With thousands of miles of highways stretching across the country and innumerable small villages with roadside attractions along the way, America was meant for road trips. Travelers starting at the tip of Maine can enjoy the coast of New England's scenic colors, New York and Pennsylvania's city grit and the growing southern comfort of Virginia and West Virginia as they slide on into Tennessee. If you plan to travel this route, remember to enjoy the ride.

Get out the atlas and plan a route. If you want to give your internal navigator a break, Rand McNally, AAA, Mapquest and a variety of other online sources can help you plan the route instead. According to Rand McNally, a trip from Maine to Tennessee is just under 1400 miles and should take you around 22 hours of driving time.

Research road closures and possible slowdowns along the route by visiting the Federal Highway Administration's website in the Resources.

Check the your local forecast or a weather website for the dates of your travel. If your road trip takes place during the winter, you may experience a great deal of snow at the start of your journey with less snow as you get closer to your destination. Watch out for thunderstorms, rain and hurricanes in their season, too.

Pack plenty of books and music for the trip to stave off the possible boredom of hours in the car. It is important not to loose momentum while traveling.

Make hotel reservations along your route, if you want to keep yourself on a schedule. Stop somewhere in Pennsylvania, which should be about halfway through your drive, to allow you ample time to rest and recover. However, if you are not tied to any schedule, you can always stop at a hotel along the way without booking in advance.

Read a travel book or visit RoadsideAmerica.com to learn about roadside attractions you might encounter in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee. Although it is fun to stop only when you notice something at the side of the road, you may miss something that is just off the beaten path if you don't read up on your route.

About the Author

Emily Manthei holds a masters degree from the University of Edinburgh and has written for publications as diverse as the "Oxford Journal of Theological Studies," "Emanuel Levy Film Reviews," "USA Today" and "Northern Express Magazine." She also writes screenplays for short and feature films.

Photo Credits

  • Trees, Roadside in Autumn image by loongirl from Fotolia.com
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