After months at home, Americans are ready to travel again. Island hopping in Croatia or witnessing the great migration in Kenya might be off the table this summer, but there are plenty of boast-worthy experiences to be had right in our own backyard, no flights required. As travel agents and tour operators pivot to focus on domestic travel, they’re casting a creative lens on the ultimate DIY vacation, the road trip. These new trips put a five-star spin on cross-country travel with the addition of everything from chauffeurs and chefs to pop-up glamping accommodations and VIP-viewing access at the Grand Canyon.
The Wilds of West Texas: A Private Ranch Road Trip
When All Roads North debuted in 2014, it was one of the first companies to approach the U.S. road trip with the same curatorial eye cast upon exotic locales like Africa and Southeast Asia. Founder Sam Highley’s vast network of connections allows him to craft highly personalized itineraries packed with expert guides, insider experiences and exclusive accommodations. This 10-day West Texas journey checks all of the boxes, delivering doses of art, culture, history and outdoor adventure. Start in Marfa, where a private docent will escort you through the Chinati Foundation, a sprawling indoor-outdoor contemporary art museum founded by Donald Judd, and end with an astronomer-hosted dark sky tour at McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis. One of Highley’s strengths is finding luxe digs in remote locales. Through the company’s partnership with Explore Ranches, you’ll stay in historic private properties with private pools and deep wine cellars.
Great American Road Trips: The Southwest
Trusted travel company Abercrombie & Kent recently expanded its U.S. offerings with bespoke road trips that let you choose to self-drive or hire a rock star-worthy bus with a driver-guide. An adventure from Los Angeles to the Southwest hits bucket-list natural wonders where you’ll do much more than snap photos. Go canyoneering in secluded slot canyons in Zion National Park or take in the peaks of the Grand Canyon via hot air balloon. A&K’s team prides itself on delivering immersive, hyper-local experiences. In Santa Fe, N.M., for example, guests have the opportunity to participate in a beading workshop led by an elder from the Tamayame Native American community. With more Americans opting for national park vacations this summer, accommodations — even campsites — are scarce. But A&K has relationships some of the country’s most in-demand stays, like Amangiri in Utah.
Self-drive Adventure to the American West
Self-drive itineraries are perfect for independent spirits who want a bit of hand holding in these uncertain times. Steppes Travel has always offered self-drive trips in the U.S., but the company’s newly launched Adventure to the American West itinerary has been elevated with sensational stays, like Sorrel River Ranch in Moab, Utah, as well as over-the-top experiences, including private heli-trips that end with champagne. The two-week drive explores Arizona, Utah and Colorado. Prepurchased park tickets mean you never have to wait in line, and Steppes’ team of experts can offer driving routes that avoid highly concentrated areas and offer a fresh perspective of a region. If a park is unexpectedly closed or you want to tweak your itinerary, a team of experts is on call 24/7 to help. Share your passions with the team and they can weave in special touches like sunrise yoga in Sedona, Ariz., or fly-fishing in the Dolores River in Colorado.
Take the Open Road: Napa and Santa Barbara
Black Tomato is best known for curating wow-factor trips in far-flung locales like the Congo and Greenland, so it should come as no surprise the company has applied the same extravagance to the humble American road trip. In June, the company announced a series of tailor-made itineraries in partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Auberge Resorts Collection called Take the Open Road. Every trip begins at an Auberge property, and guests have access to a full fleet of Mercedes vehicles, from convertibles to G-wagons, all preprogrammed with destination-specific playlists. The six-night Napa Valley and Santa Barbara itinerary was designed with gourmands in mind. As you cruise down the coast you’ll stop to shuck oysters and go on a cheese tour in Point Reyes and forage for mushrooms in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Key West in a Five Star RV
There are RVs and then there are luxury RVs. Goss RV specializes in the latter, renting motorcoaches with interiors (and price tags) that rival a suite at the Four Seasons. They have all of the amenities of a five-star stay, including gourmet kitchens, washers and dryers, living rooms, flatscreen TVs and WiFi. Daunted by the idea of driving a mega bus? Splurge on a private driver who sets up your coach at each destination and then disappears to a hotel until you beckon them back. Discover the best of the Sunshine State on a weeklong drive from Naples to Key West. The team at Goss RV can help arrange tee times at top golf courses, direct you to empty white sand beaches and arrange private guides who specialize in everything from Hemingway to Victorian architecture.
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