road trips, and photography, I’d love for you to come along.
Subscribe to Back Roads Lens for new travel stories, photography inspiration, scenic routes, and places worth discovering—often a little farther from the crowds.
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The Best Roads Aren't Always the Fastest
Sometimes the best memories come from the road you almost didn’t take.
So take the scenic route.
Turn down the road you’ve never traveled.
Stop when something catches your eye.
Talk to the people you meet.
Watch the light change.
And give yourself permission to get a little lost.
Because sometimes the destination is wonderful.
But the road getting there is the part you’ll remember.