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We love road trips in our family. We do spend a lot of time in the car exploring the United States. We do have favorites in our road trips. Today, we are going to share our top road trips on the Southeast Coast of US. Let’s get exploring!
Top Road Trips on the East Coast
We love road trips in our family! Our Jones Family Travels adventures on YouTube actually started with a 10,000 mile road trip around the United States. We drove all around the country with our family and our car. It was quite the adventure. We may not be driving around the country, but we love just hopping in the car for our vacations.
Asheville in North Carolina
Let’s start in North Carolina! We love hopping in the car and heading to Asheville, North Carolina. This city is on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains and is the perfect American road trip. You can ditch the face masks and hike along one of the trails throughout the Great Smoky Mountains or drive the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway recently opened the entire road on May 23. Did you know that The Blue Ridge Parkway is known as “America’s Favorite Scenic Drive?” You can soak up some amazing views right from your car.
If you love Europe or Downton Abbey, you may want to book a stay at the Biltmore Estate. There are several hotels on this 8,000 acre estate. It is spectacular! You can bike around the Biltmore Estate or just soak up the beauty from your hotel.
Jekyll Island
One of our favorite family road trips is to Jekyll Island in Georgia. Jekyll Island is right on the Florida/Georgia border. It is a quaint island with history, outdoor activities, and lots of beaches.
There are so many outdoor activities to enjoy with the family. We love getting up early for the turtle watch, during turtle nesting season. You can also learn all about the turtles at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.
We also love biking around Jekyll Island. The island is small enough that you can bike around the whole island. There are several different eco-systems in Jekyll Island that you will experience as you bike around the island.
One of our favorite places to stay in Jekyll Island is the Jekyll Island Club. This historic club became a popular destination in the late 1800’s for families including Rockefeller, Morgan, Vanderbilt, and Pulitzer.
You can come along with us on our getaway to Jekyll Island in our YouTube video below.
Charleston
If you love fresh seafood and culinary delights, you may want to road trip to Charleston, South Carolina. We love the food in Charleston, especially shrimp and grits.
Charleston is a historic city on the coast. You can walk along cobblestone streets, take a horse drawn carriage ride, or kayak through the Lowcountry’s wetlands.
We love Charleston for romantic escapes, girlfriend getaways, and family fun!
Savannah
Savannah is a Southern town in Georgia, perfect for family road trips. You will enjoy beauty, delicious Southern food, and old town charm. This is also one of the most haunted cities in the United States.
One of the highlights of Savannah is the evening ghost tours. You can even take a ghost tour in an old hearse throughout the city. This one is for the more adventurous ghost hunters. I took this tour with adults, but some older teens may like this tour, too.
Savannah is also an Instagram lover’s dream for photos! Most tweens and teens will love this city for selfies.
Did you know that Savannah is consistently named one of the “world’s friendliest cities” by Condé Nast Traveler readers? It is a great city for family road trips.
Destin
If you are looking for crystal clear water? Head to the west coast of Florida. As you cross into Florida, you can find the city of Destin.
This beach town is a lot of fun for families. You can rent a house, condo, or book a fun hotel like Holiday Inn Destin. This hotel is perfect for families with a lazy river right on the beach.
You can just soak up sun and fun on the Gulf of Mexico. We do love the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, because there are smaller waves. This is perfect for swimming with younger children and dolphin watching.
St. Augustine
Just 30 minutes from Jacksonville in North Florida is the oldest city in the United States called St. Augustine. This city has beaches, history, and tons of outdoor guided tours. This small town has lots to do for the whole family.
You can explore Castillo de San Marcos, which is a National Park in St. Augustine. This fort sits right on the intercostal waterway. You can walk along the boardwalk with spectacular views of the boats and Bridge of Lions.
You can eat and shop along St. George street. This cobblestone street is perfect for exploring and family pictures. There is so much history in St. Augustine. We love hopping on the Red Train Tour around St. Augustine. You can learn about the city and see all of the hot spots.
St. Augustine Beaches and Vilano Beach is nearby if you want to hit the beach. This city is on the Atlantic Ocean, so bring a boogie board or purchase one at a nearby shop. Your kids will have so much fun riding the waves.
St. Augustine is a hidden gem in the United States with great food, history, outdoor activities, and beaches. Love this city for family road trips.
Clearwater/St. Petersburg
About 1 ½ hours from Orlando is the #1 and #2 Beaches in the US (ranked by Trip Advisor). This is the Clearwater and St. Petersburg beaches. This fun beach town is perfect for families.
Just like Destin, these cities are on the Gulf of Mexico. There are very low waves on the Gulf of Mexico. This makes the water easier to swim with little ones. These waters also have a lot of dolphins and porpoise, so keep your eyes open.
We also love Clearwater and St. Pete beaches for local dining spots. These areas have such great food that is more local.
For hotels, we love Tradewinds for families. This hotel reminds me of the Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean Islands. There are a lot of family activities for the whole family. This resort is not an all inclusive, so keep that in mind. There are a lot of activities, but they charge a fee for them.
Another amazing hotel in this area is the Don Cesar. This hotel is pink. Yep, I did say pink! This is a luxury hotel right on the beach. Even with a luxury price tag, this resort is still great for families. Your tween or teen would also love this resort for selfie shots.
Florida Keys
Our favorite road trip destination is the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys reminds me of Bahamas and the Caribbean, without leaving the United States. We love the Florida Keys! This destination is also on a lot of bucket lists.
The Florida Keys are about an hour from Miami starting with Key Largo. There are several main islands from Key Largo to Key West. It takes at least 2 hours to get from Key Largo to Key West (based on traffic). On weekends, it can take up to 4 hours to get from one point to the other with traffic.
Our two favorite islands in the Florida Keys are Islamorada and Key West. The Florida Keys for family road trips is all about the water.
You can rent a boat at Robbie’s, meet some sea turtles at the Turtle Hospital, go fishing off the highway, or chill at one of the beaches. If you like sun and fun, the Florida Keys is the perfect road trip destination.
As the rest of the United States starts to open, you may be ready to road trip on the West Coast. We cannot wait to hit Route 66, San Francisco, Yellowstone, Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego, Utah, Alaska, New Mexico, Arizona, or California. These are some of our favorite West Coast road trip destinations.
Are you ready to start traveling and hitting the open road in North America? Share your favorite spot in the comments. Happy Exploring!
