South Central Road Trips

From destitute migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl to prosperous postwar families on vacation, Route 66 has seen a lot of history. Yesteryear's quirky roadside attractions are largely absent from this stretch, but you can still get a sense of the scenic road's storied past as you drive along quaint main streets featuring retro diners, filling stations and motor courts.

In addition to passing through quaint towns and wildlife areas, Kansas’ Frontier Military Historic Byway is a scenic journey through the state passing by the routes that settlers once used to travel west as well as the site of a Civil War battle.

This rural, two-lane drive through the southern Ozark wilderness is largely within a portion of the Mark Twain National Forest. At one end of Sugar Camp National Forest Scenic Drive is the entertainment capital of the state: Branson. At the other terminus, not far from the route, the sounds of the waterfalls from the Roaring River State Park are a welcome diversion.

Journey through the farmlands of Oklahoma over green, grassy hills and wide-open prairies to see a hint of rural America. Along this two-lane byway between Minco and Anadarko, corn stalks tower above the roadway while wheat blooms in amber waves.

Pass chocolate-colored canyons and grape-hued mountains along CR 170 on the Texas Mountain Trail. The Rio Grande, which is the boundary between the U.S. and Mexico, rushes parallel to the byway. Although it hides just beyond the mountains in many places, the river occasionally peeks out from behind for an astonishing view.

Begin your excursion on the shore-hugging Beach Boulevard Scenic Byway in Bay St. Louis, MS at the mouth of the Jourdan River on the two-lane road between the Gulf of Mexico and the mainland. As you meander on Beach Boulevard, the inland scenery transitions from waterfront houses to seagrass marshes. Stop and enjoy the panorama at any of the numerous pullouts.