The Road Trip of a Lifetime All Across America Part 1:

1. Home!

Of course you start at your home. (And end there too.) In my case, I start and end in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Feel free to include this stop along your journey too. There are fun places to visit such as the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Market and at the end of June, Summerfest.

2. Chicago, Illinois

This is a city with many attractions such as The Bean, Navy Pier and The Willis Tower. Chicago also offers many good dining options from a range of cultures! I would recommend spending about one day here, and staying one evening and overnight if possible.

Leave about nine hours for the next leg of the journey. It might be a good idea to stay at a midpoint of the trip, or stay the night in New York before exploring the destination the next day.

3. Niagara Falls, New York

This is an iconic landmark of the Canadian-American border. It can be seen from both the Canadian and the American sides. The American side offers a series of decks along the cliff edge, close to a smaller part of the falls, separate from the main landmark. These decks also provide a view of the falls from the lower water level. The Canadian side offers a tour of caves behind the falls which give tourists the ability to experience the falls from within. Tourists on both sides have the option to take a boat to the base of falls. I would recommend spending about three hours at the falls before moving on with your journey.

The next leg of the journey will be about seven hours. This allows you enough time to get to Boston, and stay the night.

4. Boston, Massachusetts

This historic city has much to offer in the way of culture and activities. Little Italy is known for its rich food, as well as strong culture. Historic spots such as the Freedom Trail, and Bunker Hill are also popular for tourists to visit. Boston is known for its many universities and colleges in the area. I would recommend spending a full day in the city.

At this point, you could either choose to spend the night here, or make the full seven hour drive to the next stop before staying the night, or stop somewhere along the way.

5. Washington, District of Columbia

Washington, D.C. is another historic city along this road trip. It is not only our nation's capital, but also the home to many historical monuments and landmarks. Our government buildings are here, as well as the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument and many others. I would recommend spending the day, and one night in the city which should allow you to see as many of the monuments as you would like.

As I said earlier, I would recommend spending the night in Washington, D.C. before making the 5.5 hour drive to your next destination.

6. Outer Banks, North Carolina

This part of North Carolina is located off the coast, on an island-like piece of land only barely connected to the rest of the state. This area is home to many ocean front condos and homes, as well as beautiful beaches. This is also a destination known for being the location of the Wright Brothers' first flight, and many authentic sea food restaurants. I would recommend staying here for three days in order to fully enjoy the fun and relaxing aspects or this beautiful place.

The next leg of your journey consists of an 11.5 hour drive. I know that seems like a long time, but it is a road trip after all! Based on the fact that it is such a long way, I would recommend taking this one day not to do any sightseeing, and after a long day, just relax and stay the night at your next destination.

7. Nashville, Tennessee

This city is the home to country music and the heart of Tennessee. This city offers destinations like the Grand Ole Opry, while still providing a fun, Vegas-like atmosphere. However, this city can be enjoyed by family members of all ages (unlike most of Vegas). In order to fully experience the city, I would recommend spending between half a day to a full day here, depending on what destinations you are interested in seeing.

The next drive is about seven and a half hours. You can choose to make this in the night/afternoon after spending the morning in Nashville, or choose to make it in the morning after a full day enjoying the city.

8. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is another historic city, but not known for such a positive history like the previous cities. This infamous city is known for its huge Mardi Gras celebration, alleged magical properties, as well as rich history and ethnic pride. In this city, you can visit historic bars on Bourbon Street (if you are 21, of course), or have a beignet at Café Du Monde. And of course, don't forget to visit the giant aboveground cemeteries that the city is know for. I would recommend spending half of a day, and one evening in the city before continuing on.

The next driving portion of this trip will take about eight hours while driving to the state just next door.

9. San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is a city known for its beautiful river walk, and the historic Alamo. It not only offers many family attractions, but also romantic couples attractions. Fun places everyone would enjoy to go are the zoo, theme parks in the area, as well as numerous parks and bike trails around the city. A full day in this city would serve enough to see many of the attractions.

The journey between these two destinations should take about fourteen hours. I know this is a lot, but it allows you to dedicate an entire day to driving, and leave the next day for exploration. If you wish to do so, you could also do half of the drive one day, and half the next in order to spend about half of the day exploring San Antonio, and half a day exploring the next destination.

10. Denver, Colorado

The mile-high city never disappoints in beauty, or mystery. At any point, you can see beautiful mountains all around you, but also at any point, it could begin to snow or rain. One of the attractions here, open in all seasons is the US Mint. There are also many parks in the area, and trails for skiing and hiking.

The next leg will be eleven hours long. I am sorry for another long one, but this time, you get to pass through Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Again, take a day to drive, and night to relax before exploring the next destination.