No doubt about it: there’s something exciting about jumping into the car and hitting the open road. Whether it’s your best friend or your fiancée riding shotgun, or you’re treating yourself to a solo adventure, here are 4 unique road trips to check out for your next Valentine’s Day or any free time with a loved one or friend.
1. Baseball stadium trip tour through California
For die-hard baseball fans, what could be better — and yes, even romantic — than taking a road trip centered around the stadiums themselves? If watching games, touring stadiums, munching peanuts, and trying to get on the Kiss Cam sounds like something up your alley, this adventure could be for you. Since California has the most Major League Baseball teams in the United States (for a grand total of 5!), it’s the perfect place to tour. Begin your trip in the Bay Area, where you’ll need to bundle up (what better chance to snuggle with your boo?) to see the Giants play a night game at San Francisco’s beautiful AT&T Park. Then head across the bay to take in an A’s game at the historic Oakland Coliseum. From there, drive south to Los Angeles to catch a game at Dodger Stadium. Rather than blasting south on Interstate 5, make it a more scenic route by taking U.S. 101 (and grabbing lunch at the kitschy-but-classic Madonna Inn). After the Dodgers game, continue on to an Angels game in Anaheim. Finally, end your road trip in San Diego to see the Padres play at Petco Park.
2. Loneliest road in America
Taking a romantic road trip along the Loneliest Road in America may seem like an oxymoron. But the right copilot and playlist will make this drive anything but lonely. Given the nickname by LIFE magazine in the 1980s, the “Loneliest Road” refers to the portion of Highway 50 stretching through central Nevada that once served as the original Pony Express route. Be amazed by the stunning scenery and sweeping vistas (and the lack of traffic). You can even order a survival guide before you begin and make the trip a fun bonding adventure with your beloved, collecting stamps at the 8 unique towns along the way.
3. Long weekend in Savannah, Georgia
Voted one of the world’s most romantic cities by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2017, there’s no better spot than Savannah, Georgia to vacation with your cutie. (And who knows — if you’re on your own, the magic and romance of the place itself could spark something with a perfect stranger!) Plus, it’s easy to get to via car (Highways 95 and 16 run right through town), bus (it’s a Greyhound hub), train (Amtrak’s Palmetto and Silver Service lines drop off 10 minutes from Savannah’s Historic District), and plane (Savannah/Hilton Head Airport is 15 miles from the action).
Book a room in one of Savannah’s many charming hotels. The Gastonian is a B&B housed in a former mansion. Or there’s the Marshall House, which was occupied by the Union and used as a hospital during the Civil War — and which some say is still haunted. If sleeping in a ghostly hotel seems like too much, but getting creeped out is what gets you going, what could be better than getting the shivers together while on a spooky southern ghost tour? There are more than a handful to choose from in Savannah. You can jump aboard the “Trolley of the Doomed” on the Ghosts and Graveyards tour, or try a nighttime Boos and Brews tour for a pub crawl through some historic, haunted bars. If you’d rather skip the ghosts, there are plenty of other ways to fill your days: strolling below Spanish moss-covered oak trees, cozying up in a quaint coffee shop, taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage along cobblestone streets, enjoying a riverboat cruise, and sampling Southern specialties like crab cakes, collard greens, and shrimp and grits.
4. Unplug at Spider Lake Lodge, Wisconsin
It’s getting harder and harder to escape technology these days. If you want to go “off the grid” (without hiking or carrying a backpack!), look no further than Spider Lake Lodge in Hayward, Wisconsin, about 80 miles southeast of Duluth, Minnesota. Built in 1923 and located deep within the Chequamegon National Forest, the Spider Lake Lodge is a rustic bed-and-breakfast for those who want to truly unplug and just be together.
The best way to reach this destination is to fly to Duluth, rent a car (preferably 4-wheel-drive), and head into the woods. Make sure to print your maps in advance — GPS won’t work here. And since there’s no cell-phone service or television at the Lodge, you and your sweetie can (depending on the season) spend your time hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, or snow-shoeing through the national forest, fishing or canoeing the nearby lake, holding a fierce competition in the Lodge’s game room, or just cuddling up together by the fire.
