Authors: Readers Digest

Publisher: Readers Digest,
ISBN: 978-1- 62145-524-0

This book is segmented into the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Some of the territory they cover in this beautiful pictorial informational book in the West are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. For the Southwest they add: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. In the Midwest the highlights include: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Iowa. From the Southeast they cover: Arkansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. And in the Northeast they introduce the reader to Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.


“Designated both a National Forest Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, the Seward Highway takes you through 127 miles of remote wild beauty…Also known as Alaska Route 9, the highway stretches from Anchorage to the charming coastal community of Seward, the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.” (2021. P.9) Can you picture roads scattered across mountainous terrain with cliff hangers giving the drivers the most amazing vistas and views you can imagine? Drop in a rain forest, a smattering of lakes and the Pacific Ocean. Who can resist?

“California’s State Route 1, also known as the pacific Coast Highway, stretches along some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.” (2021, p.13) Gosh, I totally agree! “The highway runs virtually the entire length of the state, but my favorite stretch is the Big Sur section from San Simeon to Carmel, which is so stunning that it is designated National Scenic Byway.” I absolutely love that area too. 

“The Apache Trail is not for the faint of heart who prefer their roads paved and with guardrails. Through the 41.5 mile drive snakes through some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the Sonoran Desert, it’s a challenge for drivers unaccustomed to one-lane dirt roads with turnouts, precipitous drop-offs and nothing between you and the canyon below.” (2021, p.58) 

“You may not think of Oklahoma as a place of natural splendor---especially not one with blazing fall colors. Yet the Sooner State has plenty of beautiful scenery. For the best fall leaf-peeping, grab the car keys and head to the Talimena Scenic Byway. The route is located in the large, dense Ouachita National Forest, which crosses the state line between Oklahoma and Arkansas.” (2021, p.71) 

“The Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway provides a fine chance to come up with your own conclusions about this land, which is full of beautiful farms, hardwood forests, tall grass prairies and unexpected geological surprises.” (2021, p.81) The author if this section is from Illinois and so am I. It is a lovely place to drop out of the hustle of the city or life in general and just relax. 

“Along a 150-mile span of the Upper Mississippi River from Red Wing, Minnesota to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, the Great River Road National Scenic Byway offers beautiful vistas, quaint towns, history and culture, woodland hikes and many other hidden gems…Without stops or detours, the trip can be completed in a few hours.” (2021, p.106)  

“…the Natchez Trace Parkway winds through centuries of history, taking visitors through countryside and cities, past battlefields and barns. “”Trace” is from the French for a line of footprints or animals.” (2021, p.123)

Whether you drive it or read. The words create great visuals, but the pictures included in this book need no words to relate the beauty of the places they represent. The simple, elegant, splendor of nature alone speaks volumes by herself.