Synopses & Reviews
Both a practical guide and an inspiring travel gift book, Drives of a Lifetime highlights 400 of the world's best car trips. The eclectic list takes readers across stunning natural landscapes of mountain, coastline, glen, and dale; into charming towns and out-of-the-way hamlets; to palatial estates, lovely gardens, and intriguing historic sites; and through bustling, thriving cities all over the world map. From America's scenic byways to the side lanes of Tuscany and the rugged dirt roads of Australia's outbackand hundreds of inviting routes in betweenDrives of a Lifetime shows off the highlights of each area and tells readers exactly how to make the drive themselves. Since roads trips are a beloved cultural touchstone for Americans of every generation, Drives of a Lifetime will capture a huge and diverse audience.
Synopsis
National Geographic presents the great outdoors through the world's best auto trips, for nature lovers, hikers, and adventurers. Pack your suitcase, load up the car, and head for the open road This lavishly illustrated, hardcover travel planner and gift book gives you every bit of information you'll need to navigate 400 amazing driving routes in some of the world's most fascinating locales.
This practical travel planner provides specific, in-depth descriptions of the sights each drive offers. A clear, detailed, easy-to-read map of each route. Useful information on the best time to travel. And insider tips to help you get the most out of every fabulous trip. Abundant sidebars call your attention to standout sights along the drive or entertaining background information on the region and its culture.
While handy indeed as a planner, Drives of a Lifetime doubles as a full-color gift book with more than 200 dazzling, large-format photos and crisp, evocative text that will enchant armchair travelers. The book immerses you in the unique appeal and beauty of hundreds of inviting locales.
Sample entries include the road to the spectacular ancient ruins in and around Angkor Wat in Cambodia; the Natchez Trace Parkway, along an ancient Native American trail through Mississippi; the scenic old coastal route from Dublin to Wexford in Ireland; an off-road dune drive in Dubai; the famous ocean views along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, Canada; the Winelands Route through South Africa's Western Cape; a drive among the incredible land formations in South Dakota's Badlands; and an archaeological tour through Syria. In addition, you'll find several fun Top Ten lists: skyscraping drives, Mediterranean island roads, African wildlife excursions, and more.
Chapters organized by theme include Ultimate Road Trips, featuring famous drives such as Highway One down the California coast; Over Hill and Mountains; By Sea and Shore; The Road Less Traveled, highlighting unpaved and untamed routes and safaris; Village Byways through some of the world's most picturesque hamlets; and Historic Trails, tracing the paths of history's great builders and explorers.
Whether you travel these storied routes by car or through the pages of the book--countless wonders await your discovery in
Drives of a Lifetime.