Pacific Coast Highway vs Utah Mighty 5

Driving the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to San Francisco is the classic American road trip, a roughly 450-mile ribbon of asphalt that clings to cliffs, dips into surf towns and threads some of the most dramatic coastline on Earth. Start with the beach cities of Santa Monica and Malibu, then roll north to Santa Barbara's red-tile roofs and its graceful Spanish mission. Next come the laid-back college town of San Luis Obispo and the wide sands of Pismo Beach, followed by the hilltop opulence of Hearst Castle and hundreds of elephant seals lounging on the beach at Piedras Blancas. The highlight is Big Sur, where Highway 1 winds high above the ocean past McWay Falls and the arching Bixby Creek Bridge before reaching storybook Carmel-by-the-Sea and the world-class Monterey Bay Aquarium. Five days is the sweet spot for the drive, with extra days for San Francisco, Napa Valley wine country and the coast south of the city. One important warning: landslides regularly close sections of Highway 1 in Big Sur, so check Caltrans QuickMap before you set out and be ready to detour inland on US-101 or do Big Sur as an out-and-back from Carmel.

Utah's Mighty 5 is the classic Southwest road trip: five national parks strung across roughly 400 miles of red-rock desert, each completely different from the last. Start in Zion, where the Virgin River has carved a sheer sandstone canyon you explore by shuttle, then climb to Bryce Canyon's amphitheaters of orange hoodoos at more than 8,000 feet. Scenic Byway 12, one of the most beautiful drives in the country, carries you to Capitol Reef, a quieter park of cliffs, petroglyphs and pioneer orchards near the small town of Torrey. The trip ends in Moab, base for Arches and its 2,000-plus stone arches and for Canyonlands, where the Island in the Sky mesa looks down on the Colorado and Green rivers. Most travelers fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, rent a car and spend about a week, sleeping in Springdale, Bryce or Tropic, Torrey and Moab. Plan ahead: Arches uses a timed-entry system in its busy season, Angels Landing needs a permit, and summer afternoons regularly top 100°F (38°C), so early starts, plenty of water and spring or fall dates make the biggest difference.