LET’S TAKE A ROAD TRIP

School’s out.  You have vacation days to burn.  What are you waiting for?  Pack up the car because summer road trip season has arrived!  From the early days of automobiles traveling historic Route 66, the road trip has been the most American of ways to head out of town for a few days or weeks of adventure somewhere…anywhere else in this great country.  Here are a few ideas to get you started!

The classic road trip will take you to one of the great United States National Parks. This type of destination is especially timely as the parks will be celebrating their 100^th anniversary in August. One of our favorites in California is the magical Yosemite which should be on everyone’s bucket list.  You can camp right in the valley and start your morning on hikes to some of the most amazing waterfalls on the planet. And if you’re especially brave, tackle the 20-mile round trip hike to the top of the glacier-carved Half Dome 5,000 feet above the valley floor. The view seen below will be worth every exhausting step.

For a very different but equally amazing outdoor adventure, let the asphalt lead you to Utah where the old southwest city of Moab gives you easy access to two extraordinary desert parks—Arches and Canyonlands.  This amazing town is the perfect home base for all sorts of fun ways to explore the unique scenery including hiking, mountain biking, climbing and river trekking.  It won’t take long to fall in love with the beauty of the painted browns, oranges and reds and windswept towers of eroded rock that make up this landscape like no other. With every step you’ll feel like you’re on the set of a John Ford masterpiece western.

Journeys can also bring us to the urban centers that are just as amazing as the wilderness…but of course in vastly different ways. While the parks shouldn’t be missed, if everyday life for you is far from the city, point your car to Chicago or New York or at least stop along the way to your ultimate destination. Whether it’s a fun time hopping around Brooklyn or checking out iconic sites like The Bean or Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, there’s always something new to discover. And with the glass floor observation deck at the Willis Tower, you can even get a view that almost rivals that from Half Dome with an easy elevator ride instead of an all day hike! Chicago photo credits: Kwaku Owusu-Afriyie  @kwakuworldwide  and Jessica Owusu-Afriyie @zylajean

Sometimes you just want to get a little weird, and Austin is the best place in Texas to make that happen. As the cultural mecca of the Lonestar State, Austin is a unique oasis of amazing art, food and shopping where a great pair of leather cowboy boots are just as appropriate as a comfortable pair of Skechers Originals sneakers.  Known as the live music capital of the world, Austin is home to more music venues per capita than any other US city.  Check out the clubs on 6^th street and you’ll eventually discover a new favorite band or two no matter what your musical tastes may be.  When you’re done with Austin, embark on the perfect mixtape road trip by continuing your drive to New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville.

If you can’t decide between an outdoor versus city trek for this year’s vacation, why not get the best of both worlds by driving towards a city like San Francisco?  From the endless array of parks that comprise the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to some of the best restaurants and museums in the entire country you’ll never be without options for fun and excitement in this great California destination. And once you get there, you can leave the car parked and rent a bike to see the magnificent scenery as you feel warm sunshine with the bay breezes at your back.

What type of road trip adventure do you plan to take this summer?  Let us know in the comments and show us your pictures of your travels wearing Skechers footwear using #SpottedinSkechers on Instagram and Facebook!